Limited-Edition of 350 (13"x19")
Signed and Numbered by the Artist.
In 1967, one of the wildest funny cars on the scene had to be Dick Jesses' chopped and stretched GTO.
Even after the successful 1966 season, not everyone was convinced that the Ford/Mercury idea, of a one piece, flip-top fiberglass-bodied funny was the way to go, and Dick had some ideas of his own to try out.
As a kid, this car was an icon to me... MPC produced a model kit of the car which made the Goat even more famous.
With today's safety standards, it doesn't take much imagination to see how unsafe this particular car might be. If an engine fire broke out and got inside the greenhouse, the hole in the roof for the driver, would act as a blow torch; and secondly, if the car ever got upside down, the rollcage would offer little protection to the drivers protruding head.
In 67, NHRA still wasn't quite sure what to do with these "Funny " looking cars. The supercharged nitro cars, raced in B/Fuel, while injected cars (Such as Snows "Rambunctious") Dart), ran in C/Fuel Dragster...
In this painting, we see Dick as he wins B/FD at the 67 US Nationals, running a 9.38 at 154.90 over Eric Fooder's Dragster at 9.40 184.80.
Some of Drag Racing's Most Creative people died at an early age, and we can only imagine what the likes of a Dick Jesse might have left on the table after a long career.
I know what his talent and creativeness represented to me as a kid, that's why I feel it's important to honor the creativity of people such as Dick...
