Gary Rohe's 1980 Ford Mustang - Car Craft Magazine

Gary Rohes 1980 Ford Mustang Burning Out

There are two types of racers: those who consider Gary Rohe a friend and those who think he's cheating. There may even be some gray area in between. Considering the guy's record, it's tough to believe that he's on the up-and-up.

Gary's been the NMCA EZ Street champion three years in a row. He won every race he entered in 1997, and he's won more NMCA races than anyone. The Harlem Globetrotters lose more often than this guy. Not only that, but his scrappy little '80 Mustang was the first EZ Street car in the 8s and the first to 150 mph. Heck, he even beat out big NMCA names like Outlaw Street racers Rod Saboury and Bruce Kimmen to take home the first-ever Car Craft All-Star trophy for an NMCA class racer.

So the guy's a huge hero, right? Not really. The NMCA still makes him pit in the south 40-not on the pavement with the Pro Street and Super Street egos. He doesn't sign many autographs or sell lots of T-shirts. Gary's pretty much a regular dude-a 24-year-old machine-shop grunt from Indiana who races a beater Mustang that was his very first car. He's lucky to work at Bischoff Engine Service (BES), which is also his engine builder, but his salary is about the same as a chump Car Craft staffer, so he ain't getting rich any time soon. If he doesn't win races then he doesn't get contingency money and he can't afford to race. So he guesses he'd better win.

We guessed that he was pretty likely to win at the big-momma street-car race: Memphis. The '98 event was a continuation of seven years of hype surrounding what has become the country's biggest street-car shootout. It's where Hot Rod started this whole thing and where Flowmaster names its Top 10 Fastest Street Cars in America. At Memphis you find the fastest cars, the biggest whiners, and the most media.

But behind all the Pro blah-blah ballyhoo is the backbone of little-guy racers like Gary Rohe. That's why we lived with Gary and his crew for three solid days to see what Memphis is really like from a participant's point of view.

Memphis is the NMCA's only three-day race, with qualifying Friday and Saturday and eliminations Sunday. Like many racers, Gary worked all day Wednesday, then drove all night to get to the track Thursday morning. We caught up with him Friday morning just before tech inspection, where NMCA Tech Director Willie Benner OK'd the car. The Mustang weighed in at 3,010 with Gary on board-35 pounds heavier than required.
Memphis is the NMCA's only three-day race, with qualifying Friday and Saturday and elimina
The previous weekend Gary had tried one of the new lockup Powerglides, but it had a wiring glitch and caught fire. Hence, the car was put back into the same trim as when it ran the 8.92 record run at the Pennsylvania race. All that was needed before making a pass was to throw a charge into the battery, swap the rear tires side to side, and change the DynoMax mufflers to Flowmasters for contingency reasons.
The previous weekend Gary had tried one of the new lockup Powerglides, but it had a wiring
Word in the pits was that Bob D'Andrea was bringing a new EZ Street Mustang that would set the class on its ear. While crew guys Dave Rudisell and Danny Bischoff were wrenching, Gary tooled over to tech to have a look-see at D'Andrea's car. The super-clean Ford is powered by an Australian-headed Chevy and pushes every rule to the limit. Bob intends to win big next year, but claimed the car had never been down the track prior to Memphis. Gary seemed curious, but not concerned.
Word in the pits was that Bob D'Andrea was bringing a new EZ Street Mustang that would set

As soon as Gary got back to the pits, buddy Billy Glidden rolled by in his new and unbeatable Super Street car. Glidden's vacuum pump had seized (not uncommon for the converted-smog-pump type) and Gary helped him pull off the belt. Next, Gary's new power generator for the trailer failed and took about 20 minutes to fix.
As soon as Gary got back to the pits, buddy Billy Glidden rolled by in his new and unbeata
Hours of boredom ensued, since qualifying wasn't until evening. There was lots of hanging out, way too much bench racing, and plenty of other racers dropping by to hear the latest lies. Eventually, Gary and the guys raided the Hot Rod trailer for loads of free T-shirts and hats, then heisted a golf cart for some pit racing.
Hours of boredom ensued, since qualifying wasn't until evening. There was lots of hanging
The car didn't seem hurt after the run, so the rest of Friday evening was filled by derbying racer Ernie Parison's new golf cart-much to the chagrin of NMCA Director Alan Scrimager.
The car didn't seem hurt after the run, so the rest of Friday evening was filled by derbyi

The guys hurt themselves with wine, women, and song on Friday night, so Saturday morning came at about noon. No problem-qualifying wasn't until the afternoon. There was lots more waiting while spectators and other racers came by to give the low-qualifier a good look.
The guys hurt themselves with wine, women, and song on Friday night, so Saturday morning c
The first pass out of the trailer was a 9.04 at 148.95 mph, which turned out to be his quickest run of the very hot and muggy weekend. It also made him number-one qualifier, covering the rest of the field by a solid two tenths.
The first pass out of the trailer was a 9.04 at 148.95 mph, which turned out to be his qui
Finally it was race time. Once most of the other EZ Street cars made their runs, Gary threw on the hood and got in line, making sure to get his run card checked by the NMCA official at the lanes.
Finally it was race time. Once most of the other EZ Street cars made their runs, Gary thre

Staging behind everyone else, Gary made his final qualifier at night. The cool air didn't help, and the car did a 9.24 slip 'n' slide before backfiring in the lights. Sounded scary to us.
Staging behind everyone else, Gary made his final qualifier at night. The cool air didn't
Back at the trailer, NOS' Steve Johnson came by looking for some help with a customer's Ford, figuring Gary would know what to do. The guy hadn't locked out the advance curve in the MSD distributor, so Gary and Danny did it for him. The guy offered to pay, but Gary said, "Get outta here-I don't want your money. I may need a favor some day." Later he told us, "I try to help the BES customers, but if I'm not busy fixing something, there's no one I won't help."
Back at the trailer, NOS' Steve Johnson came by looking for some help with a customer's Fo
Finally the time came for another pass in the second round of qualifying-this time the car didn't hook as it went 9.17 at 148. It was no improvement, but apparently no worse for the wear.
Finally the time came for another pass in the second round of qualifying-this time the car

By the end of Saturday, Gary was still low qualifier with the 9.04, and seemed only mildly concerned about the top-end bang earlier in the evening. A leakdown test, with number-two qualifier Bill Joysey looking on, revealed one cylinder with 30-percent leakage. An ear on the carb confirmed a leaky intake valve. "That's what I get for running cheap stock valves." We asked if they were going to tear it down: "Wouldn't do any good-I don't have any spares."
By the end of Saturday, Gary was still low qualifier with the 9.04, and seemed only mildly
Turn-around time before the final round of Saturday qualifying was a little tight. Gary waited until all the other EZ Street cars were in the lane, and when no one was looking, put in a little bigger nitrous jet. He told us not to tell anyone, so keep it to yourself.
Turn-around time before the final round of Saturday qualifying was a little tight. Gary wa
Later we went to check out Super Street racer Bill May's 8-second '71 Road Runner that had smacked the wall at half-track after hanging a rod out of the block. Gary figured, "It's not as bad as it looks, but I hate to see guys tear up their stuff-I wouldn't wish a crash on my worst enemy." We asked Gary if he'd ever had a close encounter of the guardrail kind: "Nope, and I don't plan to. I don't need to be a hero-if it gets squirley, I'll lift."
Later we went to check out Super Street racer Bill May's 8-second '71 Road Runner that had

Gary didn't feel like doing much more than having a quick look at the plugs, but decided to swap to Flowmaster header mounted mufflers to see if they ran any better than the conventional Flowmasters.
Gary didn't feel like doing much more than having a quick look at the plugs, but decided t
Sunday morning hit and the ladder sheet showed that Gary had a bye run in the first round. We expected a half-pass to save the engine, but he pushed a 9.30. "I figure the fans didn't pay to see me make a 14-second pass." Next round came the stout competition from Brian Waszak, but Gary put him out with a 9.21 to the red Chevelle's 9.89.
Sunday morning hit and the ladder sheet showed that Gary had a bye run in the first round.
After every pass, Gary returns to the pits, then hops on the scooter and comes back to the starting line to watch and help the BES customers in Hot Street and Real Street. He never hangs out for Outlaw or Pro Street: "Those things are out of control."
After every pass, Gary returns to the pits, then hops on the scooter and comes back to the

Even at the final round, we never saw Gary get a serious race face. "I figure I'm here to have fun, and I have to assume I can beat anyone in the lane next to me. If not, shame on me." Sure enough, he spanked Art with a 9.23 at 147.73 to the Nova's 9.83 at 140.23.
Even at the final round, we never saw Gary get a serious race face. "I figure I'm here to
Moments later, Brian's dad, Paul Waszak, was in Gary's pit with Tech Director Willie and things got hot, with Gary eventually having to pull Dave out of the fight. Willie put an end to it, declaring Gary's car legal. Our opinion? No one was right. The NMCA should have enforced the rule from the beginning of the year, Gary should have had his car totally legal whether it was enforced or not, and Waszak should have made a legal protest on Saturday (per the rule book) rather than waiting until he got beat by Gary. It's a bummer deal.
Moments later, Brian's dad, Paul Waszak, was in Gary's pit with Tech Director Willie and t
Before he even got back to the pits, the crew heard rumors that Gary's exhaust system was getting protested by another racer. They hurriedly got to work changing the header mufflers back to the regular Flowmasters in case that was the problem. In fact, the issue was over Gary's lack of exhaust turn-downs required by the rule book.
Before he even got back to the pits, the crew heard rumors that Gary's exhaust system was

Now it was getting serious. The final came down to Gary versus Art Ayala in a '70 Nova that was built purely to beat Bob and Bill Joysey, who had protested Art at Memphis last year and had him thrown out. This year he did beat Joysey with a 9.72. But did the Nova have Mustang-beating power?
Now it was getting serious. The final came down to Gary versus Art Ayala in a '70 Nova tha
Just because the fans go home doesn't mean the race is over. It took about two hours to get through tech, even though Art didn't ask for Gary's engine to be pumped (checked for legal displacement). Gary, Dave, and Dan filled out the contingency verification sheet for Race Director Bobby Cross, then waited out a big argument between Super Street racers Billy Glidden and Jimmy Keen. That was settled by dark, when Willie Benner gave Gary's car a clean tech sheet for the official win.
Just because the fans go home doesn't mean the race is over. It took about two hours to ge
Finally, it's time to load up and go home-which means drive all night and arrive just in time to go to work Monday morning. After the Memphis win, Gary wrapped up the NMCA season the next weekend with a race in Atlanta, where he blew up the trans and gave the win to Bob Joysey. Still, his season's performance was enough to make him NMCA EZ Street Champion for 1998. So...is he cheating? "I ain't doing nothin' that everybody else can't do. They can protest me any time they want. Is it my fault if I found a combination that works and beat it to death?" Guess not.
Finally, it's time to load up and go home-which means drive all night and arrive just in t

The race moved on, and Gary trounced Ernie Parison in the semifinal, ignoring the fact that he'd mooched lunch off Ernie all weekend. Parison retaliated by modifying his official Gary Rohe T-shirt: "I've been beat by..."
The race moved on, and Gary trounced Ernie Parison in the semifinal, ignoring the fact tha
It was another brief wait for the winner's circle photo shoot for the NMCA's Heads-Up NEWS. Winnings from sponsors like Comp Cams, Mr. Gasket, and Flowmaster aren't really in the envelope-checks get mailed weeks later.
It was another brief wait for the winner's circle photo shoot for the NMCA's Heads-Up NEWS
Dave wasn't completely satisfied, breaking out the official "No Crybabies" shirt that had seen use at many prior races.
Dave wasn't completely satisfied, breaking out the official "No Crybabies" shirt that had