Lebanon, PA; Dragfest – The Dragfest Indoor Drag Racing Showcase is always chock full of great examples of drag cars. As you round one of the corners, there was one example that pulled you right in. It was obvious it wasn’t a shiny, new drag car, but it looked too good to be an old survivor. But it is. I’m talking about the “Risky Business” 1970 Chevelle, once raced by Roger Jorss, but now owned by Paul and Cathy Dunn. I was intrigued by this car, so I talked to Mr. Dunn to find out more. He was quick to point out the car was raced at the old 75-80 Dragway for over 40+ years down in Monrovia Md.

According to Paul Dunn, “The old owner is still alive, he’s 83 years old. His name is Roger Jorss. All the stickers on the windshield are all the bracket finals from 1983 to 2009. Last time it was on the drag strip it ran 11.03 in the quarter. It still has drum brakes in the front. You hit the line locks, it won’t move, it will just sit there and spin. All the pictures up on the top there, the one picture there beside my father was down in Rockingham, North Carolina. This car has been all over the state of md and practically up and down the east coast.”

All you need to do is take one good look at it to see it’s still all race car, not just a pretty face to look at. Under the hood is a 406 cu.in. small block Chevy engine. The transmission is a Turbo 350 with a 4500 stall converter, backed up with 4:56 gears in the rear along with Strange axles. Paul Dunn is quick to point out, “Re-jet the carburetor, re-set the timing, and it’s ready for the drag strip and it’s still all race car.”

History of the sport is important to most racers, and when I asked Paul Dunn how he came to be the owner of this car, it’s obvious the history of the sport is something he takes seriously. His reply was, “I live in Damascus Md. I saw it at a car show, and I hadn’t seen it in 13 years. I had a ‘71 Chevelle I had since I was 14, and I bought that for $500. I sold that car, it hurt, but I sold that car to get this car because I didn’t want anyone to change the history of the car. I had a gentleman at Ocean City just last October come up to me and practically hug me, he was in tears, because he used to race against Roger Jorss. They were best friends and he thought he’d never see the car. He thanked me and thanked me and thanked me and said ‘today you’re keeping 75-80 Dragway alive because it’s gone now.’ That was my home track. That was the oldest track in Maryland for the longest time and now it’s Mason Dixon.”

It was obvious showing the car and telling its’ story is a labor of love for Paul Dunn. One last tidbit he shared as I was walking away was that the prop rod under the hood was given to Jorss by Bunny Burkett after she saw what he was using to hold up the hood. Just another piece of history living on in this magnificent car.

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