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

This nice AA/GD belonged to Moritz and McClintock of Tulsa and was a regular in the winners circle at Div 4 races. This particular race was at Opelousas, Louisiana in April of 1967. Opelousas was a popular venue with the racers given the lively night life to be found there. Singer Lucinda Williams wrote a song which mentioned it called "Concrete and barbed wire" . I don't believe she was referring to the WWII era runways that served as the strip.

 

This info goes with the view above. In a sea of altered Mopars, the Kingfish stood out as one of the few Barracuda funny cars of the day. Larry Reyes drove it here at Willow Run in Oklahoma City at that strips first meet in August 1966. Later it was sold and subsequently wrecked when the young new owner fell asleep while driving the 'Cuda's carrier, killing him and injuring the crew man from Dallas that was riding with him-at least that's the way we heard it back in the late '60's. Corrections or additions on this or any of these pictures welcome. Enjoy this view from happier days.

 

Al Joniec in the Rice Holman Cobra Jet Mustang leads Don Grotheer as they enter the traps at the Winternationals in February 1968. Not only did Joniec beat Grotheer, he went on to take Super Stock honors at the meet. Photo by Jimmy Johnson

 

In April of 1967, Joe Ralph Thompson from Arkansas goes off against the Bixby Ford A/Stock from Bixby OK during time trials. The Ford was a regular entry at the Oklahoma meets, but as I recall, usually didn't attend distant points or national meets. This is the only time I saw this altered hemi car- don't know if he bought a used factory job or altered a SS Hemi. This is at Southwest Raceway Park in Tulsa, which at the time was the home of the Points Finals World Championship in late October.

 

Ouch!!!! (but sadly true!)

 

The old walterboro dragstrip in s.c. BAD PICS BUT GOOD MEMORIES!

 

Some more

 

Thats all.

 

Ain't that the truth!

 

The lights are green as the AA/FD's of Boyd and Griffith on the left and the Green Gang from, Angleton TX light the tires at Pel State Raceway in Opelousas, LA in April of 1967. The NHRA offical in the blue shirt standing behind the two cars is my then boss Willie Redford from AEECO in Dallas. Willie had previously driven the Carroll Brothers AA/FD and at the time was working with Division Director Dale Ham and Division Tech Director Chuck Nelson in overseeing the division points races. It was at this event that I caught my first and only picture to appear in National Dragster. Dale was concerned that the photographer hired for the event was spending too much time carousing with the locals and not enough shooting pictures, so he asked to shoot some extras to fill out the coverage. A press pass that finally paid off! I tried to sell prints made from these slides, but got a lot of flak due to the poor quality of the reproductions I had done. Hard lessons at a young age. They're still not the best, but there's no going back to repeat this scene.

 

Hey partsrivet!

Great Division 4 pictures. Keep'um coming!

Thanks for posting!

1940 Willys Coupe

 

I recall him from the Cavalcade days and this really creeps me out.

 

I would like to thank every one for the great pics

 

Now on with the show.
What car is this hi-riser in? Looks Chev to me.
Great photo's! Wish I had made some back then. Tom S. in Tn.

 

Don't think it's a Chevy, the distributor is in front. My guess is Ford? Just saying...

 

last I checked a high riser is a 427 FE Ford, I think he was asking what car the motor is in

 

and now we know what made him so rambunctious.

 

This IS the best post ever! brings back some good memorys.
any chance someone has a pic from onondaga dragway with a 67 SS camaro. I bought mine in 78 from a scrap yard, it was an old drag car. I think it either ran stock or modified production. It was green with white stripes. sure would like to find some history on it. Dumb kid never thought that tracing history on it would matter. NOW I think I screwed up! I only know Who owned it when it was put in the yard and there is no info on him anywhere. This thread has me going again oh darn ! Great post

 

Now WHY would anybody put a Ford in a Chevy...

 

Probably still does, and he still runs a dragster in NHRA. At least he did a couple of years ago.

 

partsrivet- thanks not only for the pics but, adding the text really adds to your posts. I wish others would/could do the same when possible.

 

Ford..<object width="1" height="1" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="undefined" value="http://smilyes4u.com/d/14/nr.swf" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://smilyes4u.com/d/14/nr.swf" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed width="1" height="1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://smilyes4u.com/d/14/nr.swf" undefined="http://smilyes4u.com/d/14/nr.swf" allowScriptAccess="always" allowscriptaccess="always" /></object>

 

Great Picture of the Kingfish Barracuda! There just weren't enough 'Cudas done like that, and that's a great picture of that car.

 

Just looking back through the windshield, it appears to be a tri-5.
I'm curious about this one, because there was a time big block Fords were running circles around W's before mark IV's came readily available, and who would build a new car when you spent years on the one you have and it's the way you want it.

This Mod elim S/R in the near lane, photo'd in Hardinsburg Ky., went from a 409 to a hi-riser out of a Thunderbolt, and finally to a big block over the years. The owner stated he always wanted to go back to the Ford, but they were too hard to come by in the late 60's early 70's.
He won about as many races as he lost, but the notoriety of this car remains today. Motors come and motors let go, but the cars used to be legendary.
Tom S. in Tn.

 

And I concur, exactly. Mr. Taylor was a champion of a man as well, and became very successful in business. He made me the first specialty hi-stall speed convertor for a C-6 I ever had out of old 6 cyl and CruisO' parts, back before small Pinto C-4's or any custom manufacturing. Tom S.

 

And while I'm on a roll here, I agree totally 100% with this statement. It's the commentary and hearing the story that paints the picture for me,.... and the accompanying photo's don't matter if they are full color or B&W.
Sometimes I'm taken back with the story alone. Tom S.

 

I agree...I think it's a 55-57 Chevy with a FE...weird...

 

tom s. i do believe its in this 58 ford. old blue.

 

This is the final run for the 1966 World Championship in Comp Eliminator at Tulsa. The Vette belongs to Deloy Naeb of Brighton Colorado and he's up against the tough Stormin Bull F gasser of Ferd Napfel, from Maryland as I recall. Naeb caught him for the championship in an close run. Goes to show even fenders and gas can be exciting.