Ted DeTar was our local drag racing hero. Despite the elongated Ford Falcon body, there was a Chrysler Hemi under the hood. I've heard Ted described as Chrysler's golden boy in terms of R&D and innovation, particularly with racing Torqueflites. Rumor has it that they were a tad bit upset when he started racing the Falcon. Word was that he went with the Falcon because AHRA wanted a wider fan appeal and needed a Ford in the program. His work with Mopars brought just about every big name Mopar drag racer in the business to Wichita at some time or another. It was practically a required behavior among young drag racing enthusiasts such as myself to go down to his shop to see what big name car was in the parking lot. It was a sad day when he moved his operation to Florida where he could race all year. It was even sadder when shortly thereafter we learned of his death in a car testing accident. Had he lived, I'm certain his name would be as familiar today as any of the drag racing greats.
