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Wayne Clapp
Yesterday
During his heyday, in the mid- to late 1970s, Wayne Clapp was a standout Comp racer, winning six NHRA national events in nine final-round appearances and the 1976 NHRA national championship. Racing against the likes of John Lingenfelter, Bobby Cross, Joe Williams, and Dennis Ferrara, Clapp is remembered as one of the greatest champions in Comp history.
Clapp's hot-rodding career began in the 1960s but was interrupted by a stint in Vietnam from 1967 to 1969.
"I got right back into racing as soon as I was out of the service, " said Clapp. "I first revitalized my old '46 Ford, and then I bought a former Jr. Fuel dragster in the 1970s that I eventually began running as an Econo Dragster. I built my own small-block Chevy engine and did a lot of the mechanical work on the car. Sonny Bryant did the machine work, and I had help from some good guys, like Jeff McCoy and Mike Jones. "
The combination became an immediate success, and Clapp drove it to a Comp win at the 1975 Fallnationah.
"That win gave me enough confidence to go on tour with the car and race at national events back East," said Clapp. "I wanted to see how I'd do against the other top Comp racers in the country."
Running out of his own pocket, Clapp was successful on the racetrack but struggled to make ends meet. "I had to qualify at all of the races just so that I could afford some fast food."
Fortunately for Clapp, he caught the eye of team owner Dean Thompson.
"Dean had a stable of race cars in Louisiana, and he called to ask if I wanted to drive for him in 1976, " said Clapp. "I agreed right away because I knew that this would take care of the...