May 3rd 1970 The NDRC held a one-day meeting on the old aerodrome at Martlesham Heath, Suffolk. Amongst those present was Tony Dickson in his 6374cc Pontiac GTO "Eight Misbehaving".
July 11th 1970 SPR. First International. On the Saturday Tony Dickson was runner up in Top Street to Ken Obees Lotus 7.  
August 30th/31st 1970 SPR. Tony Dickson was runner up in Top Street to Gary Goggins Corvette with a 15.20/90.50 to a winning 13.32/110.38  
April 2nd/3rd 1972 Santa Pod reported that 23,000 people attended their Easter meet. Tony Dickson debuted his new car, a genuine U.S. built Pro Stock 1968 Camaro, 'Money Hungry', which had rolled off the boat just a few days earlier. He took the win in Top Street on both days with a series of low 12s.  
May 28th/29th1972 SPR. Big Go. Tony Dickson took the win in Top Street on both days eliminations. His winning times were 12.25/112.87 on Sunday and 11.99/114.29 on Monday beating Thom Marshalls Plymouth Barracuda at 12.40.  
July 8th/9th 1972 SPR. "3rd Internationals". In Top Street Swedens Gunne Back took his 'Frighten Chicken' 427 Corvette to the title honours despite some startline trickery from Tony Dickson in Money Hungry. Back patiently waited just outside the pre-stage beam while Dickson performed three burnouts. Dickson then staged, followed by Back who then pulled a superb holeshot and took the win.  
October 21st/22nd 1972 SPR. BDR&HRA G Max Grand Trophy Meeting. Tony Dickson ran 11.88/117.92 in 'Money Hungry' and took Top Street with a solo 12.01/118.91 after Kevin Pilling failed to show.  
November 4th/5th 1972 SPR. BDR&HRA Meeting.  Keith Harvey ran a seasons best of 11.26/121 in his 440ci Camaro 'Firebrewed' making him the quickest Stocker in the UK. He went on to defeat Tony Dickson in Money Hungry and, in the Top Street final, Gary Goggin in the 'Super Vette' after a two minute burnout.  
April  1st 1973 SPR BDRHRA Season Opener. This meeting saw the first ever UK Pro Stock eliminator. Only three cars entered, Kevin Pilling in 'Satans Toy', Peter Crane in the ex-Rod Shop Camaro and Tony Dickson in the 'Money Hungry' Camaro, the first US Pro Stock car to be imported to the UK. Dickson took the title on a solo run with a 16.56/60.79  
May 6th 1973 NDRC Meeting. Fulbeck, Notts. Tony Dickson was runner up in Pro Stock with a 12.60/126 to Gary Goggins winning 12.56/113.  
July 15th 1973 HMS Daedalus Royal Navy Air Base. Gosport, Hampshire. BDR&HRA Internationals. Round 2. Rain until midday held up proceedings and a Westland helicopter was used to blow the surface water from the 1000ft strip. With time limited it was decided to concentrate on putting on a show for the spectators and competitors were paired up for best of two match races. Tony Dickson was paired up with the Formula Atlantic circuit racer of Bev Bond and pulled red lights in both rounds.  
August 19th 1973 NDRC Meeting. Blackbushe. Tony Dickson was runner up in Pro Stock with a 11.59 to Gary Goggins winning 11.80.  
September 9th 1973 Castrol/RAC NDRC National championship Round Five, Long Marston. Pro Stock had four entries but only two made it to the eliminations. Gary Goggin (Clunk-Click Camaro) raced Tony Dickson (Money Hungry) for a best of three. Goggin took the first 12.12/128 to 12.39/118 Dickson took the second 11.73/127 to 12.19/131 and Goggin took the third with 132mph no e.t. to Dicksons 11.30/130.  
September 30th 1973

Blackbushe, Surrey. NDRC Championship Finals. Castrol/RAC NDRC National Championship Round Six. Gary Goggin was the only Pro Stocker to get into the tens in a four car field, with a 10.6 in qualifying. Tony Dickson made second spot with an 11.5, running apparently with a street cam.  In the first round Dickson's view of the flag start was obscured by his roll cage, and he watched helpless as Aitken left ahead of him and took the win.
November 3rd/4th 1973 SPR. Firework Spectacular. Bad weather took its toll on the proceedings, with Sunday's racing cancelled. In Pro Stock Kevin Pilling, in Satan's Toy, ran a best of 10.76 and, with an extra ten points for attending every round of the 1973 Championship, took the top honours for the year. Gary Goggin however clocked a 10.66 in Saturdays final to beat Pilling's 10.72/132. Tony Dickson was third with an 11.40/117. Tony won the dubious honour of having clocked the most number of red lights with a total of five.
October 21st 1973 Santa Pod Raceway. BDR&HRA Drag Racing News Trophy Meeting. In Pro Stock Gary Goggin ran a new record time of 10.40/134.95. He backed this up with a 10.52/135.69 but red lit in the process against Tony Dickson. Dickson went on to win the elimination. For all class results from both eliminations click here.  
  Tony announced that due to the extensive modifications being carried out on the Money hungry Camaro he would not be racing for a large part of the 1974 season. The car re-appeared in 1975 in the now famous gold paintjob which included real pound notes laqured into the artwork on the doors.  
August 23rd-25th 1975 SPR. Supernationals. Tony Dickson qualified at #2 in the Money Hungry Camaro with an 11.15. He made it through to the final where he was runner up with a 10.50/131 to Gary Goggins 10.05/138.  
October 5th 1975 NDRC Championship Finals, Blackbushe, including finals of Wolfrace Street Championship and 208 Pro Comp Championship. Pro Stock win went to the freshly painted 'Money Hungry' Camaro of Tony Dickson. His 10.89/131 took the win against 'Big' John Ledster.
November 1st/2nd 1975 SPR Fireworks Spectacular. Pro Stock saw Tony Dickson take the final win against John Ledster. For all class results click here.
December 6th/7th 1975 SPR. Winternationals. This meeting had an invitation only entry. On the Saturday Pro Stock was a best of three between Gary Goggin and Tony Dickson. Goggin won the first two, 11.49/118 to 11.88/118 and 10.26/137 to 10.70/129. In the third round Dickson got one back with a 10.62/130 to a 10.57/138. For all class results click here.
January 24th/25th 1976 Crystal Palace. 1st International Drag Racing Show. Tony exhibited the Money Hungry Camaro  
March 7th 1976 SPR. Season Opener.Cold winds and snow showers kept the number of competitors down to just under 100. There were only three competitors in Pro Stock which meant a bye run for Tony Dickson, then Dave Rose defeated Howard Smith. Dickson soled to an 11.89/113 win as Rose ventilated the block on the burnout.
April 16th 1976 Snetterton. Good Friday Superdrag Funny Car Championship and Gualoises/NDRC Pro Comp Championship. Second round of RAC National Drag Racing Championship, first rounds of NDRC points Championship and Manufacturers Championship. All in one day! Admission price £1.60. In Pro Stock, Gary Goggin defeated Glen Jarvis and Tony Dickson overcame Mike Churchill. In the final, Goggin ran 10.33/136 to overcome Dickson’s 11.27/109.
May 29th-31st 1976 Holiday Weekend 'Big Go'. SPR. In Pro Stock, there was an elimination on both days with Wiffy Smith beating Tony Dickson on the first day, and then repeating on the second day with a 10.61/128 winner to Dickson’s losing 10.71/126.
November 6th/7th 1976 Fireworks Spectacular. SPR.  The three entries in pro Stock, Ted Gilbert in the Amber Gambler, Graham Hawes in Black Magic and Tony Dickson in Money Hungry were the last ever British Pro Stockers to run in the UK before the class was abandoned.  
  At the end of this season the sports ruling committee decide that due to dwindling entries, prize money differences and conflicts over the rules, the UK Pro Stock class had "lost it's spectator appeal" and would no longer be a valid eliminator to run.  

Tributes To Tony

I was shocked when I received the email from Maurice telling me about the death of Tony Dickson. I guess what they say is true, never put off doing anything today because there may be no tomorrow. I had finally found Tony after all these years and received a fax from him asking me to stop by and see him on my trip to England in Sept 01. He was going to take us to the airport for our return trip to the States and if only I had known then that he would be gone so soon. With the Sept 11th attack causing so much trouble at the airport I figured I'd see him next year when things would be calmer. Never put off seeing old friends, I will never forgive myself for not stopping when I had the chance.

I first met Tony at Santapod in 1968 and what a Super nice person. In the four years that I raced there I never heard anyone say a bad thing about him. He came to our house in Watford for parties and I considered him a true friend. I deeply regret not seeing him again before his death and he will really be missed by everyone who came in contact with him.

It's a very sad day.

Doug Harler

 

I was devastated to read about Tony Dickson's passing away. He was an excellent person and a great friend and I feel terrible that I had not seen him for a couple of months and did not even know he was ill. I would propose him for your hall of fame, his Money Hungry Camaro, a living piece of drag racing history, is still racing today. Many people will have information and photos about him and his drag racing days, as well as his Aladdin cave in Wrotham, where you could find parts for your yank you didn't believe even existed any more.

The American car scene has lost one of the most dedicated supporters and he will be very sadly missed by all who knew him.

I enclose a tribute which I also sent to Eurodragster (See below)

regards,

Carla Pittau

(Heaven & Hell Racing)

"I was devastated by the news of Tony Dickson’s death. All I could think of was the futility of everything, all his projects, his unfinished circuit racer Camaro, his Suburban, his GTO and the other cars asleep under dust sheets awaiting time and attention, his Aladdin’s cave of spares for any old American car you could think of…what is all that now?

"Empty shells where dreams once lived, with the personality and the smile that brought them to life slowly fading away, becoming inanimate bits of metal again.

"And yet Tony will live in my memory as he was, always helpful, shifting heavy parts out of the way to help me load a transmission in the Blazer, load an axle in the Catalina, telling me he liked seeing a girl drive a BIG car...

"Tony was a real gentleman, he was a charming man and an excellent person. He kept his whole inventory in his head – as well as his sales and purchase ledgers – as he was computer-allergic...always had a smile and a joke for everyone (although I'm sure I was his favourite girl...or so his charm would let any girl believe..)

"You could bench race and talk about cars and engines for hours at Marshall Dickson Performance in Gasoline Alley, his customers there also to buy parts but above all to socialise and talk American cars. He delved into obscure catalogues and old part interchange lists for ages for any customer, and everyone knew he was going to give his undivided attention to each person until the problem was solved or declared insoluble. So you knew you had to wait, but it was always a pleasure to wait there. You could sit on the little sofas and relax and chat with like minded mad people.

"Goodbye Tony, this is what I want to remember of you."

Carla Pittau

(Heaven & Hell Racing)

 

"I have to say how sad and shocked I feel about the loss of Tony Dickson, he was truly one of the greatest members of the drag racing and American auto scene in the UK. I have spent over 20 years enjoying his tea and conversation at his after-hours parts stores. His helpful and always friendly personality will be sadly missed."

Shaun Saunders

 

"All of us in drag racing have lost a good friend. Tony Dickson was to us, the Pollen Count mob, an especially close friend and colleague, and will be missed for all the right reasons. I'll even miss the bad tea. I can only hope that Tony now has all the Yank classics to play with he wants, and is happy racing in our dreams. Good luck Tony in your new venture, we already miss you."

Dave, Carol and Larry Pollen.

www.trakbytes.co.uk