We had the opportunity to see Gordie Bonin run his Pacemaker Funny Car at SIR through the years when TF & FC ran at the local divisional races and at the Fall Nationals when they were hosted here.
Jerry Verhuel was his wrench and together they were very successful and fan favorites here in Seattle. Jerry was truly a mechanic that enjoyed talking with those of us in the Sportsman ranks before he passed away losing his personal battle against cancer. Jerry also dabbled with using supercharged automotive power in the unlimited hydros.
“240 GORDIE” REFLECTS ON HIS DRAG RACING CAREER – CompetitionPlus – December 7, 2009
Gordie Bonin’s Bubble-Up Monza at the 1976 Summernationals – courtesy of NHRA
I’ll give you an example of how down to earth Jerry Verhuel was. At one of the Division 6 banquets where Bonin was receiving an award, Jerry came over to where us Modified and Super Stock guys were sitting and asked if he could be with us. To paraphrase, “I want to sit with the real racers that work and drive their cars.”
He shared with us a large assortment of liquor he brought and we had a great evening discussing the sport we all loved !!