– Moved from television to drag racing
– Ran HEMI^® engine-powered dragsters and Mopar_® Funny Cars
– First drag racer in the 5s

Tommy Ivo was born in Denver, CO, but moved to Burbank, CA, at a young age with his mother, who was able to get him into show business as a child actor. In local theater, he began performing, and as television grew so did his career, which became quite lucrative.

“Back in the early ’50s, we (kids) took tap dancing lessons, because I could dance I ultimately acted in 100 films and 200 TV shows,” Ivo reminisced about his youth as a performer. Included in his early work was the original Mickey Mouse Club, a bunch of jungle movies and then finally the television series My Little Margie.

Here’s Tommy on the 1959 movie set of Ghost of Drag Strip Hollow with actress Judy Howard, where he was talking about his hot rod engine.

ON TO DRAG RACING

His first pass down a drag strip happened in 1952 at Saugus, CA, where his stock big Buick clocked a 66 mph run. And later when he first saw Norm Grabowski’s “Kookie Kar” T-roadster at the local Bob’s Big Boy (Glendale), he immediately knew he had to build a T-roadster for himself. It was Buick powered, which led to him building a dragster with Kent Fuller in 1958, with an injected Buick engine. Next came a twin-Buick-engine dragster, followed by a crazy 4WD dragster with four injected Buicks. The focus of this story revolves around him getting more serious about all-out performance and switching to the mighty Chrysler HEMI engine for his dragsters.

GAVE DON PRUDHOMME HIS START IN DRAG RACING

“I took a young kid who had painted my car along as a helper,” recalled Ivo. “He turned out to be a great help, and worked hard and loved the sport. Oh, and by the way, the kid’s name was Don Prudhomme.” They both were members of the Road King Car Club, based in the San Fernando Valley. 

BARNSTORMER CAR

Because of the “Fuel Ban” from Wally Parks being lifted, in 1962, Ivo moved up to the Top Fuel class, with an engine – a Chrysler HEMI, of course – built by Dave Zeuschel and 124-inch wheelbase chassis by Rod Pepmuller. The car featured a “3 point” roll cage configuration, which was a Kent Fuller original design. It was said to be one of the longest lasting competitive cars in Top Fuel history, and credited as the first dragster on the West Coast to run in the seven-second range, a 7.99-second blast at San Gabriel, October 24, 1964. As always, Ivo ran an Isky cam. The car saw duty in England (racing against Don Garlits, September 1964) and was campaigned all the way until the 1965 Bakersfield March Meet. After that event, the car was sold to Bud Bailey, a guy from Chicago. It is said to have “fallen off the edge of the earth” and nowhere to be found all these years later. The publicity shot was taken at Lions Drag Strip; Ivo was a master at promotion!

MOVIE: BIKINI BEACH

The script for the 1964 Bikini Beach movie, an American teen film, called for Ivo to drive his dragster while wearing a monkey suit, which he did! In this shot, the Barnstormer car squares off with the Greer – Black – Prudhomme car. Annette Funicello, who starred in the movie along with Frankie Avalon, didn’t care for drag racing, neither did Don Rickles, who played the guy that ran the drag strip. However, Frankie Avalon did like the drag racing action, which was shot at Pomona. It wasn’t an Oscar winner by any stretch of the imagination, but a teenager at the time, “Little” Stevie Wonder, did perform at the end.

On tour in England, 1964, he had to dodge ancient bomb craters on the the long-abandonded airstrips, and he defeated Don Garlits doing it. “Don was so mad at gettin’ smoked off that climbed on top of his rear tire and shook his fist at me,” Ivo shared with Gray Baskerville years back.

POPULAR ON TOUR

Always in demand by drag strip promoters, Ivo was a touring pro and made his money with running all over the country and receiving appearance money, that’s where the action was at for him, not at NHRA tracks. Here’s a shot of him in ’66 at an event in Amarillo, TX.

PSYCHEDELIC LATE ’60s

1967 and ’68 actually saw two “psychedelic” Top Fuel cars from Ivo, both with a paint job that he had sketched on a notebook while bored sitting in class at school. He hauled both of them around, using one as a backup since during that era. He could run eight times on a single week!

DODGE L-600 HAULER

It’s a ’60s Dodge Tilt-Cab Medium Duty L-600 COE (Cab Over Engine). Inside sits two Top Fuel dragsters protected by glass sides, completely enclosing Ivo’s prized dragsters. The inside lights up which delights passers-by while on the road going from race to race. On top is where his Corvette tow vehicle sits. Note the “Dodge Powered” lettering, along with “6.72 ET at 229 mph” records listed.

The Fram Oil Filter Company put together a 21 x 28-inch color poster of one of Ivo’s famous fire burnouts and ran ads in all the popular car enthusiast magazines, further adding to publicity of his racing operation. $1.50 while they last, including shipping!

FIRST IN THE FIVES: 5.97

October 22, 1972, it happened. Tommy Ivo shook the drag racing world with his performance at some backwoods drag strip in Pennsylvania, at least that is how the NHRA people felt about it! In the first round of competition, he had recorded a 6.03 at 225 mph, which showed the car’s dip into the fives wasn’t a fluke. It also convinced Cragar’s boss Tom Shedden enough to make Tommy Ivo the first in the Cragar Five-Second Club, the 5.97 was considered to be totally legit.

When Phil Burgess of National Dragster asked Ivo about the details of that run, here’s what he said: “It started out a very pleasant fall day and warmed up the track nicely, but when we rolled up for the round, a cold front rolled in – I mean a cold front; I was afraid it was going to rain – and gave me that good bump on the horsepower, so, with the warm track, we had good horsepower and good traction, the ingredients were there. Even though they didn’t prep the track in those days, we had all the track prep we needed in a bottle of VHT.”

The car was largely self-sponsored, with Valvoline and VHT logos largely displayed while also including the usual Isky Cams markings that Ivo ran. It ran a 473-cube HEMI engine that came out of Keith Black’s shop, fitted with a Larry Bowers 6-71 supercharger and Enderle injection. Ivo departed from KB’s usual Engle camshaft, choosing to run an Isky instead. A Schiefer clutch/flywheel combination was housed inside a Lakewood steel bellhousing, Lenco 2-speed overdrive. The 225-inch wheelbase chassis was a Woody Gilmore piece, Tom Hanna body, with elevated rear wing fitted with streamlined dual support struts, along with side canard wings located in front of the headers.

There was some “controversy” from NHRA over the record run, seeing how it didn’t actually happen on one of the tracks. Cartoonist Pete Millar summed the whole thing up in an ad that Isky did afterwards: “TOMMY IVO was the first man in drag racing history to break the six-second barrier on OCTOBER, 1972, at KEYSTONE RACEWAY, NEW ALEXANDRIA, PA. His cam? An Iskenderian 590 TORQUEMASTER, the most famous cam ever ground.”

EYES CLOSED THROUGH IT ALL

At the 1974 Winternationals in Pomona, during Top Fuel qualifying, Ivo was behind the wheel of a brand-new Don Long chassis, making just its fourth run in a desperate bid to qualify – do or die. The car was “hopped up” hard, maybe too hard, and when it hit the lights, the engine exploded so violently that it tore off the wing, sent the car sideways, spun it around and slammed it into the guardrail. It clocked 240 mph – but upside down and backwards. “I closed my eyes and missed the whole thing,” Ivo later joked. Reflecting on that Saturday afternoon, he added: “A strange thing happened. Once I realized I was about to die and there was absolutely nothing I could do, it became easier. I wasn’t scared anymore. Later I learned that this is a phenomenon – an instant before death, there’s a moment of total relaxation and relief.”

Years later, Ivo summed it up like this: “If I could only make one run in drag racing, this would be the one I would choose. (But you have to get out without a scratch, like I did – or it would ruin all the fun.)”

Quickly replaced after the Pomona crash, Ivo was back up and running throughout the 1974 season, always delivering a great show for the fans, his car being a contender for “best appearing” everywhere it ran. 

THE ART OF THE FIRE BURNOUT

Bleach was used for burnouts during this time and Ivo figured out by adding gasoline to the bleach, and with the hot header flames igniting the mixture, well, it was a real show when he nailed the throttle! Sometimes more gasoline than bleach … anything to put on a show!

NEW SPONSOR

There were always sponsorships for Tommy over the years, even though most of the funding for the cars came from the appearance money he earned from his extensive match race engagements. As the costs of racing continued to rise, supplementary support had come from familiar names such as Valvoline Oil, Honest Charley Speed Shop, Wynn’s and Isky. 1975 saw Nationwise Rod Shop join in with major support, as shown here with his Top Fuel car (still running wheel pants before they were outlawed).

SWITCH TO FUNNY CARS

Ivo began his Funny Car involvement at the start of the 1976 racing season, with his “Nationwise Rod Shop” sponsored Dodge Dart Sport and later switched to a 1976 Dodge Charger/Cordoba body. In early 1977, he blew that body off and returned to the Sport body with the same chassis. A young David Hapgood did an interview with Ivo in August of 1977 where he asked why Ivo quit doing the fire burnouts to which he said, “NHRA outlawed them. They say they’re dangerous. I’ve done over 500 of them. I think they have more things to worry about than that. If I do one, I get my driver’s license (NHRA) taken away.”

Like his days in Top Fuel, Ivo was always on the road with the Funny Car running match races and shown here at OCIR with the Charger, up against the Snake, which got involved in drag racing thanks to Ivo.

IVO’S PLYMOUTH ARROW FUNNY CAR

Tommy finished out his nitro career with this Rislone Oil Treatment-sponsored Plymouth Arrow, shown here at a match race at OCIR. Steve Evans introduced him to the 40,000 fans at the 1978 NHRA Winternationals, a rain-delayed event at Pomona. After beating the Dave Hough-driven Super Shops car in the first round, he went on to defeat Denny Savage and Tom Prock on the way to the final round. He had a strong #2 qualifying run of 6.159 and the car was performing well all day long, except when the call came for the Funny Car final elimination run. Unfortunately on that burnout, some of the connecting rods came out of the block and with oil pouring on the track, he was shut off and had to watch Don Prudhomme win the event on a solo run. This runner-up finish marked his first NHRA final round appearance since back in 1965 at the U.S. Nationals, again losing to his old helper, Don Prudhomme!

SHIRLEY MULDOWNEY FRIENDSHIP

Ivo and Shirley Muldowney are long-time friends from way back. “Ivo, who was one of drag racing’s greatest showmen, told me a long time ago, ‘Don’t ever let go of that name (Cha-Cha) and don’t ever paint any of your racecars any other color but pink.’ At the time, I didn’t know exactly what he meant, but as years passed and I began to appreciate the importance of showmanship in drag racing. I understood his advise.”

When the 1983 movie Heart Like a Wheel was filmed, Ivo was stunt driver in the action shots, as under the helmet and driver’s suit his size was close enough to Shirley’s. Shown here, he was wearing a back brace when this stunt driving took place, as he had recently crushed three vertebrae while running his restored 4-engine exhibition car in Canada, but he did the gig for Shirley.

RON JOHNSON RE-CREATION

In late 2006, Ron “Big Yohns” Johnson set out to recreate the legendary TV Tommy Barnstormer with full blessing, guidance and input from Ivo himself. The project began with a chromoly round-tube chassis by Alex Mikkelsen, while chassis details and the front axle were masterfully handled by Bob Meyer. Power came from a sleeved-down 1958 Chrysler 392 HEMI engine, reduced to 377 cubic inches and built to run on a nitromethane blend. It was topped with a Jim Swedberg blower, paired with a Schiefer magneto, an authentic Enderle bug catcher, correct internals like a gear drive, and Keith Hickson’s perfectly shaped sweeper headers.

A modern touch came in the form of a Meziere “mini” starter, designed to fire up the HEMI engine – no push starts needed this time around. This innovation required a custom-fabricated billet flywheel with integral teeth, not a bolt-on ring. Gary Sumek engineered a disengagement device, mandatory for today’s cacklefest cars.

The aluminum body, crafted by Jack Hagemann, beautifully captured the spirit of the original Barnstormer. Staying true to authenticity, Ron commissioned Jim Deist to stitch up a massive 16-foot white ringslot parachute – likely never to deploy, but there for the full period-correct effect. The car features a narrowed ’58 Olds rear end (with 3.23 gears), American Torq-Thrust wheels and classic 10 x 16 pie-crust slicks. Every detail was dialed in, down to the Dennis Taylor upholstery, the original Oldsmobile 1958 Fiesta Red paint and precise gold leaf lettering.

Tommy Ivo was beyond thrilled during the build – and like everyone who saw the finished product, ecstatic once it was complete. The car has appeared at shows across the U.S. and even made its way to Goodwood in the UK. Shown here at the 2012 SEMA Show, it held pride of place at the center of the American Racing Wheels booth.

ALWAYS ENTERTAINING

Tommy is still attending select Hot Rod Reunions, Wally Parks Museum functions and most recently the 2024 Nitro Revival gathering at Irwindale put on by Steve and Cindy Gibbs. “TV” still has great stories to tell and always the “inside info” on his past drag racing escapades! Talking with Tommy is a real experience, full of personality and recalling every detail associated with the various topics he’s on. At 89, he’s still fun!

THE BOOK

With backing from Don Prudhomme, Tom Cotter’s 2011 hardcover, TV Tommy Ivo, delivers 240 pages packed with the official story of Ivo’s incredible life and career. Highly recommended by reviewers, it’s a must-have for any fan. (ISBN: 978-0760338926)

Even Jay Leno made sure to get his copy personally autographed!

BARNSTORMER IN SCALE

From GMP, here’s the “Barnstormer Replica” 1:18-scale diecast, measures 10 inches in length, steel chassis, removable body panels, rubber tires, poseable steering, detailed interior and plumbed, wired supercharged HEMI engine, with “blued” chromed weedburners. 3.8 inches wide, 3 inches tall. Release date 2018, limited run of 600 produced. Item # 18891

PUZZLE

There’s also a 1,000-piece Ivo Dragster jigsaw puzzle, which measures 28 x 20 inches in size, from AMT. Part # AWAC009/12

’74 CAR IN SCALE

Model builders are a creative type! Since there was not a 1974 model ever produced of Tommy’s car, it took some 1/25th scale ingenuity to build one. Taking a Jeb Allen “Praying Mantis” from 1975 and combining it with the front wheel pants from an MPC Cosmic Charger dragster kit, plus a decal sheet available online, it’s a true masterpiece!

RESTORED TO PERFECTION

Over the years, dedicated individuals have tracked down and restored original Tommy Ivo racecars – investing serious time, effort, research and resources to bring them back to their former glory. These aren’t just restorations – they’re full-on revivals of drag racing history.

Among them is the iconic 1974 car, featuring a Larry Sikora-designed chassis, a body by Nye Frank and a 484-cid Keith Black HEMI engine. Once part of the Bruce Larson collection, it was discovered in 2001 and fully restored by 2007.

The 1976–1977 Tommy Ivo Dodge Charger Funny Car also resurfaced and was brought back to life. The 1976 version wore “Nationwise” markings, while the 1977 rendition was known as the “Rod Shop Dodge.” The original featured a Tony Casarez chassis, now upgraded to a McKinney, and powered by a formidable aluminum Keith Black HEMI engine.

Also restored is the 1970 front-engine Top Fuel dragster, built on a Don Long chassis and equipped with a 426 HEMI engine, Hampton 9-rib 6-71 blower, Lenco with reverser and a 9-inch rear end. The paintwork was painstakingly replicated, down to the exact placement of the original gold leaf lettering.

These restorations aren’t just cars – they’re rolling, fire-breathing time capsules of drag racing’s golden era.

QUOTABLE QUOTES FROM TOMMY IVO

“I’ve raced Don Garlits 52 times in one year. My touring has taken me to every conceivable dragstrip in the country.”

“Actually, Garlits is one of my heroes because he did everything himself, from building, tuning and driving to booking it and taking care of all the expenses. I did the same, but never reached the status in the sport that he did.”

“I’m a pyromaniac at heart, and if it’s a show they want, I’ll give them a show with legal fire burnouts.”

“For me, racing is not a job but a vocation. The Funny Car, though, got to be a mountain of work. I couldn’t talk to the people, and they couldn’t talk to me. And if I can’t talk to people, then I might as well quit.”

Below is an early video narrated by sports announcer Keith Jackson of Tommy Ivo assembling his 1965 HEMI engine-powered dragster in his Burbank, CA, garage.

Here’s a clip of Tommy’s speech at the Motorsports of America Hall of Fame awards.

Author: James Maxwell