Phil Bonner Jr

The earliest memories I have of hanging around my dad's Race Car Shop were.......on the line of "David and Goliath"...There wasn't alot to do back then ....so Drag Racing to the ones who digged it was one of those things that had those everlasting memories that will hold forever !... Dad was a Ford Racer from the Southeast and had to do Battle with Folks as "The Ramchargers" and Dick Landy and his old friend Ronnie Sox of Sox and Martin....Ford had told him in no way were they to race the "Acid Dipped" Hemi MOPARS I didn't know it at the time....no one else did either.that their MOPAR war would get so serious.....dad said "To Hell" with what FORD wants to do....let just do what we gotta do to "KICK their ASS".. The memories served up in the "Early Day's" would bring so much pleasure 30-40 years later where I met alot of the great Drag Racers of the day...Got to go to alot of great drag races back in the "Wild times that were the 60's and loved the smell of Nitromethane and those wild "Funny Cars" that had just hit the scene.....Atlanta was the "Hotbed" of the nation for "Matchbash Run Whatcha Brung" Drag Racing as we had the first Drag Strips that payed big appearance money.....we had "Dyno" Don Nicholson, Hubert and Huston Platt "Sneaky" Pete Robinson and Julius Hughes.....and a Good looking girl who had just hit the Drag Racing scene later to be known as "Miss Hurst Golden Shifter" Linda Vaughn.....and many more....it was an exciting time to say the least !!... Later on I went to work with him in the Aircraft sales/Automobile sales/Rent a car biz in Atlanta and had a good time working and hanging around Peachtree Dekalb Airport and Corporate Jet Aviation (Dick Brannan's place) meeting alot of interesting folks through the years....We traveled to just about every Island in the Carribean selling Prop-jet airplanes for Piper Aircraft and I had a blast !I loved Jimmy Buffett songs early on..so that scenario fit my lifestyle perfect...I then moved to Tampa for a while but came back to Atlanta later cause I missed it ! It's a great place and I've watched it grow with me. I've been all around the State's and Islands...but always seem to love Atlanta the best ! I also worked for several years in public relations with Walt Nix that owned Atlanta International Raceway now AMS and had a great time meeting most of the drivers and corporate folks involved with Nascar. I helped put together several of the big Music shows that would start the night before the big race and had a great time with the cars, folks and music !....I grew up around Drag Racing,NASCAR,Airplanes,Boats,Motorcycles and motorhomes...so I've grown to like things that have motors on them,Sailboats don't do a damn thing for me ! My favorite thing has been the new wave of interest in all things 60's...as in the "Golden days of Drag Racing" It's one of the most popular thing's for all folks Nostalgic.. to see and enjoy.....the music and times of the 60's and 70's..to me are the most exciting of any era. I always listened to older folks when I was growing up and absorbed alot of future Nostalgia that...hopefully will be carried on through the years by people that share my interests.Drag Racing and music seemed to go hand in hand..so I've also got to know alot of folks through the years in the music business and am getting back into it as we speak with a few projects that should be fun and hopefully lucrative as well..... Fell in Love with the Costa Rica lifestyle when me and my dad first went there 10 years ago and I'd like to retire there someday ! My dad has retired there and seems to enjoy it...I like it too ! A less stressful lifestyle !..I am now in several different businesses and am having a good time ! I am divorced with a great son-Preston and my wild child beautiful daughter Karli ! They are great and the light of my eyes! more later......... **Drag Racing Hall Of Fame**Gene Adams * Dale Armstrong * Raymond Beadle* Kenny Bernstein * Arnie Beswick * Keith Black*Gordie Bonin * Phil Bonner * Wally Booth *Dick Brannan * Bunny Burkett * Paul Candies *Jack Chrisman * Austin Coil * Doug Cook* Jim Dunn * Malcolm Durham * Wayne Gapp* Don Garlits * Don Gay * Bob Gildden * Bill Golden* Leroy Goldstein * Dickie Harrell * Bob Harrop * Tommy Ivo * Bill Jenkins * Connie Kalitta *Jake King * Dick Landy *Bruce Larson* Bill Lawton * Butch Leal * Roland Leong * Jim Liberman * Judy Lilly * Roger Lindamood *John Lundberg* * Art Malone * Ron Mancini *Buddy Martin * John Mazmanian* Herb McCandless * Ed McCulloch * Tom McEwen * George Montgomery * Don Nicholson * Danny Ongais * Wally Parks* Ed Pink * Hubert Platt * Hayden Proffitt *Don Prudhomme * Dale Pulde * Gas Ronda * Kenny Safford * Clare Sanders * Eddie Schartman *Don Schumacher * Harry Schmidt * Barry Setzer * H L Shahan * Shirley Shahan * Ronnie Sox * Ted Spehar * Fred Stone*Leonard Woods * Dave Strickler * Richard Tharp* Doug Thorley * Jack Werst * Arlen Vanke * Bob Tasca * Larry Reyes *"Miss Hurst"Linda Vaughn * MANUFACTURERS / SPONSORSCragar Industries * Chrysler Corporation* Ford Motor Company * General Motors* Goodyear Tires * Hedman Hedders* Hilborn Fuel Injection * Hooker Headers* Hurst Performance * Lenco Transmissions* Mattel Hot Wheels * M&H Tires * AHRA * NHRA* IHRA* Pepsi Cola * Revell Models * STP* Simpson Safety Products * Stahl Headers* The Rod Shop * U.S. Army*