Welcome to the Jungle, Baby

The world famous and original “Jungle Jim” 1972 mini- Camaro Funny car is resting peacefully next door at Honest Charley Speed Shop right here in good old Chattanooga.  There’s nothing that will get a nostalgia drag racing fan’s blood flowing like the site of this beautifully restored Holy Grail of early funny car competition sitting in the showroom of its original sponsor of more than 36 years ago.

Where's the windshield wipers on this thing?

The car is named after its original owner/driver Jim Liberman, who was known for his wild antics on and off the track during the height of the funny car revolution of the early 70’s.  “Jungle Jim,” would delight fans, and terrify promoters by driving the car right off the trailer past the ticket booth, parking lot, entrance gates, through the staging lanes and then do a burn out ¾ of the distance down the track!  Just imagine for a minute, ESPN 2 trying to keep up with John Force driving his fully lit up nitro funny car, and all of its ensuing chaos from the freeway to the starting line!

“keep it below 250 mph in the parking lot”

Jim was a legend for sure and his legacy lives on today because of the efforts of a soft spoken gentleman named Henry Gutierrez of San Antonio, TX.  Henry found the car in a sad state of disrepair and pulled together a first rate team of fabricators to begin the painstaking restoration process.  Army Armstrong, Mitch King, J.E. Kristek, Bobby Rex, Heith Fike, and the Trevino bro’s all played a part in putting fire back in the Jungle.  Encouraged by the beautiful result of this restoration, Henry is having 2 more ’72 mini-Camaro bodies built and certified to current 2009 NHRA/SFI spec funny car chassis.  The plan is to have a new “Jungle Jim” match racing at NHRA Hot Rod Reunions, Good Guys, and other events against another stylish car of the era, “Brand X.”  Both cars will be backed by Coker Tire and Honest Charley, and in the words of Henry…”we’re going to put on a show that’ll blow peoples minds.”

Special thanks go out to Henry and his Texas Jungle Race Team for making this historic happening possible, and for letting us share in the heart and soul of early drag racing.