Wreck of the Chicken Hawk - PICS

This happened back in May, but I just caught wind of it. Makes me want to cry…or vomit. It was a 9 second 1/4 mile car powered by a 299 CU/IN twin turbo’d Studebaker. It had been racing since the early 60’s and dominated during the mid 60’s and early 70’s. At least it went out on the dragstrip, doing what it was built to do.

On Saturday night at Muncie Dragway in Muncie, IN, Ted Harbit, an 8 time NHRA champion was involved in a bad wreck at the track. His car, the Chicken Hawk, was generally regarded as the fastest Studebaker in the world. It was a 1951 Studebaker Starlite Coupe. Ted has raced the same car for 47 years. Pics at the end…

Quote:
 	 		 			 				 					Originally Posted by <b>Bob Palma</b> 					 				
			<i> 

[I]As for what happened: He rolled The Chicken Hawk TEN TIMES just after completing the eighth-mile at The Muncie Dragway this evening, in that they were running only the eighth tonight.

They told her something let loose in the engine room and sprayed the underside of the car with oil. It lost traction and he lost control. It hit the guard rail hard enough to flip over the guard rail and begin rolling. It rolled so many times that he ultimately hit the sign posts holding the signs that signal the times and ETs…and the sign posts are located at the end of the quarter-mile strip!

We should not assume “the engine blew” or anything, because that is not known. It might have been something as simple as an oil line to a turbocharger letting go. I’ll find out tomorrow if Ted knows what happened.

Needless to say, after 47 years of running who knows how many times at The Muncie Dragway, The Chicken Hawk has been destroyed. Ted turned 74 years of age this past weekend, and the number of times that car has blistered The Muncie Dragway drag strip surely numbers in the thousands.[/I]

Quote:
 	 		 			 				 					Originally Posted by <b>John Feistritzer</b> 					 				
			<i> 

[I]I was not at the track racing tonight, but received a call and went out. Oh, you know that, you talked to Judy. He had already been taken to the hospital, and we went about the task of moving the car.

A large tractor came in and pulled it from the soft ground where it stopped. Took it to a paved spot, and it was winched up onto a flatbed roll back truck. Then we backed Ted’s truck and the rollback together and winched the car onto Ted’s truck. I brought them to my house, that was a consensus of several people as the right thing to do. Here it will not have to be dealt with anytime soon.

Kenny Robinson (Frantic Fred’s son) said a rod was sticking out of the pan.

Racer Larry Thrash said he heard a pop and looked up and Ted was sliding. He was in the right lane, crossed lanes, apparently airborne, and something broke the windshield of the left lane car. Someone said Ted’s car hit it, someone said a piece of Ted’s car hit it.

He hit the left guardrail, and from where he hit it it was a good 50 feet before there were marks in the grass. Then another 50 or so feet before more marks in the grass. A few feet farther was the sign post. A racer on the return strip said the car backed into the post (thank God it wasn’t a side impact, the post had been imbedded to the back window), the car stood up against the post, and the front of the car knocked the win light off the scoreboard. A couple of pirouettes and it landed right side up.

One of the first guys to the car said he had unstrapped himself and was feeling around in the seat as if looking for something. He asked Ted what his name was, he said “Ted”. Asked him how old he was, he said “too old”. That’s all I know, some of it heresy and I saw the marks on the ground myself.[/I]

A few pictures of the Chicken Hawk, before and after…
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i280/Swifster/Chicken%20Hawk/InThe60s.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i280/Swifster/Chicken%20Hawk/ChickenHawkatMuncie.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i280/Swifster/Chicken%20Hawk/TurningWheels.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i280/Swifster/Chicken%20Hawk/TedTruckChickenHawk.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i280/Swifster/Chicken%20Hawk/Specs.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i280/Swifster/Chicken%20Hawk/Unhurt.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i280/Swifster/Chicken%20Hawk/AtTheTrack.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i280/Swifster/Chicken%20Hawk/TwinTurbos.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i280/Swifster/Chicken%20Hawk/Wreck-FrontEnd.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i280/Swifster/Chicken%20Hawk/Wreck-RightFront.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i280/Swifster/Chicken%20Hawk/Wreck-LeftDoor.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i280/Swifster/Chicken%20Hawk/RIPChickenHawk.jpg

Ted’s in hospital in Muncie and had a colapsed lung. He’s looking a getting released from the hospital by Sunday or so. The cage, helmet and belts saved his life
__________________

Sucks. That was a pretty BA car.

I have a customer her at NAPA that will cry when I show him this. He has a Studebaker and loves it so much. He is the guy that plays the sax on a corner of Chippewa in a white suit all the time.

Some good carnage there.

cool car, that sucks that it happened.

ouch

Died by the sword. That’s a shame.

He asked Ted what his name was, he said “Ted”. Asked him how old he was, he said “too old”.

Sounds like a guy I could have a beer with. :lol:

yikes

I just found an entire slideshow of the car’s last day at the track. The pictures are crazy. +1 for the cage and safety equipment.
Keep in mind the the front end of the car did that to the top of the scoreboard. eek.

wow

Oh wow, that is simply insane. :frowning:

Ouch!

For all you guys running 10’s with no cage, maybe it would be a good idea. For sure his saftey equipment saved his life.

Man… that sucks a lot. It’s good that the guy is alright though.

Wow that does suck and it will bring my dad eyes to tears since he owns a Studebaker

Most unfortunate.

if this hasnt been stated, i figured id just mention even though im sure they are not looking for a new one. there is a chicken hawk for sale on main st. in clarence by the state police station. and bank of akron.

Agreed, however you have to be a complete idiot to run an open face helmet. Hence why he’s bleeding from the face in those photos.

That sucks the car is destroyed, it looked nice.

Glad the driver is alive with minor injuries, could have been a very tragic day indeed.

wow, what destruction

???
Do you mean there’s a Studebaker for sale or is there a clone of the “real” Chicken Hawk for sale?