Content area
Full text
Known as one of the nation's most innovative engine builders, Ralph Truppi dominated Stock and Super Stock during the 1960s and 1970s
Ralph Truppi died at the age of 67 on July 27 after suffering from a prolonged illness, and he left behind a legacy of high-performance excellence during his drag racing career. Based out of Greenbrook, N.J., Truppi worked with Tommy Kling and created Truppi-Kling Competition, which provided the engine power for the likes of Ray Allen, Bernie Agaman, Al Olster, the Bennett & Sirianni team, Scott Shafiroff, and Vinnie Barone. Truppi was honored in various ways for his achievements in the sport, including being inducted into the NHRA Northeast Division Hall of Fame and being named to the prestigious Car Craft Magazine All-star Drag Racing Team.
Truppi attracted talented customers with his ability to come up with major technological advancements. He worked with John Hofmann to help adopt crank-trigger ignition systems and is also regarded as the first to use raised ring lands on pistons to help increase the compression ratio. Truppi was also one of the first to make the Rochester fuel-injection system competitive, and he expanded on that success by rotating that successful engine combination in a variety of body styles - hardtop, sedan, convertible, wagon, delivery, and more - in order to compete in as many different classes as possible.
Said Kling, "I first met Ralph in high school, and we got involved with Jr. Stockers in the...