California Flash – Howard Crull

Butch Leal had one of the original A990 cars in 1965 and one of the original Chrysler built Altered wheelbase cars. This Super Stock car “The California Flash” raced by Butch Leal in NHRA and IHRA Super Stock in 1974, when Chrysler Protested ProStock rules changes on the Hemis and they backed several teams to return to Super Stock. Butch raced and was very competitive in both series that year with multiple wins including the Summer Nationals and became Car Craft magazine driver of the year. The car was dubbed as “The most feared Super Stock Car ever” by multiple magazines of the time. The car was sold at the end of the year and Steve Bagwell and Terry Earwood, who drove for Bagwell both continued to win multiple National NHRA events in the car. The car was repainted as Hemi Time and subsequently purchased by the cars last owner, Mike Kayrouz. He had it for almost 30 years and he used to own Mid Ohio Dragway. Mike raced the car with an Automatic in the car as did Bagwell and Earwood, and he originally restored it as raced by Bagwell. When he retired it from racing, he turned it back into a close proximity of how Butch raced it in 1974 and put a 4 speed back in the car. For the last 10 years or so it’s been a show car. Due to Mike’s failing health, he decided he needed to liquidate his assets. I first met Mike last year at the Chrysler Nationals where it was part of the display that I hosted there, I was lucky enough that through my friendship with Arnie Beswick, Paul Rossi and some others that were able to convince Butch, who was asked to sell the car for Mike, I should be the next owner of the car. He was told that it wouldn’t be sitting around as a display only car anymore. I made Butch an offer on the car and they wouldn’t accept it. So this year at MCACN, while visiting with Mike and his grandson at their last public appearance for the car. He said you sure know all of these racers and they all say you would get the car out and racing again. He said Butch would like to see you get the car and my health is gone. I need to get rid of it. So he wanted to know if I would still give him the same offer I had put out before? At that point, he says well I told my wife I wanted to sell it this weekend and your here and making the offer, I guess lets do that. So he says I want a deposit until you come pick the car up. He had people visiting for Thanksgiving and I had another car in the show so I couldn’t transport it home that weekend anyway.  So for $10 and a handshake it was a deal. So Butch shows up that morning of the show learning the car has been sold and says “Thank You so much for stepping up and buying it. Are you seriously gonna make the car go down the track again?” I said if it’s at my place, it goes down the track or down the road for sale. He says your gonna kick some ass in that car and I’m gonna love seeing that, but damn I wish it was me doing it all again. He says this car was his favorite of all of the cars he raced in Super Stock and Pro Stock. His name for the car was “Big Red”. So I wasted no time after Thanksgiving I picked it up between the snow storms on Tuesday and took it to the Christmas Party at Clay Kossuth’s on that Saturday, Clay was up at MCACN, when I purchased the car and was sitting beside me when Butch announced it publicly. He invited me to bring it, since I always attend his party anyway.  Butch called after the pictures from the weekend hit Facebook and he asks did you even unload the car before you went to the first outing? NOPE. It stayed in the trailer. I am committed to have the car at the Mopar Nationals in Columbus Ohio if Butch comes in from California, that’s a yearly commitment as long as they are paying for Butch to be there. Every other year he is committed to Chrysler Nationals at Carlisle Pennsylvania, so this is the off year. I would rather race then play showcar anyhow. The Mopar Showdown I am committed for myself with the car, which happens to be the weekend after the Fall out Drags at the same location. The Meltdown Drags, and this 2 events are the only commitments I have presently with the car. The NSS Car Number “7500P” will be used for club racing. This car has all of the trick original lightweight parts on the car, lightweight fenders, bumpers, brackets, aluminum door hinges, aluminum window tracks, lightweight doors and etc. It was actually 2900lbs, when Butch was done with it in 1974, that is 500lbs lighter then Ferris Car I built and was racing, which was right at the legal SS weight of those cars at 3400lbs. Butch liked having the extra weight all in the trunk to make it legal. He says that car will stand up in a mudhole. It was known for big wheelies in 1974 with Butch driving it and NHRA relented and finally allowed wheelie bars in Super Stock in the middle of the year, because of this car.

I attached some historical photos of the car and the different liveries, it has had. Black was the first known race paint by the second owners. I am still searching for anyone that has information about the unknown identity of the original owners in California. The second owners purchased the car with help from the Melrose Missile guys through the original dealership and picked it up from police impound lot after the original owner was picked up in the car on the street. They raced the car until Butch purchased the car from them in 1973. Butch had the car built by Ron Butler, of Culver City, California, who completed all the chassis and other structural modifications.  Ron’s qualification list is impressive; he was one of the chief members in Ford’s GT 40 effort. He has also built the first tube chassis Pro Stock car. The quality of his work and his attention to detail was unbelievable for the time. There is a photo of Butch and I in front of the Ferris A990 car at Carlisle, when he knew I sold that car in an attempt to purchase the California Flash. There is a photo of myself, Butch, and Tom Hoover Jr. with the car. Yes, that’s the son of The Father of the Hemi, Tom Hoover and I in front of the Real Ferris car, when he knew, I had sold it and was considering buying his car. Me, Butch, and Tom Hoover Jr, yes that is the son of Tom Hoover from Chrysler “The father of the Hemi’ standing in front of the car at MCACN and one in front of the shop the day after Christmas, this year when it hit 70°. The last photo is Butch’s Autograph on the glove box door of the car.