The Legacy of Jack Chrisman

 

The Legacy of Jack Chrisman

Part I

 

 Jack Chrisman was an American Drag Racer who had an active racing career that started in 1953 and ended with retirement in 1972,but he remained active behind the scenes.
 

Throughout his career he raced at Southern California tracks such as Lions, Pomona,Riverside,San Fernando & Santa Ana. Jack wasn’t just an inovator he was also a record setter. 

In 1961 he drove the Howard Cams Twin Bears gas dragster to the first 8-second run in NHRA national event history and won the first ever Winter Nationals with an 8.99 second pass.

 

 Chrisman won the 1961 World Championship after winning in national, regional, and divisional meets throughout the United States. In 1962 Jack joined Mickey Thompson’s team where he drove the Tommy Ivo-built A/Gas Dragster to an 8.34 second pass,giving him the Top eliminator crown at the U.S nationals.

                                        Jack Chrisman with Mickey Thompson. Mickey is turning the wrenches on their dual Pontiac-powered Rail.

  

The Funny Car Revolution

 

 

 Jack was instrumental with developing the first car that we today consider modern Funny Cars.It was the first car to combine a supercharged & nitro injected engine with a lightweight tubular
chassis. The car also featured a direct-drive clutch in place of a traditional automatic transmission.

 

 The car debuted at the 1964 U.S. Nationals with Chrisman smoking the tires to half track. He toured the eastern half of the United States with the car through the end of the 1965 season. In 1966, he ran one of the factory backed Mercury Comets with a state of the art flip-up fiberglass body. 

It was a one piece body with no doors keeping weight to a minimum. It is considered to be the first funny car to exceed 180 MPH and Jack won the Hot Rod Magazine Championship defeating Jungle Jim in the finals.

 

 

 

                                                                        This is a video of the Jack Chrisman Comet fully restored.

                                                                    Video used with permission from Tommy Lee Byrd 2022 ,The Hot Rod Hoarder on You Tube.

 

 

 

 

 

  

                                                                                                                                                             

 

 

 

 

 Chrisman raced through the 1970 season and took 1971 off to build the "Sidewinder" Mustang Funny Car for 1972, but never raced it. He sold it to Ray Maheu, and the car later became John Force’s first car that he called the Night Stalker .

 

 

It featured a blown SOHC 427 that was longitudinally mounted. It was connected to a solid axle with a 2.5 inch wide chain that was
manufactured by Borg-Warner's Morse Chain division.  The same chain was used by General Motors in its front-wheel-drive Olds Toronado and Cadillac Eldorados of the time.

 

 

After the 1971 season Jack started Chrisman Driveline Components at his hometown of Long Beach,California. The company built heavy-duty rear ends and driveline components for Drag Racers. 

 

The company has supplied components to legends like Kenny Bernstein,Eddie Hill,Joe Pisano,Darrel Gwynn and many more !     

 

Jack continued running the company until his death in 1989. His son Steve & daughter Lana took over the operation and later launched California Gears.

  

 

Photo's courtesy of Shelby Chrisman                                                                                                                         

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The Legacy of Jack Chrisman 

Part II

 

Steve Chrisman

 

 

 

 

                     This is Steve’s first race car,with Jack & Art Chrisman as his Crew Chiefs

  

Steve Chrisman grew up surrounded with Drag Racing royalty. His father Jack won the NHRA points championship in 1961 and famously beat Don Garlits to win Indy in 1962. He is also credited with piloting one of  the first nitro Funny Cars, the Sachs & Son's Comet. Steve knew if he persued anything with racing he would have to live up to his father’s reputation .

 

As a kid he would help his father run his car at Lions Drag Strip and as a teenager Steve traveled with his father on Funny Car tours in the late 1960’s and early 70’s, and ran at least 40 dates during the summer.

 

When Steve was growing up legends like Mickey Thompson,Danny Ongais, Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, Tom McEwen, Connie Kalitta, “Fast Eddie” Schartman, Ed Iskenderian,and Keith Black were frequent visitors at the Chrisman house in the 1960s. This gave Steve the bug to go racing.

 

 In 1982 Steve was ready to go racing. His first real race car was an Alcohol Funny Car.Then he transitioned into a Nitro Funny Car with Steve Plueger and eventually Top Fuel in the early 2000s.

 

As the owner of Chrisman Driveline Components and California Gear in Anaheim, CA as well as an NHRA Top Fuel driver, Steve is aware of the importance of reliability and repeatability of any race car. 

 

When better track prep and hard launches caused the 9-inch Ford rear ends to break,they experimented with a 10.5′′ ring gear, which was stronger, but it was also heavier. Steve then moved to a 12′′ ring gear and machined it for weight savings. They were successful and put them into production. Steve is an innovator the same way his father Jack was in the 1950’s & 60’s.

 

 Chrisman Driveline Components has grown to supply third-members for NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car teams. Running a successful shop is a full-time job for Chrisman, but he still competes in a few NHRA events each year alongside his many customers.

 

Steve Chrisman, had a long history of competing with his own cars before selling his operation.

 

 

 

 

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 Steve drove the Chuck and Del Worsham owned Top Fuel Dragster at the first three events of the 2018 season. In 2019 luck struck again, when the Worshams asked Chrisman if he’d like to drive their Dragster again in LasVegas. Steve jumped at the chance .

Now Steve lends his support to his niece Shelby Chrisman, who is following in her grandfather's footsteps.

 

 

In Part III we will cover: Shelby Chrisman

 Photos courtesy of Shelby Chrisman

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 The Legacy of Jack Chrisman

 Part III

 Shelby Chrisman

 

 Shelby Chrisman grew up at the family shop,Chrisman Driveline Components. She is also the granddaughter of racing pioneer and hall of famer Jack Chrisman.

 She said he raced for his good friend Mickey Thompson and was the first to drive a blown nitro Funny Car. Although I had never had the honor of meeting my Grandfather,I grew up with stories from those he loved and those he mentored. 

I remember hanging out with racing legend Don Prudhomme when I asked him if he had ever raced my grandpa and he said, “ No but Jack would’ve kicked my ass ! Those Chrisman boys were badass” and to hear that from the Snake was unreal!

                                      The recently restored  Jack Chrisman 1964 Comet,The First Funny Car !

 

Shelby’s earliest memory of her Grandpa Jack was when her mother told her “When you hear thunder in the sky that’s just Grandpa racing in Heaven.”

 

 Her cousin Art Chrisman and Grandma Dee told her stories of Jack Chrisman, the family man and friend. Shelby heard first hand from legends like Bob Muravez, Ed Iskenderian, Tom McEwen, Roland Leong, Bones Balogh, and more telling her about Jack Chrisman, the race car driver, entrepreneur, and legend.

                                          This is Shelby with her uncle Jack at the Chrisman family shop.

 

 When Shelby was 4-years old she got bit by the racing bug and started racing go-karts with her sister Amanda, just like her uncle Steve, and progressed quickly through the ranks. Even at four she knew there was no better feeling than being behind the wheel. Shelby trained with Troy Adams at Adams Speedway in Riverside and began competing at 5-years old.

 

 

                                                     During her Go-karting career she raced at Adams, Paris, and California Speedway.

 

 

 In 2018 Shelby attended the Frank Hawley Drag racing school where she obtained her Super Comp Dragster License at The Strip in LasVegas. Shelby stated that although she is not currently racing,she’s involved in Motorsports.

 

 

Shelby’s uncle was one of her biggest supporters when she decided to obtain her Super Comp license. He went out to Las Vegas to watch and cheer her on her every run.                                  

 

She said, ``I'll never forget when I ran an 8.54, Steve said,“You just ran as fast as your grandpa Jack,when he won the first Winter Nationals at Pomona in his Twin Bear Dragster.”

 

                                                                                     Shelby & Steve Chrisman after her first burn out.

 

 

                                                              Shelby behind the wheel of  her Grandpa Jack's Twin Bear Dragster.

 

 Shelby works full time at Fabtech Motorsports and as a volunteer at the Lions Automobilia Foundation Museum, as the social media coordinator, all while going to school for her business degree. At Lions Automobilia she gets to interview some of the legends in the automotive industry like Ed Iskenderian, Larry Wood ( Designer at Mattel/ Hot wheels), Carl Olson and many more. 

If you are interested in Drag Racing History or Southern California Motorsports, check out the Lions Automobilia Museum.

 

 Shelby (center) is surrounded by legends Jim Miles, The Snake,Isky, Carl Olson,Jack Beckman,Bob Muravez,Bones Balogh and others from the Road Kings Car Club.

 Shelby states that she had an awesome childhood and growing up at the racetrack was like growing up at the shop,surrounded by family.

 I was able to have ‘Big’ Jim Dunn and his family over for Thanksgiving dinners. I was able to be in numerous winner circles alongside Ashley and John Force, Robert Hight, Mike Neff, and many others. Running around the pits with all my friends. And being on the starting line with my Uncle Steve and experiencing what everyone likes to call “baptism by nitro”

 Most of you may already know, my family is involved in Drag Racing but what they don’t know about the Chrisman Family is that they are involved in a variety of Motorsports, on two and four wheels. 

My cousin Art Chrisman raced Dry Lake’s and Bonneville, he built engines for drag-boats and was involved with Indy cars alongside AJ Foyt. My uncle Larry Chrisman raced motocross and speedway. My cousins Carey & Kelly Chrisman race Off-Road trucks.

                                                   Shelby with cousin Carey getting in the Chrisman off road truck.

                                                                        Shelby hanging out in the pits with her uncle,Steve Crisman.
 

                                                         Carl Olson(Who won the last Drag Race at Lions) Shelby and her mother Lana.

 

                                                   Shelby with the "Hawaiian" himself,Roland Leong at the Lions Museum.

 

 Shelby is determined to get back behind the wheel again, but she hasn’t decided what she wants to drive next.

 

 

 Shelby’s mother Lana is currently the Executive Director at the Lions Automobilia Foundation & Museum, located in Rancho- Cucamonga,California.

 Lana states she didn’t set out to obtain a career in the automotive industry, but while attending college to earn a business degree, her father insisted that she stay plugged into the family business and earn her way. In 1987, the automotive aftermarket was changing rapidly and compromising the success of the family business.

 Lana and her brother Steve recognized an opportunity to develop a business model that would meet the challenges and support growth for Chrisman Driveline. Together they launched California Gears, a specialized mail order company selling driveline components. Cal Gear enjoyed immediate success for both companies. Lana remained with the family businesses for 23 years.

 Lana joined John Force Racing in 2006, as the retail manager of the John Force Race Station. She was promoted to Director of Retail Operations and launched a second location in Brownsburg,Indiana. 

In 2013 she was hired by Paul Lee, the owner of McLeod Racing to manage their front office. In a short time her experience in the automotive aftermarket helped her get promoted to Vice President of the company.

 

 Lana is also part of the SEMA Business-women’s Network, she was nominated to become a select committee member. The network provides resources to help in career development and offers mentor-ship for support and guidance to Women entering the automotive industry.

 

This is just a small sample of what you can find on display at the Lions Automobilia Foundation & Museum.

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Thank you to Shelby Chrisman for allowing us to share your family’s history with our readers.

 

 Photos courtesy of Shelby Chrisman

 

 

 Stay tuned for more great Drag Racing articles !

Some bonus photos !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Jack Chrisman working on an early Hot Rod .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Jack Chrisman posing with his fans !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jack Chrisman catching some shade between rounds.