PHOTO : VAN ABERNETHY |
Together again thanks to Rudisill ’ s recreation
By Van Abernethy
The team of Bill Orndorff and Jerry Eckman was a powerhouse combination in Pro Stock racing during the late 1980s through the following decade . The California natives eventually rose to stardom from the ranks of unheralded , unsponsored racers who went winless in their first six seasons of professional racing , only to capture their first national event title in dramatic fashion when they won the 1987 Summernationals at Englishtown , New Jersey . Major sponsorship deals from Pennzoil and Pontiac were inked in a matter of weeks following their first win and the team went on to enjoy major financial backing and competitive outings for the next 10 years . They won eight national events and finished third in national points on
|
three occasions , along with a trio of huge paydays for winning the Winston All Stars event , later known as the Winston Invitational .
After a very visible and long-standing sponsorship with Pennzoil ran its course , Orndorff and Eckman found themselves without major backing and back to running on a very low budget . Unfortunately , the derailment of this team led to a far steeper fall from grace when the “ shot heard round the world ” came in the form of an exploding nitrous-oxide bottle on a fateful day in 1997 in Columbus , Ohio . Their Pro Stocks careers effectively ended that day . The details of what happened in Columbus have been well-publicized many times over . It truly is old news . This is not that story , but refreshingly a new one entirely .
Recently emerging from North Carolina was the announcement that veteran Top Sportsman racer Jeff Rudisill was constructing a tribute car , an exact replica of the one Orndorff owned and Eckman drove to victory in 1987 at Englishtown . When the news reached Bill and Jerry , who now
|
reside in Ohio , the effects were somewhat profound . It was actually Rudisill who reached out to them with inquiries of paint codes , pictures , decal information and pretty much every detail about the former car that would prove beneficial for an exact recreation of a new one . Orndorff and Eckman were somewhat taken aback for several reasons , not the least of which was Jeff ’ s overall passion and zeal for this project .
After the car ’ s immaculate construction was complete , Jeff trailered it halfway across the country to compete in a nostalgia Pro Stock race , in which he won . Orndorff and Eckman were invited to attend and see the car in person . They gladly excepted . The duo met up at Illinois ’ Cordova Dragway and became acquainted with not only Rudisill , but also his good friend , Tyrone Graham and wife Leslie , Lee Laney , and eventually everyone else in Rudisill ’ s tight circle . From that first weekend together in Cordova they vowed to remain friends forever . On that memorable day , Orndorff and Eckman stood on the starting line
|
January 2017 |
DragIllustrated . com | Drag Illustrated | 59 |