Doug Thorley (died March 10, 2021) was an American Funny Car drag racer, hot rodder [1] and businessman. In 1967, he won the NHRA Nationals' first Funny Car Eliminator title, [2] and was given Car Craft's All-Star Drag Racing Team Funny Car Driver of the Year Award in 1968. [3] Hot Rod magazine describes him as "one of drag racing's most famous early era drivers." [4]
Thorley won many drag races at the Santa Ana (California) strip in the 1950s in a 1938 Century coupe. [1] In the 1960s, he was the first in class to break 200 miles per hour at the Bonneville Salt Flats in a C/Modified Sports Corvette. [1] In 1964, Thorley match raced an altered-wheelbase (pre-Funny Car) 396 cu in (6,490 cc) injected big-block 1964 Chevy II he called Chevy Too Much. [5]
Thorley's Doug's Headers Corvair was the first seven-second Funny Car, [6] and it was in this car he won the NHRA supercharged A Funny Car (AA/FC) class at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1967, [7] defeating Joe Lunati's The Dixie Devil Camaro. [8] It was the first time Funny Car Eliminator was held at Indy. [9] Indy would also prove to be Thorley's only NHRA national event win in Funny Car. [10]
That year 1967, he would also record the first (unofficial) 200 mph (320 km/h) funny car pass in his Corvair, at Lions Drag Strip. [11]
In 1968, Thorley bought a rear-engined AMC 401-powered Javelin TF/FC (one of just a handful of similar funny cars ever built, including Dave Bowman's California Stud [12]) from Woody Gilmore. [13] (The 401 cu in (6,570 cc) would later be replaced by a 392 cu in (6,420 cc) hemi prepared by John Hoven and Glenn Okazaki. [14]) The same year, he was given Car Craft's All-Star Drag Racing Team Funny Car Driver of the Year Award in 1968. [15]
Thorley founded his header company in 1958. [16] Among Thorley's better-known customers were Carol Cox (through her husband, who Thorley was friends with). [17] Thorley headers would go on to be a favorite among drag racers. [18]
Thorley Headers is a leading producer of headers and exhaust systems, [19] favored by many rodders and racers. [20]
Thorley is the subject of the book Doug Thorley: Headers by Doug written by Don Pennington. [21]
Thorley died March 10, 2021, at his home in New Harmony, Utah at age 92. [22]
Doug Thorley (died March 10, 2021) was an American Funny Car drag racer, hot rodder [1] and businessman. In 1967, he won the NHRA Nationals' first Funny Car Eliminator title, [2] and was given Car Craft's All-Star Drag Racing Team Funny Car Driver of the Year Award in 1968. [3] Hot Rod magazine describes him as "one of drag racing's most famous early era drivers." [4]
Thorley won many drag races at the Santa Ana (California) strip in the 1950s in a 1938 Century coupe. [1] In the 1960s, he was the first in class to break 200 miles per hour at the Bonneville Salt Flats in a C/Modified Sports Corvette. [1] In 1964, Thorley match raced an altered-wheelbase (pre-Funny Car) 396 cu in (6,490 cc) injected big-block 1964 Chevy II he called Chevy Too Much. [5]
Thorley's Doug's Headers Corvair was the first seven-second Funny Car, [6] and it was in this car he won the NHRA supercharged A Funny Car (AA/FC) class at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1967, [7] defeating Joe Lunati's The Dixie Devil Camaro. [8] It was the first time Funny Car Eliminator was held at Indy. [9] Indy would also prove to be Thorley's only NHRA national event win in Funny Car. [10]
That year 1967, he would also record the first (unofficial) 200 mph (320 km/h) funny car pass in his Corvair, at Lions Drag Strip. [11]
In 1968, Thorley bought a rear-engined AMC 401-powered Javelin TF/FC (one of just a handful of similar funny cars ever built, including Dave Bowman's California Stud [12]) from Woody Gilmore. [13] (The 401 cu in (6,570 cc) would later be replaced by a 392 cu in (6,420 cc) hemi prepared by John Hoven and Glenn Okazaki. [14]) The same year, he was given Car Craft's All-Star Drag Racing Team Funny Car Driver of the Year Award in 1968. [15]
Thorley founded his header company in 1958. [16] Among Thorley's better-known customers were Carol Cox (through her husband, who Thorley was friends with). [17] Thorley headers would go on to be a favorite among drag racers. [18]
Thorley Headers is a leading producer of headers and exhaust systems, [19] favored by many rodders and racers. [20]
Thorley is the subject of the book Doug Thorley: Headers by Doug written by Don Pennington. [21]
Thorley died March 10, 2021, at his home in New Harmony, Utah at age 92. [22]