That’s my dad’s car with Pat Reynolds driving.  My dad (Gary Cagle) built the car in ‘63.  It went through a few changes over the years such as ditching the 299 incher for a 392, zoomies, lengthening etc.
I remember the Goodyear tire design started getting better towards the end of ‘66 early ’67 and we borrowed a set from Tommy Ivo one night at Lions.  The thing hooked hard and went left into the dirt and almost hit the ambulance in front of old tower.
My dad made the car longer again, but it still had the B&M Torkmaster in it, and was a bitch to drive.  Guys like Dixon and Pedregon were all experimenting with slider clutches, wrinkle wall etc.
Then my dad ran it off the end at Lions and that was the end of it.  It was costing too much on a cop’s salary, he didn't want to put a clutch back in it because his friends were getting hurt and leaning harder on parts and just lost interest in general.
The car sat in our garage for about 3-4 years.
Then Pat Reynolds, a guy that used to help my dad bought it. He lengthened the frame rails a bit, added another hoop to the roll bar, put a stroker 392 in it from Gary Hazen, put Halibrands on it, polished blower, Enderle but kept the Torkmaster – big mistake.
While my dad was in hospital, having got hurt in July ’71 Pat got the car done and ran it at Lions (as the photo shows) but had nothing but trouble.
In fact, I was there with Pat at this meet when Jeb Allen unloaded his first T/F car.  I went to high school with Jeb.
Pat also tried to run the car at Irwindale with Hazen helping and again, had nothing but problems. He almost went upside down like Mulligan did trying to push start it in pits.
After my dad recovered somewhat, we went with Pat to OCIR to try it again, as my dad got the thing tuned up pretty good.
He tried to make a pass in the thing and soon as he stepped on it, it went straight up, came down & bent the front wheels, crushed the Milodon pan and bent the frame.
Pat’s wife at the time said "you're done" and that was the end of that.
Pat sold what was left of the car to Ward & Ozzie Francev, who still run in NE1 today.
Ward & Ozzie took the roadster & made it WAY short, painted it pearl white and ran it in the econo classes that were very popular in the early mid 70s (Small block Chevy with a carburetor), they had a blast with it.
Ward & Ozzie sold it to a guy and I tried to find it.  The only thing they could remember about selling it was "a guy in Santa Ana bought it.”  Needless to say I never found it . . .
In fact, Ward & Ozzie Francev have the front wing hanging in their garage to this day.  Ward or Ozzie told me if I ever re-create that car that I could have the wing.  I'm sure you've already heard that Joel Gruzen did a very accurate copy of the original car, so I guess he will get the wing for it.

Troy Cagle
(Troy’s own story of his Dad’s roadster is now a feature at Drag Racing Online)