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Pam's
Favorite Emails from July 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
Jungle Jim & Jungle Pam by Rich Huffman. Click to see it full size.
Dear Jungle Pam,
Attached please find my favorite "Jungle" photo. It was taken at Portland Int'l Raceway during 32 Funny Cars in 1975. I was a couple months shy of turning 14, had already built several Jungle Jim models (still have them), and was anxious to see my favorite driver. The unexpected treat was finding out there was a Jungle Pam! Wow! Almost 14 and seeing Jungle Pam! I remember approaching Jungle Jim and asking him if he was going to do a FIRE BURNOUT, and his mock surprise reaction, like "you know about those?" He did one that night! He was so cool.
A friend from Boy Scouts was a PR guy at Blitz-Weinhard beer. He did the brewery tours at the downtown brewery. In the summer, he was also Blitz's host for their 2nd floor PIR tower hospitality suite. He would take us along, and our job was to keep beer stocked in the refrigerators, which allowed us to take photos from the roof and track, and sneak a beer of two. It also allowed us to invite the drivers up for a free beer after the race. The drivers loved it, the VIP's loved meeting the drivers, and we usually got a free T-shirt for getting the drivers free beer! A true win-win-win situation. Anyway, I am still a big Jungle Jim fan. For this Father's Day, I received a Jungle Jim model, which includes Jungle Jim, & Jungle Pam figures. I will enjoy building it with my 7-year-old son, and the fond memories. Please feel free to use this photo on your website.
Best regards, Rich Huffman
Just
happened across your website by accident. Man, a whole lotta
memories there. My team, ( a good bud and myself!), used to race
the Midwest circuit back in the early 70's. Can't remember exactly
when, but we met JJ at Great Lakes Dragway in Union Grove, WI, and
then later the same year (I think), at Byron in Illinois. We
traded some badly needed parts, and had a great time swapping
stories. JJ was a true racer - I can recall him getting very
animated while the tales were being thrown. I'm sure we also met
you at that time, but I'm sorry to say we were such hardcore
racers at that time that we didn't have a lot of time for chicks!
You remember how grubby some of us could be at that time? Anyway,
when you guys won the `75 Nat'ls our team had temporarily
disbanded and I was living near Aspen, doing the ski bum thing. I
remember telling people I had met you both, and being called a
damn liar! I now live in Park City, Utah, have worked for
Chevrolet for nearly all my life, and my wife Lisa and I drag race
two `69 Camaros in Division 7 based out of Rocky Mountain Raceways
in Salt Lake City. We would absolutely be honored to meet you
again someday and reminisce, If you're ever out west..... JJ will
always be missed, his energy and his antics. I seem to remember a
saying..."Whatever works!" a friend - Terry C. Oleson
HI, my
name is Lee. I'm a 42 year old guy, married 20 years, and in
possession of a deep appreciation of our sport, drag racing, as it
once was. During the time you and JJ. were out touring, I was too
young to drive and didn't know anyone who was interested enough to
actually go to the nearby tracks in my area, Chicago. My point is
that I'm grateful to all you folks who were out there doin' it and
gave access to the magazines and photogs' who kept the spirit
alive in me. I am especially grateful to you, Pam, for being
yourself. Your portrayal in the magazines as a " Here I am,
This is me." type of woman helped to broaden my view of women
in general. This at a time in my life when hormones were making
most of my decisions for me. This has followed me through the
years, hence, 20 years and counting of marriage. In closing, I
would like to leave my E-Mail address if you would like to drop a
note just to say "Hi, I got your message." Sincerely,
with much Love, LEE OGUREK E-Mail leeogurek@aol.com
Take care and all the best, LEE
Dear
Jungle Pam,
I
stumbled across your site in my pursuit of Skinner, Jobe, and
Sorokin "Surfers" pix and must tell you that I really
enjoyed reliving some of my best childhood memories.
I was
born in '67 and remember getting a subscription to SS&DI at a
pretty early age. The whole Jungle team was my favorite I think
because of the cartoon character of JJ on the side of the car.
Very appealing to a little kid. By the way, that's something I
miss about the Big Show today. Not much playfulness. Anyway, I
tried to absorb as much as I could about the team from whatever
sources I got my hands on and still remember to this day the way I
felt when I got the SS&DI with the news that JJ had died in an
automobile accident. September 9, 1977. I was probably the only
kid in Western PA who knew that. Maybe not. For me, it was like
the best player on the Pittsburgh Pirates died.
In the
past few years, I have become very interested in the whole
nostalgia drag racing movement. I've flown out to Bakersfield for
the California Hot Rod Reunion and the March Meet this past year.
It's just an amazing event and I keep telling Don Ewald of We Did
It For Love how much those events and his dragster site means to
guys like me who were both too young and geographically absent to
enjoy the Golden Era of West Coast Dragster Racing in the
mid-sixties.
The
first hook I had with drag racing though, were floppers and the
whole Jungle team in particular. So, I just wanted to say
"thank-you" for allowing guys like me to reconnect with
a meaningful part of growing up.
Thank
you.
Keith
Brednich
p.s. If
I get a chance to get to the funny car reunion out east this
summer I'd be honored to meet you and say "hello". |
