SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1476729
FUNCO SANDMASTER Strong, Light, And Fast By SCORE Journal Staff Photos By ICON Media The 1970s brought a new single-seat design by Gill George, a header manufacturer who got requests to create a rigid, open-wheel race car that was light but strong enough to handle the abuse of off-road racing. The Funco was born, and their SS1 and SS2 buggies won many SCORE Baja 500 and SCORE Baja 1000 races overall. The most notable was the Sandmaster driven by Bobby Ferro. The company’s SS1 model Sandmaster was a full chassis buggy built to use VW factory I-beams and trailing arms. The engine was also VW air cooled by Ferro using a 2180cc and a VW transaxle. Ferro set many records with the Funco Sandmaster with several wins in both the SCORE Baja 1000 and Baja 500 during the early 1970’s. Another Funco cemented in Baja history was the SS2 model driven by Bud Feldkamp and Malcolm Smith. Sponsored by Bel-Ray lubrication, former motorcycle champion racers Feldkamp and Smith were determined to beat Ferro and did in the late 1970s with nearly the same engine and equipment. With multiple wins in Class 1 using the Funco buggies, Ferro, Feldkamp, and Smith became legendary Baja champions and were inducted into the Off-Road Hall of Fame for their contributions to the sport, and for driving these vehicles into Baja history. SJ Gill George set into motion the idea of utilizing the popular VW suspension and powertrain in racing, but in a strong, lightweight chassis that was purposely built for off-road racing