Joe Schubeck enjoyed a successful career campaigning a series of dragsters in the late 50s, and 60s while based in Lakewood Ohio, a small city just west of Cleveland, where he also formed a business incorporating the name Lakewood Industries.

Most of the traveling for racing events were to the West Coast.  It was there, new friends like Ed Iskenderian and Mickey Thompson, encouraged Schubeck to use the name "Gentleman Joe" for promotional reasons and soon, not only the name, but an entire logo with a 'Top Hat, Cain and White Gloves', were incorporated as part of the paint scheme on all of his race cars.

In1966, George Hurst, one of the industries all time great promoters, helped carry the “Gentleman Joe" theme to new heights, when he built an exhibition funny car for Schubeck to campaign on the drag racing circuit. The vehicle was the most outrageous demonstration of overpowering a full-bodied production automobile ever attempted.  

Hurst had the Olds 442, tailor made for         Schubeck and adding to the the image he commissioned Jim Deist to make a custom tailored fire suit in the form of ‘tuxedo’ complete with tails and white driving gloves. Says Deist "Even the 'bow tie' was fire proof". 

The famed "Hurst Hairy Olds" was stock appearing from a distance, but a closer look saw two blown, nitro-burning    engines, that together produced an   excess of 5000 horsepower. 

Totally engulfed in tire smoke, the four-wheel drive car did quarter mile burnouts, with  all four racing slicks blazing smoke to the finish line.