The unlikely battlefield was Top Stock, an eliminator category chiefly populated by garishly painted production cars. The unlikely combatants were a pair of bookish engineer/racers. In comparison to the thundering Top Fuelers and nascent nitro-burning Funny Cars, Top Stock provided little sound and no fury. Yet the season-long struggle between Bill Jenkins and Jere Stahl was a clash of the titans: Chevrolet versus Chrysler, small-block versus Hemi, privateer versus factory. In short, this was drag racing’s version of David and Goliath.
Stahl worked as a mechanic and service manager in Chevrolet dealerships before becoming a Hemi hero in 1966. He learned the rudiments of drag racing with a record-setting ’56 Chevrolet station wagon and a killer ’57 Chevy Junior Stocker. With his trademark sunglasses and cheap cigar, Bill Jenkins became a hero for legions of Chevrolet fans. His “Grumpy” persona was largely a façade that kept admirers at bay while he concentrated on the business of racing.
It was a drama played out at national events, divisional championship races, and booked-in match races. Although intense, their rivalry was never ruthless. In fact, Jenkins and Stahl were friends as well as competitors, colleagues as much as adversaries.
This story is from the April 2022 edition of Hot Rod.
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This story is from the April 2022 edition of Hot Rod.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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