Hot Rods The Coupes and Sedans of Land Speed Racing

Here's a few from the, "Lakes Pictures. P.R.C." thread. Check it out if you haven't already and if you have already check it out again!
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/lakes-pictures-p-r-c.943878/

A great article on Russetta's meet from 1951 at El Mirage

A few more highlighted coupes from Hot Rod magazine,
The Gupton Coupe
John Greytak Jr's 705c Coupe
Jack Heitzler's 750c badass 5-window channeled coupe. I would love to see some more pictures of that one!

 

Found a little info on the Bill Ramay/Gary Ewens sedan thanks to a write up by @Ryan - http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=1386

It turned 173 at Bonneville and in 1963 they prepped it to go drag racing


Here it is in 1960 at Bonneville

It was by far one of the best looking sedans in LSR in my opinion. Does anybody know what became of it?

 

I think this is the Breedlove coupe that was in the HotRod magazine classifieds in 1958-1959. Not 100% positive, but think it's pictured there.

 

In 1951,or 1952 mickey Thompson's bantam had a Chrysler in the back engine ,flat engine in frt. Blew frt. engine, Don Melton and I took Engine from Earl Evans belly tank, That just made record, and installed in Mickey's car. Earl was The same Manufacture of heads and manifolds. They were good friends.

 

Got ours done. Ran 197.2 at the ohio mile few weeks ago

 

Good to know. Thanx, Gary

 

Brothers of a different Mother??

 

Yes, I do. It met its demise at Fontana (where it is pictured in drag racing form). The push start road ran parallel to the drag strip, and as the car was push-started from the pits down the push road, the throttle stuck, and before the driver could kill the engine, it hit a phone pole, was destroyed. I was leaving the pits, and never forgot the roar of the engine stuck ... and then saw the pole go down....then the announcer began shouting about how important it is to go through tech inspection first (how did he know that it didn't??).....I left the drag strip, didn't want to see the remains of this beautiful car (it was a sort of candy orange, with blue Plexiglas covering the blower drive shroud...

 

I think this was running Clarke Cagle's Ardun


Doug Hartlett





rear view of Hartlett coupe


Belmont Sanchez, still running the Ardun, would later get a Chrysler.



Another shot of Don Corwin's sedan (Question: El Mirage is a very long way from San Francisco...so why did they "rush him to San Francisco" after his crash??


Sanchez coupe after the chop...I saw it run like this at Bonneville in '59

 

I love this thread!

Obviously this style of car had a lot of influence on me when we built the Chemical City Coupe.

These early, real deal, cars in this thread really turn my crank.

.

 

Thanks for sharing that @296ardun! Such a sad demise to such a beautiful car. Any idea if the driver survived? Either way it didn't sound good.

 

As far as I know, the driver survived...I didn't want to stay around and look, though....I hated these vulture spectators who would rush to a crash scene, didn't want to be one of them....and have not found a report of a fatality in a car like this listed on "Drag Racing Deaths."

 

Unknown BVille 1990.

 

Love this thread, too! I keep hoping that I'll see a vintage picture of the 'Lakes/Fuel Coupe' that's out in my carriage house when I scan the pictures in this type thread. Mine is a lightened 32 3 window coupe with a Bonneville chop and plexiglass windows that came out of California about 30 years ago. Mine looks like the Don Montgomery 3 window coupe, only with a little more chop. Keep the pictures coming --- maybe a picture of my coupe will show up yet.

 

#69 is Lattin & Gillette.

 

I don't remember who drove this one.

 

Any car with the number 69 on it belongs to Lattin & Gillette

 

I seen that after I posted. I didn't know if it was the same team or not.

 

From Jim and Frank Barnes trip to Bonneville, in 1954

 

A few more of the Chrisman Bros Coupe, because you just can't have enough!


Up to this point I have never noticed the "Charlie Brown" Von Dutch pin stripes just below the deck lid. I assume these were added later???


The coupe along with the Chrisman Bros roadster(flatbed) in tow. This would've been something to see out on the road. The fit and finish on both of these cars was something I haven't seen on too many other race cars of the era.

 

Bob Rounthwaite 1951

Not in 1951 it wasn't. Bob Rounthwaite car and number.

 

Thanks for the correction.

 

Would be great to see street versions of these cars built today....