Original Winning Al Joniec and John Calvert Cobra Jet Mustangs Will Highlight the TascaParts.com 55th Anniversary Cobra Jet Reunion
BY NMRA Staff
Since its introduction in 1968, Cobra Jet Mustangs have played an important role in telling Ford's racing story. The record books date back to Al Joniec’s groundbreaking victory at the '68 NHRA Winternationals and history repeated itself with John Calvert’s equally historic triumph in Pomona four decades later. Amazingly, next week, NMRA fans will get a rare opportunity, June 8-11, to see the actual winning Cobra Jets from 1968 and 2009, and they will meet living legends Al Joniec and John Calvert, as the two cars and two drivers will be attending the NMRA Ford Homecoming in Norwalk, Ohio at Summit Motorsports Park.
Turning back the clock, the muscle car wars of the late 1960’s were in full swing when Al Joniec, along with fellow legends Hubert Platt, “Dyno Don” Nicholson, Gas Ronda and Jerry Harvey arrived in Pomona for the 1968 Winternationals with their special edition 428-powered ’68 Cobra Jet Mustangs.
Joniec won the SS/E class final over Platt and then went on to defeat the Hemi-powered Plymouth of Dave Wren for overall Winternationals Super Stock honors.
Fast forward four decades to the relaunch of the modern Cobra Jet and Brent Hajek brough four of the new CJs to Pomona. Each of the cars was lettered identically to the ‘68s cars and the results were similar. This time, former NHRA Stock world champion John Calvert wheeled Hajek’s “Al Joniec-themed” Cobra Jet to the 2009 WInternationals title, defeating Tom Gaynor in the final round.
Calvert’s win helped launch the latest wave of factory-backed muscle car drag racing. Supercharged Cobra Jets, along with Chevrolet COPO Camaro and Dodge Drag Pak Challenger entries are now featured prominently in the NMCA Holley EFI Factory Supercar class, where they are running deep into the sevens at well over 180-mph. They are also found in NMCA Micro Strategies Stock and Super Stock, too.
Cobra Jet owners and fans who have anxiously awaited the return of Ford’s purpose-built machines will have their wish granted during NMRA’s Ford Homecoming event at Summit Motorsports Park from June 8-11. At that event, Tasca Ford and TascaParts.com will present the 55th Anniversary Cobra Jet Reunion.
Among the many features of the event will be the return of both Joniec’s ’68 Cobra Jet and the 2008 model CJ that Calvert drove. Both cars are owned by noted collector Brent Hajek and will be front and center for fans to reminisce and enjoy two significant pieces of drag racing history.
“The first Cobra Jet reunion was simply epic, and since that time owners and fans have asked when we could do another one,” Steve Wolcott, President and CEO of NMRA, said. “With the 55th Anniversary of the Cobra Jet coinciding with NMRA’s silver anniversary, what could be a better time? We’re thrilled to have TascaParts.com again supporting this event, and we can’t wait to see all the classic and modern Cobra Jets in Norwalk.”
The Tasca Ford Cobra Jet reunion will feature what is expected to be one of the largest gathering of Cobra Jet entries in history. The event will feature a dedicated car show and drag racing, plus a special match race between Carl Tasca Sr. and Chuck Watson II, who will race in their 7-second CJs.
“You’ll get to meet great racers and see a lot of fast Mustangs at this reunion,” said Carl Tasca Sr., of Tasca Ford. “I was there from the beginning with my father [Bob Tasca Sr.] and the Ford people when the Cobra Jet was created. It was exciting then and still is today. When you build something great it lasts.”
For tickets and more information click here: https://tickets.thefoat.com/NMRANMCA/SPECIALTY+REUNIONS+-+NMRA+Ford+Homecoming/tickets/id-UycNQ-twkzzY/
BY NMRA Staff
Since its introduction in 1968, Cobra Jet Mustangs have played an important role in telling Ford's racing story. The record books date back to Al Joniec’s groundbreaking victory at the '68 NHRA Winternationals and history repeated itself with John Calvert’s equally historic triumph in Pomona four decades later. Amazingly, next week, NMRA fans will get a rare opportunity, June 8-11, to see the actual winning Cobra Jets from 1968 and 2009, and they will meet living legends Al Joniec and John Calvert, as the two cars and two drivers will be attending the NMRA Ford Homecoming in Norwalk, Ohio at Summit Motorsports Park.
Turning back the clock, the muscle car wars of the late 1960’s were in full swing when Al Joniec, along with fellow legends Hubert Platt, “Dyno Don” Nicholson, Gas Ronda and Jerry Harvey arrived in Pomona for the 1968 Winternationals with their special edition 428-powered ’68 Cobra Jet Mustangs.
Joniec won the SS/E class final over Platt and then went on to defeat the Hemi-powered Plymouth of Dave Wren for overall Winternationals Super Stock honors.
Fast forward four decades to the relaunch of the modern Cobra Jet and Brent Hajek brough four of the new CJs to Pomona. Each of the cars was lettered identically to the ‘68s cars and the results were similar. This time, former NHRA Stock world champion John Calvert wheeled Hajek’s “Al Joniec-themed” Cobra Jet to the 2009 WInternationals title, defeating Tom Gaynor in the final round.
Calvert’s win helped launch the latest wave of factory-backed muscle car drag racing. Supercharged Cobra Jets, along with Chevrolet COPO Camaro and Dodge Drag Pak Challenger entries are now featured prominently in the NMCA Holley EFI Factory Supercar class, where they are running deep into the sevens at well over 180-mph. They are also found in NMCA Micro Strategies Stock and Super Stock, too.
Cobra Jet owners and fans who have anxiously awaited the return of Ford’s purpose-built machines will have their wish granted during NMRA’s Ford Homecoming event at Summit Motorsports Park from June 8-11. At that event, Tasca Ford and TascaParts.com will present the 55th Anniversary Cobra Jet Reunion.
Among the many features of the event will be the return of both Joniec’s ’68 Cobra Jet and the 2008 model CJ that Calvert drove. Both cars are owned by noted collector Brent Hajek and will be front and center for fans to reminisce and enjoy two significant pieces of drag racing history.
“The first Cobra Jet reunion was simply epic, and since that time owners and fans have asked when we could do another one,” Steve Wolcott, President and CEO of NMRA, said. “With the 55th Anniversary of the Cobra Jet coinciding with NMRA’s silver anniversary, what could be a better time? We’re thrilled to have TascaParts.com again supporting this event, and we can’t wait to see all the classic and modern Cobra Jets in Norwalk.”
The Tasca Ford Cobra Jet reunion will feature what is expected to be one of the largest gathering of Cobra Jet entries in history. The event will feature a dedicated car show and drag racing, plus a special match race between Carl Tasca Sr. and Chuck Watson II, who will race in their 7-second CJs.
“You’ll get to meet great racers and see a lot of fast Mustangs at this reunion,” said Carl Tasca Sr., of Tasca Ford. “I was there from the beginning with my father [Bob Tasca Sr.] and the Ford people when the Cobra Jet was created. It was exciting then and still is today. When you build something great it lasts.”
For tickets and more information click here: https://tickets.thefoat.com/NMRANMCA/SPECIALTY+REUNIONS+-+NMRA+Ford+Homecoming/tickets/id-UycNQ-twkzzY/
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