Gordie Bonin
keeping the drive alive.
From his runner-up appearance at the 1972 Nationals until his last national
event victory in 1994 in Columbus, Gordie Bonin was one of drag racing's more
successful Funny Car drivers, compiling a 9-3 record in final-round appearances
at major races. For a spell in the 1970s, he consistently recorded the fastest
Funny Car clockings, earning him the nickname "240 Gordie”. Bonin was born
in Prince Albert, SK and grew up in Red Deer, AB., often attended drag races in
Edmonton and Calgary, Alta. His first street car was a '56 Chevy, which was
replaced in 1967 by a '67 Pontiac with a 327-cid Chevy, then a '68 Chevelle
Super Sport that ran 13-flat right out of the box. In 1969, Bonin campaigned an
AMC Hurst/Scrambler, a factory-backed entry that ran out of the Rambler
Saskatoon Ltd. dealership in Canada.
After moving back to Red Deer in 1970, Bonin began racing in Jr. Fuel. Said
Bonin, "I hooked up with Ted Sinclair, whose C/MP '55 Chevy I had driven
before. He had a Jr. Fuel dragster with a small-block Chevy on 100 percent
nitro and a two-speed transmission. It ran in the low sevens at 190 mph. "In
1972, Bonin was chosen to drive Ron Hodgson's Pacemaker-backed Vega Funny
Car. Said Bonin, "I got my license at Lions Drag Strip in Long Beach, Calif., and
I went 205 mph on my third run."
At the 1972 U.S. Nationals, Bonin qualified third with a 6.52 and reached the
final, where he lost to Ed McCulloch. "That race was a big encouragement for
me," said Bonin, "and it prompted me to become a full-time professional racer
by driving Roland Leong's Revell-sponsored Hawaiian in 1973."
Bonin later regrouped with Hodgson, and in 1975, they obtained the tuning
services of Jerry Verheul. Said Bonin, "He had worked with Jerry Ruth and had
helped Frank Hallwin the 1973 championship with his Green Elephant car. We
also got the Bubble-Up sponsorship in 1975, and that helped out a lot."
Bonin won his first national event title at the 1977 Gatornationals, running low
e.t. (6.19) and top speed (238.72) of the meet in the process. He later began
to record 240-mph clockings on a regular basis to inspire the "240 Gordie"
moniker. Said Bonin, "Don Prudhomme actually was the first over 240, but
somehow '240 Prudhomme' didn't sound right, so the name stuck with me."
Ironically, Bonin defeated Prudhomme at the 1977 World Finals, and in 1979,
he won the Gatornationals, U.S. Nationals, and World Finals to finish third in
the standings. "Winning Indy that year was the highlight of my career," said
Bonin. "It was the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Nationals, we became the third
Funny Car in the fives, and we set a new national speed record of 245.90 mph."
After winning the 1981 Gatornationals, Bonin found himself without a ride
when Hodgson decided to get out of racing. He worked as a salesman for
Hodgson 's Old Fort Brewing Co. in Prince George, B.C., then served as NHRA's
directorof marketing and marketing services from 1983 to 1989.
In 1989, when Gary Ormsby could no longer drive because of his battle with
cancer, Lee Beard selected Bonin to drive at that year's Seattle national event,
where he reached the semi-finals. In 1993, he drove Leong's Hawaiian Vacationbacked Funny Car to a Springnationals win over Gordon Mineo in thefinal.
Bonin was then hired in 1994 as driver of the Candies &Hughes Smokin' Joe's
Funny Car, which he drove to victories at the 1994 Mid-South Nationals and
Springnationals.
When the Smokin' Joe's team later stopped racing, Bonin again was without a
ride, but after joining Prolong Super Lubricants in 1999, he was chosen as a
marketing tool to expand the exposure of the company's products in Europe.
"[Former NHRA Vice President] Carl Olson helped set up that deal," said Bonin.
"He hooked me up with Rune Fjeld, a Top Fuel car owner and tuner from
Norway. He assured me that Rune was the Austin Coil of Europe and that it
would be a good, safe ride.
" Bonin won three of the five events in the FIA European Drag Racing Top Fuel
series that year, scoring victories in the Santa Pod opener in England; Alastaro,
Finland; and Gardemoen Raceway in Norway.
"I was flown to Monaco to accept my award," said Bonin, "and it was a big
crystal cup which is now housed at Olson's residence."
Bonin currently resides in Deer Park. Said Bonin, "I'm living with a wonderful
lady named Diane, and I've had a chance to stop and smell the roses. When I
moved up here from San Diego, Calif., I took the final trip on my motorcycle on
Highway 395.
It was probably the best ride I've ever enjoyed, and I was taking in the scenery
so much that I almost ran out of gas on several occasions, including one time
where I had to share a gas tank with a Cessna plane in Wagon Tire, Ore.
"Racing in the 1970s was absolutely the best of times, something I never
wanted to end," he added. "We didn't have the million-dollar sponsorships that
everybody wished for back then, but it wasn't any easier to race [with a lot of
money] because there were a lot more competitive cars.
It was also a lot of fun living on the road with the guys. These days, you don't
see a bunch of drivers going into a restaurant and pulling five tables together,
unless John Force happens to be there."
Bonin occasionally makes laps with Ray Salter and Chuck Penney's Top Fuel car,
but he hasn't competed full time on the NHRAcircuit since 1994. "I don't like to
use the word 'retired,'"said Bonin. "And by that I mean if the right deal ever
came along, I'd jump at it in a heartbeat. I have never driven more than 300
mph, but I'd sure like a shot at it."
My first real serious race car was a brand new 1968 Chevelle 396 that my father
co-signed for me. Thank You, Dad! I won my first drag racing trophy, a twofoot plastic one, with that car. It had 1004 miles on it when I won that trophy.
(My dad still has those first trophies) I also lost my virginity in that very car! I
raced at Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Mission, & Seattle for about 5 years in
everything from my Chevelle to a friend’s A Fuel dragster.
Early in 1972 I had just married and was working as a loan officer for Beneficial
Finance. It was around midnight when I received a call from Gordon Jenner. In
his gruff voice he said. "I’ve been down here in California with a new funny car
for a month. I have already used three drums of fuel and this guy can’t drive
this car. He’s scared to death of it. How would you like to drive a funny car?
" Hmmm. Funny car? Opportunity knocking. I said "Yeah, I could do that." And
he replies "Good! Call me in the morning." Click! Oh yeah, like I’ll be able to
sleep now! So I get hold of Jenner the next day and he supplies airfare from
Calgary, with a return trip. Gotta have that return trip! I fly to Los Angeles on
Wednesday in my suit and tie carrying my briefcase. Jenner shows up dressed
in T-shirt & jeans with a half-ton Chevy pickup & pull along trailer. We pile in
the truck and it is off to Lion’s for the Wednesday night show. In the pits I
climb into the seat and check out the controls. This is cool but the seat is
about three sizes too big for me. We start the car with me in the seat. Now this
is beginning to get cooler! You have to remember that this is before everyone
on the team wore gas masks.
NHRA rules require two half-track passes and a full pass to up grade my license
from an A Fuel car to a Funny Car license. "Two half-track passes and a full
pass, that’s all you gotta do other than the burnouts." Jenner says. Burnouts!
This was getting cooler by the minute.
I borrow a fire suit from Murray Dyma (the guy that owned the car but was
afraid to floor it) that would fit the Pillsbury doughboy. We start the car for
our first pass and the body comes down. I move toward the burnout box and hit
it. Smoke in the cockpit,
I proceed to do a half-track burnout. How cool is that! They didn't tell me I
didn't have to burnout to half-track. I back her up and Jenner's already got this
shit eating grin going on. Move forward, stage, hit it! The car leaves clean, I
reach for the shifter and I’m about a foot short! Can’t reach the handle. After
returning to the pits, we borrow a torch and heat the shift handle to try and
bend it so I can reach the thing. On the second pass I can just barely reach the
shifter,so I step off the throttle, grab high gear, and hit it again. We decide I
need a pillow behind me so I can reach everything just right; no pillow, but a
borrowed fire suit jacket from a friend in the pits suffices.
The final pass I run a 7.02 at 202mph. Steve Evans, who was running Lion’s at
the time, comes up and says "You guys should go to Seattle next weekend. I’ll
call Bill Doner." I get a promise that Evans will sign my license application when
I get one, and off we go.
Evans gave Jenner a phone number to contact Doner in Seattle. We packed up
our stuff and headed to the motel. It's past midnight, but WHO can sleep??
In the morning, we head for Mike Libey's shop to work on the car. Jenner says
to me, "You get to do the bottom end because if there is a fire it's your ass out
there." He went to call Bill Doner. As we tear down the motor Jenner comes
back in and says "We're going to Seattle." Okay, How cool is that! I asked
Gordon if we got the big guarantee money, he says no, but Doner gave us "four
in free!"
On the way to Seattle I'm in the middle of bench seat sandwiched between two
guys each way over 200lbs;
NOT very cool. As we're going over the Grapevine, Iask to stop so I can get in
the bed of the pickup and stretch out WITH my fire suit on; it was April you
know. We run Seattle that weekend and I was runner up. How cool is that! I
thought "This is easy." And the rest is history.
Join Gordie Bonin at Quicktimes Chrome Illusions Car Show April 7th & 8th in
Red Deer at Westerner Park, Fri 6-10pm Saturday 10-10.....Be There!!!!Thanks
Gordie, for the great memories.
(Reprint from Quick Times Magazine)