Emergency West - Resurection

It's OFFICIAL !!!

This weekend was so much fun, and made me realize just how special a gift I have been given. SO many people asked and wanted to know- HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?? -and it's always met with the same amazement that I have every time I tell it. So, here's my "Readers Digest Version" As a 8-10 year old kid, I seen a magazine picture of a guy racing a car named Bad Bossa Nova-named Richard Schroeder. I was just completely taken by it. (and I have found that picture since) Richard, went on to be known as the King of Wheelstanders and become a national TV announcer for NHRA (Diamond P Motorsports) At 28 years old, I entered MY Camaro in a Super Chevy Sunday Race in Dallas Tx 1985- un be known to me, Richard was the guy operating that race, and by chance I met him. - While heading home after that race, I read a article in PHR (Popular Hot Rodding) that Richard had just compleated his latest creation, a Crewcab Chevy dually with twin engines. By 1988, I was responsible for bringing the STREET MACHINE NATIONALS to Springfield MO and became a member of the staff of Special Events running shows like the Nats, 4x4 Jams, Monster Truck Thunder drags, HOTROD POWER TOUR, Drag Week, etc...(for the next 30 years) During the 1991 season, Richard was hired by Special Events as one of my bosses, and we become very good friends. 1992 Richard hires me to work for McMullen & Yee publishing operating the Truckin Showtime shows. August of 92- Richard hires me to drive BAD BOSSA NOVA - now named "CALIFORNIA DUECE". 1993 Richard sells "Deuce" and puts me behind the wheel of "EMERGENCY WEST". I perform with "EW" on the national NHRA circuit for the next 7 years, parking "EW" in 2001 as Richard transitions into racing a Jet car called "Focus This" (a Ford Focus with a J79 jet stuffed through it). 2007, Richard loses a short battle with melanoma. 2008 his son Chris, decides to have "EW" rebodied, and by 2015 "EW" appears as you see it today- but had some "technical difficulties" (it would no longer wheelie) I was contacted in 2015 to help solve the issue- but telling a "professional" race shop they screwed up- wasnt well received. Chris suddenly died in 2017. The "Professional" race shop basiclly stole "EW" and pulled and sold both $100K motors and transmissions and put the chassis into storage... and then failed to pay the storage. November 2022, I get a call asking if I know anything about "EMERGENCY WEST" - Its the storage yard in Chicago... they've done some research, know the story of how the truck was stolen away from the family .... and they want to return it. I contact Gina (Richard's widow) let her know I will retrieve the truck and return it to her in LA, or whatever she wishes to do- she tells me - "Richard & I had originally planned to gift you the entire racing operation - you go to Chicago and get EW- she's your truck." For the last year and a half, Ive put "EW" back together best I can- bringing her back to life as of April 11 2024- as she pulled her first wheelie in 23 years. Now it's my job to reintroduce my mentor / friends creation -the World's only twin engined Wheelstander back to the world. - Hard to compress 50 years into a couple of paragraphs.