PARTNER PROFILE
RAISING THE BAR
Longtime racer and manufacturer Rick Hord takes the wheel at Jerry Bickel Race Cars
BY NATE VAN WAGNEN
R ick Hord has spent more than four decades building things – race cars, manufacturing companies, and a reputation for sweating the details. So when one of drag racing’ s most storied chassis shops became available, following the passing of its legendary founder, the longtime Pro Mod racer and lifelong manufacturer found himself in a position few could have imagined.
On May 1, 2025, Hord took ownership of Jerry Bickel Race Cars, the Moscow Mills, Missouri, operation that has been turning out championship-winning doorslammers for more than 40 years. The way Hord tells it, though, he never set out to be in the chassis business.
“ The opportunity really kind of fell in my lap that day that I called Don. And quite frankly, if I don’ t call Don that day, it never happens. It would be owned by somebody else.”
The Don in that story is Don Cross, Bickel’ s longtime customer service and project manager. In August of 2024, Hord had a Pro Mod car sitting in his garage and an itch to run the Drag Illustrated Winter Series, so he called Cross about some paint, bodywork, and a switch back to a turbo combination. Somewhere in that conversation, Cross asked a question that changed the course of the company.
“ He said,‘ Do you have any idea what’ s going on at Bickel?’ I said,‘ No, Don, I keep to myself, stay in my lane.’ Don replied,‘ Well, it’ s for sale.’”
Bickel’ s widow, Jennifer, was looking for someone to take over the business her husband built into one of the most trusted builders of door cars in drag racing. A month later, Rick and Jennifer got on a call together to discuss the possibility of Hord buying the business.
“ Turns out to be a great three hours of my time,” Hord says.“ She and I had common ground on a lot of subjects, and next thing you know, I’ m out there taking a look at the shop.”
After a long and complicated due-diligence process, the deal closed in May 2025. Hord calls it fate, and he leans on the word more than once. But the truth is that few people in the sport were better prepared to take the wheel.
Rick Hord
PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICK BELDEN AND JT HUDSON
86 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated. com Issue 201