DIALED IN
GARY VARNEY
Varney wanted to buy the car so bad he couldn’t
stand it, but to his dismay, Racer Brown told
him the Thunderbird wasn’t for sale. Regard-
less, Varney continued gathering up armloads
of Cleveland parts from Brown’s garage, and left
him his number in case he was ever willing to
part with the Glidden-clone T-bird.
Eventually, the phone indeed rang and it was
the call Varney hoped he’d someday receive. Racer
Brown told him he’d be willing to sell the Thun-
derbird, so Varney left his native Ohio and once
again traveled to Missouri to pick up the car.
While the classy Thunderbird was a true show-
piece at one time, especially during its years while
parked on the showroom floor of the Ford deal-
ership, time hadn’t been kind to the car, as the
paint and Lexan had yellowed while sitting for
so long. “I was tempted to race the car just like it
was, but it really needed a new paint job,” Varney
says. It was then he commissioned his friend,
Terry Duris, who applied the beautiful design it
currently has. The paint has held up beautifully,
especially considering this was done 22 years ago.
For power, Varney relies on a highly modified
557ci Ford engine with Blue Thunder heads. It
features a sheet metal tunnel ram intake with a
pair of Dominator carbs. “It doesn’t have a real
big cam in it, so it’s not a ‘spring killer,” Varney
says. “We can put 300 runs on the engine and it’s
real easy on parts.” The drivetrain is anchored by
a 2-speed Powerglide transmission. The car also
features a 9” Ford rear end, Strange axles and
Goodyear tires mounted on Monocoque wheels.
He’s raced the car at many area tracks in Ohio,
especially National Trail Raceway in Columbus,
where he competed in the Super 32 series for
quite a few years. He’s towed the car to many
Ford events within a three-state area, and had
collected probably 17 trophies alone from winning
NMRA’s bracket category over the years.
Eventually, Varney became hooked on index
racing, where his T-bird is deadly consistent in the
5.50 range. In fact, Varney kicked off 2020 with a
victory in Bradenton, Florida, after winning the
5.50 index category during the popular U.S. Street
Nationals. All total, he’s put the Thunderbird in
the winner’s circle no less than 30 times.
Amazingly, among the biggest thrills ever for
Varney didn’t even happen at the racetrack, but
rather at his good friend Larry Morgan’s race
shop. “I live and operate Geddex out of Etna, Ohio,
which is probably 15 miles from Larry Morgan,
whom I’ve known for many years,” Varney says.
“Larry used to change tires on his Pro Stock every
seven runs, and I’d get his old tires and probably
make another 100 passes on them!”
“Well, one day I pulled up at Larry’s and I
stepped out of my truck and bumped into some-
one. I said, ‘Oh, excuse me,’ and this guy turns
around and it was none other than Bob Glid-
den in the flesh, with a cigarette hanging out of
his mouth!” laughs Varney, who was darn near
speechless for a few seconds.
Morgan formally introduced the two and they
had a good laugh and spent some time together.
“He was an amazing man,” Varney says. “I said to
him, ‘Bob, you wouldn’t believe how much money
you’ve caused me to spend!’”
Gary proceeded to tell him about walking into
Racer Brown’s garage, seeing the Thunderbird
on jack stands, and eventually buying it. “Glid-
den laughed and says to me, ‘It happens to the
best of us!’”
Varney readily admits he was a huge Glidden
fan beginning in the 1970s when he was coming
up through the ranks. “I never would have even
dreamed that I would be able to look at the man,
much less meet him and spend a little time with
him,” he says.
It should come as no surprise that Varney has
been a lifelong Ford guy, dating back to his teen-
age years. “My dad loved Fords, my first car was
a Ford, so that’s where it came from.”
Varney’s introduction to drag racing was also
the result of some quality father-son time, when
his dad took him to the first NHRA Spring Na-
tionals ever held at National Trail Raceway in
1972. “I was 13 years old and after that first race
in Columbus, it was over for me!” laughs Varney.
Immediately following the race, he came home,
climbed on his dirt bike and began attempting
burnouts. “I was 18 before my parents would let
me take my Mustang to National Trail to race it.”
Over the years, Varney has bought, built and
raced a variety of Ford drag cars. His most memo-
rable weekend came in 1998 at a Fun Ford event
in Norwalk, where he took his 1970 Mustang and
won the Saturday night race, then came back on
Sunday and won the shootout. “It was about a
10k weekend for me,” he says. The timing couldn’t
have been scripted any better, because shortly
after that win, Racer Brown called and said the
Thunderbird was for sale, so the winnings from
Norwalk came in handy.
About the only thing that could make this story
any better is if Varney decided to return the Thun-
derbird to its Bob Glidden clone design – which
could actually happen any day. “I’m almost sure
I’m gonna do it,” Varney says. “We were actually
wanting to do it before we brought the car to
Bradenton for the U.S. Street Nationals, but we
ran out of time.” Considering how Varney won the
5.50 index class at Bradenton, how cool would
a Chief Auto Parts/7-Eleven Thunderbird have
looked sitting in the winner’s circle?
Pondering the possibilities, Varney is very
tempted to enter the car in various Nostalgia
Pro Stock races, should he indeed return the car
to the Glidden theme. “Regardless, we have fun
every time we take the car out, which is about
10-12 times per year now,” Varney says. “I’ve got
thank my friends Rob and Rick Stilwell, who
are kind enough to let me keep my motorhome
and trailer on their farm in Bradenton, Florida.”
For Varney, he’s made some great friendships
along the way, and his racing passion is also a
family affair. “I’ve also got to thank my daughter,
Ashley, my son, Jamie, my girlfriend, Laura, and
my grandson, Max, for all their help,” Varney adds.
“I must also thank Larry Morgan, as he does so
much for me and so many other local racers...
more than anybody could imagine.”
After his season-opening win at Bradenton, Var-
ney participated in the inaugural Drag Illustrated
World Doorslammer Nationals, before returning
home to Ohio for a short while. His racing plans
for the remainder of the season include stops at his
local National Trail Raceway, Pacemakers Drag-
way and select NMRA events with plans to also
compete in the Fast Fords event at Dragway 42 in
West Salem, Ohio, scheduled in June.
DI DI DI
DI DI DI DI
60 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
DI DI DI
Issue 155