This is the first of a three part series telling the entire incredible history of the Terrifying Toronado, one of the most infamous drag racing cars ever made. This twin engine 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado was ill-handling, was ill-mannered, was on fire a lot, and has actually been maligned with shoddy reporting and bad story telling.

Part one tells the story of the man who built the car. Not a crackpot but a legitimate top fuel heavy hitter that saw the writing on the wall and the money to be made in 1966 Funny Car racing. John Smyser was among the best drag racers in the nation when it came to running heads up on nitro. To understand how this car came to exist you needs to know his background first.

This is part 1