History of White’s Lightning:

Wendell White had a love of racing at a young age growing up in Grants Pass, Oregon.  He would sneak into the local midget-racing stadium to watch the races.  At 16 he began racing his 49 Chevy coupe that had 3 side draft carburetors in 1954.  He and his friend would work on Chevy & even put a flame job on it.  The drag races were held at an abandoned army base in Medford, OR.  which was just a two-lane road.  In 1956 he got a 57’ Chevy.   A few years later while in College he got a 59 Corvette.  He won a lot of races in that corvette.  After opening a nursing home near Walla Walla, WA he built a B altered roadster with a 426 Hemi.  

 Wendell also owned a local drag strip in Walla Walla known as Bonanza raceway.  Then he built a new roadster.

1974 Wendell now living in Portland, OR bought Kenny Goodells Funny car (Dodge Dart)

In 1977 the Funny car crashed and damaged the body so then Wendell had a Corvette body made for the car.  It had a great paint job that was designed by the famous Kenny Youngblood.  It was the eye catcher at all the races and Wendell won several awards for best looking Funny Car and crew.   

It was an AA nitro car through the 78 season.  Then converted to alcohol for 79 & 80 seasons.   Wendell sold and retired from drag racing after the 1980 season.  Done with drag racing but he continued his competitive spirit with running.  He and his wife got into the running craze and began a healthier lifestyle.  Wendell finished many 10k’s, marathons, & a triathlon with his son.  He also got into Harleys and dirt bike adventures.

Rob White, Wendell’s son grew up around the drag strip and fast cars but always had passion for Jeeps and dreamed of off road racing someday.  Robs first car was a Jeep and enjoyed 4x4 ing in the hills of Oregon and Washington.  After High school and college team sports Rob got into competing in multi-sport events.  Beginning with short Duathlons and Triathlons then got into longer distance triathlons and endurance events.  After many Ironman triathlon finishes Rob had an opportunity to help a friend who was racing Jeeps. Crewed for Mike Shetler, 1700 Jeepspeed class for few years… Mike was very generous allowing Rob to not only crew but to co-pilot and even drive his Cherokee race Jeep.  

Rob soon got the racing bug hearing the roar of the off road vehicles reminded him of his early years growing up at the drag strip. Mike taught him how to prep, crew, co-pilot and race the Jeep.  He enjoyed the total change of pace with beating up the Jeep rather than his body.
He set plans to build his own race jeep but Mike encouraged him to buy an already built and proven race vehicle so he could start racing sooner.                                       

History of Jeep J-10 Honcho:
Rob White purchased the late 70s Jeep J10 Honcho from Clive Skilton, founder of www.Jeepspeed.com (Clive was also a drag racer).  The Jeep Honcho was raced by Roger Mears who won the Baja 1000 and Score Championship in 1979.  It is the original chassis and cab with original cage updated to current rules. The truck later ended up as the LaPaz Margrita Mix truck.   Then went to Tom Barnett Sr of T&J off-road.  His sons Mike and Tom Barnett raced and modified the truck with modern suspension with Currie 9” front and rear axles running Class 8 and then class 3700 in Jeepspeed.  He won the Jeepspeed class 3700 Champianship in the Honcho in the 2007.  

Clive the founder of JS bought the truck in 2011 and refurbished Honcho to the original Rogar Mears look with Budweiser colors. He put a L&R 401 AMC engine in it with Mogi 727 Torque flight trans, new all wheel drive Transfer case, alloy radiator and complete rewire, 35” General tires on the original style American Racing Wheels.

When Clive sold the Honcho to Rob he said ‘you can win races with this thing and win the class championship’. So Rob eagerly set out to do all the 2014 best in the desert race series in the jeepspeed class 3700.  He got a couple off road enthusiasts to help him along with many others that helped at a few of the races.  Alan Kaiser, Oregon Fireman, Paramedic, volunteer Sheriff and SWAT Medic and of course long time Jeeper.  Josh Mattox RN, fabricator, and starting up a new company, Vintage Motor Craft.  Both Alan and Josh did all the races with Rob in 2014 as co-pilots and crew members.  Wendell White was excited to take the lead of the pit crew (with his heart condition he didn’t want to get into the Jeep but was thrilled to be around the racing again).   Vic Combes, Wendell’s buddy and car enthusiast also crewed most of the races.  

The first race was an eye opener with many last minute scrambling to get Jeep ready for the Parker 425.  Cutting and fab’ing the roll cage for more room for the copilot, buying and installing new race radio and many other important details.  Then after a mile into the race the rear tri-link bolt broke so the race was done but learned a lot about the process and the Jeep.  Rob went on to finish 4 of the 6 races that year.  The first few races he was happy to just be out there, getting a lot of copilots in the jeep, even got his two sons, Zac 17, & Ben 13’ in as copilots at the Mint 400.  He would even stop to help tow racers who needed a tow at times.  With each race he and the crew learned more and more how to prep the Honcho and race it.  With the two most experienced Jeep racers (Billy Bunch and reigning Champion Bob Mamer) entering the class competition late in the series led to an exciting race to the points Championship.  Rob never won a race that year but had flashes of leads at the front.  Rob went on to win the 3700 class that year as well as winning the Jeepspeed Rookie of the Year award.  

After doing all the races in 2014 Rob and the crew needed a break.  Note; they have to drive over 1000 miles to get to the races from Oregon.  Rob looked for a balance of Jeep racing and competing in fitness events.  2015 he completed an epic marathon at the North Pole.  

Then Rob got the Jeep Honcho prep’d for the last race of the year, Henderson 250.  Then focused on doing the famous Mint 400 since his friends Mike & Josh were racing their trucks in that one.  He finally got the win at the 2016 Mint 400 with an unusually stacked field in his class. 

2016 J-10 Jeep Honcho spec.s

• 401 rebuilt to 409 with FAST fuel injection
• Torqueflite 727 Tranmission
• All Wheel drive NV249 transfer case
• New currie 9” front end & Ford 9" rearend
• Edelbrock alloy heads and intake
• King 2" bump stops
• Kartek limit straps
• Bilstien 2.5" shocks with by pass resovior
• Swayaway 3" coil over shocks with by pass resevior & 5" Coils
• Howe hydraulic power Steering with custom steering linkage from right side of jeep
• 50 gal race fuel cell
• Sparco race seats with Crow 5 point race belts
• PCI 110w radio & intercom
• Lawrence 8” GPS
• Joes lightweight race steer wheel with quick disconnect
• Auto Meter guages
• Baja Designs 8" HID lights & BD 44" LED light bar
• UPR fire supression system & Siren
• CH battery switch with dual Optima redtop batteries
• Axia Alloy rear view mirrors & alloy roll cage mounts
• General Red letter 35" tires with American Racing wheels
• White’s Lightning II logo & decals