Britain's First Dragster's Engine Arrives
The Allard-Chrysler's new, blown 354 Chrysler Hemi now in England
December 24, 2010 - For Immediate Release

Great Britain’s iconic Allard-Chrysler, the first dragster in England and Europe is one step closer to getting its new powerplant, after the original was removed from the chassis when it was destroyed in 1964.

After six months of assembly at Booth-Arons Racing Engines (Berkley, Mich.), the completed blown 354 Chrysler Hemi was crated and delivered to the Detroit Metro Airport on December 5 by SBS Worldwide, a freight forwarding service headquartered in Dartford, Kent, England. The engine arrived at Heathrow Airport near London on Wednesday, December 8, and was cleared through customs and released to the Allard Chrysler Action Group (ACAG) on Friday, December 10.

According to ACAG spokesman, Brian Taylor, the engine was delivered to Andy Robinson Race Cars (ARRC) south of Reading (west of London) to be fitted for the clutch and to do final installation of the induction system which was not installed for the flight to London. “We are pleased that Andy’s group is handling the final fit-ups of the clutch, the injectors and the blower plumbing,” said Taylor. “ARRC campaigns a very competitive blown Pro Mod Studebaker on the European drag racing tour, and we are confident his team will put the final tune-up on the engine, so ‘Ally’ can be ‘cackled.’

“We are aiming to introduce ‘Ally’ with her new heart at the Autosport International Show, January 13 to 16 in 2011 at the National Exposition Centre in Birmingham.”

Carl Olson of the SFI Foundation and a board member of the Quarter Mile Foundation, and a former top fuel drag racer, NHRA Vice President and FIA Drag Racing advisor, views the Allard-Chrysler, once the engine is completed and installed, as one of the oldest original “working” dragsters in the world.

Since the Spring of 2010, the Allard Chrysler Action Group, a group of drag racing enthusiasts which works with the National Motor Museum – Beaulieu, where the Allard Chrysler is on display, approached the Quarter Mile Foundation (QMF) seeking an engine for the race car.

The Foundation recommended several builders who could do the job, and ACAG settled upon Booth-Arons Racing Engines to handle the task, since Booth-Arons had a nearly mint condition 354 cubic inch Chrysler Hemi available – the same engine that Sydney Allard used in 1961.

Veteran drag racer and engine builder Denny Hummel of Booth-Arons proceeded to carefully begin the task of preparing the block and heads for their new life as a blown nitro burner. The work progressed through the summer and autumn, with donations from several manufacturers including (in alphabetical order):

• Crower Equipment -- Flat Tappet Cam
• Hilborn Fuel Injection -- 2-port Fuel Injector, Pump, Bypass Valve
• Kalitta Motorsports – Machining/fabricating of unavailable repair/replacement parts
• Littlefield Superchargers -- Labor for supercharger repair
• Manley Performance -- Inconel & Stainless Steel Valves
• RaceTec Pistons -- Pistons
• Trend Performance -- Pushrods, Wrist Pins.

Three of the major challenges included mating the original Potvin blower drive to the crankshaft, the block and the supercharger housing, fabricating parts when no replacement parts were no longer available, and adjusting the pushrods and upper valve train to operate with the decked block. The crankshaft required modification of the snout to mate to the Potvin drive adapter.

Traci Hrudka (Chairman of the Quarter Mile Foundation) is a co-patron of ACAG, along with Nick Mason, the drummer for the iconic rock band, “Pink Floyd.” Additionally, Linda Vaughn is an Honorary Member of the ACAG organization.

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