HAMB Exclusive: Vintage Drag Racing 8mm film! (Part 1)

[The Jalopy Journal]

It's hard to top the fantastic posts from Ryan down under, but I think you'll find this is pretty good stuff if your a big fan of vintage drag film clips. A buddy of mine at work gave me his fathers old films shot at drag strips in the Midwest circa ...

To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.

[Rolleiflex]

Great footage! There's a yellow push truck at 2:32-2:35 that has the outline of Arizona painted on the door. I know that's not midwest as you mentioned in the post, but it may be a clue as to where the track is/was.

The yellow '32 and the Buick tow car at 2:46-3:15 are to die for!! What a great combo!

[F-6Garagerat]

Scotty’s Muffler Service car @ 2:36 ran out of San Bernardino, CA

[JeffreyJames]

SATAN COUPE at 2:02!!!!! This is the only footage I've ever seen of the car in motion. I'd say since he was a family man, this track is probably close to his Philadelphia home or an East Coast track at the furthest.

[JeffreyJames]

Damn I don't know. At 2:50 the yellow roadster that Ryan wrote about with was an Austin, TX hot rod shows up...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=14087

[Rolleiflex]

^^Ha,Ha I thought that car looked really familiar!

There is such an influx of cars from all over in these shots it's really hard to tell. It look's like it could be OKC in some of the shots with the fairgrounds.

[F-6Garagerat]

Originally Posted by Rolleiflex

^^Ha,Ha I thought that car looked really familiar!

There is such an influx of cars from all over in these shots it's really hard to tell. It look's like it could be OKC in some of the shots with the fairgrounds.

theres a tall T thats says Garys Used Cars, and i think Rockton Ill on the back. must have been a big meet wherever it was.

[JeffreyJames]

My god this might be one of my favorite JJ entries ever. The footage is incredible and I could sit with a pad and paper writing down tidbits of inspiration over and over and over.

[Chaz]

Those early films make you realize the emphasis those guys placed on streamlining and wind resistance.

[F-6Garagerat]

Originally Posted by JeffreyJames

My god this might be one of my favorite JJ entries ever. The footage is incredible and I could sit with a pad and paper writing down tidbits of inspiration over and over and over.

Play, Pause, Play, Pause, Play, Pause, Play, Pause, Play, Pause, Lol. My mouse finger will probably just be recovering when you post part 2. Cool footage. Thanks for posting it.

[tommy]

The very first car is a favorite of mine...Art Arfons Allison powered Green Monster.

I don't know the name but the yellow sectioned push truck @4:44 is a special early west coast custom that has been featured on the HAMB in the past. Check out the grille @ 4:37 chopped and channeled F-1.

[Rolleiflex]

Originally Posted by F-6Garagerat

theres a tall T thats says Garys Used Cars, and i think Rockton Ill on the back. must have been a big meet wherever it was.

That's what I was thinking too. I'm pretty sure that some of the footage is from the '57-'58 Nationals in OKC.

http://hdeshazo.com/okla1957/okla_drags_pg_0001.htm

[Tman]

Very good clip, after a couple minutes the sound appeared in my mind.

[thark]

I don't know the date, but I'm pretty sure that the second cut, after the holes in the film at about 2 minutes, is OKC Fairgrounds. The track ran parallel to a berm topped by railroad tracks. When he pans behind him, you can see the dirt oval stadium. The main structure looks the same today.

[brett4christ]

Love the push trucks!

Can anyone ID the hubcaps on the brown '55 Chevy truck with the dragon and belly burners?

Terd may want a purple dragon on the "King of Trucks"!!!

The mid-engine Crosley is butt-ugly, but uniquely creative for the time!!!

Lotsa cool machines!

[primed34]

Way cool film. Believe I saw the Rolling Stone '32 roadster and the Speed Sport aka 'Ol Noisey roadster.

[jguff]

Based on the home base of many of the cars this must have been a meet that racers ran on the way to or from something bigger. Recognizable cars from California, Arizona and Ohio. I spotted the Green Monsters of course, both Art and Ed Arfons, the Chrisman/Cannon Hustler in its early front mounted blower version at 2:10, Scotty's, the Martin/Nelson Dragliner at 2:45, the Cook/Bedwell dragster at 7:20 and 8:34, and the Speed Sport Special roadster at 9:35 and 10:33. Most of the cars were national record holders earlier in the '56 to '57 years.

I think the propeller job was an early attempt to overcome wind resistance by pulling air. Otherwise why would that airplane engined dragster have slicks on the rear wheels?

Jerome

[Hot_Rod_Johnny]

OMG - just realized that I am to young...

Wish I could have seen this live back in the day, must have been a blast.

[chriseakin]

I think that light yellow truck (at about 4:43) was Chuck Porter's if I remember correctly. Chopped, channelled and sectioned, custom grill. I remember reading that his daughter got it back and has it restored to its glory days condition.

[bowtiemyk]

Was that prop job one of Art's pre-jet cars? Awesome footage.