Some Saturdays hit a little different, and this one turned into something I wasn’t expecting. What started as a quick breakfast and a local car show in Conway ended with a walk through decades of drag racing history — the kind of stuff you usually only see in old magazines or behind ropes at big events.
Started the morning with a quick breakfast run, then rolled into Conway for the LowLows & Tacos show hosted by Drop’N Low Garage and Slam ’Em Media. But honestly… the real story happened after the car show. I got invited to tag along with a few friends to check out a private collection of vintage Funny Cars and other rare machines — and that’s where things got interesting.
I’d met the owner, James Hardman, before. I knew he had one vintage Funny Car. What I didn’t know was that he had a full-blown obsession for them. The man has curated some serious history.
Little Red Wagon — and the One You Didn’t Know About
Most folks have heard of the famous Dodge A100 wheel-stander, the Little Red Wagon. But here’s something you may not know — Bill “Maverick” Golden also campaigned a pulling truck, built from a 1993 Dodge Ram with a big Hemi stuffed under the hood. Yep… James has that one.
A Mickey Thompson Time Capsule
Next up was something truly special: an all-original Mickey Thompson Funny Car body. Dale Pulde drove this car in 1975 for Thompson, running deep in the 6-second range. Standing in front of a piece of that era — the real deal — is something else.
And James doesn’t just have the original Revelleader body… he’s also got a replica pulled from the exact same mold, ready to be mounted on a chassis and run without risking the original.
More Mickey Thompson History
At one point, James also owned Mickey Thompson’s U.S. Marines Funny Car. A shirt from that team hangs on display in his shop as a reminder of its time in his hands.
Picture of car is from Internet
The Jungle Jim Pair
He’s also got two Jungle Jim cars. One stayed tucked away in the trailer during our visit — he brings that one out now and then for local displays.
The second one was waiting for us in the shop, another amazing piece of drag racing history.
More from the Visit
Below are a few more photos from the walk-through. It’s not every day you get to stand in a room surrounded by legends.
Walking through that shop felt like stepping straight back into the glory days of drag racing. Huge thanks to James Hardman for the invite and the hospitality. Visits like this are what keep the old stories alive — and they’re the kind of memories that stick with you long after the photos are filed away.