The "Indoor Chicago Drag" photos that appear in numerous places on the HAMB inspired me... How about some pictures of other street driven cars drag racing....not dedicated race cars, but amateurs racing their daily drivers.
There's a few shots of the indoor racing where the cas lined up four across! Allow me to dork out on Shake, rattle & Run.
Got this picture from Red Williams. Have met with Red at the track 3 times now. Think I was his hero when we were at The super chevy show in Ohio. He like that I was running the old school stuff not all the new fancy stuff like most. Red and I at Bowling Green Ky
I was born in Chicago in 1946. As a kid, my dad took me to indoor midget racing. It was a real hoot, but the racing fuel fumes created some killer headaches. Had there been an EPA back then, I am sure nothing like that could ever take place.
No matter how many times the Chicago indoor drags are posted...it still blows minds. There are some great threads on the Fremont dragstrip in CA...but by '64 it seems most drags cars in CA were specialized. Love essentially stock dailies being flogged..... Let's we some more!!! Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
My coupe in my avatar has been raced and street driven since the early 60s. Probably more like drag raced and street raced back in the day.
Not the best photo but it's the only one I have. I put this 65 Malibu together about 1973 while in auto tech school. Had a 355, B/W Super T-10 4 speed and a 5.13 Olds/Pontiac rear end.
DDDenny, the last time you posted this pic someone went to work on it and really brought it back to life. It definitely was a keeper.
I actually read a pretty good article about the indoor drags in Chicago a long time back. In my mind it was insane, it must have been really insane if you were a wheel man.
As much as I appreciated (still do) the effort put into making those photos appear bright and new, the color changes just never quite hit the mark. The blue in that original photo is still dead on to my memory of it.
Indoor digs! I never got wind of this until now. Of course, being 'shackled' in California, it seems even more incredible. I don't think the old Los Angeles River digs compare. ('Storm Drains' in Southern Calif., '50s illegal drag racing covered exclusively in Life Magazine...) Chicago? Hot rods? Now, THIS should have been a Life Magazine exclusive!
sometime around mid '70's they had indoor races at the qualcom stadium in san diego. i have a drag scoop mag that showed it. (remember that mag socal guys)
I raced in the indoor drags !! I ever raced that Henry J even beat him ! with my 1962 corvette [327 340 hp] yes was like racing on ice could not use drag slicks had street tires on and 15 lbs of tire pressure ! was a lot of fun ! the fumes were unreal !! thy would not open the roof vents [sky lights] the fire chief was the reason it finally closed down ! I think it was 3 years have to find the pictures
I was a senior in high school when I attended the indoor drags in the Chicago Ampitheatre,the sights,sounds and possible danger were irresistable, great memories.
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