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History FAMILY DRAGSTER HISTORY...GOLDEN YEARS OF SLINGSHOTS....part 3

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by eastcoast57, Jul 20, 2009.

  1. Last i left off was at the end of the 1968 season....Tom Raley was becoming accustomed to his new fueler and it was time to advance....

    In the winter of 68-69, my grandad called up Don Long on the west coast again...He needed a new, sleeker and longer chassis with a DEEPER roll cage..(Buster would shake a finger at Raley on the starting line because he hung out so far...slump down in that thing!)...Hanna body, and a new Cerny paint job...

    The order was placed and arrived in time for some early spring testing.....

    [​IMG]

    Nanny strapping Raley in...

    [​IMG]

    At the hit...

    [​IMG]

    fillin it up with the pop from the can,,,

    [​IMG]

    Burn outs were becoming a new state of the art deal....you poured your bleach/VHT, did a quick spurt behind the starting line and rolled up to stage....Raley always wore two sets of goggles and Nanny would take em off and then scrape the tires down...

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]




    And then the Nationals in Indy...'69.....
    My grandparents were in line behind Mulligan when the accident happened....Raley was running consistant 6.50s...went to second round against Snake...only to lose traction and lose the round.....

    Shots from the bridge at Indy....

    [​IMG]

    the FAMOUS shot lookin down....

    [​IMG]



    After Indy...Raley would go on to run a 6.64 at Atco(gotta check that date)...solidifying their second NHRA Division 1 Top Fuel Championship...

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Heres a few more mix of pictures....

    National Trails in Columbus Ohio....

    [​IMG]

    On the roller starters....

    [​IMG]

    FAR OUT! it was the 60s after all.....look at those ED PINK racing jackets!

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    INDY....this car was stunning. The paint job that Cerny accomplished was absolutely beautiful..blue and gold lace with a fade and gold leaf....

    [​IMG]


    In 1970, Raley would show strong and run two national records of a 6.63 and an unheard of 6.53 at the Dallas World Finals...

    Heres the record run....

    [​IMG]

    Theres Mr Couch watching at Indy on the top....and the end of the 71 season on the bottom....notice the canards, a caveat of things to come....

    [​IMG]




    In September of 1971, Nanny and Pop got a telegram from Western Union, requesting their presence at the White House. Nixon put together a "gathering of speed convention" with the likes of Petty, Andretti, and Jacki Stewart....Garlits was invited with his new "mid engined" car, but could not attend because he sold it a week prior....So they loaded up from the farm and away they went....

    Nixon and Mario lookin at the digger...

    [​IMG]

    Pop (with his back to us) meeting Nixon...

    [​IMG]

    "Wonder if ill fit in that thing Mario??"

    [​IMG]








    By the end of 71, it was becoming harder and harder for the Front engine rails to keep up....Garlits and Pat Foster(testing Woody's car) had run rear engined cars, and were succeeding....(for the most part).....the days of the slingshot were ending sadly...but a few racers would hold out till the bitter end....

    Next time ill focus on the dying days of the front engine fuel dragster with my grandparents being outlaw hold outs, and then on to the ARMY days.....


    See you in the staging lanes....





    T.H.
     
  3. Levis Classic
    Joined: Oct 7, 2003
    Posts: 4,066

    Levis Classic
    Member

    Outstanding history post!!
     
  4. Nixon, leaning on your car, talking to Mario whilst Jackie Stewart looks on. You couldn,t make this up.
    Thank you so much for sharing these fantastic images and stories.
     

  5. riceman
    Joined: Oct 8, 2006
    Posts: 743

    riceman
    Member

    I am Lovin it !
     
  6. LZ
    Joined: Sep 9, 2007
    Posts: 618

    LZ
    Member

    Thanks for taking the time to post this. Its priceless.
    I remember the shots from the white house that were in ND. If I remember right he was talking with Stewart and looked over at the FED and said "whats that?"
    kind of slighting Stewart who was probably thinking about the Barbaric stupid straight line machine:D:rolleyes::p

    I saw them run many times.. Great memories...
    thank you
    .
     
  7. Old-Soul
    Joined: Jun 16, 2007
    Posts: 3,773

    Old-Soul
    Member

    Damn, these threads are so cool. Thanks for taking the time to post them up for us!
     


  8. I dont think Stewart could hang on to an Ed Pink early model.....damn roundy sideways racers...








    T.H.
     
  9. Royalshifter
    Joined: May 29, 2005
    Posts: 15,579

    Royalshifter
    Moderator
    from California

    Another awesome thread........wow at the Whitehouse with all those big names and President Nixon, what an honor.
     
  10. Joshua Shaw
    Joined: Feb 7, 2007
    Posts: 2,191

    Joshua Shaw
    Member


    Just where were you Friday night son... As a matter of fact I believe you drove EIGHT HOURS for it???

    Hmm??? :D:p


    Great posts Tyler!! Keep em' coming!

    J Shaw
     
  11. The Brudwich
    Joined: Oct 3, 2005
    Posts: 788

    The Brudwich
    Member

    Rad! Your family kicks ass!
     
  12. Kan Kustom
    Joined: Jul 20, 2009
    Posts: 2,739

    Kan Kustom
    Member



  13. Haha USAC sprint cars are a breed apart from everything else.....i would have drove 12 hours...

    damnit Levi Jones!!






    T.H.
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2009
  14. lippy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2006
    Posts: 6,825

    lippy
    Member
    from Ks

    Thankyou Tyler, from another FED driver. Thankyou very much, absolutely great! Lippy (with a tear in his eye) in Ks. :)
     
  15. motorhead711
    Joined: May 7, 2008
    Posts: 734

    motorhead711
    Member

    Sweet pictures and a cool story for sure...
     
  16. hotrod mike
    Joined: Nov 21, 2006
    Posts: 1,728

    hotrod mike
    Member

    This history lesson and amazing pictures just keeps getting better. Thanks for this lesson. This is the Great Expectations car I remember so well. Exactly what God intended a Top Fuel car to look like. :D Mike
     
  17. 85-percent
    Joined: Apr 5, 2005
    Posts: 328

    85-percent
    Member

    Thank you for such wonderful pics and memories.

    Great Expectations - what a wonderful and classic name for a FED!

    Jim and Allison were the antithesis of the leather jacketed drag racing hoodlums, from the folklore of the time. I always appreciated that such an outstanding husband and wife ran a car as monsterous as a 60's FED!

    And it was always so cool to see pics of Allison doing pretty much everything that had to be done! that was ultra-cool. Especially considering the times.

    -90% jimmy
     
  18. Heres the '69 nats.....start watching and listening closely around 3 minutes in.....












    T.H.
     
  19. VA HAMB
    Joined: Jun 14, 2006
    Posts: 1,377

    VA HAMB
    Member

    Cool photos, Tyler. Keep em coming.
     
  20. Killer burnout twords the end of '70....new chromed headers....

    [​IMG]






    T.H.
     
  21. Ivory Hunter
    Joined: Jul 18, 2009
    Posts: 74

    Ivory Hunter
    Member
    from Texas

    That car was beyond beutifull sanitary!!!!!
     
  22. rd martin
    Joined: Nov 14, 2006
    Posts: 2,463

    rd martin
    Member
    from indiana

    tyler appreciate you putting this together. if we can help it, the front motor cars will never die!!! you taking your car to the hamb drags again?
     


  23. Were runnin The Lump this weekend at Englishtown.....so hopefully if the clutch stays in it and all goes well, we will make it to MOKAN....were plannin on it!






    T.H.
     
  24. [​IMG]





    T.H.
     
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2009
  25. AnimalAin
    Joined: Jul 20, 2002
    Posts: 3,416

    AnimalAin
    Member

    Another great post. Thanks, and keep them coming.
     
  26. Joshua Shaw
    Joined: Feb 7, 2007
    Posts: 2,191

    Joshua Shaw
    Member

    Is that your dad, Bobby... or just a young fan?
     

  27. a young fan from New England i think.....funny thing is, they will get a couple envelopes every year with pictures and a letter....from a once young guy like that tellin em how cool they were......






    T.H.
     
  28. Joshua Shaw
    Joined: Feb 7, 2007
    Posts: 2,191

    Joshua Shaw
    Member

  29. Levis Classic
    Joined: Oct 7, 2003
    Posts: 4,066

    Levis Classic
    Member

    A great video as well
     
  30. Ron Mayes
    Joined: Mar 24, 2006
    Posts: 708

    Ron Mayes
    Member

    I remember them coming to Bowling Green in the Golden years,... my Hero's ...............tell them Thanks for letting a snot nosed kid just hang around. ill never forget it .............Fuckin Awesome Post :D:D:D:D:D
     

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