Drag Racing - the golden years

74-911 · 03-09-2015, 04:30 AM

Any of you other OWGs remember these days of old ?? Definitely a trip down memory lane:

The Golden Age Of Drag Racing Part 1

sand_man · 03-09-2015, 05:03 AM

Really great!!!! THANK YOU for sharing that!

Jim Richards · 03-09-2015, 05:34 AM

I really enjoyed that, too.

asphaltgambler · 03-09-2015, 06:00 AM

For me; one of the baby-boomers largest, most cultural influence. Also mid century American history. There is so much of it faded away, people that made history in the sport are now gone. Where I grew up there were 2 - 1/8 mile tracks with-in 45 minutes of me either way. I am of the age where, as a little kid following my much older brother, had the opportunity to see the end of this era.

Really have to say the people, the cars, the music......................the whole scene just too cool

Charles Freeborn · Charles Freeborn's Garage

Wow. Too cool. A little before my time, but by the early 70's I had a Hot Rod subscription and delusions of horsepower....
I still hear the radio ads in my head "Sunday, Sunday at Cecil County Dragway!!!!" Dang them cars were loud...
-C

Charles Freeborn · Charles Freeborn's Garage

PS, any of you that are in or visiting the Pacific Northwest should visit the soon to open "World of Speed" Museum in Wilsonville OR.
Lots of different forms of motorsport represented.

R K T · 03-09-2015, 10:56 AM

I grew up at Lions Drag Strip in Wilmington Ca. My Dad was president of the local Lions club that built the track in 1955, so as a kid I pretty much had full access to the track anytime me and my friends wanted to go....which was every weekend.
Up until the late 60s there was nothing there but the track and industrial places and oil refineries. Then they built houses right up to the property line and of course the home owners immediately complained about the noise. Lions closed in '72.
Still have passes and my Dad's books of everything including the building all the way to the closing.

My Mom wearing my Dad's jacket

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

I'm ghost writing a book about "Ohio" George Montgomery. George isn't in great physical shape but his memory is great and he has a library of thousands of photos. Hi inside stories of the drag scene of the 60s is fascinating. He told me the two things that make the US the greatest place on earth are rock and roll and drag racing.

afterburn 549 · 03-09-2015, 07:43 PM

Lets hope Nascar never gets involved.....LOL
I think I remember D. Garlets Busting the 5 sec run, 1969?

futurefun · 03-10-2015, 10:12 AM

My Dad was a hot rodder so we went to the drags every weekend in Northern California. From the mid 50s he took me to the Oakland National Roadster Show, introduced me to drivers & pit crews as the column he wrote for Drag News gave an excuse to talk to anyone with ears. Tons of photos. By the 70s I was racing motocross.

asphaltgambler · 07:19 AM

Got to see Sox & Martin Cuda match race at 1 of the 2 local 1/8 mile tracks near me. I think it was 1969 / 70. The race car lookedf very close to stock body Cuda with Cragar wheels, open trailer. Even as humble as that seems today, the entire rig and car was spotless and the crew wore clean matching uniforms...............................very impressive to a 10 year old. Up until that time, they were probably the most famous / recognized team that ever 'graced' that little dumpy track. I'm certain they were paid to stop by on the way to larger 1/4 tracks further on. They ran best 2-out-of-3. The pits and stands were packed with more people than I had ever seen previously.

I remember it was a dual quad big hemi and 4-speed. That time period was about when the NHRA Pro-stock class started. I don't know if that car was an actual Pro-stock class car or a match race car. It was the the coolest thing tho...............

herr_oberst · 03-11-2015, 07:34 AM

^^^

Great story. I would have loved to see them race.

Fun fact, I don't know if you remember those great haulers that the Snake and Mongoose used when they were sponsored by HotWheels, but neither of those iconic rigs were originally built for the floppers. Prudhomme got his from Richard Petty and McEwen used the Sox and Martin castoff!

asphaltgambler · 03-11-2015, 07:50 AM

Yes, I think it was a year or two later when some of those guys moved from open car trailers to open haulers with sleeper cab. Also I remember a local guy here copying TV Tommy Ivo's glass enclosed trailer. He used an existing open trailer he had made from an old donated mobile home trailer to haul his injected small block dragster.

Don't know where he 'obtained' the materials from but it was light 1"X1" square stock for the frame skeleton and then wood strips over large plexiglass pane seems. Something like 8'X4' plastic / plexiglass panes. Actually looked pretty cool, very well built. He was more proud of the trailer than the rig or the race car.