Tommy Ivo is one of America’s most beloved drag racers and a legend in the sport. Watch him take his most famous hot rod for one final blast down the quarter-mile.

According to drag racing videographer Frank Kunkel, who filmed this piece, here is the last pass ever run by Tommy Ivo in the Wagon Master, his wild four-engine Buick  dragster. The milestone event took place at the Good Guys Hot Rod Nationals in Indianapolis in 1996, and if you never got the chance to see TV Tommy in action, or to catch one of his most memorable cars, here you go.

This crazy beast, powered by four Buick Nailhead V8s driving all four wheels, was originally created by Ivo and noted California dragster builder Kent Fuller way back in 1962. (The two left engines drove the front wheels, while the right engines drove the rears.) In its first incarnation, it was known as the Showboat and was dressed in a minimal dragster body shell. Unfortunately, the monster proved to be utterly incapable of hooking up to the pavement, due in part to the primitive tires and technology of the day. But it could blaze the tires in spectacular fashion for the full length of the drag strip, so it became a touring exhibition car, entertaining racing fans across the country with its tire-burning antics.

A later owner, Tom McCourry, added a stylized Buick Riviera station wagon body and renamed the bruiser the Wagon Master.  Years later, TV Tommy later bought the car back and toured with it before he formally retired in 1982. As part of his 60th birthday celebration in 1996, Ivo brought out the Wagon Master aka Showboat for a few gentle exhibition passes. Enjoy the show. Top photo courtesy Tommy Ivo.com.