![BillGrumpyJenkins1975Dragster](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/BillGrumpyJenkins1975Dragster.jpg)
William Tyler Jenkins (December 22, 1930 – March 29, 2012), nicknamed "Grumpy" or "The Grump", was an engine builder and
drag racer
Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most ...
. Between 1965 and 1975, he won a total of thirteen NHRA events.
[Biography]
at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) is hall of fame that honors motorsports competitors and contributors from the United States from all disciplines, with categories for Open Wheel, Stock Cars, Powerboats, Drag Racing, Motorcycles, ...
, Retrieved December 26, 2007 Most of these wins were won with a four-speed
manual transmission
A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission system, where gear change ...
. In 1972 he recorded 250 straight passes without missing a
shift.
He was formally trained as a
mechanical engineer
Mechanical may refer to:
Machine
* Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement
* Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations of ...
at
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
, although he completed only three years and did not earn a degree. He later used his training and skills to build engines.
[No. 8: Bill Jenkins ]
; National Hot Rod Association
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all over the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers in its rosters, the NHRA claims to be the largest motorspo ...
, Retrieved December 26, 2007 He has been inducted in numerous motorsports
halls of fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
for his engine building skills in the
National Hot Rod Association
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all over the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers in its rosters, the NHRA claims to be the largest motorspo ...
(NHRA)
Pro Stock class. His innovations include drag racing's first kickout
oil pan
A sump is a low space that collects often undesirable liquids such as water or chemicals. A sump can also be an infiltration basin used to manage surface runoff water and recharge underground aquifers. Sump can also refer to an area in a cave ...
s, Pro Stock
strut
A strut is a structural component commonly found in engineering, aeronautics, architecture and anatomy. Struts generally work by resisting longitudinal compression, but they may also serve in tension.
Human anatomy
Part of the functionality o ...
-style front
suspension
Suspension or suspended may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Suspension (topology), in mathematics
* Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics
* Suspension of a ring, in mathematics
* Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspende ...
, and
dry sump
A dry-sump system is a method to manage the lubricating motor oil in four-stroke and large two-stroke piston driven internal combustion engines. The dry-sump system uses two or more oil pumps and a separate oil reservoir, as opposed to a con ...
oil
An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
ing system, and cool cans, electric
water pump
A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic energy. Pumps can be classified into three major groups according to the method they ...
fan, gas port
pistons, and slick-shift
manual transmission
A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission system, where gear change ...
s.
Considered the "Father of Pro Stock", Jenkins-built engines were used to win five NHRA Pro Stock championships and three American Hot Rod Association (AHRA) championships.
[CUP: Three NASCAR Legends Lead IMHOF Class]
; Tom Jensen, SPEED TV
Speed was an American sports-oriented cable and satellite television network that was owned by the Fox Sports Media Group division of 21st Century Fox. The network was dedicated to motorsports programming, including auto racing, as well as ...
, December 10, 2007, Retrieved December 27, 2007
He was nicknamed "Grumpy" for having a no-nonsense attitude at races.
The
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) is hall of fame that honors motorsports competitors and contributors from the United States from all disciplines, with categories for Open Wheel, Stock Cars, Powerboats, Drag Racing, Motorcycles, ...
said: "his continual search for improved performance left little time for idle chatter with his racing colleagues."
Career
![BillJenkinsGrumpysToyV](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/BillJenkinsGrumpysToyV.jpg)
Born in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
,
Jenkins grew up in
Malvern, Pennsylvania
Malvern is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania. It is west of Philadelphia. The population was 3,419 at the 2020 census. The borough is bordered by Paoli Pike on the south, Sugartown Road on the west, Willistown Township on the east, an ...
.
He started working on motors on his neighbor's tractor engine.
He began drag racing in a 1955
Chevrolet convertible at
Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Berwyn is a census-designated place (CDP) in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The population was 3,775 at the 2020 census. The area is part of the Philadelphia Main Line suburbs.
History
At times, the village has been called Cocheltown, Reesevi ...
before going off to college at
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
for engineering.
He left college in his third year.
He became nationally known after helping to build 30 cars that set national records.
He became known in national circles as the engine builder for
Dave Strickler in the early 1960s. Jenkins teamed with Strickler to win Little Eliminator at the 1963
Nationals with an
A/FX 427 Chevy. He drove
hemi-powered Dodges in 1964 and 1965 after Chevy left drag racing early in the 1963 season. In 1964, Jenkins and Strickler travelled to England, as part of the U.S. Drag Racing team, to take part in the First International Drag Festival, a series of six events held that fall.
He won the A/MP (A/Modified Production) class in a 1965
Plymouth gasser at the
1965 NHRA Nationals at
Indianapolis Raceway Park
Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (formerly Indianapolis Raceway Park, O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, and Lucas Oil Raceway) is an auto racing facility in Brownsburg, Indiana, United States, about northwest of downtown Indianapolis. I ...
, with a pass of 11.11 seconds at . He would also win S/SA at the 1965
Winternationals in a hemi-powered Plymouth named ''Black Arrow''.
[NHRA.com](_blank)
(retrieved 23 May 2017) His winning pass in the final round was an 11.39 second e.t., overcoming Dick Housey's 11.37 with a
holeshot
Jenkins couldn't agree on terms with
Chrysler for 1966, so he decided to run a Chevy
independently by making his own Chevy engine package.
Without factory support, Jenkins developed his first ''Grumpy's Toy'', a
327 cubic inch / 350
horsepower
Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are t ...
Chevy II
The Chevrolet Chevy II/Nova is a small automobile manufactured by Chevrolet, and produced in five generations for the 1962 through 1979, and 1985 through 1988 model years. Nova was the top model in the Chevy II lineup through 1968. The Chevy II ...
. When he found the
compact car
Compact car is a vehicle size class — predominantly used in North America — that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars. "Small family car" is a British term and a part of the C-segment in the European car classification. However, ...
was to be placed in the same class as the 426 ci/425 horsepower hemi
Dodge and Plymouth
muscle car
Muscle car is a description according to '' Merriam-Webster Dictionary'' that came to use in 1966 for "a group of American-made two-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." The '' Britannica Dictionary'' ...
s, he commented it "looked like a pretty good gimmick at the time".
The lower
displacement
Displacement may refer to:
Physical sciences
Mathematics and Physics
* Displacement (geometry), is the difference between the final and initial position of a point trajectory (for instance, the center of mass of a moving object). The actual path ...
engine in the smaller car, hence lighter minimum weight, enabled it to outrun the larger-engined but heavier cars. He set a class record with an 11.66 second pass.
He was added to Chevrolet's team in 1967. He became known as the premiere normally aspirated drag race engine builder after his
Super Stock victory at the 1967 Nationals.
He entered Pro Stock when NHRA started it in 1970, and won the first two events of the year (the Winternationals and Gatornationals) in a 1968
Chevrolet Camaro
The Chevrolet Camaro is a mid-size American automobile manufactured by Chevrolet, classified as a pony car. It first went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed to compete with the Ford Mustang. The Camaro ...
,
ultimately taking the national title.
His first car built specifically for Pro Stock, a 1970½ Camaro, would be the first of the class to make the cover of
''Hot Rod'' (their July 1970 issue).
Jenkins went winless in 1971. NHRA changed the 1972 rules to allow drivers with a small block wedge engine to run a lighter car. Jenkins used a small block-based in a
Chevrolet Vega
The Chevrolet Vega is a subcompact automobile that was manufactured and marketed by GM's Chevrolet subdivision from 1970 to 1977. Available in two-door hatchback, notchback, wagon, and sedan delivery body styles, all models were powered by an ...
fitted in the class' first tube chassis,
which debuted at the 1972 Winternationals. He had a subpar 9.90 second pass in the untested Vega, qualifying 17th of the 32 entries at the season-opening event. After tuning the chassis, the car clocked low-9.6 second passes on race day and Jenkins won the event.
Jenkins used the car to win five of the first eight events of the season (some of them regionals) and six of eight Nationals.
Jenkins earned a total of $250,000 that year, including event and manufacturer support.
He matched
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 years and is widely reg ...
as the professional athlete with the highest salary in the United States.
That year he was featured in
''Time'' magazine, the first drag racer to experience mainstream national coverage.
In 1973, following an NHRA rule change to allow records to be set at any national meet, Jenkins drove his Vega to Pro Stock's first official record, a pass, at the
Winternationals;
"Dyno Don" Nicholson set the e.t. record with a 9.33.
[Burgess, Phil, ''National Dragster'' editor. "The Time Machine: 1973", written 17 August 2018, a]
NHRA.com
(retrieved 16 September 2018)
Jenkins built a Vega in 1974 (dubbed ''Grumpy's Toy XI'') that had several firsts which impacted future drag racing cars, including the first dry sump oiling system and a
MacPherson strut
The MacPherson strut is a type of automotive suspension system that uses the top of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in the front suspension of modern vehicles, and is named for American automotive engineer Ear ...
front suspension.
This car would give him thirteen wins in Pro Stock that year.
Car owner and engine builder
Jenkins retired as a driver, hiring
Larry Lombardo and Ken Dondero to drive his cars so that he could concentrate on research and development.
[Jenkins' 'Grumpy' ways make for a winning way]
Bill Stephens; January 20, 2006, ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
, Retrieved December 27, 2007 Lombardo replaced Jenkins in the driver's seat for the second race of the 1976 season in NHRA. Lombardo won that season's NHRA Winston Pro Stock championship despite the late start. Dondero won the AHRA title. Lombardo raced for Jenkins until 1979, finishing third in 1977 points, second in 1978, and seventh in 1979. Jenkins cut down the team's match races in the early 1980s until his final season as a team owner in 1983. Joe Lepone won the 1985 Winternationals with a Jenkins Pro Stock engine. Grumpy's main focus was on
Comp
Comp, COMP or Comps may refer to:
Places
In England:
* Comp, Kent
In France:
* Comps, Drôme
* Comps, Gard
* Comps, Gironde
* Comps-la-Grand-Ville
* Comps-sur-Artuby
Arts, entertainment, and media
;Music
*Accompaniment, especially in jazz ...
engines, which were used by a large client list, including national event winners Garley Daniels, Steve Johns, and Bob Kaiser.
He led development of GM's new splay-valved cylinder heads for the Chevrolet small block V8 engines, utilized in the new
Pro Stock Truck category in 1998. He fitted the splay-valve heads in a engine, used by Larry Kopp to win the 1998 Winston drag championship, and by 1998 national event winners Tim Freeman, Brad Jeter, Johns, Mark Osborne, Scott Perin, and Don Smith.
Jenkins-built engines continue to be used. A Jenkins powerplant was used by Dave Connolly in his title-contending Pro Stock
Cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with the symbol Co and atomic number 27. As with nickel, cobalt is found in the Earth's crust only in a chemically combined form, save for small deposits found in alloys of natural meteoric iron. The free element, p ...
to win the 2005 Winternationals and briefly placed Connolly in the POWERade points lead. In 2006, two-time Pro Stock champion
Jim Yates announced a testing program with a Jenkins motor in his 2005 Pontiac GTO.
Jenkins also worked on some
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...
engines. He built the engine
Donnie Allison
Donnie Allison (born September 7, 1939) is an American former driver on the NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup circuit, who won ten times during his racing career, which spanned from 1966 to 1988. He is part of the "Alabama Gang", and is the bro ...
used to take the
pole position in the
1975 Daytona 500
The 1975 Daytona 500, the 17th running of the event on February 16, 1975, was a race in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.
Race report
From the start, it appeared that David Pearson was on his way to his first Daytona 500 victory as he built a siza ...
.
Mike Swaim
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and docume ...
used a Jenkins motor to take the pole for the 1987
Busch Series
The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...
race at Daytona.
Halls of Fame / Awards
*Jenkins was inducted in the
International Motorsports Hall of Fame
The International Motorsports Hall of Fame (IMHOF) is a hall of fame located adjacent to the Talladega Superspeedway (formerly Alabama International Motor Speedway) located in Talladega County, east central Alabama. It enshrines those who have co ...
in 2008.
*He was inducted in the
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) is hall of fame that honors motorsports competitors and contributors from the United States from all disciplines, with categories for Open Wheel, Stock Cars, Powerboats, Drag Racing, Motorcycles, ...
[Bill Jenkins]
at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) is hall of fame that honors motorsports competitors and contributors from the United States from all disciplines, with categories for Open Wheel, Stock Cars, Powerboats, Drag Racing, Motorcycles, ...
(1996)
*
Don Garlits
Donald Glenn Garlits (born January 14, 1932, Tampa, Florida) is an American race car driver and automotive engineer. Considered the father of drag racing, he is known as "Big Daddy" to drag racing fans around the world. A pioneer in the field o ...
International Drag Racing Hall of Fame
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
* ''International'' (The T ...
(1993).
*In 2001, he was ranked eighth on NHRA's Top 50 Drivers of all-time.
The American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association named him to their All-America Team in 1972, and he was awarded Chevrolet's of Performance in 1984.
*Jenkins was selected 21 times to the ''Car Craft'' all-star drag racing team including winning the "Man of the Year" and "Ollie Award".
Personal life
Jenkins married Alexandra Newman and the union produced daughter Susan Jenkins before their divorce.
He married Polly Wood and they had a son named William and a daughter named Dani-El.
Death
Jenkins died in 2012 of heart failure in
Paoli, Pennsylvania
Paoli ( ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Chester County near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is situated in portions of two townships: Tredyffrin and Willistown. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 5,575.
His ...
.
Book
*''The Chevrolet Racing Engine'' (April 1977)
*''Grumpys Toys - The Authorized History of Grumpy Jenkins Cars'' (Jan. 2011)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenkins, Bill
1930 births
2012 deaths
Cornell University College of Engineering alumni
Dragster drivers
International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees
Racing drivers from Philadelphia
People from Malvern, Pennsylvania