Hot Rods Dragstrip rosin, Hydro-Motive Hydromatic

Reading the install instructions on my Hydro project when it mentioned running through rosin. I assume this was early traction aid at the strip but never heard it called that before. Was it like baseball rosin? Just powder thrown on the ground After burn out box? When I would see old footage of the guys wiping tires down on a dragster before stage, I thought they were wiping them clean, were they applying more rosin? Curious.

 

Throwing down powder on the track is what I remember. I haven't heard that word in years.

 

At one point, the wiping of the tires could have been gasoline to soften the rubber

 

Rosin=vintage VHT

 

Was called Gold Dust

 

It's interesting that they would get into that much detail in the instruction sheet.
I only saw the rosin used in magazine photos and then mostly in early altered wheelbase "funny cars". I didn't think the old 4 spd hydros were being used at that point in time. But then I suppose the gassers could have used rosin when they match raced.

 

What are you putting the Hydro in?

 

The cars are OT, but you may find what Dandy and Grumpy were spreading around on the track interesting:


You do have to admit the video was RAW.

 

Rosin, or resin or Gold Dust was a big part of the show for early "match race stockers, "FX'ers" or "funny cars".
Made a big deal of spreading it on the strip, sweeping it, making at LEAST three burn outs, maybe SIX!
Then the race. This was in the days of TWO NHRA national events, a million local tracks with booked in match race stars. LOL. There was no burn out box, dragsters didn't do it, part of why funny cars became so popular.
Drag racing was VERY, VERY different then, you had to be there!
IT WAS GREAT!!!

 

Malcolm Durham 1964, that's rosin on the strip!

 

Grumpy

 

Are own Racerx maybe

 

yes it is. george rays hot rod wild cat drag strip in paragould arkansas was the track. the rosin pic was taken early in the day. the avatar fire burnout was taken several hours later. i will try to post some pics of that day.

 

Thanks guys, Great pics and Grumpy video. With the brooms I was thinking that was a track cleaning like oil dry, not traction adding situation. Love to learn something new. Again the pics are great, and do wish could have been there. Maybe someone will rosin at the HAMB Drags next year!

 

bchctybob, I have a '39 Ford Coupe that was parked a few Years ago with a broken motor and 350t. Another build had me driving a B&M Hydro and loved it, a search for another B&M led me to the long stashed Hydro-Motive. Hopefully I'll have the coupe on the road with a multicarbed 301 (destroked 327) and hydro next summer. Ive had requests for the instructions scanned, will do so this week.

 

Gary -

Rosin...not resin..!
Two completely different things.

Mike

 

Gotta have Rosin before you can dance!

 

This is a cool trip down memory lane. The rosin period before bleach and liquid VHT was such a short period that it was easily forgotten by me but never the less was an exciting time.

 

"
s nouns the difference between rosin and resin
is that rosin is (organic chemistry) a solid form of resin, obtained from liquid resin by vaporizing its volatile components while resin is a viscous hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. "