Winged Express was built in 1960 by driver William "Wild Willie" Borsch and partner Al Marcellus,[1] assisted by Howard Johansen (Howard's Cams), Don Reynolds, Phil Johnson, Dale Young, and Jerry Hyatt.
[2] The body, donated by Curt Hamilton,[2] was the first Cal Automotive fiberglass 1923 Model T used on an Altered.
[2] When completed, the car had a simple hoop rollbar and narrow slicks, with the engine tilted upward to aid traction, and was missing the rollbar-mounted wing that later became its trademark.
[2] Borsch raced Winged Express for ten years, winning AA/FA at the NHRA Winternationals in 1967 and 1968.
It turned out they were right: in Round One of Super Eliminator, Borsch went from guardrail to centerline, in a wild ride, captured, and made famous, by photographer Bob McClurg; it "became one of the most famous drag racing photos of all time".