Bunny’s career spans 30-plus years, starting with an E/S ’65 Mustang. Open Nationals Champion in drag racing competition. Bunny’s career is also one of the most storied and longest-running, becoming an IHRA World Champion, an NHRA Division II Champion, and the 1991 IHRA U.S. The IHRA and NHRA rosters were rife with female racers, but most were nowhere as notable as Spotsylvania, Virginia-native Carol “Bunny” Burkett. Now, not all of the beauties were stuck trackside. While “Jungle Jim” passed away prematurely in 1977, “Jungle Pam” has gone on to pen several memoirs of her raucous race years as well as attend several events with the likes of Linda Vaughn and Judy Lilly.Ĭarol “Bunny” Burkett Multi-time National Champion Bunny Burkett with her E/S ’65 Ford Mustang. Liberman’s fame as a driver was galvanized as he notoriously refused to lift off when a run was completely out of shape. Touring the country, Liberman and Hardy averaged an estimated 100 events per year during the 1970s. “Jungle Pam” was easily recognized by her iconic go-go boots, short shorts and skirts, glasses and long brown hair…among other things. After Jim’s notirous burnouts, she guided him back in the path using over-the-top gyrations and contortions. The tall, buxom brunette was hired to assist Jim as he prepared for each “flopper” funny car pass. The flamboyant showman, though, had one more trick up his sleeve, Pam Hardy. Liberman earned a significant portion of his fame for driving backwards at 100 mph after doing each burnout. “Jungle Jim” Liberman embodied this new spirit of showmanship during the early 1970’s, employing all sorts of tricks and gimmicks to guarantee the Pennsylvania funny car driver all sorts of media coverage. “Jungle Pam” Hardy Taking her name from funny car driver “Jungle Jim” Liberman, “Jungle Pam” Hardy was known for her antics on the track as well as her scant outfits. Linda still continues to make the occasional guest appearance, signing old headshots, Hurst promotional material, and other memorabilia (usually provided by the doting middle-aged man who remembers her photographs from their early teens). Today, Linda has become as much a part in drag racing’s history as the drivers, builders and amazing machines that made it what it is. In the mid-60’s, Linda – along with Don Garlits and Richard Petty – toured military bases in Vietnam to boost morale and wow the soldiers as the two racers raced up and down the tarmac. Visiting various race tracks in the south over several years, Linda noticed an ad looking for a new “Miss Hurst Golden Shifter.” Thus began Linda’s career representing Hurst Industries. In 1961, she entered a contest put on by the Atlanta Raceway and won the title of Miss Atlanta Raceway. Golden Shifter,” Linda’s chapter in the history of drag racing began – humorously enough – as a dental technician. Who would eventually become known as “Ms. Most famous of these trophy girls, was Linda Vaughn. Hurst Golden Shifter,” Linda Vaughn posing beside the iconic gold-and-white H/O-edition ’69 Oldsmobile 4-4-2. Hurst Golden Shifter, Linda Vaughn The legendary “Ms. Sponsors, manufacturers and even promoters were quick to enroll “trophy girls” and other so-called “Cheesecake” to “brighten up” the pits. Big money was being thrown around during these tentative years and it only made sense that with all of the fanfare and publicity some of that money would go into some added showmanship. While we’re not bemoaning Woman’s Suffrage or the Woman’s Liberation Movement of the mid-to-late 1970’s, we do long for the days when flight attendants were called stewardess.Īlthough the National Hot Rod Association dates back to the mid-20th Century, it’s arguable that it’s Golden Era was during the mid-1960’s through the early 1970s, exactly the same period as the Big Three fought for street and strip dominance. Alas, how the times have changed over the years. It’s not hard to imagine the Roman Legionnaire with the fastest chariot didn’t ride off into the sunset with his fair share of handmaidens. There’s an old comedian’s routine which joked that mankind would likely still be hunting mastodons with sharp sticks if man’s drive for impressing the fairer sex didn’t motivate him to “one-up” the guy standing next to him and we’re akin to believe it.
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