After a quick Google search it appear Pete Wouters is the correct spelling. Seems he used to live in London Ont way back when and now lives in Arizona.
"Peter was one of he first to race at Grand Bend Dragway back in 1965 with George Gray from London in a A/G Supercharged 1940 Willys Coupe named "Ramblin Woes. Peter and George set a new Canadian record in '65 when they took the street eliminator class with a 10.46 ET at 135.12 MPH"
Edit: This was posted to the 'net in 2007, no idea if Pete is still "with us" at this date.
-- Edited by chips on Saturday 6th of February 2016 07:36:25 PM
Look who Pete Wouten is racing against in this pic ..... George Delorean, John Delorean's brother. Both Wouten pics were apparently taken at Grand Bend in '65.
Great pictures. The Miller Gregory Rat Pack was originally built by the Ridler brothers who sold it to Scott Wilson who sold it to Miller/ Gregory . They ran BB/A and were the first Canadians to win class at the U.S. Nationals. I recently had lunch with Keith Ridler and he wondered where the car was now. Does anyone know? That is Maynard Rupp in the Prussian
Bob McJanet from Performance Improvements told me the last he heard the Pack Rat had been built into a street rod and the thought was it was in the Orillia, Ontario area.
After Brooke sold it I only saw the car once, same orange paint but called the "Avenger". It had a Hilborn injected small block in it.
I have been told that the car was actually a coupe that had been modified into a roadster. It really was a well built race car, Ridler was a talented guy.
Brooke's son was looking for the car some time ago as well.
This was one of the first race cars that I can recall that had a purpose built enclosed trailer. Brooke stored the car at the Roadmates in Mississauga. I believe but stand to be corrected that the front mounted blower motor from the Miller and Gregory Pack Rat ended up in the Brown Brothers Fiat. Brooke called the car "Shaken All Over", popular song of the day written on the turtle deck.
I can tell you that being on the starting line and pumping up the fuel pressure on that car was a real thrill for a 14 year old kid. Brooke's brother in law drove the push car, a 56 Oldsmobile, he was 14 as well! No one ever asked.
-- Edited by Offset on Saturday 6th of February 2016 08:20:24 PM
Offset.. I too heard the Pack Rat became a street rod but nothing more than that. The car was a coupe and the Ridlers are unsung heroes of the early drag race scene in southern Ont. Keith also ran Top fuel and sold Frank Hawley and his father their first fuel dragster.I could go on and on about their history. The Miller/ Gregory motor did go in Duke and Tony's Fiat. Miller/ Gregory's next car ,a Fiat ran a convential top mounted blower as it was easier to change pulleys for different ratios. Great days.
I believe the Miller Fiat and the front drive "Potvin" blower set up ended up with the Brothers Brown
Roger Miller was the first Canuck to make it to qualifying at Indianapolis. I don't think he won that first time.
The Miller/ Gregory Fiat and The Brothers Brown were definitely two different cars. The front drive Potvin blower motor did go to the Brothers Brown. Rick Procter of Port Stanley Ont. owns the Miller/Gregory Fiat and top mounted blower motor. When the roadster and the Fiat won class at the U.S. nationals Wayne 'Weiner' Gregory was the driver. Procter has the nationals class trophies which he got from Gregory.
Bob T please do "go on and on" about the Ridler's, I for one would like to know more. This was sort of my hope that it might start a conversation or two.
The Bruce Wilkes B/SR was supposedly taken apart by Bruce for restoration but that is the last I heard of the car. Bruce did and may still live in the Peterborough area. He worked as a fork lift mechanic at Ryder Machinery on Evan's Avenue in Toronto when I knew him.
Some of those pictures I took, some were taken by professional photographers (you can probably guess which ones!) strangely there was no name on the back or I would have given credit for them. Brooke was a printer by trade and he put together a drag racing calendar which we sold at the Exhibition hot rod show at the CNE (1963 or 64). That is how I ended up with some of the originals. Brooke had the altered in a display there and I think it was with other cars from the Roadmates.
I did not get to the races much after he sold the car, I had lost my ride!
Offset...The Chrysler top fuel car in your first picture closely resembles a Connie Kalitta car based on the style of the windscreen and the shape of the headers. He also liked to run that style of front 'Dump' of the engine . Hopefully someone else on this board will have better info. The Ridler Bros. ran and built a series of great street and race cars always with the very best of equipment.One of their street cars in the late 50's early 60's was a bronze coloured '55 Vette with real Halibrand mag wheels . Their most famous race car was a injected small block Chev. powered .'Jr Fuel' dragster. Keith says they ran as close to 100% nitro as possible. The car was super competitive and would' hook up' when the top fuel cars of the day would 'smoke' the tires They beat Tommy Ivo with it when Ivo's opponent at a match race broke. He still kids Ivo about it. Keith is the only brother left. He is 80+ , still goes to the March Meet every year and visits his old cronies. He and his son race a injected small block Chev. dragster on alcohol and he is building a front engine dragster of his own Nostalgia style. He bought a 60's Woody Gilmore short wheelbase top fuel chassis a few years ago and has most of it done. It will be powered by a injected small block Chev. on 100% nitro. He wants to run it as well as 'cackle it'
Offset...The Chrysler top fuel car in your first picture closely resembles a Connie Kalitta car based on the style of the windscreen and the shape of the headers. He also liked to run that style of front 'Dump' of the engine . Hopefully someone else on this board will have better info. The Ridler Bros. ran and built a series of great street and race cars always with the very best of equipment.One of their street cars in the late 50's early 60's was a bronze coloured '55 Vette with real Halibrand mag wheels . Their most famous race car was a injected small block Chev. powered .'Jr Fuel' dragster. Keith says they ran as close to 100% nitro as possible. The car was super competitive and would' hook up' when the top fuel cars of the day would 'smoke' the tires They beat Tommy Ivo with it when Ivo's opponent at a match race broke. He still kids Ivo about it. Keith is the only brother left. He is 80+ , still goes to the March Meet every year and visits his old cronies. He and his son race a injected small block Chev. dragster on alcohol and he is building a front engine dragster of his own Nostalgia style. He bought a 60's Woody Gilmore short wheelbase top fuel chassis a few years ago and has most of it done. It will be powered by a injected small block Chev. on 100% nitro. He wants to run it as well as 'cackle it'
Keith and son Todd and grandson Conner are at the strip almost every weekend. Conner drivers a Junior Dragster and did quite well in 2015.
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thanks too. 
