I know you were pretty tight with John Burnett so I will ask you this but if someone else can help with info please chime in. In 1977 when we were having our second King car built my father bought a transmission from John Burnett to put in the car. This trans was in a round aluminum case with I believe a chevy bolt pattern on motor side but nothing at the tailshaft. King had to mount a torque tube mount on the back. It had high gear and reverse and thats it. I've often wondered what it was and what it was ment to be in. My father said it was a drag transmission but thats all I know. It was in the car when it won the Eastern States and Flemington 200's so it was strong. I always thought I would ask you this in person at a car show but it never happened.

Thanks for being a part of in my mind, the best era of dirt racing.

Anthony IV.

I know your question was for Howie Cronce but could you have had a Lenco transmission?

Oldtimer I wish I knew. Never saw a Lenco. I've heard of them and I believe Weld had one in his Sidewinder in 1975 but never saw it. I don't think that this was one. I'm hoping that Howie or anybody else that knew John might know about it. I have to think that a few of the Burnett cars had them since it worked so good for us. 

Thanks for the reply.

I remember talk of that but not sure anything happened..I think it was Toms scare tactics possibly..The man that built them is Kenny Johnsons father from Frenchtown NJ area...We had a couple in Bennys cars...Worked great, no maint needed...(course we only had small blocks) 

Sorry Anthony I'm lost on this one..My own cars all had the old chevy 3 speed with torque tube gold adapter..The last car I ran with him was the one we had at Naz Nat for lindys race had an old Hager (no clutch) top loader ford box..I believe it was Tom's first one and JB kept begging him for it..Tom built a new one and him and John worked a deal for his old one...Had a hand lever for first and reverse...That was 1983-1984..Then John and I split up...I always wanted to try one of your Dads cars...They were some of the nicest stuff you guys had...I never heard of the round alum trans...Possibly a Lenco??? John knew a few Drag racers...HtH

Thanks for the replies but I guess it will remain a mystery. We only had the one that went in the new King car and although we had great success with it we finally broke it in Windsor during the 78 season.

Howie speaking of the Hager one, I remember Tom talking to my father one night about a trans he was working on that was going to be the next best thing. I guess he was right.

I don't know if it helps Anthony, and I don't know anything about the subject, but I did a search on 1970 Lenco Transmissions and found this picture from the 70's, and I think they are Lenco transmissions in the foreground:  https://st.hotrod.com/uploads/sites/21/2004/11/113_0411_great11_z.jpg

I'm starting to think it was at the least a variation of a Lenco type.

Lenco had a two speed transmission at that time

I think Sonny Dornberger had some kind of trick 2 speed in the 99 when Billy ran it at flem...His restarts were brutal on the competition...only 1 shift and gone...

This only had high gear (direct drive I guess) and reverse. It was hard getting in and around the pits but great for the race because of low amount of spinning parts. Pretty much what todays are except we had a clutch in the bell housing.

Paul Marra built a transmission that used a 10-12" inside dia. pipe, as best as I can remember. Inside was a combination of parts. Low gear was power glide drum and band, then direct drive using 4spd manual output shaft, had a sliding coupler to connect the main shaft to the output shaft.(milled a 7* taper on the main shaft with a spring behind the coupler) Used a crank coupler to input shaft, all mechanical, no pump. Paul was always thinking.

Tom Hager personaly served patent infringement papers to the transmission guys at the motorsports show,year?. John Deere tractors used the trans operating idea and paid royalty to use the idea.