--- The "Greeks" new Fuller car told by Fred Vosk ---
This is one my on and off painting partner from the 60's - 'Don Staats' told me.....
It was about 1965 or so ... and I had headed north to start a ( Custom Painting ) shop up here
( Seattle ) ... Don stayed in LA a little longer before he came up too - and got a job at Shelbys' on the Inglewood Airport painting SnakeRoadsters ... Don would sneek in a digger to paint in his spare time and the cowboy didn't mind - in fact he thought it was kinda neat - so he did this car for Karamesines while he was there - Silver flake with a lot of candy blue fading - ChiZler on the nose in silver - bita Greek Olive branch artwork here and there -- mighta been Chris's first Fuller? ( I think the Greek ran the car for quite a while ) Anyway - here's the story that Staats told me ...
When the paint was done, Karamesines and a bunch of guys showed up with the car on a trailer - ready to run except for the body - which they installed ... Then they grabbed Statts and all piled into this big Chrysler they were towing with -- a couple of bottles of Whiskey appear and are being passed around .. Suddenly they are at the locked front gate of a drag strip - Staats thought San Fernando ... but wasn't sure, it's a Wendsday and nobody is around. Somebody has a key and they drive in. By then it's raining, ( drizzling ), so they stay in the Chrysler and more whiskey appears ... About the time the latest bottles are empty ... Karamesines sticks his hand out the window and says "ain't raining"! so they unload the car and get it ready - by the time their ready to go it's drizzling again - but Karamesines is in the 'go' mode ... so they push down and fire the thing up. By now the track is starting to get kinda wet ... the Greek comes around to the starting line - and takes off down the strip ... smokin' em real good! The car is sorta 'fishtailing' more and more as it goes down the track - a little past half track the rears fishtail off the edge into the dirt ... all of a sudden the tire smoke turns into this big 'Roostertail' of dirt and rocks! He stays on it - and it fishtails back onto the track ... the cloud of dirt turns back into tire smoke and he drives it through the lights, ( or where the lights would be if they were set up ) ... Staats said it was wilder then 'Ascot' ... best driving he ever saw ... When they got down to the other end in the Chrysler - Karamesines was sitting up on the roll bar - laughing !!! More whiskey appeared ...............
The Girls had fun Too !! by Ron O'Donnell
Marion and Maynards wife whose name escapes me now, decided to show the top fuel guys that they could go fast too, and took their beautiful new Chrysler 300s and raced them from the far end of the track at Oswego. By the time they got close to the starting line, they were flying and with no parachutes to stop they totaled both beautiful cars, luckily no one was hurt, hence the end of their racing careers.
2-3 Hi Dennis, here are some long awaited images of Bob Stratman's fourth twin. Pardon my lack of 'puter ability. The top photo is his first twin in the early 60's, and the bottom is his fourth, with the Lenco 3-speed at Gainesville in the early 70's. Chase
4-5 Top two photos are the 3-speed car again. Bottom shot is his second twin, high gear only car.
10 All of these are his second twin, the middle one being one of my favorites. Sorry about the quality, as these wew scanned fron old National Dragster issures.
11-12 These was at the Division 2 points meet in Miami, FL in 1971. We ran the second and third car at a few events that year. The top image is Bob's third twin, with the Lenco 2-speed, while I drove the second (high gear only) car. We met in the final in Competition Eliminator, and may have performed one of the early "team orders" races. As Bob was in contention for the division championship, I red lighted and smoked the tires to insure his victory. Kind of fun for me, as I'd only driven slipper clutch cars, and never got to really get smoked in. Hope you enjoy these, Chase
