Driver, builder

The “King of the Wheelstanders,” ex-Marine Golden gained his fame on two wheels piloting the legendary “Little Red Wagon” pickup. One of drag racing’s first full-time drivers, Golden was a Super Stock champion with back-to-back wins in the AHRA World Championship. Meanwhile, Dodge public relations came up with the idea to install one of its new 426 Hemis in the bed of an A-100 cab-over pickup. When the truck exhibited handling issues, they sold it to Golden who turned it into a wheelstander. When Golden punched the throttle, the front wheels “launched to the sky” and the crowd went wild. For the next several decades, “Maverick” thrilled fans with spectacular runs on the back bumper. He survived three serious crashes and bone-crushing injuries. Over time, Golden made numerous modifications to increase safety and control. In 1977, he performed a wheelstand of over three-quarters of a mile (4,230 feet) for entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. Golden un-retired in 1988 and began another run of crowd-pleasing appearances that lasted well into the 21^st century.