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Looking for people who knew Ken "Porkchop" Hall

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  • Looking for people who knew Ken "Porkchop" Hall

    Hey Hydro Racers,

    This is my first post on the forum because I'm not really a hydro racer. I was searching for information on Ken Hall, of Chelmsford, MA, and I stumbled upon this memorial on the forum for Ken back in 2014: https://hydroracer.net/forums/forum/e...peace-ken-hall

    It seems that many people here knew him personally and also in his racing days. I did not know him, but I own a piece of his racing past.

    In the late 1980s, Ken bought and built a 1981 Chevy Chevette Scooter for the purposes of SCCA ITC racing. He stiffened the suspension with good components and by boxing the control arms. He upgraded the brakes. He negative cambered the front wheels and messed with the sway bars. He welded the diff. He installed a full cage and racing seat with harness and fire extinguisher. He added full gauges and a brake bias knob. He clamped a Flowmaster racing muffler to a set of Hooker "Super Competition" 4-1 headers. He did "something" to the engine other than the Weber carb. I'm guessing cam and porting and compression. It revs to over 6K with what I think is the stock flywheel and it really screams.

    The previous owner was a man in Vermont named Brad. He'd owned the car for a few years after acquiring it from "a man and his son" who were "into racing." I believe those previous owners were the ones who got the car from Chops. And I figured they might also be hydro people.

    The car itself did reasonably well at Watkins Glen and Lime Rock in its day. Ken's widow Sandra sent me some of his old racing sheets (and his boots and gloves). She is a lovely, sweet woman, btw. Seems the car finished in the middle of the pack mostly, but against some much, much better cars, BMWs and Mazdas and Nissans etc. Impressive considering the car was at a factory disadvantage to most of the competition and "Chops" was no lightweight jockey.

    Sadly, I never met the man. I bought the car the month he died. In fact, almost to the day. When I got the paperwork, I found his name, searched the web, found the obituary, found Sandra, became pen pals with her and now I'm here.

    Oh, the car is still phenomenal. From my reading of the memorial here on the forum I know Ken was pretty good with boat engines. Well, he was a wizard with Chevette engines, too. I've had the car up to 115 mph or so. Supposedly it does 120 or 125. Has close to double the HP of stock, supposedly. Certainly feels that way.

    Anyway, if anybody knew Ken or knew the car, I'd appreciate any stories or information you can pass on. My dream, of course, is that one of you is actually the person who built the car and/or taught Ken everything he knew about engines and you've been waiting for another apprentice to emerge. In which case... I have arrived, Master.

    This is my email. nik.bristow@gmail.com

    Thanks, y'all. I've attached (hopefully) two pictures that Sandra sent me of the car in its racing livery. This was early 90s, I think. Car looks about the same now. "Kendra" racing is "Ken+Sandra." Sandra said she raced the car too. Big Chevette Rear.jpg Big Chevette Front.jpg

    -Nik

  • #2
    Good luck on trying to find a person that taught Kenny everything he knew about engines....that was all natural talent. Kenny in action .... 1962 - 1963002.jpg
    Last edited by TPLACE31; 11-06-2017, 02:13 PM.

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    • #3
      before Ken passed there was a spare transmission beside his garage for the car- I think he worked with a guy in Chelmsford( on that car ) that now has a turbo regal drag car - perhaps Sandy knows his name - Ken raced boats with my son and me for many years in the 2000's



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