Wildman Buffalo

The story behind Wildman Buffalo

His name is Wildman Buffalo, and he is the best stuntman in the world. He has performed some of the most hair raising stunts ever witnessed, and survived most of them with nothing more than a scratch. I got to meet the man in 2007 when I was looking to buy a car. The advertisement in the paper said ‘Supercharged dragster for sale – motor needs some work. $700.’ I rang the phone number and spoke to the Wildman. Liking what I heard, I traveled out to Yarra Glen to inspect the car.

The dragster was once a thing of beauty and had been a powerful machine – but not anymore. The motor had cracked a piston and was missing a couple of spark plugs. The Wildman told of how the dragster came into existence, how it had served him well in his many exciting adventures. The Wildman Buffalo liked to talk, and he told a long story which happened to become the basis of this beautiful abstract expressionist painting.

Picture this – the glory days of 1975. A stadium packed full of people. There’s a ramp to ramp stunt with thirty cars in the middle setup. The dragster revs wildly and speeds down the runup to the ramp. The back heavy dragster hits the ramp and flies through the air, with the front of the vehicle at a steep angle. The Wildman with the help of a miracle lands on the ramp and safely comes to a stop. Wearing an iridescent track-suit he climbs out, hands raised in the air, to rapturous applause.