Ed McCulloch: Join the Revellution

NHRA/National Dragster photo

Photos: Courtesy of the NHRA

In 1969, the relatively new Funny Car class was starting to amp up.  The flip-top body had revolutionized the dragster, and racing was never going to be the same.  Enter Ed “Ace” McCulloch, who jumped into the Funny Car class from Top Fuel and quickly became a star of the series. Pressure to race Funny Cars was intense, and McCulloch raced constantly at match races to earn the money to compete in the NHRA series. After winning the 1971 U.S. National the very first time he ran the race, McCulloch lined up backing from Revell, a model-kit company.  McCulloch and the Revellution Dodge Demon dominated in 1972 – back to back wins at the Winternationals, the Gatornationals and the Springnationals,  coming away with the NHRA Funny Car  U.S. Championship for that year.  The Revellution was an icon, a legendary car for the public and for its driver. During the six years of their association, the RRRRRevellution Funny car was a favorite sight at the races.

McCulloch went on to chalk up five U.S. National wins in the Funny Car class along with one in a top fuel dragster for good measure, but his partnership with Revell lived on in the models– just how many kids at the races were inspired to save their pennies and build their very own Revellution Demon?

McCulloch retired as a driver in 1994 and then went on to check off another 27 wins as a crew chief, and while the Revellution was retired, it lives on in die-cast models thanks to eBay!

 

NHRA/National Dragster photo

4 Comments on Ed McCulloch: Join the Revellution

  1. Please correct me if mistaken, the ace was one of the greatest but never World Champion.. Shirl Greer was the first acknowledged NHRA Funny Car World Champion in 1974 if I remember correctly .Any comments welcome.

    • As a boy, in Australia, I still remember him. I was a model maker and remmeber his kits well. They were in all the stores, back then. The woman yuv mentioned, I’ve never heard of; sorry.

      • shirl greer was a man not a woman. he did win in 74 beating out prudomme when he went out second round at the world finals locking greer in for the championship. its understandable that you haven’t heard of him but the ace due to mass marketing of model kits and even funny cars can’t be heard that far across the pond. and tom is correct, ace never won a championship.

        • thanks buddy. Thats the first I’ve heard a man being named SHirl ! Here, its short for Shirley. A common AUssie womans name…..how about there? You guys invest alot of money in car racing. Here, things are much more restricted. and only a very few, can afford the big-bux for car racing.

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