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

"Aw shucks it weren't nuthin' "...Good friend & fellow HAMBer Sam Davis playing kissy face with Linda Vaughn after winning the March Meet in '70...(Top Gas)

 

That don't look like Sam, Rick. The hair isn't the right color.

 

As you know Dean, that's not the worst of it. Time hasn't been very kind to ol' Sam, poor bastard got even uglier...

 

Lil too much H on the first pic.

 

I, for one, don't care, post away!

If I remember right, the Mangler was once the Safford, Gaide, and Ratican "shark car," they apparently didn't like the shark rear fin and it went to new owners with Ongais as the driver. I did see its demise, Ongais blew the motor in the lights at Irwindale (I think) and got upside down. We were in the upper pit area and ran towards the remains, but Tom McEwen outran us and got there first (Ongais was ok and unshaken by the crash, no surprise there!!)...

 

Ask Sam Davis about the first pass he ever made in the Freight Train. My dad and I were coming in the back gate at Lions (my dad worked the finish line safety crew) when we saw the Freight Train coming at us upside down. We were the first ones to Sam. He was unhurt and his only concern was that Peters wouldn't let him drive again. He was also somewhat concerned that John Peters was going to kill him! I believe the Bakersfield win was just a week or two later.

 

Yeah, it is something he doesn't like to be reminded of...(for obvious reasons)

 

Hey Lim34, this thread is for vintage shots of drag cars in motion (usually '65 and earlier, but we've gotten special dispensation from the Mods to go to '68 for this thread). Your images aren't appropriate for any thread on the HAMB.

 

"Does anybody know the exact location of : Tad & Jims Dragway of Magnolia Inc."!?
***FOUND IT..ALL SET..THANKS ! ***

 

We had our fair share good fuel cars on the East Coast. However, this may not be one of Roger Toth's better moments. Into the catch fence at Maple Grove after chute failure....1971?

BTW can anybody tell me how to post pictures so that they DON'T show up as thumbnails?

 

The "Odd Couple"...

 

GBP...

 

Kelly Brown...

 

Yeah, I know Rick. I'm sure glad that didn't happen to us!

 

Happy Thanksgiving, people of "The Thread".

 

"The Adams mcEwen shark became the Mangler. Ongais crashed the Honda Of Wilmington care at irwindale." - D.P.

"I seem to remember that the 'Shark Fin' ended up either hanging in FULLER's shop or McEwen ended up with it? ... Gene Hated that fin - but McEwen loved it..." - Fred Vosk

"The Mangler was originally the Adams and McEwen top gas dragster, which had the first shark fin roll cage cover. After they ran it for one year, they sold it to the Ward and Warye team. W&W had it sitting at their shop for quite a while, before 'lending it' to some of their friends, Danny Broussard, Stump Davis and John Garrison, who took it to Kent Fuller to set it up to run the hemi. And they also had him remove the shark fin and the extra narrow roll cage that was necessary for the shark fin. I believe Arnie Roberts made the new rear body parts for the car.

The guys then mounted Buzz's mighty 354 Chrysler, and went out hunting for bear, with Danny Ongais 'on the Gas'. This team won a whole lot of races in So-Cal, before Danny got the ride in the Honda of Wilmington car, which also won a lot of races. I don't remember which of these cars was destroyed in the finish line crash at Irwindale, but Danny was definitely driving it. I heard that the crash was caused by the crankshaft leaving it's place in the engine and 'pole vaulting' the car as it entered the lights."
- Waldo

 

Rick, THANKS for all the great pics!!

 

You're welcome, I'm just one of many on here...

 

But you have a knack for finding the really cool pics that stir old memories for us old guys who were there Rick. Thanks for your effort, even if you are a miserable old prick.

 

Yes I is...

 

Thanks for the pics! We gotta keep this going!

 

It was the Mangler, and yes, the crank broke right before the lights...didn't see the explosion but saw the car get upside down, stuff flying off it and lots of smoke and fire....having seen the Raker's Car Club fatal crash a few years earlier at San Gabriel, I feared the worst, but Ongais was unhurt

 

John Edmunds (the "Black Knight") driving for Tony Waters...