Jungle pam drag racing12/20/2023 ![]() ![]() "Everybody has a wonderful story and they all remember Jungle in their own way," Hardy added. The fans, and Liberman and Hardy had plenty of them, never get tired of the interaction. "Actually today is the same thing, I mean I’ve been doing autograph sessions, tower suite appearances." "Oh my, gosh, airplanes for 8 hours, sitting in traffic and getting here was a challenge," Hardy admitted. Hardy has maintained a breakneck pace all weekend in doing her part to uphold Liberman's memory at the Auto Club NHRA Finals. NHRA has celebrated 50 years since the Funny Car division was recognized as a professional division. Liberman's 1973 Vega Funny Car was recognized by NHRA today as the greatest Funny Car in a year-long fan-vote contest. Hardy stepped away from the racing limelight in 1977 but has quietly labored extensively to keep Liberman's memory alive through various media and appearance endeavors. Liberman died in a non-racing accident when the Corvette he was driving crashed into a bus during the early hours of September 9, 1977. Together the two traveled the country from east to west, north to south, and easily made as many 100 race dates at various track as both a match racing and competition team. He christened her "Jungle Pam," and the legend grew from there. The flamboyant Liberman, arguably the greatest showman the drag strip has ever experienced, quickly added the shapely, girl next door image Hardy presented to his drag racing entourage. Hardy first entered the drag racing scene in 1973, when she was discovered by the Funny Car racing legend Liberman while walking to a local convenience store in West Chester, Pa. "Jack is very kind and he backs up slowly for me." It’s much more intense, it’s the same but it’s different - it’s not as laid back as it used to be. "I was surprised that I pulled it off actually. "It was a little bit surreal," Hardy said. Hardy, who in four years of drag racing involvement made a mark which remains visible in today's drag racing banter, returned to her comfort zone this weekend guiding past NHRA champion Jack Beckman into his tracks following each burnout this weekend at the NHRA AAA Finals in Pomona, Ca. Altered Factory Experimental was what became “Funny Car.” The way they moved the driver, the engine, and transmission in the car and the altered wheelbase made the cars look “funny.” Notice the driver in the backseat and the way the body was mounted on the chassis.Pam Hardy, the iconic figure who became a drag racing icon for her role in backing up the legendary "Jungle" Jim Liberman and his iconic Funny Cars, hasn't missed a step. One of his team cars won the 1969 Winternational with driver Clare Sanders behind the wheeel.īefore Funny Car there was A/FX. Due to all of the match races they had lined up, Leiberman hired drivers that raced his “Jungle Jim” cars all over the country, which lead to Jungle Jim becoming one of the first drivers to have a multi-car team. Jungle Jim only won one NHRA national event in his career, the 1975 Summernationals at Englishtown New Jersey, though he was still considered to be one of the best funny car drivers of his time. Lieberman had driven many of these early funny cars including Lew Arrington’s “Brutis” Pontiac GTO, Arrington’s “Hercules” Chevy II, and the “Gypsy” Corvette. Those models were excellent sellers and that lead to more fame for the “Jungle Jim” funny car. ![]() Match races were big in those days and Jungle Jim always brought in big crowds to see him race, which lead to Revell producing a model of the car and a sponsored Jungle Jim. They put on a great show and Jungle Pam was an absolute crowd favorite – a long smokey burnouts and an almost fearless style of driving made him famous. Back before the John Force era of Funny Car Racing there was Jungle Jim and Jungle Pam, and below is this cool video of some of there wild creations burning up the quarter mile. ![]()
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