"Big John" Rafteseth RIP

Many of you here on the forums know “Big John” Rafteseth. He was one of the original members of the Southeast Impala Lovers (SEIL) which later morphed into GASSIT. John was the original Big Dog. If you’ve ever been to a Southern Super Heavy Shootout you would have seen John pull the front tires launching his flamed Impala to a sub 10 second run.

I’m sorry to say that Big John has passed away. He was living in Louisiana with his wife and suffered a heart attack sometime in early July. I’m told that he never recovered from the heart attack.

His wife, Mary, has reached out to Bill Brady in an effort to try and sell Johns Impala. Bill, who owns Bill Brady Racing Engines, has known John since 1996 and built the engines that powered Johns wicked fast Impala.

Bill has offered to be the point of contact in an attempt to help find a buyer for Johns Impala. He can be reached at 770-339-3944 and his website is www.bradysenginemachineservice.com. Bill knows more about Johns Impala than anyone else.

I will also keep an eye on the forums to help anyway I can.

Rest in Peace Big John.