History Drag cars in motion.......picture thread.

Saxxon -
I think those Funny Cars with the engine behind the driver were more of a..."mid-engine" configuration. A "rear engine" would have the engine in the trunk, behind the axle..!

But in any case, thanks for the pictures.

Mike

 

Technically correct. However they were always called rear engine, just as today's dragsters are called rear engine. It's like engine/ motor, same deal.

 

Photo credit Hamber hotrod mike.

 

Its a thrill to watch Bill flog the 55. a editor of a hot rod magazine was at George Rays. He captioned a picture in the magazine Bill Smith & the 10,000 RPM 55 chevy. Im determined to get my 55 going again and take it to George rays this year. I already got a 327 built for it.

 

This is another pic I took in the staging lanes at the 1971 Indy Nationals. I sure miss those days.

 

Why, because you were SO MUCH YOUNGER, and things were so much simpler, ME TOO!

 

Don't we all!!!

 

This is the car that got destroyed at Fontana when a guy in a '34 sedan locked up his rear end and got stuck on the track just before Malone's run...the guy ran and tried to call the starting line from a phone near the finish line, but it was too late. Fontana did not have the best lighting system (a system of search lights), and neither the starter nor Malone saw the '34 on the track when Malone left the line. He saw it just in time to swerve but hit it on the side at over 180. The car was completely destroyed and Malone was badly injured. He was staying with Lefty Mudersbach at the time (that's Lefty's white Chev truck behind the car)... when we heard about the accident we went over to Lefty's shop and found what was left of the body in the trash can (the tail section, which was fiberglass). We went over to Lefty's house and he said that he thought that Malone was ok, but actually Malone's brain swelled up from the blow and he was in critical condition. However, he was also a racer, and despite his injuries, he took the Chrysler out of the ruined car and dropped it in Lefty's fuel Chevy car, to run at Bakersfield a couple of weeks later. I saw him at Ernie Hashim's (Ernie opened his Bakersfield shop for racers), face a mask of scabs and abrasions, frantically working on the car. He didn't win, but no one could question his courage or determination.

 

What a great story and a part of history. Glad you have a forum to tell them. Thanks for letting the rest of us in on the way it was.

 

It's good to see new posters here, sometimes I wonder how many HAMB'ers even look at this thread.
Seems like only a few of us have carried on, so welcome new posters!
Don't be shy, post pic's, questions, stories, WHATEVER! PARTICIPATE!

 

I remember this Henry J from Hot Rod. I absolutely love this thing, it's well engineered and just...NICE!

 

Gary--Do you remember Bill Ireland's Pro Stock Maverick from PDX
I acquired this car after it was reconfigured for Gas/Alt status in 1977 (IIRC)
It no longer was a unibody car as it got a full tube chassis, etc. nor did it have SOHC power.
I had converted it to SBC power, but realized early on that I just did not have the finances to properly flog it so sold it in 1980. I believe new owners were from Minn. have not heard of it since.
There has always been very little press about this car, and over the years have only acquired a small
handful of photos of it. I suspect the main reason for this was Ireland's limited success with it on the national Pro Stock circuit compared to his earlier campaigns with the T-bolt and Fairlane, etc.
Often wondered what happened to this car, so posting this may be a good way of finding out.
Pro Stock livery then as I raced it

 

I know it's a couple years O.T.

 

I just LOVE this thread.
Thanks everyone, and Gary too.