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Re: "Grumpy" Jenkins has passed on
[Re: dannysbee]
#1205700
03/30/12 11:21 AM
03/30/12 11:21 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,763
Walton's Mountain, Pa
Steve1118
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,763
Walton's Mountain, Pa
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"I never said I didn`t respect him. Fiery competitor. I put him in the same class with Chad Knauss; A genius, but playing a little loose with the rules. Grump was one of the guys who pitched heads up S/S to NHRA,& when he couldn`t stay competitive,he broke every rule they had. NHRA went along with it & killed Hemi development for 25 years. Nascar saw NHRA was healthy without Mopar & they hosed us too.Wonder what that cost chevrolet ? At the 2001 gathering to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Hemi,Wally Parks apologized to Tom Hoover for killing the Hemi. In retrospect,maybe I blame Grump for what happened to Pro Stock. Look at the 70-71 cars; Nothing that exciting since."
I agree with everything you said...but he was still an innovator. As far as him being responsible for NHRA's shafting the Hemis...I agree. I still think the car was illegal because, basically, it was a chassis car and at that time the NHRA rules specifically disallowed chassied cars. But, because he was in a Chevy, they let him pull it off.
"Old age and treachery trumps youth and enthusiasm, every time!" East Central Director / Chrysler Power Magazine www.reasbeckracing.webs.com
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Re: "Grumpy" Jenkins has passed on
[Re: 63postcar]
#1205702
03/30/12 03:56 PM
03/30/12 03:56 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,329
NC
DCM71cuda
pro stock
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pro stock
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,329
NC
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Quote:
Quote:
"I decline to label him an innovator."
No flame, but a correction. You must not have been around him much in the old days....he certainly wasn't my favorite guy, by a long shot, but an innovator he was indeed. He had to be, as he was outgunned by the MoPar bunch.
Figuring out the small block Vega as a competitive package was one. As illegal as it was, and it was illegal (right, Fred?), it worked. He also had a deal where he was sawing the carbs in half and running them as four two barrells....the man was a genius. Also, I think he had kind of hard feelings against Chrysler because they didn't pick him up as a factory driver after the 1965 season.
Ronnie was the best, best, ever, period. I saw Ronnie race the Grump many, many times, and the Grump was the only Chevrolet to be in the same ball park. You gotta give him credit.
I never said I didn`t respect him. Fiery competitor. I put him in the same class with Chad Knauss; A genius, but playing a little loose with the rules. Grump was one of the guys who pitched heads up S/S to NHRA,& when he couldn`t stay competitive,he broke every rule they had. NHRA went along with it & killed Hemi development for 25 years. Nascar saw NHRA was healthy without Mopar & they hosed us too.Wonder what that cost chevrolet ? At the 2001 gathering to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Hemi,Wally Parks apologized to Tom Hoover for killing the Hemi. In retrospect,maybe I blame Grump for what happened to Pro Stock. Look at the 70-71 cars; Nothing that exciting since.
You can't blame Jenkins for making the most of the rules. He worked within the specs and used them to his advantage...the definition of innovation. All of the big names of that era took advantage not only of what was in the rulebook, but more importantly what was NOT in the rulebook. It was not Jenkins the wrote the rules, he just used them to his advantage.
The big names of that era were a special group...Sox, Nicholson, Jenkins....and the list could go on for a while.
I'm pretty sure if you talk to the racers of that era, if they didn't like Jenkins, it was because of what he did on the track (i.e. win). But they virtually all respected him as a person, mentor, and his important role in the early days of pro stock.
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Re: "Grumpy" Jenkins has passed on
[Re: Steve1118]
#1205704
03/30/12 08:48 PM
03/30/12 08:48 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 999
Addison,IL
OUTLAWSSAA
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 999
Addison,IL
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Quote:
"I never said I didn`t respect him. Fiery competitor. I put him in the same class with Chad Knauss; A genius, but playing a little loose with the rules. Grump was one of the guys who pitched heads up S/S to NHRA,& when he couldn`t stay competitive,he broke every rule they had. NHRA went along with it & killed Hemi development for 25 years. Nascar saw NHRA was healthy without Mopar & they hosed us too.Wonder what that cost chevrolet ? At the 2001 gathering to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Hemi,Wally Parks apologized to Tom Hoover for killing the Hemi. In retrospect,maybe I blame Grump for what happened to Pro Stock. Look at the 70-71 cars; Nothing that exciting since."
I agree with everything you said...but he was still an innovator. As far as him being responsible for NHRA's shafting the Hemis...I agree. I still think the car was illegal because, basically, it was a chassis car and at that time the NHRA rules specifically disallowed chassied cars. But, because he was in a Chevy, they let him pull it off.
 X2
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Re: "Grumpy" Jenkins has passed on
[Re: OUTLAWSSAA]
#1205705
03/30/12 10:26 PM
03/30/12 10:26 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,421
Balt. Md
383man
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,421
Balt. Md
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I have to say I know why they called him Da Grump ! I was at the York show around 2004 or 5 somewhere in that era when both Sox and Jenkins were both there. Well I saw Ronnie Sox who was there with his wife and asked to get the artist pic they had of his 68 Cuda racing the Jenkins 69 Camaro. It had both cars pulling the wheels. On the bottom of it was the words "Ronnie Sox 5 time world champ ". Well Ronnie signed it and I talked with him for a good bit as he was the nicest person to talk to. I was so happy that my childhood racing hero was such a nice guy. Well I went to the other side where Jenkins was and asked him to sign it also since his car was in it. So he signed it without saying a word to me and then I stuck my hand out and said ........thank you Mr Jenkins. He just looked away and would not shake my hand. So I walked away saying to myself.....what an a-hole ! Ron
Last edited by 383man; 03/30/12 10:28 PM.
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Re: "Grumpy" Jenkins has passed on
[Re: 440GTX]
#1205708
04/01/12 11:14 AM
04/01/12 11:14 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,862
N.E. Ohio
6bblFLASH
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,862
N.E. Ohio
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Gotta respect what it took to do what those guys did back then. The work/talent and LONG HARD hours it took to build/ tune AND travel. Took a special person to have ALL those gifts at once.  RIP "Grumpy" Ronnie Don Dick Smokey just to name a few 
70` Cuda`,440 6BBL Jerico,Dana 4.56 Still on 93 Pump Gas
9.87 @ 136/1.31-60ft.`09 Mopar Nationals PASSON PERFORMANCE "Stick-Shift" Champ!
2013 StickShift Challenge Winner@ Mopar Nationals!
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