Event Coverage The Official 2014 Meltdown Drags #5 thread, vintage drag meet, July 18,19&20 Byron IL

I was talking about the wrench bender.

 

I am figurin' on drivin' around the pits revving my engine, honkin' the horn and flippin' guys off in order to instigate some action.

BTW... Looks like we are going to make the cruise to the drive-in this year. That gonna happen both days? Somebody save us a spot.

 

Where are you seeing that?

 

Yep Mokan mo I'm three miles south of Mokan dragway I can throw a rock into Kansas from my front porch lol


Chrome don't get ya home

 

thats very hard to do. congrats aint four speeds fun. there is nothing like the sound of a good shifting stick car. i twisted the main shaft on the muncie thats in my 66 chevelle. yah i do own a chevy. i bought it in high school and still have it. 327 l-79 powered. the wife and i met in it so theres sentimental value. i cant sell it. i bought it before i discovered mopars.

 

It's under his icon where it says location. I really like that willys pickup. Is there a list of the gassers that are going? This event seems like it is going to be a time machine back to the 60s.

 

No list of gassers, Are you on Facebook? There is an album of all the pre-registered cars. Lots of gassers coming from everywhere. I heard there are even a few overweight ones coming.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.691121250928679.1073741830.170589576315185&type=1

 

racer-X see your not all bad....LOL. The one thing that is different about this event and the guys that attend is this.....while everyone here has there favorite or preference on make/model....at the end of the day...we are the last of a dying breed....reliving the past, and not building cars out of a Jegs/Summit catalog. Meltdown is one of the few you will see chevy guys helping a ford guy, ford helping chevy, mopar helping pontiac...etc.....no one cares, they just want to see some real old time match races the way it used to be...teach people about the past and most of all...HAVE FUN!!

 

To Paul's point...Check out Meltdown Drags on Facebook....and please LIKE the page...tell your buddies, we communicate info here. And LIKE the set of mag wheels we are trying to WIN to giveaway. If your car is not in the album, you might NOT yet be registered!!

 

#200 = 1953 Studebaker Champion
And...
#201 = 1965 Plymouth HEMI Valiant
Looking forward to a great event!
Thanks, Buetsch Racing Gordy & Brian

 

I hear all this Mopar and Bowtie talk, where's our fellow Poncho brothers out there?

 

I figured you would be in on keeping up that end of the deal

 

if some one can help me post video i have of byron 63-66 i would be happy to share it. its very cool and very long. a look back at the way things really were i think would surprise a few here. the footage i have is on a vcr tape. i have a very large collection of vintage drag racing. mostly private footage.

 

Brian, Is that from some of the old reel to reels that Ron Leek has in his collection?

 

What we'd give to have a pair of M/T Hemi heads for the GTO. Would that put us in the Hemi club?

 

Looking at the preregistered cars on FB the Meltdown is shaping up to be the "must see" event of the year. I registered my little rail job, car is new to me and I'm not a real drag racer so I don't expect to set any records or even impress anyone but it will be fun watching and learning for you pros.
Link is to video of the rubber knife I'm bringing, can't wait.

http://youtu.be/d-rGCmjGJQQ

 

I cant help you post that footage, but would love to see it! Anyone else out there who can help?

 

i was told the video surfaced in a video store in rockford. i have had it since around 1999. the video shows the dates the footage was taken. there are awb cars running four wide. arnie is a one of those cars. little red wagons first trip to byron is on it. a motorcycle explodes. a jet rips the top off a impala convertible in the staging lanes that was parked too close. any of this sound familiar. the video i have hardly resembles todays video. i understand you can't really go back just saying.

 

It sounds like the collection that Leek is rumored to have. I heard about his collection 20 some years ago and he kept it under lock and key and wouldn't let anyone make copies, or so we thought. If you see a '61 Ventura in there around '65 that is white with a blue insert, that is friends of mine from Forreston. That car is Arnie's old dark blue Passionate Poncho.

 

Hey Scott... you just summed up the entire Meltdown Drags.

There are no favorites or celebrities or anyone who gets treated better than anyone else. Regardless if you are running a 21 second stocker or an 8 second gasser or a 7 second rail job, everyone is treated with respect and a sense of appreciation simply for making the effort to attend the event.

Sure a few folks are recognized with sponsored appreciation or a hand made trophy for various reasons but that's all part of the event. The awards are handed out without fanfare and in a quiet but respectful manner by the MDA group. I have been the recipient of a couple of these "thank you awards" and they reside front and center in my trophy case.

Remember the rules and the spirit of the event

Run your car
Have fun
No whining

There are no winners, no losers and no pressure to make a banzai pass. Roll through the lights, idle down the track, full pass, half pass, 4 foot wheel stand... whatever... just run your car as hard as you want and enjoy the celebration that is the Meltdown Drags

The MDA do an amazing job preparing for this event and running it nonstop for 3 days. They take no money for their year long efforts and never get enough thanks. All proceeds go back to the track and in return Byron Dragway provides a well maintained and fully prepared facility with one of the most enthusiastic owners you will ever meet and simply the best tower announcer you will ever hear.

On behalf of the Canadian invasion...thank you all

 

There's a couple of us here . I don't get into too much into the smack talk, but did beat some Chevy power last year. Just not fast enough for the north vs south deal. Should be in the 11's this year.

 

55chieftain, I am in the same boat as you but I will be in your range of time if we get a chance to line up I am in.

Jon

 

ABSOLUTELY

Mickey Thompson is one of my heroes

 

Chieftan, don't throw in the towel just yet brother! If you can put it in the 11's, you'll probably have several 55 Chevys all "Koop'd up". I don't know, just say'n.

 

BITCHIN Car !!! Chris

 

If Brent (DBLGUN), is able to come, he'll go to bat with his 55/150, packing a pretty good 301SB & Liberty 833, or TKO box, and 4.88's out back.

 

...you should be able to have that converted to a DVD at a camera or computer store, then transfered to youtube I'd think. I'd really love to see that, I was attending the strip every weekend close to that timeframe; altho I never saw em run 4 wide. When did they stop runnin 4 wide?...anyone know?

 

RacerX I can do it for you.

 

Sounds good Jon. I had some good races last years Meltdown, but only ran a best mid 12's . I put the engine in 3 days before and was still working out the bugs, made a few changes after and knocked off .3 still with a really tight converter. That should be one of the things changed for this year.

One thing I can say for this event it's good for motivation, inspiration and gives me an excuse to the old lady to go out in the garage and work on the car LOl. Bill

 

Sounds good Bill, us slower guys put on a good show also. I am also been getting moving on making changes for this year after all the talk about the event.

Jon