CECIL LANKFORD PASSES

By Jon Asher
8/18/05

ecil Lankford, 70, driver of the Brand-X Mustang Funny Car of the late'60s and early '70s, passed away Aug. 16, 2005 after a long battle with cancer.

Lankford and partner David Sein fielded the colorful car on the AHRA Grand American Series circuit while also making limited appearances in NHRA competition. Although never a national event winner, Lankford was a talented driver and mechanic who handled all aspects of the racing operation almost by himself. His easy rapport with fans of all ages enhanced his popularity, while his knowledge of the mechanical side of racing made him a member of the inner circle of Texas racers of the era which included Big Mike Burkhardt, Mart Higginbotham, the Blue Max, Callier, Kristek and Cortines, Charlie Therwanger, Kelly Chadwick and others too numerous to list here.

Seldom afraid to take a chance, Lankford also generated a ton of exposure for his race car by foolishly allowing an inexperienced journalist to make a series of runs in the car for a pair of stories in Super Stock & Drag Illustrated in 1970 and '71. The journalist repaid the favor by trying to burn the car to the ground on his last pass.

Lankford’s appearance on the cover of Hot Rod Magazine doing a massive fire burnout with the team’s last Brand-X Mustang in 1974 further increased the team’s popularity and led to a best-selling poster.

Because we know Cecil would want this story told, his first attempt at the fire burnout was less than successful, with minimal flames. HRM editor Terry Cook solved the "problem" by dumping an estimated 8 gallons of hi-test under the car’s rear tires, which the headers instantly ignited. Lankford hit the throttle, with the resulting shower of flame leading to one of the magazine’s biggest selling issues, and he didn’t even mind discovering that the parachute pack and all the paint had been burned off the back of the car.

Although Lankford’s career began in the bullrings of Lone Star State stock car racing, once he hung up his firesuit he never looked back, devoting the balance of his life to charitable efforts that became significant due largely to the efforts of he and his wife of 46 years, Annette. For 27 years the pair staged what became known as The Cowboy Breakfast in an effort to raise scholarship money for all the community colleges located in the San Antonio area. Some 300 hardy souls turned out for the first breakfast. Sixty thousand appeared for this year’s gala back in March. The event made the Guinness Book of World Records after having served a stunning 18,941 tacos in 60 minutes!