All of the pictures on this page were taken by Lawrie Gatehouse,
I am indebted to him for making them available for us all to enjoy.
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Click on any image to get the bigger picture |
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What better
subject to start off Lawrie's second page than with the maestro himself - Dennis
Priddle? |
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Lawrie certainly believed in getting in close to the action as these two close-up shots of Dennis in the cockpit of his funny car taken from beneath the raised body just prior to firing up demonstrate. |
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Dennis built and campaigned three funny cars during his illustrious career and this Hillman Avenger-bodied STP-sponsored car was the first. It is pictured burning out at Santa Pod in 1975. |
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The first car must have failed to live up to Dennis' very high expectations because I recall it didn't last all that long and was replaced by another Hillman Avenger-bodied car as shown opposite. I remember this car needed very little dialling in before it was running in the sixes. You would have to be very confident in your own workmanship to go so quickly so soon - but then with his superb craftsmanship why wouldn't he be? This picture was taken at Snetterton in 1976. |
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The third car was this fine Chevrolet Monza which had originally been built by Dennis for Swedish ice hockey star Olavi Knutinnen. Dennis later took over the running of the car and re-united with John Woolfe Racing in whose colours it is seen here. |
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Notice in the right hand picture how Dennis is experiencing some handling problems and has crossed the centre line. I hope it wasn't in a race. |
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Lawrie must have had a fair old flashgun to capture these two excellent night shots because the lights at Santa Pod were not all that wonderful. |
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To finish
off Dennis' pictures appropriately here are some - finish line pictures. That
looks like Owen Hayward in Houndog 9 being defeated on the right, while below US
star Gene Snow is getting exactly the same treatment. |
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The body from Dennis Priddle's first Avenger funny car was sold to the Hillbillies team of Roland Pratt and Mike Derry. As you can see it was put to good use as this picture taken in 1976 at Blackbushe clearly shows. |
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Clive Skilton was always Dennis Priddle's arch rival and this is
his first funny car which featured a Vauxhall VX/490 bodyshell. |
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Ollie
Burn is best known these days as the Crew Chief of The Mob Fuel Altered but he
drove this Pro Comp funny car called Komodo Dragon in days of yore. |
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At the
same time that Ollie was campaigning his funny car, his then wife Liz was
driving this rear engined dragster named The Lizard also in the alcohol-burning
Pro Comp class. |
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And finally for this page, John Andersson burning out prior to racing Dennis Priddle at Blackbushe. |
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All material on this site is copyright and should not be reproduced without permission |
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