It is with heavy hearts that we announce that truck pulling legend Allen Gaines has passed away. Gaines, from Georgetown KY, had been battling cancer on and off for a number of years. We all remember his infamous wheelstanding 1937 Chevrolet truck by the name of Orange Blossom Special that Playskool released as toy, but did you know that Allen Gaines was a four time national pulling champion in other pulling trucks?
The Kentucky tobacco farmer started pulling at local fair in 1977 in his farm truck. As pulling started to become more popular, he started modifying a 1977 Chevrolet 4×4 into what would become the original Orange Blossom Special. Stronger drive train and bigger motors led to a blower motor and travelling across the country for events. After Gaines won two national championships with the 4×4 truck, he built the wheelstanding 1937 Chevrolet pickup in 1982. SRO Motorsports, which later became US Hot Rod Association, was looking for a wheelstanding show truck. Always the showman, Allen Gaines built the Orange Blossom Special wheelstand 1937 Chevrolet and wowed crowds across the nation. The truck gained such notoriety that Playskool signed on to produce toy versions. It was also featured on the Saturday morning cartoon Bigfoot and the Muscle Machines.
Looking to put on an even better show, Gaines turned a 1925 C-cab Ford into a dual-engine, dual axle wheelie truck. He returned to competition a couple years later with a 1985 Ford Ranger which won two USHRA National Championships and pioneered a new class of smaller pulling trucks.
Always the showman, Gaines drove barefoot when pulling. Originally he started so that he could have better felling and foot control, but he soon found that the crowd loved it when he climbed out of his trucks with his boots in his hands.
Allen Gaines was a true pioneer of the sport of truck pulling and will be truly missed. Godspeed Allen.
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- Photo by Mike Comerford
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- Photo by Mike Comerford
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- Photo by Mike Comerford
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- Photo by Mike Comerford
Thank you all for the nice article and pictures Allen really loved truck pulling
And seeing fans happy . Signing an autograph made him smile .
Thank you all and God bless you all. If interested the midnight is for sale as is the 2 wd ranger . Contact me on Facebook JODY Gaines .fir any info needed .
Thanks for the reply Jody and sorry for your loss. If you wanted to send me photos maybe we could make a post here with the photos and info that they are for sale.
Thank You Mrs.Gaines for sharing Allen with us. I love that truck and always will.
I think the year was 1983 trotwood oh at hara arena,The evening show I was about 8 years old the first time I had ever heard of truck pulls. but that night has stayed in my frequent thoughts but only two trucks I can ever remember orange blossom special and the midnight rose . from that night on even today I get extremely excited when I get to see and feel hear them kind of trucks pull . I just tinker around and that can take alot of time away from loved ones .So thank you very much for sharing Allen and the Orange Blossom
I watched OBS when I was a kid in the 80’s, I had all the toy’s and growing up in AZ, seeing OBS come to town was an exceptional thing. It made me get into engineering as a youth, now 30 years later, I do aerospace engineering but my love is what Allen did, and I appreciate it all, he impacted my life in an awesome way, with his creations and innovations, he’ll always be the best in my eye’s.
I met him as a child a few times and i’ll miss his contributions, if I could I would bring it all back. Rest in pace my good man.
Mark
I was fortunate enough to have seen the Original 1937 Chevy Orange Blossom Special pull inside the Michigan Silver Dome many years ago. I have ever lasting pictures from the Michigan event! God bless those days!!!
If you have any photos you could share that would be great. Let us know!
This is probably an old post,but just wanted to share my experiences meeting him.He was also an avid CYber back in the day.Had the chance to see OBS and Midnight at his home while a friend and I worked on his Monster cb antenna.It was something I tell all my friends to this day.Gonna miss you, Mr. Showstopper!
It’s now almost 3 years since I lost Allen – we all lost Allen and I don’t remember reading this post but it’s apparent that I did . Allen was a true man and he had such a wonderful mind and could build about anything. I miss him so very much but I know he was so tired and so very tired of being sick . He loved each and every one of his fans , so very much . He said he did what he did because all of you spent your hard earned money to see a show and he wanted to do what he could to give you your money’s worth . Please never forget this beautiful man and all the love he had for God , himself and you his fans . I’m on Facebook at Jody L Gaines , feel free to contact me if you have questions. God bless and love to all . And Mike Comerford thank you for your beautiful pictures . ??
thank you mr allen for the inpiration in my childhood i sure love that ole orange blossom special wish i had the chance to shake your hand and ask a few questions but we will meet again sir rest easy
thank you paul osborne jr
Random post from a random kid of the 80’s –
I remember sitting patiently through the truck pulls at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena in the early/ mid 80’s through all those – relatively speaking – ugly pullers until at the end of the night, they would bring out the exhibition cars and have Bigfoot do the car crush.
Of the exhibition cars, there were two that hold a special place in my memory.
Orange Blossom Special II was one of those two. Back then, I was so young, I don’t remember the drivers, but to me the cars were alive. I remember they would turn off the lights in the arena, and put the spot light on the tunnel entrance. You could hear OBS and its lean surge idle get louder as it made its way into the arena before finally emerging and doing the train whistle. I still remember the reflection of the spotlight on that chrome grille. I wish I could see the look on my little 4 year old face! 35 years ago and it’ll be burned in my memory till the end. Thanks to Allen for creating so many memories with his machine.
FWIW the other puller was Psycho, which I’ve come to find has been destroyed. So happy OBS still out there in the same condition as it was in its prime.
I think I must have bought and built about 12 orange blossom model kits. Loved that truck