Seeing the pictures of these old "warriors" is really cool. TM, thanks for posting what looks to be quite a collection of neat pics. This Harry Neide Jr. car: it ran out of Truppi's I take it?? Any other insight??
TM,thanks for posting these shots. It is cool to see the old "warriors" . Your collection of cool shots is great .This Harry Neide Jr Delivery : It ran out of Truppi's I take from the lettering. Any other insight into that one?? thanks
I don't remember a lot about this car. Harry was one of many Jr Stock racers that I hung around with. My best friend in high school was Charlie Hampp (Witchcraft 55 Chevy). When I got out of the Army in 1969, Charlie was still in the Air Force in England. His dad raced the car and I traveled with him to the Division 1 and National events. We were friendly with just about all the Jr. Stock guys, but were closest with those who had engines and transmissions built by Alex Jarrell. Later, we ran a Tony Pizzi engine and I got to know a few of Tony's customers. Sorry I can't tell you more about Harry's car.
I hear ya! If I remember correctly, Ron Garey ran a new (or 1 year old) Olds back around 1968. You knew it was going to get expensive when you saw brand new cars going straight to the track. That was understandable in Pro Stock and Super Stock, but not Stock. Here is a car that had 89 miles on it when it was disassembled for race prep in 1970. Sad thing is it was one of about only 600 SS cars built with the 375/396 4 speed option. It was run in C/S for a couple seasons before being converted to SS/E. This is another of my friends, Tim Bishop. He has spend many thousands of dollars on this car over the years. Before selling it around 2000, he was the record holder going 10.98. Quite a way from Tony Pizzi's 11.68 back in 1970. All it took to run 10's was acid ported/angle milled heads, Jerrico, etc. Definitely not cheap anymore! When was it that NHRA created Pure Stock, 1972?
I talk to Harry once a week i'll post the history of both car soon ..Here a pic of the 65 wagon before it was lettered up ..
1972 was the first year of the huge rule change. Cars had to be 1960 and newer. Street tires,no cheater type slicks. No headers. Exhaust system had to be under cars. The cars slowed down tremendously of course.It was late in the 1973 season that an M and H cheater type slick was legalized. The 1974 rules changes legalized headers and in the Spring of 1974 the blue printed cams came back.
I went to High School in Wilmington Delaware and had a '55 Chevy with an Alex Jarrell 3 speed "crash box". No sincro's! I drove it on the street for a while, but got sick of double clutching, so I put in a 4 speed..... just sold that trans a few years ago... IN the 1970's, I was going through a junk yard in Delaware and came across a '57 Chevy convertible with Alex Jarrell's name painted on the side. The car had a sign on it saying "no parts". It was gone the next time I went to the junk yard, so who knows what happened to it. Any chance you have a picture of this car? I believe it was red....... jrstock55
Neither did Alex's wife when I spoke to her at the family auction after Alex died. Maybe MY memory is a little fuzzy..........! This is my favorite Jarrell picture. These guys from Division 1 were serious.
The Wheatley Bros. were fun guys. They used the car hauler for two major events that I know of, once to Indy and the other to Suffolk, VA for a Div. 2 race. They took Rt 13 to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and found that the rig would not fit in the tube. They had to let air out of the trailer tires and cars on top which gave them enough room to squeak through at a very low speed (with an escort). The police invited them to "NEVER COME BACK".
Oh yea! Keep em coming. I'm building/ resurrecting a '62 Dodge 440 Hardtop for SS/G-I. 383 two 4bbl rated at 343hp forever, NHRA dropped the hp to 330 a year or two ago. I already bought a 3/speed Jerico but NHRA is going to allow 4 speeds behind any engine or car starting in '09 whether they were available from the factory or not.
Guess they never forgot that trip! That's quite a story....... I just found this picture in a George Cureton collection. Looks like Cecil County starting line. Red '57 convertible............who knows........?? jrstock55
Just found a photo of the pits at the 1970 Summernationals that shows both the Neja cars. I remember the '55, but had forgotten that the '57 was there as well. I think the Fairlane wagon belonged to Richard Charboneau.
TMcCrea - Don't recognize either of these cars. Is this picture from Delmar? jrstock55 PS - any more Alex Jarrell or his customers pics?
This shot was from the 1972 US Nationals. I think they were both Div 1 cars, but I can't remember the names. Yes, I have more of Alex & friends.
I think you are right that bracket racing at least in its current form killed drag racing. Too much spread in the brackets. At our local track for test and tune the stands are packed. On race day there might be 50 people there. Our test and tune is always without handycaps there. All out pinks packs the stands for the same reason. Bill Vilneff of the ONDR has suggested a closer grouping of the classes such as 11.0 to 11.3, 11.3 to 11.6, 11.6 to 11.9 for first few rounds at least. I suspect he has a very workable idea but no one seems to listen. Even lining up in the staging lanes according to times progessively gives the crowd much closer racing and requires little planning other than just sayng that is how it will be. NHRA and IHRA seem to be drunk on the nitro and prostock classes but I and many others really enjoy watching the non-proracers run. Personally I dont give a rats tail what a 1/2 million dollar car runs . I find the hombrew variety far more interesting. Sometimes , in fact, very often, less is more. Don
I started a Jeep altered project today. May have to get a bigger garage. Max wedges are fun . I have one in the 63. A Stage III nascar setup. Raspy ol farts but lots of fun, I thought you would go for a niner? D
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