Top Fuel driver Howard Haight (who was fresh off a huge win at the 46th March Meet) was in the seat of Big Yohn's Shubert & Herbert recreation.
Photos & Commentary by Robert Briggs

Push starting the car "Old School" ..yes! This is the first burnout session.

 

Haight brings the Shubert & Herbert dragster back to life ... whummMMPP!!! Big Yohns must be grinning ear-to-ear.

 

Howard looks good in the "Shubie" as people in the pits look on.

 

Warren Walther & Rod McCarrell watch from the fence as Howard approaches the starting line. I can't ID the person on the left.

The Turn. Gosh, this part of the run is so poetic to me its beyond words. The push down ... will the car start? Will the car keep running? Can the drivers make The Turn without crashing into each other. Can they stage the cars before the engines get too hot? I really miss this part of today's contemporary drag racing.

 

Howard and the Shubert & Herbert is drawing a lot of attention from some Dust Devils as it rolls to the line. Announcer Mike English is approaching on the left. Howard adjusts his goggles while Big Yohns checks engine temp.

 

One last look. You gotta wonder what's going through Big Yohn's mind. This is the car's first burnout attempt ... ever [gulp].

 

Its put up or shut up time ... and Howard begins Shubert & Herbert's "inaugural" burnout. I have to confess I was shaking like a leaf with my emotion level very high. Had to remind myself "keep pushing the shutter button ... don't be a spectator." Ronnie Rapp watches from the sideline.

 

Howard has the tires smoking nicely at this point. Kol Johnson comes into view.

 

Howard has the smoke pattern thickening. Shubert & Herbert looks straight and true ...

 

Smoke pattern is still thickening and curling behind the slicks. Howard holds the line straight and true. Crew member Marc McCormick and the Chief Cat Herder himself Lee Schelin watch trackside. Don Prieto wearing his whites and solar powered Pith Helmet can be seen at the fence.

Last shot in this series. Howard flashes by. My camera's memory buffer is full and this is the last shot it'll take. Tire smoke fools the auto focusing a bit though Howard's helmet appears in focus. What a super run!! Congrats to Big Yohns, Howard Haight, Kol Johnson & Marc McCormick. Great show for the car's first burnout.

 

Here's Howie pulling off the track and onto the return road after a 900' smoker. It was Fontana 1964 all over again.
Patty Peterson Photo

 


 

Later in the day Big Yohns making the final visual check before Howard's upcoming E-ticket ride.

 

After 5 or 6 seconds Howard has the revs up and begins the 2nd track launch of the Schubert & Herbert.

 

Front wheels still up and even. Again, nice smoke pattern.

Front tires are down and smoke is thickening ... everything looks good.

 

Left front tire slightly up and no problems yet ....

 

Looking great but this is where Howard said the track started getting a little slippery ...

 

Notice the smoke is darker now. The rear end is sliding to the left and the guardrail must be coming into Howard's view.

 

Uh-oh ...

 

A driver with lesser driving skills than Howard Haight the S&H would be in a repair shop today.

 


 

First run was a little rich. I don't know what the actual altitude is, but I suppose around 2500-3000 feet. We bumped the Nitro 5% and put a little more overdrive on the blower for the second launch. Even then it was spitting a little raw fuel of a couple of pipes when Howie winged it before the run. Big Yohns

 

Here are a couple of pics of Howard Haight working on the blower drive pulleys. As I heard it, there was an attempt to go to a slightly larger drive pulley (maybe an altitude correction?), but the hole pattern of the larger pulley wasn't quite the same as the original. There was lots of filing and thrashing in the dirt, but Howard was persistent and must have got it right.

The pic with the 2 pulleys in hand was taken about 10 AM prior to their 1st run, according to the camera data. The other was taken about 2 PM, between the 1st and 2nd pass.
Commentary by Bob Brown

 

 


 

It finally happened. Riceman's brass model of the Shubert Herbert is shown here at dusk on Saturday with its big brother, the real car. Big Yohns, their proud owner, is holding the display plate on which the model is resting.

 

Full Model Construction

 


 

From the old to the new... Big Yohns Racing also had their VRA Jr. Fuel dragster on hand with Kol Johnson in the seat. Here Ron and Marc McCormick monitor the engine during a warm-up.

 

Ron checks the exhaust temp with a thermal gun.

 

Kol makes a pass Saturday afternoon.

 

 

 


 

Big Yohns Racing's 2005 rig that carries the "Big Wheel" Jr. Fuel dragster and the Shubert & Herbert A/FD recreation.

 

More Inyokern 2005