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Jungle
Pam's Favorite Emails from June 2003
I
love getting your letters and emails! Write to me at junglepam1@aol.com
or send me a letter! I'll be glad to autograph photos, etc. Send
all "snail mail" to me at the following address. If you
are writing for an autograph, please include a stamped, self addressed envelope so I can get your stuff back to you!
Love, jp
Pam Hardy
PO Box 2063
West Chester, PA 19380
Hi
Pam
Long
time fan. I kinda stumbled upon this web site. It's real cool. I
still haven't looked at the whole thing yet. I think it's great!
JJ would love it! (you know that!) . Drag racing is the best thing
in the world by far. Except for that other thing (ha ha), But you
kinda put both of those things together. What a great person you
are! I've read about you and JJ. , It must have been a trip! I don't
know what happened to you two in the end there, but I know how
things can get. I'll get the S.A.S.E. and stamp in the mail soon.
It would be killer if you sent me a quick E-MAIL It would go in my
favorite drag racing stuff pile. Love you like everyone else does
(must be nice)
BIG ART
B
bigaart@aol.com
Ms. Pam
I met you at Beeline at Phoenix in 1972 (my buddies and followed
you for hours). My younger brother got your autograph then (he's
46 now!) and he has it framed and tells his story often. What a
lucky guy. We have been racing since the late 60's and are still
currently active in Division 7 Super Comp with a race full body
car (Vette). I believe you opened the door for women to actively
participate as crew members/chiefs and drivers. You and Jungle
were my heroes. I worked at the time for Dick Harrell (another FC
racer) and grew up around Richard Tharp but I worshiped both of
you. I'm a 51 year old firefighter, good looking and muscular (no
this is not a personal add!!). It is just great to see other
people remain great looking and still in motor sports. Good Job
and good luck. I'll follow what you are doing. You can back my
Vette up any day! Sincerely, Ray
Pam,
I'm so glad I found your link and I added it to my site too, I
love Jim and all of his antics, he was the best ever. If he was
with us today, John Force would be number #2 and you are still a
sexy Lady and always will be....!!!! Mike Wilks..:)
Very
Cool Site. My name is David Wisooker, I very seriously doubt you
remember me, I used to cut your grass when you lived on Finns Lane
in Md. I Remember going to watch ya'll at Capitol Raceway, the
morning after the races was so cool because a lot of cars used to
go to your house there and Finns Lane would be loaded with rigs,
remember the Plexiglas trailer that Ivo had and you could see the
race car inside it? I remember being really bummed when JJ got
killed, it was very sad. I'm still a HUGE FAN though, I have
several drawings of his cars, couple of photos, a poster with you
and him. I LOVED you guys, as a kid I really looked up to JJ and I
thought you were so HOT!! Very glad to have found this site, I
will visit often. Do you know if they are ever going to make any
die-cast collectables of JJ's cars? Take care Pam, Thanks For The
Memories, Love Ya..........
Pam-
Just
wandered into your website by accident. Was looking for news on
the Pro Stock crashes this past weekend and spotted your like.
Glad I clicked it!
I'm a
long time track rat here in the mid-Atlantic. I guess my first
recollection of seeing Jungle was around 1969 at Cecil County. I
think I may even have a few pics from back then that I'll have to
dig out. I know I have a couple of the '69 Camaro Pro Stock car
that carried the Jungle logo.
I guess
this is my funniest Jungle story. It was at Capital Raceway
between Baltimore and Washington and I guess the year was about
1974. It was a summer night race and it was an 8 car event. I was
hanging by the Jungle car watching them do between rounds
maintenance. Time came to fire the car for the warm up. I was
standing just by the rear wheels. As Jungle climbed in, he said
"You might want to back up a couple of feet.? Me being the
typical know-it-all, seen-it-all 19 year old, I told him I'd be
fine. He just smiled. The motor spun. The headers belched. And I
was covered with a pungent mixture of gasoline and alcohol. Eyes
stinging, skin burning. At least I was smart enough to take three
steps back before the nitro hit the motor!!! I can still remember
that night like it was yesterday.
I must
have seen the Jungle cars race 30 or 40 times over the 7 years or
so that I remember seeing them. Seems like I grew at places like
Cecil County, York US 30 and Capital Raceway.
I've
spotted you a couple of times more recently. Mostly at the Maple
Grove fall race. I couldn't believe that you'd become even more
attractive. Now there's an air of refinement and class to go along
with the drop dead gorgeous looks. Love the shorter hair in the
latest pictures. The smile is still the same though.
Might
get to see you and shake hands someday at the York Reunion. July
is a busy month but this year I'm going to make time and go. I
work only a few minutes from the Fair Grounds in York and my
company even has a yearly event there in August.
Best
wishes. Thanks for help making our sport such a great one. Who
would have thought we'd have gone from one race a year on the Wide
World of Sports to having every national event televised?
Sincerely,
Jim Bageant
How
are you? I
thought I'd send you a shot from 1975 out at PIR. My brother Mark
took me to my first drag race and this one was it. A 32 Funny Cars
show. It wasn't until a couple years later that I found out that
these were just shows and everyone got paid, LOL. The skinny
bastard with the sideburns on the left is my brother. I was 14 so
he would have been 19 then. The dude is 47 now, owns a towing
company/used car lot, rides a Harley and has a 2 foot long
ponytail these days. With his hair down and beard, he looks like
Jesus frigging Christ. I tell him he just thinks he's god though,
his ol' lady knows better. I laugh at him, but the Jungle Jim Vega
looks nice huh? I'll look for the shots of the red Monza but I'm
pretty sure the ex destroyed most of my good ones during the
divorce 10 years ago. I used to have one of Jim coming right at me
doing a 3/4 track burnout, it was an incredible shot. If I ever
find it, I will send it to you. Hope all is well. "Believer
Tim" O'Reilly
Hi
Pam. I'm an
old fan and enjoyed You & Jim for many years. I'm from
Pittsburgh Pa. and found some old pic I took back in the 60's at
PID (Pittsburgh International Dragway). The pic has 1967 printed
on the border . I mite have a few more I'll send them as I find
them.. It was great seeing the JJ Tribute Car I'm sure Jim had a
big smile watching it make a pass.........
Stay
Active in Drag Racing We all Love you..
Mike
Pierro
HELLO,
HOW ARE YOU DOING ? I ALWAYS KINDA WONDERED WHAT EVER BECAME OF
SOME OF THE PEOPLE FROM THE RACING COMMUNITY. HOPE THINGS ARE
GOING WELL FOR YOU. I WAS ON MY P/C IN MEMORY LANE & CAME
ACROSS YOU .WITH AN INVITE TO E-MAIL YOU. HOPE TO HEAR BACK FROM
YOU. R.E. BEESON
Hey Pam,
This isn't really a story as such but I like to reminisce about
the good old days every once in a while. I grew up in a
neighborhood called Thornbury, which was almost right across the
street where you guys lived at the corner of Rt 926 and Rt 202
right outside of West Chester Pa. in the '60's. I knew the people
who lived in your house before and after you guys lived there.
Well every once in a while, much to our delight, Jim would fire up
his FC and nail the throttle a few times to do a little testing
right there at his house. We would LOVE it! So my question is, did
you ever have the cops there? (LOL). He also would come into the
ARCO gas station by the RT 202 drive-in theater where my dad and I
leased it and get gas and chat a bit. I felt honored to say the
least. I also saw him run at Atco Dragway and one run that I
especially remember to this day (that was 1970 or so) was when he
was racing someone who had mechanical trouble while coming up to
the line. Jim knew that and he did a super wheelie quite a ways
down the track, which is still pictured in my mind to this day. I
loved watching him race. He was the one who got me interested in
drag racing back then as everyone around West Chester talked about
him. He was kind of a "John Force" of his time if you
know what I mean. Anyway I'm still a devoted NHRA fan and go to
E-town (missed you there) Maple Grove, and others. So take care,
God Bless and I'll be seeing you at the races. Bill Lucas P.S. Are
you gonna be at Maple Grove this year? or Indy?
Pam,
I'm not
sure if you remember me, my name's Dave and I met you at
Englishtown this year about a month and a half ago. You happened
to stop by Clay Millican's trailer and I spoke with you for a
while. I was then and still am working part time (voluntarily) as
a parts cleaner on Clay's top fuel dragster. I just wanted to say
that it was a pleasure meeting you......I have always wanted to. I
often read about how drag racing used to be and have a great deal
of admiration for that period of time. You told me how people used
to come to the track simply to hang out in the pits and it was all
about having fun. So, thanks for spending a few minutes with me, I
thought it was great.
I will
probably be at the Funny Car Reunion this year, hope to see you
there. Please keep in touch.
Dave
McQuay davidmcquay35@hotmail.com
Hi
Pam, Just wanted to thank you for the wonderful site you have put
on the web honoring the King himself. Although I was born in the
wrong era, I have a burning passion for the way racing use to be.
Up until I met Bill from the drag list, not much else was there on
Jungle or you for that matter. You two where a pair and greatly
missed till this day. I hope you post some more history on your
web site and tell us more. Any pics of Jungle and the Vette that
didn't perform up to the King himself. Maybe an old newspaper
clipping. Anyway, Pam, like everyone says, you two could entertain
us all. Thanks for the memories. How does someone get a Jungle
shirt with your autograph? Thanks Bobby
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