Sportsman Racers Seeing Red
Words and Photos: Bruce Biegler
Britt Mizera
Mizera, who is from Pittsburgh, Pa., wheels the bright red Bob George Racing ’63 Savoy Max Wedge car. He has been driving that car for four seasons, after inheriting the driver’s seat from his father, Joe Mizera, who has owned and raced the car for 15 years.
Tipping the scales at 3,620 lbs, the car mostly sees action as an AA/SA in IHRA Stock Eliminator, where it is one of the most feared cars on the circuit. With a motor program from Ohio’s Jim Bailey, the car has run as quick as 10.71 seconds.
“I guess I am just carrying on a tradition which my father started,” Britt admitted. “Joe (his father) is one of the real veterans in drag racing—racing Mopar® cars ever since 1964. He is best friends with Bob George, who has built countless HEMI® cars over the years.”
Britt’s driving skills are well known in Sportsman drag racing. He has multiple track and state championship titles to his credit, and also won big during the IHRA’s “Race of Champions” ET event held at Norwalk, Ohio.
Jerry Bennet
The state of Tennessee is home base to a remarkable creation this season, courtesy of racing partners George Widuch and Jerry Bennett. The duo, who have been friends for ages, decided to combine their racing resources for 2009. The end result is one of the most ambitious and well-crafted Stock Eliminator cars of all time—a spectacular bright red 1962 Savoy.
“We spent two years building it—from the ground up on a rotisserie,” revealed car owner George Widuch. “Our objective was to build the best one out there. It was not an easy project, because we wanted it to be perfect, and there is a lot custom made for this car.”
Power for the D/SA Savoy comes from a 383 cid engine with factory option dual 4-barrel carburetors. In addition to being a huge attraction in the pit area for racing fans, the car is highly capable on the drag strip, with a best time of 10.64 seconds as of this writing.
“We think the car will run in the 10.50s,” added Jerry Bennett, the veteran driver who has numerous NHRA national and divisional wins to his credit—all Mopar cars.
Lloyd Wofford
After a very long absence (28 years), Arkansas’ Lloyd Wofford is making a comeback to drag racing this season.
Wofford, who was active as a drag racer all through the 1970s and up to 1981, has teamed up for 2009 with B&B Race Cars (Hohenwald, Tenn.) and notable Mopar drag racer Sonny Stancil (from Louisiana) and is now slotted to drive a mechanical marvel 1978 Plymouth Volare in NHRA Super Stock JA. That car, affectionately dubbed by some as the “Red Rocket,” was built by B&B and will be raced alongside Stancil’s SS/BM ’05 Stratus, which is driven by James Caro.
“I’m 58 years old but I plan on now doing this as long as I can,” said Wofford. “After I connected with B&B Race Cars I hit if off well with Sonny and James. Along with my wife Linda, we have now formed a partnership to move forward. Right now the team will campaign two cars—and we have an all-new ’68 HEMI Barracuda SS/AH (another B&B car) that is being built and which I will also drive.”
Wofford’s ’78 Volare has been a huge hit with Sportsman racing fans since first hitting the track a few years ago. It is currently regarded as one of the most innovative Super Stock cars on circuit today.
“Sonny has had this car for several years and it has seen a number of drivers,” Wofford added. “It has a 360 cid motor which NHRA rates at 269 hp. Alan Patterson did the machine work however it really is an in-house engine program assembled by James and Sonny. As far as I know it is the only SS/JA-classed Volare out there.”
Year-to-date, Wofford’s comeback season has been very impressive. That includes a No. 1 qualifying position during the NHRA national event at Atlanta in April, followed by a superb runner-up finish in Super Stock Eliminator during the NHRA Summer Nationals at Topeka, Kansas, in May.
