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G SQUARED MOTORSPORTS RETURNS
WITH NEW RIDER
Having missed the last four races following
NHRA-imposed weight penalties on the V-Twins,
G Squared Motorsports, owned by George Bryce
and George Smith, will return to action at
the 50th annual NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals
with a new rider, Chip Ellis.
As a result of NHRA adding 40 lbs, the team
missed Denver, Sonoma, Brainerd and Memphis
while they regrouped.
“At the same time we were working on
the motorcycle, we were also working on a new
plan to put a permanent rider on the bike rather
than the short-term program under which we
had been working,” said Bryce.
Ellis holds AMA/Prostar championships in both
Funnybike and Formula Superbike. [8-31-2004]
HEDMAN CELEBRATES 50TH
AT INDY
 Not
only will it be the 50th edition of the U.S.
Nationals, but Hedman Hedders will also celebrate
their 50th anniversary Labor Day weekend. Bob
Vandergriff Jr. will drive the specially painted
Top Fuel dragster to honor his father’s
company.
After years working in advertising and marketing,
both for NHRA and his own advertising agency,
the elder Vandergriff purchased the exhaust
company in 1978 from the Hedman family. [8-31-2004]
FORMER NHRA TECH DIRECTOR
DIES
Bill “Farmer” Dismuke, NHRA’s
national tech director from 1960 to 1988, passed
away August 20 at his Sylmar, California home.
Dismuke was especially influential in developing
the Stock, Super Stock and factory muscle car
classes. He was also instrumental in computerizing
the NHRA tech department during the 1970s.
Dismuke got his nickname in the early 1950s
when he drove a vegetable truck for Farmer
Brown, Inc. in Massachusetts, where he was
a member of a car club. He began working as
a tech advisor for NHRA Division 1 Director
Ed Eaton in 1957 and, after meeting NHRA founder
Wally Parks, moved to the West Coast in 1961
to become national tech director. He is survived
by his wife, Ginny. [8-31-2004]
BERNER TAKES PS SHOOTOUT CROWN
 The matchup was the same as last year’s
event, but the outcome was different as Peter
Berner defeated Frank Gugliotta in the final
round at the 2004 Sunoco Pro Stock Shootout
contested during the IHRA Sunoco World Nationals.
Berner, of Crete, IL, used quicker reaction
times each round to get his Mustang through
the field and claim the $20,000 reward.
“Getting the opportunity to race Frank
again and for it to be as close as it was made
the experience tremendous. This no doubt was
the best race of my career,” Berner said.
“I have been working hard on my reaction
times,” he explained. That practice certainly
seems to have paid off. (Ian Tocher photo) [8-30-2004]
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