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

@slayer , did they buy that rail from Ron Pellegrini? Fuller convinced Ivo that in-line was the way to go for Top Gas and built him a new car. Just about the time the car was finished the NHRA reinstated Top Fuel and Ivo immediately sold the in-line car to Ron.
Not sure, but Ivo might have never driven the in-line car.

 

Here are a few more pictures with discription from Phil Mc Keg.


Sent you a few more pictures. The one with my brother sitting in the car was at Byron. His wife is standing next to the car holding his shoes. My other brother is also standing
there. This was right after the clutch blew up and sawed the back of the block off where the bell housing was bolted up. Ivo had built a custom bell housing that was made of
plate steel and it was very heavy. It's a good thing because that was a violent explosion right by the driver's feet. That happened at Byron.
The other pictures were also taken at Byron but another time. My brother raced against Hirata & Hobbs with a blown Chrysler on gas. That was a great running car and it was
really no contest. Those guys were well known in this area for a long time. Ron Pellegrini used to beat them because he knew how to slip the clutch & get the ET down into the
8.40s. He was a great racer with years of experience. He had gotten this car straight from Ivo when it was brand new.
Speaking of Ron, he got the bug to build a funny car but rather than build one from scratch he bought a blown Chrysler fuel altered and put a fiberglass Mustang body on it.
That was a high-risk piece of crap because those things never go in a straight line and the fumes stayed right in the car and almost killed him. I was with him the first time he
took it out and he almost blacked out before he got the car stopped! I thought he had lost his mind driving that thing.

 

Does anyone have any pictures of the Mangler FED ?

 

More pictures from Phil Mc keg at Rockford dragway (now Byron dragway)

 

More pictures from Phil Mc keg at Rockford dragway (now Byron dragway)

 

More pictures from Phil Mc keg at Rockford dragway (now Byron dragway)

 

How about some fuel dragsters? More pictures from Phil Mc keg at Rockford dragway (now Byron dragway)

 

More dragster pictures from Phil Mc keg at Rockford dragway (now Byron dragway)

 

Pellegrini bought the Dennison, Arlasky and Knox fuel altered and after he hung the Mustang body on it he looked to Hawkinson Ford for sponsorship but got turned down.

 

Pate Brothers, big flathead, innovative rear suspension, has been restored.


Panic, after winning a 16-car fuel altered field at Tucson. From left, track manager, Gary Hazen, Howard Haight, trophy girl, and the late Don Wilson. Don and I started Panic with a Les Hawkins chassis, but I had to bail out so Don partnered with several others, including Tom Topping and Hazen. Later Hazen took over and built several follow-on Panics.


Pete Robinson, near side.


Jess Sturgeon at Lions


Tony Waters roadster, when it ran a fuel GMC. That's Tony's Chevy convert towing the roadster...Tony did the custom work on it. Smokers collection.


Fuel Coupe invitational, Santa Ana, 1955. From left, Rizzio and Gray, Road Dusters (Robert Martinez, driver), Stecker and Ewell, Jack Chrisman, front fenders of Don Montgomery's deuce.


Pomona Police officer Bud Coons with a nice roadster. Bud had a lot to do with the founding of the Pomona Drag Strip. I found this photo on the Los Angeles County Public Library site, from 1954.

 

This is another real cool email to my dad from Phil Mc keg.
As a side note, the last picture is in this groop is the Barnes and Gladstone Michigander! It's my favorite survivor and is still around.

Here are 2 photos I got from my old friend who I hadn't seen in about 35 years. ( did see him the day after Thanksgiving for the first time)
My brother, Dave and his partner, Ron Jelinek, took the racecar to England in about 1964 or '65 on a goodwill tour along with some other midwest drag racers. It was an expenses paid trip and they had a great time. I wish I had more pictures but I have to say the one shot is killer.
talk to ya soon, Phil
PS there are 3 other pix from England that my nephew found among his father's things after his dad passed away. The rear engine thing looks pretty scary, don't you think. Hope it didn't go faster than about 40 or 50.

 

Im realy not sure, but judging by the message with the second batch of pictures, yes Phils' brothers got the dragster from Ron Pellegrini.

 

Oh Man,
That rear engine cart, what is the first think to hit the fence

 

Any ID of the team or driver ?

 

Not a Town and Country - Newport or plain New Yorker.

 

That’s the GuZler of Don Mattison and Bud Roche running out of Evergreen Park, IL. I think Bobby Vodnick drove this car.
If you hadn’t heard of Vodnick before he won Top Gas at the 1963 Indy Nationals driving for Kenny Hirata & Phil Hobbs.

 

I’m not sure who it is but they got one awesome setup sure wish we could see more of that style these days


Chrome don’t get ya home

 

Thanks for the info on the team


Chrome don’t get ya home

 

It a Town&Country

 

Last batch of pictures from Phil McKeg @ Byron.

 

That’s bananas.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

John Kranenburg drove earlier - Charlie Smith later.

 

The Guzler Charger didnt last long.

 

I'm going to guess that entire car was home made.

 

Blower belts...flap / move around under a load and at speed a bit.
I wonder if there was any belt tooth contact here .



Mike

 

Looks like they have a good wrap on both toothed pulleys.

 

Yes, I am think he is meaning the long side of the belt flexing enough to engage teeth on the idler side. I guess it could happen.