July 2020 • By Anna Marco
Photos by Marc Gewertz, Kleet Norris, Stormy Byrd & Tony Thacker

Randy Winkle’s internationally acclaimed FamosoSpeedShop.com based in McFarland, CA, is known for its winning, period correct, nostalgia racecar builds and why not? You can spit to the legendary Famoso Raceway (Bakersfield) that has been operating since 1951. Famoso Speed Shop began as a small shop in a home garage and now fabricates racecars for private clientele. Randy prefers a low-key profile, but it’s hard to do when you’re known for being fast and flashy. He builds everything from Gassers to NE1 front engine dragsters. His infamous ‘Green Go,’ a 480ci Chevy-powered, modified fuel Topolino coupe now resides in New Zealand with Kendal Smith at KruzinKustoms.com As a matter of fact, the very first Famoso Speed Shop race car is still raced today while Randy’s current ride is this found 1966 A/FX Mustang.

Originally from Ventura, CA, Randy started street racing at the age of 12 with Kenny ‘Racer’ Brown (2013 C/Gas-NHRA Heritage Champion.) He is known for his wicked humor, competitive spirit, driving skill, fast ETs, smoky burnouts and period correct racecar fabrication. A tough competitor with naturally quick reflexes (triple .000 lights), he began building racecars the way he thought they should be done. His personal motto is, “I eat race tracks for breakfast.” See: www.Facebook.com/RandyWinkle. 

At the 2015 Holley Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, KY, Randy came upon an old piece of iron that was for sale; An original 1966 steel bodied A/FX Mustang fastback built in the sixties with an 18-inch extended ’glass nose and hood. Apparently, the early owner took the steel bodied car straight from the dealer, stripped it to the shell, added a 2x3 box tube frame, a nitro injected FE block Ford, a C6 trans and 9-inch Ford rear-end. It was run for a season and parked. Randy spotted it, became obsessed and bought it.

Back home, the original chassis that looked like it came from under a T-bucket, couldn’t be updated to current specs so the shell was hauled to chassis builder Mitch Connett for new bones that would keep the sixties front end, straight axle concept while retaining the steel body with original ’glass front end. Power now comes from a 500 ci big-block Chevy built by Jim Shubert. It features his signature 6-71 blower, Hilborn 4-hole scoop shooting Alky, AFR aluminum heads, Schneider cam, Vertex magneto, Lunati rods and pistons, an aftermarket ATI Turbo 400 and a B&M series 60 shifter spinning 10x15 Cragar's with M/T 10.50x29 slicks.

Randy mixed the blue metallic with pearl paint, Ralph ‘Shooter’ Sanchez sprayed it and Jay Werner did lettering and graphics. Period correct blue window glass and Lexan was installed by Kevin Little. The whole concept for restoring this old racer was to invigorate nostalgia drag racing, bring showmanship back to the track and to match race for a new generation of fans. Since the car has been finished, it has been in a series of test and tune laps most recently at Great Lakes Dragway. Meanwhile, Randy is onto the next project building a 1963 Corvette with a dragster chassis based on the old ‘Strange Brew’ NE1 car and the 1966 Jungle Jim steel bodied, altered wheelbase ‘Goodies’ Nova with a blown BBC and Turbo 400 on alky. Watch for more big burn outs, noise and nitro from the ‘Famoso Mob.’

Vehicle: Famoso Speed Shop 1966 A/FX Mustang
Owner/driver: Randy Winkle
Builder: FamosoSpeedShop.com, McFarland, California

Powertrain

• Engine: Big-block Chevy/Builder Jim Shubert
• Heads: AFR aluminum
• Valve cover: Mickey Thompson
• Blower: Jim Shubert 6-71
• Bug catcher: Hilborn 4-hole
• Intake: BDS
• Cam: Schneider
• Magneto: Vertex
• Headers: Steve’s Muffler
• Fuel tank: Moon
• Transmission: ATI Turbo 400 with 1st and 2nd brake
• Shifter: B&M series 60
• Rear end: 9-inch

Chassis: Tubular ladder-type frame by Mitch Connett
• Front axle: Straight
• Spindles: 40 Ford
• Brakes: Wilwood
• Steering box: 66 Mustang flipped on side
• Steering wheel: Moon

Body: 1966 Mustang, fiberglass front end extended 18-inches
• Windows: Period correct blue glass and Lexan by Kevin Little.
• Paint: Custom mix metallic blue with pearl
• Painter: Ralph ‘Shooter’ Sanchez
• Letter & graphics: Jay Werner
• Wheels: Cragar 5-spoke 4x15 front, Cragar 10x15 rear
• Tires: Firestone 5.60x15 front, M/T 10.50x29 slicks rear