Drag Racing?

[pwd72s]

ABC's coverage of the '63 NHRA winternationals...footage of "Big Daddy" himself...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TZNx3TJ_JI&feature=emb_title

[unclebilly]

That’s really cool - I’m going to send this to my father. Some of you know he was one of the pioneers of drag racing and got out in 62 after a clutch explosion that injured a spectator.

He was at the top of the game at the time. He knew Big Daddy and Art Alfons...

It will be interesting to see if dad watches the video or not.

[look 171]

Then he must cross path with Eric Rickman? His son, lives about 6 houses down the street from me in his late 60s, retired. He has a bunch of old 60's hot rods and motorcycles and fusses with them often and is still involved in the local hot rod shows and clubs.

[wdfifteen]

I wasn't much into drag racing other than following it in magazines. I didn't even go to the local track, but in the 60's I voraciously read about all the greats. My local hero was George Montgomery, "King of the Gassers" from Dayton and I always look for him in these videos. A few years ago I got to meet him and we became good friends. I wrote a book about him and sat at his feet while he related stories of the halcyon days of drag racing. Boy, does he have stories.
There is a fantastic vintage drags event in Bowling Green, KY in the summer. I went down with George to do a book signing and he introduced me to some of the greats. Here is a picture of MrsWD and I with George and Don Garlits. It was taken by Don's girlfriend, who is like 40? years younger than him. (George says and it's not sitting well with his family).

[wdfifteen]

We have a great time at the nostalgia drags in Bowling Green.









MrsWD loves the old dragsters.

[wdfifteen]

I made a model of a Fiat Topolino A/Altered when I was a kid. Always wanted to own a 1930s era Topolino.

[unclebilly]

That’s my dad on the right...

They were the first in Canada to run a blown hemi.

https://jalopnik.com/some-crazy-bastards-once-put-a-hemi-in-a-messerschmitt-1747197424

[Nostril Cheese]

When I was a kid, our next door neighbor had a twin engine dragster. Good times.

[Evans, Marv]

After I got out of the Army in 1966, I went back to work for a guy named Ed Wills. I'd worked for him in 1962. For a time, I helped on his racing crew (not connected to my work) doing general things like changing in & out warm up plugs, warming up the engines, pushing his boat around in the water, hauling it to & from events, etc. He held the quarter mile for drag boats for a while, & his wife held the women's record for a while also. He also raced funny cars later on. At the time, he told me his boat (Sanger hull & Chrysler provided hemis built by Keith Black) was worth $10K. He was one of my adult male models in life. He had a friendly, inclusiveness to his personality while requiring accurate, hard work. Last time I saw him in around 1989, I told him he was a role model for me, which pleased him a lot. Here is a picture of me pushing his boat around.

[masraum]

Very cool, thanks for posting.

Before my time, but I would have loved it.

embedded

[Heel n Toe]

George Montgomery



I've only been to one drag race (in '69 or '70)... it was in Blaney, SC... rode the Greyhound the 30-40 miles from college and met up with a buddy. Saw the Sox team and some notable rails at the time. Fun to watch.

[Zeke]

I grew up 6 doors down from Gary Gabelich. He once did a short warm up of a rail job in the street before heading to Lion's later in the day. IDT the neighbors were as excited as I was at age 12.

[wdfifteen]

^^
That Mustang was an interesting car. It had a Willys frame. George had been doing so well with a Ford SOHC 429 in his Willys that Ford invited him to take it to Detroit to a Ford Motorsports event with all the Ford big wigs. One of the Vice Presidents looked at George's Willys and said, "I thought we sold Fords?"
That started the Mustang project.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

^^
One of the Vice Presidents looked at George's Willys and said, "I thought we sold Fords?"
That started the Mustang project.

Cryin' shame, that. I'll bet that the sales of Malco Gasser Mustang model kits to kids like me was humbled by the number of sales of the Willys. (Mine didn't turn out this well but I had this kit!)

Edit- that might be a picture of the real car. I can't always tell anymore.

Edit, part deux. Actually the Malco Mustang was a very nice piece in it's own right.

[Evans, Marv]

Originally Posted by Zeke

I grew up 6 doors down from Gary Gabelich. He once did a short warm up of a rail job in the street before heading to Lion's later in the day. IDT the neighbors were as excited as I was at age 12.

When we did the warm up of Mr. Ed, it had a rope around it to keep people from it. When we did the warm up we'd always tell people to back away from the boat, because it was really loud. They'd always back a couple of steps. When the engine started, you would see the whole crowd move away in unison.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Here is a picture of MrsWD and I with George and Don Garlits. It was taken by Don's girlfriend, who is like 40? years younger than him. (George says and it's not sitting well with his family).

Old Don probably still has a great hole shot and never red-lights.

Sorry but it was a lay-up.