Obituary: Earl J. Britt, Funeral in Sioux Falls, SD on January 25, 1983 Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Born of Evelyn and James Britt, September 5, 1918 in Council Bluffs,IA. He was the 3rd of 8 children. His father was a railroad engineer, his mother a housewife.
He ran away from home at the age of 14. Earl entered the service at the age of 21 in the Engineer Corps spending 5 years.
In 1947 , he married Colleen Knight in Chicago. There he became a bell-hop at the Stephens Hotel and met people who would influence him for life. The like of Joe Louis and Adali Stevenson.
Earl then started working for the Union in Des Moines, Polk Co., Iowa, and from there to Virginia, Minn. as Union Organizer.
He came to Sioux Falls in the mid 1950's, with him a dream to build a restaurant. In 1957 the Pizza Palace became a reality. A citizen of Sioux Falls for 26 years, he became one of their most outstanding business men.
His desire to compete led him to drag-racing. He became one of the most successful non-professionals in history, a world champion for 3years.
His 1953 Corvette gave him the recognition he deserved. In 1969, he retired the Corvette, turning to a 1970 Gremlin, again, increasing his winning status.
He retired from drag-racing in 1972 to open his new dream, Earl's a pizza shop, lounge, liquor store combo. This was the peak of Earl's empire.
The remainder of his years were left to personal satisfaction. He enjoyed sports, from foot ball to boxing, from fishing to cars. His love for cars brought him his DeLorean, a car which he devoted a majority of his remaining years.
Earl J. Britt
Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, S.D., 23 January 1983.
Former race car driver and restaurateur Earl J. Britt, 64, of 2904 W. 33rd St., died Friday at McKennan Hospital.
He was born Sept. 5, 1918, at Council Bluffs, Iowa, and married Coleen Knight on Aug. 19, 19 47 at Chicago, Ill. She died in 1978. During a racing career from 1952 to 1971 he was named three-time champion in drag racing. Before moving to Sioux Falls in the mid-1950's, he was a union organizer in northern Minnesota. He opened the Pizza Palace in 1959 and Earl's Pizza Shop in 1972. He retired in 1977. He married Loraine Tilleon Jan. 16, 1983.
He is survived by his wife; two sons, Samson, Sioux Falls, and Earl Jr., Yakuska, Japan; four grandchildren and four sisters, Vi Rasmusen, Omaha, Neb., June Rose Carle, Eugene, Ore., and Ardeth Spalti and Elva Gibbs, both of Council Bluffs.
Services will be 7:30 p.m. Monday at Miller Funeral Chapel and 1 p.m. Tuesday at St. Michael's Church, with burial at the church cemetery.
The family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to Crippled Children's Hospital and School.
Earl's 1954 Corvette was listed in e-bay.com on May 8, 2014. Asking price $225,000.
1954 "Pizza Man" Corvette. Few racing Corvettes have had as big an impact on their branch of motorsports as this 1954 roadster famously known as "The Pizza Man." Serial number 99 in the 1954 production run of 3,640, it tore up the drag strips across the Midwest and at national events from 1962 to 1971 at the hands of owner/driver Earl Britt, proprietor of Earl's Pizza Palace in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Along the way it earned the title of "World's Fastest Six Cylinder Corvette", setting a phenomenal nine World Records in NHRA Modified Production and, it is believed, winning more NHRA World Championship Points in three consecutive years (1967-1969) than any other car in Street Eliminator history or any other Division, including E/MP at the 1967 Indy Nationals and a huge upset win over Dick Landy and the Dodge factory team at the 1968 Winternationals at Pomona.
The key to The Pizza Man's success is under the fiberglass hood in the form of a modified 292 CI GMC inline-6 engine fed by triple sidedraft Weber 2-barrel carburetors and driving a Positraction third member through a custom-built B&M Turbo Hydra-Matic 3-speed transmission. The combination consistently launched The Pizza Man to low 13- and then mid 12-second elapsed times, eventually taking it to an official best of 12.17 at 118 mph and an unofficial 11.97 in 1970.
Today The Pizza Man is in excellent as-raced condition, even wearing the rare Firestone Drag 500 front tires on which it last raced and the rubber marbles kicked up onto its quarter panels by its 7-inch Goodyear racing slicks. Still finished in its original Polo White paint, it is fitted with a trademark Black fiberglass hard top and the original Red interior, and wears skillfully weathered recreations of the decals, signage and Gold leaf "Pizza Man" graphics it wore throughout its record-setting career as a 9-time NHRA record holder and 3-time NHRA World Champion.
Married Leona O'Brien, October 1940
Married Colleen Knight 19 August 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. Earl James Britt Jr. was born about 1950.
Samson Vernon Britt was born 24 March 1959 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Married Loraine Tille 16 January 1983 a few days before his death while in a hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Born of Evelyn and James Britt, September 5, 1918 in Council Bluffs,IA. He was the 3rd of 8 children. His father was a railroad engineer, his mother a housewife.
He ran away from home at the age of 14. Earl entered the service at the age of 21 in the Engineer Corps spending 5 years.
In 1947 , he married Colleen Knight in Chicago. There he became a bell-hop at the Stephens Hotel and met people who would influence him for life. The like of Joe Louis and Adali Stevenson.
Earl then started working for the Union in Des Moines, Polk Co., Iowa, and from there to Virginia, Minn. as Union Organizer.
He came to Sioux Falls in the mid 1950's, with him a dream to build a restaurant. In 1957 the Pizza Palace became a reality. A citizen of Sioux Falls for 26 years, he became one of their most outstanding business men.
His desire to compete led him to drag-racing. He became one of the most successful non-professionals in history, a world champion for 3years.
His 1953 Corvette gave him the recognition he deserved. In 1969, he retired the Corvette, turning to a 1970 Gremlin, again, increasing his winning status.
He retired from drag-racing in 1972 to open his new dream, Earl's a pizza shop, lounge, liquor store combo. This was the peak of Earl's empire.
The remainder of his years were left to personal satisfaction. He enjoyed sports, from foot ball to boxing, from fishing to cars. His love for cars brought him his DeLorean, a car which he devoted a majority of his remaining years.
Earl J. Britt
Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, S.D., 23 January 1983.
Former race car driver and restaurateur Earl J. Britt, 64, of 2904 W. 33rd St., died Friday at McKennan Hospital.
He was born Sept. 5, 1918, at Council Bluffs, Iowa, and married Coleen Knight on Aug. 19, 19 47 at Chicago, Ill. She died in 1978. During a racing career from 1952 to 1971 he was named three-time champion in drag racing. Before moving to Sioux Falls in the mid-1950's, he was a union organizer in northern Minnesota. He opened the Pizza Palace in 1959 and Earl's Pizza Shop in 1972. He retired in 1977. He married Loraine Tilleon Jan. 16, 1983.
He is survived by his wife; two sons, Samson, Sioux Falls, and Earl Jr., Yakuska, Japan; four grandchildren and four sisters, Vi Rasmusen, Omaha, Neb., June Rose Carle, Eugene, Ore., and Ardeth Spalti and Elva Gibbs, both of Council Bluffs.
Services will be 7:30 p.m. Monday at Miller Funeral Chapel and 1 p.m. Tuesday at St. Michael's Church, with burial at the church cemetery.
The family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to Crippled Children's Hospital and School.
Earl's 1954 Corvette was listed in e-bay.com on May 8, 2014. Asking price $225,000.
1954 "Pizza Man" Corvette. Few racing Corvettes have had as big an impact on their branch of motorsports as this 1954 roadster famously known as "The Pizza Man." Serial number 99 in the 1954 production run of 3,640, it tore up the drag strips across the Midwest and at national events from 1962 to 1971 at the hands of owner/driver Earl Britt, proprietor of Earl's Pizza Palace in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Along the way it earned the title of "World's Fastest Six Cylinder Corvette", setting a phenomenal nine World Records in NHRA Modified Production and, it is believed, winning more NHRA World Championship Points in three consecutive years (1967-1969) than any other car in Street Eliminator history or any other Division, including E/MP at the 1967 Indy Nationals and a huge upset win over Dick Landy and the Dodge factory team at the 1968 Winternationals at Pomona.
The key to The Pizza Man's success is under the fiberglass hood in the form of a modified 292 CI GMC inline-6 engine fed by triple sidedraft Weber 2-barrel carburetors and driving a Positraction third member through a custom-built B&M Turbo Hydra-Matic 3-speed transmission. The combination consistently launched The Pizza Man to low 13- and then mid 12-second elapsed times, eventually taking it to an official best of 12.17 at 118 mph and an unofficial 11.97 in 1970.
Today The Pizza Man is in excellent as-raced condition, even wearing the rare Firestone Drag 500 front tires on which it last raced and the rubber marbles kicked up onto its quarter panels by its 7-inch Goodyear racing slicks. Still finished in its original Polo White paint, it is fitted with a trademark Black fiberglass hard top and the original Red interior, and wears skillfully weathered recreations of the decals, signage and Gold leaf "Pizza Man" graphics it wore throughout its record-setting career as a 9-time NHRA record holder and 3-time NHRA World Champion.
Married Leona O'Brien, October 1940
Married Colleen Knight 19 August 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. Earl James Britt Jr. was born about 1950.
Samson Vernon Britt was born 24 March 1959 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Married Loraine Tille 16 January 1983 a few days before his death while in a hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Obituary: Earl J. Britt, Funeral in Sioux Falls, SD on January 25, 1983 Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Born of Evelyn and James Britt, September 5, 1918 in Council Bluffs,IA. He was the 3rd of 8 children. His father was a railroad engineer, his mother a housewife.
He ran away from home at the age of 14. Earl entered the service at the age of 21 in the Engineer Corps spending 5 years.
In 1947 , he married Colleen Knight in Chicago. There he became a bell-hop at the Stephens Hotel and met people who would influence him for life. The like of Joe Louis and Adali Stevenson.
Earl then started working for the Union in Des Moines, Polk Co., Iowa, and from there to Virginia, Minn. as Union Organizer.
He came to Sioux Falls in the mid 1950's, with him a dream to build a restaurant. In 1957 the Pizza Palace became a reality. A citizen of Sioux Falls for 26 years, he became one of their most outstanding business men.
His desire to compete led him to drag-racing. He became one of the most successful non-professionals in history, a world champion for 3years.
His 1953 Corvette gave him the recognition he deserved. In 1969, he retired the Corvette, turning to a 1970 Gremlin, again, increasing his winning status.
He retired from drag-racing in 1972 to open his new dream, Earl's a pizza shop, lounge, liquor store combo. This was the peak of Earl's empire.
The remainder of his years were left to personal satisfaction. He enjoyed sports, from foot ball to boxing, from fishing to cars. His love for cars brought him his DeLorean, a car which he devoted a majority of his remaining years.
Earl J. Britt
Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, S.D., 23 January 1983.
Former race car driver and restaurateur Earl J. Britt, 64, of 2904 W. 33rd St., died Friday at McKennan Hospital.
He was born Sept. 5, 1918, at Council Bluffs, Iowa, and married Coleen Knight on Aug. 19, 19 47 at Chicago, Ill. She died in 1978. During a racing career from 1952 to 1971 he was named three-time champion in drag racing. Before moving to Sioux Falls in the mid-1950's, he was a union organizer in northern Minnesota. He opened the Pizza Palace in 1959 and Earl's Pizza Shop in 1972. He retired in 1977. He married Loraine Tilleon Jan. 16, 1983.
He is survived by his wife; two sons, Samson, Sioux Falls, and Earl Jr., Yakuska, Japan; four grandchildren and four sisters, Vi Rasmusen, Omaha, Neb., June Rose Carle, Eugene, Ore., and Ardeth Spalti and Elva Gibbs, both of Council Bluffs.
Services will be 7:30 p.m. Monday at Miller Funeral Chapel and 1 p.m. Tuesday at St. Michael's Church, with burial at the church cemetery.
The family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to Crippled Children's Hospital and School.
Earl's 1954 Corvette was listed in e-bay.com on May 8, 2014. Asking price $225,000.
1954 "Pizza Man" Corvette. Few racing Corvettes have had as big an impact on their branch of motorsports as this 1954 roadster famously known as "The Pizza Man." Serial number 99 in the 1954 production run of 3,640, it tore up the drag strips across the Midwest and at national events from 1962 to 1971 at the hands of owner/driver Earl Britt, proprietor of Earl's Pizza Palace in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Along the way it earned the title of "World's Fastest Six Cylinder Corvette", setting a phenomenal nine World Records in NHRA Modified Production and, it is believed, winning more NHRA World Championship Points in three consecutive years (1967-1969) than any other car in Street Eliminator history or any other Division, including E/MP at the 1967 Indy Nationals and a huge upset win over Dick Landy and the Dodge factory team at the 1968 Winternationals at Pomona.
The key to The Pizza Man's success is under the fiberglass hood in the form of a modified 292 CI GMC inline-6 engine fed by triple sidedraft Weber 2-barrel carburetors and driving a Positraction third member through a custom-built B&M Turbo Hydra-Matic 3-speed transmission. The combination consistently launched The Pizza Man to low 13- and then mid 12-second elapsed times, eventually taking it to an official best of 12.17 at 118 mph and an unofficial 11.97 in 1970.
Today The Pizza Man is in excellent as-raced condition, even wearing the rare Firestone Drag 500 front tires on which it last raced and the rubber marbles kicked up onto its quarter panels by its 7-inch Goodyear racing slicks. Still finished in its original Polo White paint, it is fitted with a trademark Black fiberglass hard top and the original Red interior, and wears skillfully weathered recreations of the decals, signage and Gold leaf "Pizza Man" graphics it wore throughout its record-setting career as a 9-time NHRA record holder and 3-time NHRA World Champion.
Married Leona O'Brien, October 1940
Married Colleen Knight 19 August 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. Earl James Britt Jr. was born about 1950.
Samson Vernon Britt was born 24 March 1959 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Married Loraine Tille 16 January 1983 a few days before his death while in a hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Born of Evelyn and James Britt, September 5, 1918 in Council Bluffs,IA. He was the 3rd of 8 children. His father was a railroad engineer, his mother a housewife.
He ran away from home at the age of 14. Earl entered the service at the age of 21 in the Engineer Corps spending 5 years.
In 1947 , he married Colleen Knight in Chicago. There he became a bell-hop at the Stephens Hotel and met people who would influence him for life. The like of Joe Louis and Adali Stevenson.
Earl then started working for the Union in Des Moines, Polk Co., Iowa, and from there to Virginia, Minn. as Union Organizer.
He came to Sioux Falls in the mid 1950's, with him a dream to build a restaurant. In 1957 the Pizza Palace became a reality. A citizen of Sioux Falls for 26 years, he became one of their most outstanding business men.
His desire to compete led him to drag-racing. He became one of the most successful non-professionals in history, a world champion for 3years.
His 1953 Corvette gave him the recognition he deserved. In 1969, he retired the Corvette, turning to a 1970 Gremlin, again, increasing his winning status.
He retired from drag-racing in 1972 to open his new dream, Earl's a pizza shop, lounge, liquor store combo. This was the peak of Earl's empire.
The remainder of his years were left to personal satisfaction. He enjoyed sports, from foot ball to boxing, from fishing to cars. His love for cars brought him his DeLorean, a car which he devoted a majority of his remaining years.
Earl J. Britt
Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, S.D., 23 January 1983.
Former race car driver and restaurateur Earl J. Britt, 64, of 2904 W. 33rd St., died Friday at McKennan Hospital.
He was born Sept. 5, 1918, at Council Bluffs, Iowa, and married Coleen Knight on Aug. 19, 19 47 at Chicago, Ill. She died in 1978. During a racing career from 1952 to 1971 he was named three-time champion in drag racing. Before moving to Sioux Falls in the mid-1950's, he was a union organizer in northern Minnesota. He opened the Pizza Palace in 1959 and Earl's Pizza Shop in 1972. He retired in 1977. He married Loraine Tilleon Jan. 16, 1983.
He is survived by his wife; two sons, Samson, Sioux Falls, and Earl Jr., Yakuska, Japan; four grandchildren and four sisters, Vi Rasmusen, Omaha, Neb., June Rose Carle, Eugene, Ore., and Ardeth Spalti and Elva Gibbs, both of Council Bluffs.
Services will be 7:30 p.m. Monday at Miller Funeral Chapel and 1 p.m. Tuesday at St. Michael's Church, with burial at the church cemetery.
The family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to Crippled Children's Hospital and School.
Earl's 1954 Corvette was listed in e-bay.com on May 8, 2014. Asking price $225,000.
1954 "Pizza Man" Corvette. Few racing Corvettes have had as big an impact on their branch of motorsports as this 1954 roadster famously known as "The Pizza Man." Serial number 99 in the 1954 production run of 3,640, it tore up the drag strips across the Midwest and at national events from 1962 to 1971 at the hands of owner/driver Earl Britt, proprietor of Earl's Pizza Palace in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Along the way it earned the title of "World's Fastest Six Cylinder Corvette", setting a phenomenal nine World Records in NHRA Modified Production and, it is believed, winning more NHRA World Championship Points in three consecutive years (1967-1969) than any other car in Street Eliminator history or any other Division, including E/MP at the 1967 Indy Nationals and a huge upset win over Dick Landy and the Dodge factory team at the 1968 Winternationals at Pomona.
The key to The Pizza Man's success is under the fiberglass hood in the form of a modified 292 CI GMC inline-6 engine fed by triple sidedraft Weber 2-barrel carburetors and driving a Positraction third member through a custom-built B&M Turbo Hydra-Matic 3-speed transmission. The combination consistently launched The Pizza Man to low 13- and then mid 12-second elapsed times, eventually taking it to an official best of 12.17 at 118 mph and an unofficial 11.97 in 1970.
Today The Pizza Man is in excellent as-raced condition, even wearing the rare Firestone Drag 500 front tires on which it last raced and the rubber marbles kicked up onto its quarter panels by its 7-inch Goodyear racing slicks. Still finished in its original Polo White paint, it is fitted with a trademark Black fiberglass hard top and the original Red interior, and wears skillfully weathered recreations of the decals, signage and Gold leaf "Pizza Man" graphics it wore throughout its record-setting career as a 9-time NHRA record holder and 3-time NHRA World Champion.
Married Leona O'Brien, October 1940
Married Colleen Knight 19 August 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. Earl James Britt Jr. was born about 1950.
Samson Vernon Britt was born 24 March 1959 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Married Loraine Tille 16 January 1983 a few days before his death while in a hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
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