Maybelline Heir, Jerry Westhouse, Reunites With Top Fuel Dragster he Raced 40 Years Ago.

This is pretty cool. In 1973 I was working at Traylor Engineering in Palatine. My mentor Bill Traylor was building a streamline Top Fuel dragster. He had parted ways with his driver from the year before and asked me if I wanted to drive his race car. Of course I said yes. We raced the car in the ‘73 season on the UDRA circuit. After Bill passed away in 1976 I lost track of the car. Jump ahead to 1993. A friend told me that the streamline body was in an auto body shop in Prairie View, IL. That’s when I met Tony Zizzo. 

Tony got a call a couple of weeks ago from a guy that wanted to sell him a dragster. He told Tony he thinks that he was a previously owner. Low and behold it’s the original chassis that Bill built in 1973. Tony is going to restore the dragster and run it in some nostalgia races. 

Here are some pictures, one from the day we rolled the dragster out of the trailer (April, 1973) and two from today. It’s unbelievable that I may be able to drive my old dragster again after 41 years.

Jerry Westhouse’s Grandmother, Eva Williams Haines was Maybelline founder, Tom Lyle Williams sister. Here are some great Posts I wrote about him and his family.

Maybelline Heir – RACE CAR DRIVER – Jerry Westhouse and the Indy 500 click to view