Who was Jack Christman and how did he impact drag racing. What were his major innovations in automotive engineering. How did Christman’s career evolve from driver to aftermarket parts manufacturer. What is Jack Christman’s lasting legacy in motorsports.
The Rise of Jack Christman in Early Drag Racing
Jack Christman emerged as a prominent figure in drag racing during its formative years in the late 1950s and early 1960s. His unconventional approach and innovative spirit quickly set him apart from his peers.
In 1959, Christman made waves by piloting Chuck Jones’ rear-engined Sidewinder dragster. This unique vehicle featured a sideways-mounted engine that drove the rear wheels via a chain mechanism – a radical departure from traditional dragster designs of the era.
How did Christman follow up this initial success? The following year, he debuted an even more iconic vehicle: the Howards Cams “Twin Bears” dragster. This machine boasted two Chevy engines tilted outwards, with only a rudimentary plywood board serving as a front aerodynamic element. While seemingly crude by modern standards, this design exemplified the innovative spirit of early drag racers who were constantly pushing boundaries.
Overcoming Adversity and Forging New Partnerships
Christman’s racing career faced a significant setback in 1963 when he suffered a severe injury while driving a front-engine dragster. This accident sidelined him for nearly a year as he focused on recovery. However, this period of convalescence proved pivotal in shaping his future trajectory in the sport.
During his recovery, Christman formed a crucial friendship with Fran Hernandez of Ford Motor Company. Hernandez, known for his keen eye in spotting emerging trends in motorsports, recognized the threat posed by Chrysler’s introduction of altered-wheelbase cars. To maintain Ford’s competitive edge, Hernandez ensured that every Ford factory racer received either a fuel-injected Comet or Mustang.
How did Christman respond to receiving one of these factory-prepared vehicles? In a move that would come to define his career, Christman opted not to race the stock fuel-injected Comet. When questioned by Hernandez, Christman boldly stated that the car needed a supercharger to be truly competitive.
The Birth of a Legendary Funny Car
Hernandez’s trust in Christman’s judgment proved well-founded. Given free rein to modify the Comet, Christman unleashed a revolutionary machine onto the match-race circuit in 1966. What made this vehicle so special?
- Topless design: Christman removed the roof, creating a unique silhouette
- Powerful engine: The car was powered by a blown SOHC (Single Overhead Cam) Ford engine
- Media sensation: The vehicle’s striking appearance and performance garnered significant press coverage, including a coveted spot on the cover of Hot Rod Magazine
This supercharged, topless Comet became not just a competitive force on the track, but a media magnet that helped elevate Christman’s profile and push the boundaries of what was possible in drag racing.
From Driver to Innovator: Jack Christman Enterprises
As Christman’s racing career progressed, he began to focus more on the engineering and business aspects of motorsports. In 1972, he took a significant step by founding Jack Christman Enterprises in Long Beach, California. This company would become his lasting legacy in the automotive world.
What products did Jack Christman Enterprises specialize in? The company focused on producing high-performance drivetrain components, including:
- Ring and pinion gears
- Axles
- Other rear-end parts crucial for drag racing applications
Christman applied the same innovative spirit that had defined his racing career to his manufacturing business. This approach paid dividends not just in terms of sales, but in building a reputation for quality and performance among top competitors.
The Chrisman Legacy in Modern Motorsports
Jack Christman’s impact on drag racing and automotive engineering extends far beyond his time behind the wheel. His company, now operated by his son Steve, continues to be a major force in the aftermarket parts industry.
How widespread is the use of Chrisman-built components in modern racing? The list of championship-winning racers who rely on parts from Jack Christman Enterprises is extensive. Many top-tier competitors refuse to race with anything but Chrisman-built components, a testament to the quality and innovation that continues to define the brand.
In 2001, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) compiled its list of the Top 50 Drag Racers of all time. Where did Jack Christman rank on this prestigious list? He secured the 23rd position, an impressive achievement that speaks to his overall impact on the sport.
While Christman may not have accumulated a large number of high-profile national event wins, his influence was felt in other ways:
- Hundreds of match race victories
- Thousands of fans drawn to the sport through his innovative vehicles and driving style
- Lasting contributions to drag racing technology and engineering
Innovation Beyond the Driver’s Seat
Jack Christman’s true genius lay in his ability to innovate and problem-solve. Throughout his career, he consistently pushed the boundaries of what was possible in drag racing technology. This spirit of innovation didn’t end when he stepped away from active competition.
How did Christman’s engineering expertise continue to impact the sport after his driving days? His focus shifted to developing cutting-edge components that would allow other racers to achieve new levels of performance. Some key areas of innovation included:
- Drivetrain strength: Developing more durable axles and gears to handle increasing horsepower
- Weight reduction: Engineering lighter components without sacrificing strength
- Precision manufacturing: Implementing tighter tolerances and advanced materials
These advancements allowed drag racers to push their vehicles to new extremes, resulting in faster times and higher top speeds. In many ways, Christman’s engineering work behind the scenes had an even greater impact on the sport than his time in the driver’s seat.
The Human Side of Jack Christman
While Christman’s technical achievements are well-documented, it’s also important to consider the personal qualities that made him such a respected figure in the racing community. Those who knew him often spoke of his:
- Passion for the sport
- Willingness to help fellow racers
- Dedication to continuous improvement
- Approachability despite his legendary status
These traits helped Christman build lasting relationships within the racing world, fostering a collaborative spirit that pushed the entire sport forward. His mentorship of younger racers and engineers ensured that his innovative approach would continue to influence drag racing long after his personal involvement ended.
Jack Christman’s Enduring Impact on Drag Racing
When we examine the current state of drag racing, Jack Christman’s fingerprints are still evident in numerous ways. How does his legacy continue to shape the sport today?
- Technology: Many of the engineering principles Christman pioneered are still foundational in modern drag racing vehicle design
- Safety innovations: His experiences, including his own accident, led to advancements in driver protection
- Business model: The success of Jack Christman Enterprises showed how racers could transition into successful aftermarket manufacturers
- Spirit of innovation: Christman’s willingness to try unconventional approaches continues to inspire new generations of racers and engineers
While the vehicles and technology have evolved dramatically since Christman’s heyday, the fundamental approach of constantly pushing boundaries and seeking new solutions remains at the heart of drag racing. In this way, every record-breaking run and technological breakthrough in the sport carries forward a piece of Jack Christman’s legacy.
Preserving the Memory of a Drag Racing Pioneer
Jack Christman passed away in 1989 at the age of 61, but his contributions to motorsports continue to be celebrated. How is his memory honored within the racing community?
- Hall of Fame inductions: Christman has been enshrined in multiple motorsports halls of fame
- Historic vehicle restorations: Some of his most famous cars have been restored and are displayed at racing museums
- Tribute events: Vintage drag racing events often feature classes or special races named in Christman’s honor
- Educational programs: Some technical schools use Christman’s career as a case study in automotive engineering and innovation
These efforts ensure that future generations of racing enthusiasts and engineers will continue to draw inspiration from Jack Christman’s remarkable career and enduring impact on the world of drag racing.
Jack Chrisman
Inductees
Home >
Inductees > Jack Chrisman
Jack Chrisman
Biography
Photo Credit: Steve Reyes
by Jon Asher
Jack Chrisman was drag racing royalty from the sport’s early days through the 1970s, not just for his success behind the wheel but his countless innovations on and off the track. It seems crazy now, but he rose to fame in 1959 behind the wheel of Chuck Jones’ rear-engined Sidewinder. The name means exactly what you think it does; the engine was mounted sideways in the chassis, driving the rear wheels via chain. Chrisman came back the next season with a car that would become even better known, the Howards Cams “Twin Bears” dragster. With its two Chevy engines tilted outwards, the one concession to “aerodynamics” was a plywood board in front of the powerplants. Trust us, there was no science involved. It was just a bunch of drag racers doing what they do best – innovating.
Chrisman remained an innovator throughout his life (he passed away in 1989 at 61), and it’s for that which he is most remembered. After a severe injury in a front-engine dragster in 1963, he spent almost a year regaining his health. It was then that he became friends with Ford’s Fran Hernandez. Hernandez had a keen eye for nascent trends in motorsports, and with Chrysler’s introduction of the first altered-wheelbase cars, he knew Ford had to step up or be bypassed. So Hernandez made sure every Ford factory racer had a fuel-injected Comet or Mustang. Chrisman received one of the former but never raced it. When Hernandez asked why, Chrisman said it needed a supercharger to be competitive. Hernandez told him to do what he wanted, but even Ford was stunned in 1966 when Chrisman hit the match-race trail with his now-topless Comet powered by a blown SOHC Ford. It was not only competitive, it was a media magnet, landing on the cover of Bob Petersen’s Hot Rod Magazine among many others.
The hugely popular drag racer opened Jack Chrisman Enterprises in Long Beach, California in 1972, the company still operated today by his son, Steve.
The list of championship-winning competitors who have relied on Chrisman-built ring and pinions, axles and related rear-end parts is legion, and with good cause. Chrisman brought the same innovation to his aftermarket operation that he’d applied to his racing career, and it paid off not only in sales, but the list of those who refused to race with anything but Chrisman-built parts.
Another measure of Chrisman’s legacy came in 2001 when the NHRA compiled its list of the Top 50 Drag Racers of all time. Chrisman was #23. He may not have won dozens of races with “Nationals” in the titles, but he won hundreds of match races and thousands of fans for a sport he helped grow. And when you see some of today’s champions making record-setting runs, in a lot of instances a part of Jack Chrisman is along for the ride in the form of the cutting-edge components he engineered.
INDUCTEES
Harvey Firestone
Masten Gregory
Brad Lackey
Bud Moore
Robert E. Petersen
PRESENTERS
Reher-Morrison-Shepherd
Ed Pink
Kenny Bernstein
Tony Schumacher
Tommy Ivo
Gary Scelzi
Wally Parks
“Ohio George” Montgomery
Bill Jenkins
ALSO IN THIS CLASS
Harvey Firestone
Masten Gregory
Brad Lackey
Bud Moore
Robert E.
Petersen
MORE FROM THIS CATEGORY
Reher-Morrison-Shepherd
Ed Pink
Kenny Bernstein
Tony Schumacher
Tommy Ivo
Gary Scelzi
Wally Parks
“Ohio George” Montgomery
Bill Jenkins
Gallery
Photos
Videos
Jack S Christman, Age 72, Leipsic, OH
Jack S Christman (age 72) is currently listed at 404 Prospect St, Leipsic, 45856 Ohio and is affiliated with the Republican Party. Jack is registered to vote since September 22, 1971 in Putnam County. Our records show Susan K Christman (72) as possible relative.
Overview of Jack S Christman
Lives in: Leipsic, Ohio
DOB: September 18, 1950
Jack S Christman Voting Profile
Party Affiliation: Republican Party
Registered to vote in: Putnam County
Registration Date: September 22, 1971
Voter Status: Active
Precinct Code: Leipsic Corp
Court of Appeals: 03
Congressional District: 05
Education Service Center: Putnam County Esc
Municipal Court District: Leipsic Local Sd (putnam)
State Board of Education: 69
State Representative District: 01
State Senate District: 81
Township : 01
Village : Van Buren Twp.
Ward : Leipsic Village
Jack S Christman Adress & Maps
Show Map
Neighbors for Jack Christman
Eugene P Lammers
(75)
No Known Party Affiliation
410 Prospect St, Leipsic, 45856 Ohio
Jerome J Schroeder
(70)
Republican Party
421 Prospect St, Leipsic, 45856 Ohio
Gertrude R Schroeder
(95)
No Known Party Affiliation
421 Prospect St, Leipsic, 45856 Ohio
Charles A Knisley
(87)
Democrat Party
422 Prospect St, Leipsic, 45856 Ohio
Esther P Lammers
(81)
No Known Party Affiliation
427 Prospect St, Leipsic, 45856 Ohio
Kenneth Neil Boyer
(74)
Republican Party
428 Prospect St, Leipsic, 45856 Ohio
Samuel C Schroeder
(30)
Republican Party
604 Prospect St, Leipsic, 45856 Ohio
Gaddiel Medina Panell
(44)
No Known Party Affiliation
604 Prospect St, Leipsic, 45856 Ohio
Jack R David
(81)
No Known Party Affiliation
614 Prospect St, Leipsic, 45856 Ohio
Lenore A Knepper
(82)
No Known Party Affiliation
622 Prospect St, Leipsic, 45856 Ohio
Courtney Lynn Fike
(32)
Republican Party
623 Prospect St, Leipsic, 45856 Ohio
Show all neighbors on Prospect St, Leipsic, OH
Related Records
Other Data
Salary: $21,867*
Net Worth: $1,249,470*
*This information is estimated by an algorithm and does not come from any public data.
These numbers are
only guesses and should not be considered to be accurate.
See More Results for Christman
- in Ohio (1,025)
- in Leipsic OH (8)
Actors, director and filmmakers Do you want to know the secret? (2001)
Creators and actors
About the movie
Similar
Posters
Do You Wanna Know a Secret?
Horror, Detective, Thriller, USA
DirectorActorsWritersDOPComposersProducers
Director
Thomas Bradford Thomas Bradford1 movie
Actors
Michael Sarysz 1 movie
Dorie Barton Dorie Barton16 movies 15 TV shows
Joseph Lawrence Joseph Lawrence39 movies 19 TV series
Jeff Conaway Jeff Conaway41 movie 22 TV series
Sara Premisler 1 movie
James Mapes 7 movies
Jack McGee Jack McGee87 movies 43 TV series
Greg Cipes Greg Cipes31 movie 49 TV series
Sterling Rice Sterling Rice8 movies 1 TV series
Angela Taylor Angela Taylor2 movies
Britton Purvis Britton Purvis1 movie
Thomas Anthony Jones Thomas Anthony Jones5 movies 7 TV series
Leonora Scelfo Leonora Scelfo3 movie
Elsie Escobar Elsie Escobar5 movies
Robert Crooks Robert Crooks18 movies 8 TV series
Del Tenney Del Tenney8 movies
Margot Hartman Margot Hartman6 movies
Victoria Bass Victoria Bass6 movies 2 TV series
Brett Taylor Brette Taylor7 movies 6 TV series
Louis De La Costa 6 movies
Andrew Raffelson Andrew Raffelson 7 movies 1 TV series
Jeremy Duncan Jeremy Duncan2 movies
Kyle Hayse 1 movie
Brian J.
Mahoney Brian J. Mahoney5 movies
Karen Spencer Karen Spencer1 movie
Writers
Kermit Christman Kermit Christman4 movies
Del Tenney Del Tenney4 movies
Operator
D. Alan Newman 4 movies
Composers
Jeff Eden Fair Jeff Eden Fair14 movies 4 TV series
Starr Parodi Starr Parodi14 movies 5 TV series
Producers
Kermit Christman Kermit Christman4 movies
Edward Lopatin 2 movies
Del Tenney Del Tenney5 movies
Main
From Screen to Asana: 7 Movies That Will Make You Want to Do Yoga
06/11/2023
Snow White and the 7 Remakes: Disney movies coming out in the coming years
06/11/2023
Why do we love Steven Spielberg’s “ET” so much and 41 years later?
06/10/2023
Review of the film “You Hurt My Feelings” – a sample of conversational cinema from the studio A24
06/10/2023
Review of the film “Russian Dreams” – a drama about the horrors of village life
06/10/2023
New movies available to watch online
06/09/2023
Suggest material
If you want to offer us material for publication or collaboration, write us a letter, and if it seems important to us, we will respond to you within one or two days.
If your question cannot be resolved by mail, you can call the editorial office.
Address for letters: [email protected]
Editorial office: 8 (495) 229-62-00
Compatibility of names Svetlana and Christian in love and marriage
- Home
Name Compatibility
- Svetlana and Christian
Svetlana and Christian
Your couple has passion and love, but this is not enough
50%
Character compatibility
Spiritual Compatibility
70%
Marriage compatibility
60%
Physiological compatibility
Name element compatibility
Svetlana : land
+ Christian : fire
Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are fire signs, and Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are earth signs.
Fire signs are passionate, they are quick-tempered, impatient, they need everything at once and immediately, they cannot and do not want to wait. In addition, fire signs are very egocentric, they are almost always focused on themselves, and little attention is paid to those around them. A person who decides to connect his life with a fire sign should know that in this union he will have to forget about himself and devote himself completely to his partner. This is especially true of the union with Aries. Earth signs are calm, unhurried, they know how to wait in the wings and achieve what they have planned. The fire signs are Yang, and the earth signs are Yin. So the union of fiery and earthy signs seems problematic, their aspirations and life rhythms are too different. The union is possible provided that the fiery signs manage to curb their impatience and irascibility, and the earth signs manage to accumulate a certain amount of enthusiasm and moderate their criticality.
Name number compatibility
Svetlana : 6
+ Christian : 6
Svetlana and Christian – a couple in which you do not need to explain to each other for a long time how someone sees relationships and life together.
