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

some old ads...

 

Pete Everett was my grandfather. His car was Petes lil demon. I have tons of actual photographs, racing shirts, patches, letterman jackets, clubs jackets...all from his racing days! I need to get pics of all of it.

 

I saw Everett pilot Pete's Demon several times at Irwindale. I also know that your grand father suffered through one hell of a fire. He endorsed Deist's equipement in the weekly periodicals as preventing him from suffering from even worse injuries.

 

Up to page 1000!

 

Only 640 (and counting) more to go. HAHAHA.

 

I'm amazed there's still drag racing today.
Tom S.

 

Sorry if I am being dense here, but was that the run that killed Mike Sorokin?

 

No Mike was killed driving for Tony Waters @ Orange County. R.I.P. Mike

 

Sorry if I wasn't clear in the caption-nostalgia got in the way. The two views of the Surfers were the last time they ran together as a team. They made quite an impression on a lot of people back in 65 and 66. They toured during the summer of 66 and I was fortunate to catch them a couple of times. Their last race was at the Nationals where I caught these views. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think they lit for class eliminations and this was a run to give everyone a chance to see them. I've been posting a few non-action pictures of them over on Oklahoma dragstrips-pictures?? thread also. As Rick Finch noted, Mike Sorokin went on to drive for others, ending with the disaster at OCIR. Indeed, R.I.P. Mike.

 

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune had great Irwindale ads in the Friday sports section. I used to clip out the pictures. Sunday would often have the results listed with some commentary. I am heading down to Dick Browning Olds after work and get my "Turbin jacket." Does anyone else want one while I am there? Size please.

 

I always checked the Tribune for San Gabe, and later, Irwindale results. I didn't usually save them, but I did save this one from 1963. My little street roadster was in pretty good company in this write up!

 

Is dude pissing on that truck?

 

Whoa, dude, lol,

 

Indeed, a very nice collection of cars emanating from up and down the West Coast. I will make an effort to identify those entitled "unknown." As for the guy relieving his baldder on the slick of the wheelie truck, that was just a means of traction enhancement used at tracks where bleach, rosin or VHT was banned from usage.

 

Gene Snow from Ft Worth Tx takes on Bill Lawton in the Tasca Ford Mystery 8 car in an A/XS run at the 1966 Nationals.

 

The Commercial Metal Fabricators gasser takes off against a 55 Chevy gasser at the 1966 Nationals. As near as I can make out, these cars were both in E/G.

 

More unknown gassers from the 1965 Nationals.

 

Wow!

The Rambunctious with it's wheels down.

 

Jack Cooley from Morgan City, LA dumps the clutch in his SS/C Camaro at the points race in Opelousas LA on June 25th, 1967. Led by Bill Jenkins, this is one of several Chevy's that earned enough points to give Chevrolet the Manufacturer's Cup in 1967, somewhat ironic as I don't think GM was in racing at the time. Over in the other lane is a B/S car, also sponsored by Olivier Chevrolet in Morgan City.

 

Benny Osborn from Tulsa OK smokes 'em up as he leaves the line at the June 25th, 1967 points race at Opelousas, LA. Known as 'Bennie Two Motors' in times past. Osborn would go on to win the division and then defeat Don Prudhomme to win the World Championship in his hometown of Tulsa in October.

 

Manning and Gipson's BM/SP goes up against a Vette at Tulsa in September 1966. The 'Hairbender' was based in Amarillo Texas. This is probably the week after the Nationals.

 

The Willys looks like Selkirk and gang

 

The 55 looks like Eddie Schartman.

 

Jack was just at oxford plains drag way this past weekend and made a few passes with his car! It was one hell of a great day!

 

Mike Burkhart.

 

What a great shot, Emery Cook in the Dart , could this be a qualifying run

 

Equally rare is the mounted tear drop scoop atop the Hawiian.

 

Examine how cramped "Big Mike Burkhart" is while seated behind the wheel. Of course no helmit or any other means of safety gear is disconcerting. I saw pictures of Arnie Beswick making some passes in his 65 nitro GTO with just an open helmet, sun glasses and a shirt pocket full of pens. LOL

 

Before my time at Indy but the Commercial Metal Fabricators car is most likely Pat Dakin before he stepped up to the nitro burners as that is his business. I also agree with Panneton that the 55 is most likely Schartman as it has a Division 3 number as well.

Roo

 

Lax safety was common at tracks in Texas (and I suppose elsewhere) back in the day. Mike raced these cars at several local outlaw tracks around DFW (Circle, Yellow Belly and Kennedale) where the safety of the specators was as often in question as that of the racers. Small wonder drag racing had such an unsavory reputation back then. Over time, the NHRA and AHRA did a lot to dispel that attitude.