Editing S130/funnycars php (section)

=== 280ZX Funny Cars ===

https://dev.z31library.com/xenonzcar_archive/s130/images/Funnycars/280_01.jpg

Once upon a time, less than 30 years ago, a foreign car maker could enter an American racing series dominated by American-made cars and not be the subject of continuing controversy.

Those of you who also watch circle track racing know a lot of hands have been wrung the past couple of years over NASCAR's decision to grant Toyota eligibility to run its Camry coupes and Tundra trucks in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series.

Besides the idea of letting a Japanese manufacturer participate in what was always the all-American sport of stock car racing, the worry was, and is, that Toyota would spare no expense to engineer winning cars and trucks, possibly driving American car makers out of the game...

The National Hot Rod Association made a similar decision back in October 1979... to allow foreign car bodies, 1975 or newer, on Funny Cars.

https://dev.z31library.com/xenonzcar_archive/s130/images/Funnycars/280_02.jpg

However, several smaller teams took a look at the low, sleek, slope-nosed Datsun 280ZX and thought, “That could be a fast Funny Car.”

Thus, as the 1980 season opened, three veteran AA/FC teams had 280ZX bodies on the strip or in the works — John Collins, Gary Densham and Tim Grose...

Collins' 280ZX, with substantial backing from Japanese electronics giant Pioneer Car Stereos and some help from Datsun, was the first to see action, although Densham thought he would beat Collins to the punch...

https://dev.z31library.com/xenonzcar_archive/s130/images/Funnycars/280_04.jpg

Collins had run with Pioneer backing since 1978... Pioneer was making a deal with Newman and Sharp to sponsor the Datsun factory road race team, and Collins was perfectly placed to take advantage...

Meanwhile, Densham was building his 280ZX, saying he spent six months working on the plug, making the body — at chassis builder Ken Cox's shop...

https://dev.z31library.com/xenonzcar_archive/s130/images/Funnycars/280_03.jpg

"I always looked at doing unique things..." Grose said from his engine shop in western Michigan...

Grose debuted his 280ZX at the Bakersfield March Meet, where the original Datsun flopper, driven by Collins, met its demise...

https://dev.z31library.com/xenonzcar_archive/s130/images/Funnycars/280_06.jpg

Fortunately, Collins was already having another Datsun built...

Grose went on to have his own ZX misadventures... "There was so much downforce, it broke the body in half..."

After patching the body back together, Grose went on to an even bigger incident at the NHRA Springnationals...

Miraculously, Grose walked away more or less unhurt and set about building a new ZX from scratch...