The Huffaker's Joe Jr. and Sr., of Huffaker Engineering, prepared
Tom Frank's racecar and engines.
Tom
Frank #24 (DeKon c/n 1004)
IMSA
Winston GT -
Riverside 6 Hours
Riverside, CA - April 22, 1979
Results for Tom Frank
Date
Race
No.
Chassis
Driver(s)
Entrant
Result
Oct 03,
1976
100
mile Laguna Seca II
25
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
8th
Nov 28,
1976
250
mile Daytona Finale
25
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
7th
Apr 17,
1977
IMSA
100 mile Road Atlanta I
24
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
5th
May 01,
1977
IMSA
100 mile Laguna Seca I
24
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
5th
May 15,
1977
IMSA
100 mile Mid-America
24
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
16th
May 30,
1977
IMSA
100 mile Lime Rock
24
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
32nd
Jun 05,
1977
IMSA
100 mile Mid-Ohio
24
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
4th
Jun 19,
1977
IMSA
100 mile Brainerd
24
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
26th
Jul 04,
1977
IMSA
250 mile Daytona Paul Revere
24
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
44th
Aug 14,
1977
IMSA
100 mile Pocono
24
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
2nd
Aug 28,
1977
IMSA 3
h Mid-Ohio
24
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
30th
Sep 05,
1977
IMSA
100 mile Road Atlanta II
24
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
8th
Oct 09,
1977
IMSA
100 mile Laguna Seca II
24
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
16th
May 21,
1978
SCCA
Trans-Am Sears Point
-
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
DNS
Aug 13,
1978
SCCA
Trans-Am Brainerd
24
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
28th
Aug 19,
1978
SCCA
Trans-Am Mosport
24
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
6th
Sep 04,
1978
SCCA
Trans-Am Road America
24
DeKon
1004
Tom
Frank
Executive Industries
26th
Apr 22,
1979
SCCA
IMSA 6 h Riverside
24
DeKon
1004
Frank/Kent-Cooke
Tom
Frank
17th
David France
Owner DeKon c/n 1004
Third? owner David France #14 (DeKon c/n 1004)
Supercuts livery - btw. 1982 - 1984
David France #44 (DeKon c/n 1004)
SCCA Regional - Sears Point Raceway (Infineon)
Sonoma, CA - btw. 1982 - 1984
David
France, a California investment counselor, purchased
DeKon 1004 from Tom Frank around 1982. He reworked
the Monza to attain status for a regional only class
in SCCA club racing. SPO class (Super Production
Over) was for moderately to heavily modified cars
with an engine displacement over 2500 cc. These
Monzas were also fit to run in SCCA's GT-1 class.
David France and Frank Emmett
campaigned the car in SCCA regional racing. Emmett
was President and co-founder of Supercuts.
It first raced in the Supercuts livery of black, with orange,
yellow and red stripes. Then was changed to Scuederia France
livery of blue-yellow. The car was raced at Laguna Seca and Sears
Point, resulting in many first place finishes. France placed
the car
in storage at the end of the 1984 racing season. The car was still
maintained during this time by Huffaker
Engineering.
John Malone bought
the car in the 1990's,repainted to red and gold the
livery with car no. 4, and drove vintage races in
Florida and Georgia.
Results for David France
Date
Race
No.
Chassis
Driver(s)
Result
Mar 28, 1982
Sears Point - Season Opener
44
DeKon 1004
David France
6th
May 23, 1982
Laguna Seca - Laguna Spring
Regional
44
DeKon 1004
David France
3rd
Jun 06, 1982
Sears Point - Sonoma June
Regional
44
DeKon 1004
David France
3rd
Aug 08, 1982
Sears Point - Sonoma Summer
Regional
44
DeKon 1004
David France
11th
Sep 12, 1882
Laguna Seca - Laguna Summer
Regional
44
DeKon 1004
David France
1st
Aug 28, 1982
Sears Point - SCCA Summer
Regional
44
DeKon 1004
David France
14th
Oct 02, 1982
Sears Point - PCRRC
44
DeKon 1004
David France
DNF
Oct 09, 1982
Laguna Seca - SCCA October
Regional
44
DeKon 1004
David France
1st
Nov 07, 1982
Sears Point - 23rd RDC 4 hr
Enduro
44
DeKon 1004
David France
4th
Apr 10, 1983
Sears Point - Spring
Regional
44
DeKon 1004
David France
2nd
May 22, 1983
Laguna Seca - Laguna Spring
44
DeKon 1004
David France
1st
Jun 19, 1983
Laguna Seca - End-of-Spring
44
DeKon 1004
David France
1st
Jul 31, 1983
Laguna Seca - Double Points
Regional
44
DeKon 1004
David France
1st
Sep 17, 1983
Sears Point - Supercuts
Pacific Coast
44
DeKon 1004
David France
15th
Nov 05, 1983
Sears Point - Regional
Championship
44
DeKon 1004
David France
2nd
Apr 08, 1984
Sears Point - SCCA Regional
Road Races
44
DeKon 1004
David France
1st
Mar 25, 1984
Sears Point - Season Opener
44
DeKon 1004
David France
2nd
May 13, 1984
Sears Point - Golden Poppy
Springs
44
DeKon 1004
David France
5th
Jun 03, 1984
Sears Point - Trans-Am
44
DeKon 1004
David France
1st
Aug 12, 1984
Laguna Seca - Full Moon
Sprints
44
DeKon 1004
David France
5th
Sep 03, 1984
Laguna Seca - Quarter Moon
Sprints
44
DeKon 1004
David France
3rd
Sep 16, 1984
Sears Point - Supercuts
Pacific Coast
44
DeKon 1004
David France
1st
Oct 28, 1984
Laguna Seca - Double Points
Weekend
44
DeKon 1004
David France
1st
Phil Gallant
Fourth owner DeKon c/n 1004
Tom Frank's old DeKon Monza - 30 years later.
(BELOW) Phil Gallant purchased the
car from John Malone in 2005, and ran it in vintage. In 2006, the original fuel
injection system was rebuilt ,and engine backdated to original 1976
setup. Gallant's last successful vintage race with the DeKon
was at Laguna Seca in August 2009, where he finished 8th.
Fourth owner, Phil Gallant #04 - DeKon c/n 1004
Rolex
Vintage Festival - Lime
Rock Park
Lakeville, CT - September 1-3, 2007
Monzas in the paddock
DeKon 1004 (#04), and 1012 (#20)
Rolex Vintage Festival - Lime
Rock Park
Lakeville, CT - September 1-3, 2007
Phil Gallant #04 - DeKon c/n 1004
Rolex
Vintage Festival - Lime
Rock Park
Lakeville, CT - September 1-3, 2007
Phil Gallant #04 -
DeKon c/n 1004
36th MHAR - Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Monterey, CA - August 15, 2009
Starting in 2006,
Gallant
rebuilt and backdated the engine to the original 1976
specifications. The original livery of
Tom
Frank's #24 white/green Monza also returned to the car in 2010.
The car was eventually sold in 2011.
Phil Gallant #24 - DeKon c/n 1004
Monza repainted to
original Tom Frank livery
Canepa Design, Scotts Valley, CA - March 5, 2011
Commemorative
plate by DeKon
Engineering LTD
owners ordered from DeKon
as memento which
included chassis no. and series championship
Phil Gallant #24 - DeKon c/n 1004
Monza repainted to
original Tom Frank livery
Scotts Valley, CA - March 5, 2011
Phil Gallant #24 - DeKon c/n 1004
Original DeKon
interior
Scotts Valley, CA - March 5, 2011
Phil Gallant #24 - DeKon c/n 1004
Original DeKon
instrument panel
Canepa Design -
Scotts Valley, CA - March 5, 2011
Phil Gallant #24 - DeKon c/n 1004
Monza as restored to
Tom Frank's original livery
Scotts Valley, CA - March 5, 2011
Phil Gallant #24 - DeKon c/n 1004
Chevrolet small-block finjected V-8, 6.0L (361.7 cid)
(Photo by Canepa Design in Scotts Valley, CA - March 5, 2011)
Phil Gallant #24 - DeKon c/n 1004
Scotts Valley, CA - March 5, 2011
The Kinsler Fuel Injection
system was rebuilt by Tony Oddo in 2006.
Phil Gallant's #24 - DeKon c/n 1004 with
Chevrolet small-block finjected V-8, 6.0L (361.7 cid)
(Photo by Canepa Design in Scotts Valley, CA - March 5, 2011)
Engine
Specifications
Bore:
........................................
4.155
Stroke:
.....................................
3.335
Displacement:
.....................
361.7
cu. in.
Comp. Ratio:
..........................
12.9
to 1
Timing:
..................
36°
BTDC (White Line)
Plug Gap:
....................................
.035
Valve Lash:
................
.018
Cold /.022 Hot
Max. RPM:
............................
8500
RPM
Shift RPM:
.............................
7500
RPM
Peak HP:
......................
652 @ 6700 RPM
Peak Torque:
.................
556 @
5500 RPM
(Source: Canepa)
Phil Gallant #24 - DeKon c/n 1004
Monterey Motorsports
Reunion - Laguna Seca
Monterey, CA - August
21, 2011
Phil Gallant #24 - DeKon c/n 1004
Monterey Motorsports
Reunion - Laguna Seca
Monterey, CA - August
21, 2011
Ownership History
DeKon c/n 1004
Don't confuse the two names, it was Frank Thomas
and/or Lee Mueller who was the first owner of DeKon 1004. The
car that was given a pre-delivery shakedown by Horst Kwech at
the TRC in 1975. Tom Frank,
owner of Executive Motor Homes, was the second owner of c/n 1004
but in the white/green #24 livery shown above.
In Chevrolet's Friends magazine, Frank Thomas is named as the
owner who, "...took delivery of his new Monza at the sprawling
8,100-acre Transportation Research Center of Ohio,", outside of
Columbus. It was the site for the "pre-delivery wring-out" of
his "jet black modified Monza," according to the article. David Girling writes, "The purchaser of this small Chevy racer was
cattleman Frank Thomas of Boise, Idaho, who runs a stable of
racers in various sedan series and shares his team's duties."
This article also calls out , "...owner Frank Thomas."
Also Girling writes, "Racing driver Lee Mueller who co-drives
with Thomas on the Thomas race team was next to pull on a helmet
and put the Monza through some hot paces."
The second owner, Tom Frank had the car for about
three seasons, between 1976 and 1977. Joe Huffaker, Sr. of
Huffaker Engineering, prepared the car and built the engines.
Frank campaigned the IMSA series in 1976 and '77, but then
mostly entered SCCA Trans-Am races in the 1978 season.
On August 14, 1977 at the Pocono 100 IMSA
Camel GT race in Long Pond, PA, Frank took a 2nd place finish
which was a racing highlight for the remarkably built American
racecar. According to Canepa Design, a contemporary and historic
race car builder in California, "Frank had the car updated from a Dekon Phase 4 to a
Phase 5 body that focused on a large “banana” style rear wing,
larger front chin spoiler, and a hood with a long 3” bulge." Frank
continued to race the car until 1979, after which Dekon
c/n 1004 was retired from professional road racing. Sponsorship
for his #24 white/green Monza was
Executive Motor Homes and Huffaker Engineering.
David France, a California investment
counselor, purchased Tom Frank's Dekon around 1982. He began
modifying and prepping it to meet SCCA Super Production (SP) class
rules. SCCA developed the class as an "optional - regional only class"
for competitors to run at Regional level events, but excluded National level.
Particularly, France prepared his car for SPO class, an engine displacement
category, for Super Production Over 2500cc and above. The Monza was successfully campaigned
in SCCA and driven by David France and Frank Emmett, then President of Supercuts.
It raced in Supercuts livery (black with orange,
yellow and red stripes) as car #44, then subsequently changed to
the
France scuderia blue-yellow livery. He raced at Laguna Seca and Sears
Point, bringing home many first place finishes. David France placed
the car
in storage after the 1984 racing season ended. The car was still
maintained during this time under the tutelage of Huffaker
Engineering.
John Malone bought DeKon c/n 1004 in the 1990's and
drove it as #4 in a red/gold livery at vintage/historic racing events
in Florida and Georgia.
Then Phil Gallant purchased the car in 2005, and
also ran the car in vintage racing. In October 2006,
Tony Oddo of T.O.E. Inc. in Suisun City, CA rebuilt the
original Kinsler fuel injection system, which had been taken out
of the car during previous modifications. Additionally, Oddo
backdated the 362 cu in V-8, 600 horsepower engine to original
1976 specifications.
In 2010, Gallant had the DeKon painted in its
original '76 livery colors of white and green as adorned by Tom
Frank, along with the car no. 24. The work was done by G.A. Coachworks
in San Diego, CA. Gallant's last vintage racing event
was around the same year.
The car was sold to Pat Hogan of Colorado in
2012. It raced in the Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing's
Oktoberfest Enduro at High Plains Raceway, located near Deer
Trail, CO. Tom Frank's old DeKon c/n 1004 is still thumping
away, and finished second in it's group.
