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

The wad above is the result of Eddie Potter running the "Sudden Death" off the end at LIONS. Eddie was OK, but the coupe was dead.

 

I remember Eddie well. At times he and Frank Pedregon Sr. put on some great shows at Lions. Eddie was, like many racers, 'one of a kind'.

 

For some reason I can't see this image. Here is a better picture from back in the day.

 

So cool!

 

Yes I know some are not in motion and may have been posted before but they came in a bunch and I do not have names or history to go with them but they are too good to pass up.

Streamlining
The race to a legitimate 200-mph timeslip some strange, sexy new shapes. Each of these examples (among others) was either under construction or in action during 1964, contributing to 1964’s peak popularity for fuel and gas dragsters. Alas, most were “napkin-drawn” designs, relying on unscientific, “eyeball” engineering. All were saddled with excessive weight. None handled predictably at speed. Some crashed spectacularly. We recall only one, the Scrima ’liner, reaching 200 mph with full bodywork (and only after the barrier had fallen to numerous conventional, lighter diggers). All ran faster, and straighter, without these swoopy aluminum or fiberglass skins and accompanying mounting hardware. Nevertheless, digger fans loved these cars and recall them with great affection. Nothing screams “Golden Age” like a mid-’60s streamliner!

Note the timing system is now Crondek


Craig Bowman spirit II

 

Read more about them (and others) here:http://www.nhra.com/blog/dragster-insider/2012/04/10/streamliners-of-the-50s-and-60s/

Roo

 

Great find rooman!!

 

The quarter mile has always been about brute horsepower, clutch application and driver skill. To me, any kind of streamlining really doesn't have 'time to work'. There's no real trade off for the extra weight & expense. Of course these days wings are a must.

 

Some more oldies from the early 60's

Al Eckstrand Plymouth at Pomona out in front. Edit: thanks to Marty Strode Eckstrand is actually the car in the rear.





Bay Area Bantam "Quailty Autos" vs Dennison T





Bob Moody vs Al Vander "The "Flying Dutchman"





Connie Kalatta vs unknown double. EDIT: update from 296ardun that other dragster is Peters & Frank





Dick Boynton B/FX "Ram Truck" at Pomona





Early Tasca Ford B/S 1962 convert by John Healy . LOL it's got 4:11 gears

 

Great shots, the "unknown double" racing Kalitta is Peters & Frank

 

thanks updated the caption

 

Loudbang, Al Eckstrand is in the Ramcharger's "Dodge", looks like the "Golden Commando" Plymouth behind, both 1963's.

 

That's Al Vander Woude

 

That's my lifelong buddy, Joe Lassalette's '40. After winning C/Gas at the '65 Winternationals, they went up to Famoso and repeated the win. That's the class final in the picture. The Chevy put a hole shot on Big Stanley, but he was first to the lights. Joe's '40 is in Sweden now.

 

Good question, we mounted the engines in fuel altereds higher than dragsters because the weight transfer was different for the short wheelbase vs. longer WB for dragsters. Mounting them this way sort of worked with earlier, harder tires, but as fuel altereds adapted the newer, softer tires, and when the slipper clutch technology came in, we lowered the engines accordingly, as the weight transfer advantage only meant smoking tires. That's the way I remember it, though some of you builders can add more (Roo, Marty Strode, etc.).

 

Cool the Grump actually lost one final