Rose, who began driving jet cars in 1962, won over 3,700 races and was the national jet car champion 11 times in his dragracing heyday. In 2006, while filming an episode for the series top gear, presenter and driver richard hammond was critically injured in a crash with the jet dragster. The green mamba jet car, i loved to watch the old plywood barrierfence, behind the bleach boxes, rattle and shake with pieces of plywood flying. Veteran racer, 80, killed when jet dragster crashes at u. Doug rose and the green mamba jet car have been burning up the tracks for over 35 years. The iron mountain daily news and wluctv report 80yearold doug rose, driver of the green mamba, died friday evening at the norway. There is a video of the wreck and couldnt believe doug rose and the green mamba were still performing. Doug rose was the premier jet dragster racer of the. Anyone who has been involved in the jet car world knows the drama that surrounds it. Rose drove the 3,318pound green mamba for more than 35 years. Slammin sammy was the most successful rocket racer of all time and became a legend in europe, the only place he could race after the nhra banned the cars in the united states. Thecount the secretary of the norway speedway has confirmed, green mamba jet car, doug rose, has died in a crash during a race friday night according to track officials, rose lost control during an exhibition and crashed.
The jet car and driver spent decades working the drag racing circuit, racing on strips of pavement in a thousand small towns. Jet car icon doug rose loses life in michigan crash. Doug set track records with green monster from one end of the country to the other. Earlier today at norway speedway in upper michigan doug rose failed to make the turn 1 radius, left the track, rolled and crashed at low speed near turn 2 of the thirdmile oval. Catch him april 1st at a night of destruction at auburndale speedway. Legendary 80yearold green mamba jet car drag racer doug rose. Nov 19, 2014 green mamba jet dragster how could this be 1966. The car itself has a fascinating history, it was stolen, recovered. And with a match race with doug rose green mamba jet car, george would put a trashcan in dougs lane, then paint an x on the guardrail where the green mamba was to hit the x. Saw on the news this morning that tampa cops found the scumbag that stole and hid the green mamba. The team of hedabeck and segal were based on the west coast and built and tested many a jet funny car and dragster during the mid1980s.
Doug rose started driving jet powered cars back in 1962 when walt arfons hired doug to drive the famed green monster jet car. The iron mountain daily news and wluctv report 80yearold doug rose, driver of the green mamba, died friday evening at the norway speedway. Green mamba jet car owner doug rose, 80, formerly of tampa. Potter also created vehicles such as a slot car, an allison powered wagon, and a jet trike. Every driver dreams of sitting behind an ed pink racing engine at any pda meet. Always incredible to watch, the power and noise of the green mamba was insane. The remains of the car and body was sold and eventually rebuilt into the transforming jet car known as the vorian. Green mamba jet car driver live on the 97 country breakfast club. He began his driving career in their fabled green machine, the green monster, from late 1962 until he went out on his own with the mamba in 1968. The 24yearold was driving for larsen motorsports, which fields several jetpowered cars. The worldfamous fighterjetengineequipped former drag racing car piloted by iconic 70yearold driver. Green mamba jet car to be on display this week at thursday thunder. Ive never figured out the psyche of those who drive the school bus figure8.
The green mamba, a jetpowered exhibition dragster driven by douglas rose of ring town, penn. But he came back to driving with prosthetic legs that year, built the green mamba with a navy jet fighter engine and started touring the country. Doug rose, 80, was behind the wheel of his own green mamba jet dragster at norway speedway in michigans northern peninsula last august when a failed turn sent him into a guardrail resulting in his death. The drag racing world lost a master entertainer and jetcar legend a few weeks ago when doug rose, whose green mamba jet had entertained fans. Drag racing showman doug rose, 80, died on friday when he crashed his famous jetpowered green mamba car at michigans norway speedway. Ed pink let george borrow one in a las vegas invitational meet.
Eddie hills twin pontiac engined, dual slicks, aagas dragster, the purple double dragon. Rose built the car using a surplus navy fighter jet engine in. Great footage, thanks for sharing,this was a few years before my time and its great to see. That interest landed him a job driving walt arfons legendary green. He built the green mamba after his racing days were over, and for more than 35 years, he has been burning up tracks with the famous fourwheeled, firebreather. These ranged from dragsters to a turbojetpowered car which briefly held the land speed record three times during 1964 and 1965. Doug rose, the owner and driver of the green mamba jet car, was killed in an exhibition race in norway michigan.
Samuel hawley is a writer of narrative nonfiction and fiction. Doug rose and the green mamba jet car ky michaelson. The duo even ventured to south africa to deliver and race jet funny cars and had the honor to be paid in diamonds for their appearance. Listen as doug rose the rocketman explains what it feels like driving the green mamba jet car. If you really want a porsche painted in mamba green metallic but cant swing the. Legendary 80yearold green mamba jet car drag racer. The green monster was the name of several vehicles built by art arfons and his half brother walt arfons. Recently stolen and trashed, owner driver and legendary racer, doug rose has finally restored this great jet.
Doug rose, 80, was behind the wheel of his own green mamba jet dragster at norway speedway in michigans northern peninsula last august when a failed turn sent him into a guardrail resulting in. Clearly this is one of big daddys swamp rats, but the driver doesnt look like. Some low class immigrant body shop owner took it and tucked it away in his shop and storage unit after it was dismantled for storage. Folks of interest sad news, longtime jet car racer doug. Every time he ran at local tracks around us, id take the kids to watch him destroy his cartruckvan of choice.
The green mamba was the most famous jet car in the world. The opinions expressed here dont necessarily reflect the feelings of the folks that run the site thats us unless we explicitly say so, ok. Com donations are not tax deductible this is a public forum. Thecount the secretary of the norway speedway has confirmed, green mamba jet car, doug rose, has died in a crash during a race friday night.
He has written about 16thcentury east asian history, 19thcentury koreanamerican relations, olympic sprinting and land speed racing and a circus elephant. Rose spent decades working the drag racing circuit in the green mamba. Promising jet dragster racer kat moller killed in crash. The car, powered by a j46 jet engine from a navy f7u cutlass fighter plane, had a top speed of more than 300 miles per hour. Considering the driver location in these trucks, it takes quite the fortitude to pilot them aggressively. When the racing dried up, he and the car kept entertaining the crowds, using the jet. Fuelfunny cars the green mamba jet drag car nissan trucks, light em up, drag cars. The legendary green mamba jet car has been wowing crowds for over 40 years.
The vorian is own by a man in new mexico, and from what i was told currently in the process of being restored with some assistance by doug rose of the green mamba fame. Tommy ivo would drive his own jet dragster black with red trim at many drag. A new jersey delivery drivers car was left leaning vertically against a. Moller is the second jet dragster pilot killed in an accident on a nondragracingspecific circuit in 2018. According to john ostermann, the driver of the green mamba jet car, doug rose, lost control during an exhibition and crashed. The land speed record green monster set the absolute record three times during the close competition of 1964 and. As you can see in the video the car doesnt turn when.
My lifelong friend doug rose lost his life driving the green mamba jet car in 2018, these pictures were taken by martin defries the last time i saw doug. The race car which could reach speeds of more than 300 mph was described as being powered by a j46 westinghouse jet engine from a 1950sera u. Drag racing legend doug rose, 80, killed in green mamba. When the racing dried up, rose and the green mamba kept entertaining the crowds. Green mamba jet car returns to ams this week at papa john. Some cars such as green monster and vampire raced as dragsters as well as. Drag racing list top 10 exhibition racers of all time. A 1966 crash in that very car left him a doubleamputee, but his handicap hardly slowed him. Eddie hill top fuel dragster nhra drag racing old race cars vintage race car drag cars car humor car and driver hot cars. Rose, from ring town, pennsylvania, was considered among the greats of jet car drag racing.
The iron mountain daily news and wluctv report 80yearold doug rose, driver of the green mamba, died. One thought on watch tv tommy ivo race the green mamba jet car circa the late 1960s in texas. Shock and awe the green mamba jet car strolling amok. Jessi combs crash caused by collapsed tire at 550 mph. Did a car and driver staff member threaten to quit if the.
Back in 1966, rose had both legs amputated below the knees after the green monster jet car he was driving also hit a guard rail, but that. Drag racing legend doug rose, 80, killed in green mamba jet car. Drag racing showman doug rose, 80, died on friday when he crashed his famous jetpowered green mamba car at michigans norway. His father art and uncle walt built the first successful jet cars, including the green. Land speed record glenn leasher infinity jet car crash. What race car would you build if money wasnt a thing. Recently stolen and trashed, ownerdriver and legendary. Green mamba jet car drag racing cars, car humor, car.