Jarvis Earl, in the car that Joaquin Arnett of Bean Bandit fame built for him. Jarvis was a neighbor of famed hot rod historian Don Montgomery. Photo from Daniel Waldrop, who was a Bean Bandit. Helen Root in the roadster she and husband Bart ran, out of Norwalk CA. This is at the first NHRA Nationals at Great Bend, Kansas. Behind is one of the Arfon Brother Green Monsters. NHRA photo. The Rizzio and Gray fuel coupe, which sometimes ran Dave Gendian's injected Chrysler, seen at Pomona, Norm Grudem photo. Ben kept the coupe in his garage until his passing recently. Phil Freudiger at Saugus, blown flathead. Bob Rounthwaite leaves the Paradise Mesa starting line, Cook rear end, look like either snow tires or dirt track tires...racers were still trying to figure out the best drag racing tires before slicks became standard.
It was, paid $25 for it from Speed Sport, it arrived in primer a week later. Wish I still had it, but we swapped out the Hilborn 2-stack for an Endrele.
Frank Wurtz, Jacksonville, NHRA Safari, 1955, Eric Rickman photo Gil Ayala in the custom coupe, racing Doug Thorley. Doug ran this Buick in the stock class, and won often. He went on to found Doug's Headers, and ran a long series of funny cars. Unfortunately, he passed away just last month. Doug and Gil were buddies, and Gil painted one of Doug's funny cars. This is Santa Ana, 1951. Dale Lambrose ran this car as a teammate to Frank "Ike" Iacano's '34 fuel coupe, with both running GMC sixes on fuel. '34 fuel coupe at Santa Ana, early '50s. Screwdrivers of Culver City photo. Bobby Langley's early effort, using 2 '40 Olds drive shafts for frame rails. Bob Joehnck at the Holy Grail of drag racing, Goleta. Bob was a speed merchant in Santa Barbara, and built some incredible racing cars for both the drags and Bonneville
Accelaquarter Raceway, southern Illinois, 1963. The track opened in June of 1963, this picture was taken later in the year because the lights were installed in late summer and appear in this picture. The 1956 Chevy in the picture was the first "Top Eliminator" on opening day. The car was owned and driven by Harold Abraham, Harrisburg, Illinois, and had a "worked" 265, three on the tree, and 4:11 lockers. This track was opened from 1963 to 1985, shut down from 1986 to 2007, reopened in 2008, a new owner purchased the track in 2012 and completely renovated it, today the track is for sale but not in operation. This track is located about 25 miles from Bill "Maverick" Golden's hometown. Bill brought his his '63 and '64 Dodge Super Stock cars here and made annual visits with the Little Red Wagon for many years. This track was also used by Buddy Ingersoll from 1963 into the early 80's. He lived about 30 miles from the track and raced his early gassers, the '56 Chevy, the Pinto, and many other cars here.
So my dad had a 1955 hard top that he raced with a shop out in Denver “Tak automotive” back in the spring of 1963. It’s really awesome to see all these old pictures man.
296arden thanks for posting those pictures and for the way you do it. Several pictures with descriptions all in one post, not a picture per post. Pat
How they did it in the old days, '34 coupe gets repairs in the pits, at Saugus. Steve Muck's roadster behind the coupe, his photo collection. Joaquin Arnett of the Bean Bandits. This car may have been built for someone else, though it did run with the Bandits at the first NHRA Nationals, 1955. The Bandits and Joaquin were willing to innovate, notice that this engine is a Studebaker V-8 with homemade injectors. Joaquin's daughter Jackie Arnett Sonka gave me this photo. Famed Georgia drag racer Hoyt Grimes built this rear engine dragster around a blown Cadillac, using a belly tank body. He passed away just a few weeks ago. The Weeks & Noble crew ran an injected Desoto on fuel in this chopped 32 sedan. Norm Grudem photo taken in the mid-'50s at Pomona. Russ Palmer worked out of Blair's Speed Shop in Pasadena, as did a lot of early '50s racers. He ran a Dodge in this metallic bronze fuel coupe. In those days fuel coupe rules required fenders. Don Montgomery collection. Two well-known drag racers, Ollie Morris and Harold Dawson. Ollie would later run the "Smok'n White Owl" dragster and Harold was involved in a number of competitive cars. Greth and Maynard at Phoenix, running as members of the Lords Car Club of Tucson. As Dean Lowe noted above, Red Greth just passed away. He, Don Maynard, and Lyle Fisher ran the famous Speed Sport modified roadster for years. Wally Parks at Pomona. Wally didn't build a lot of hot rods, as he was busy organizing Hot Rod and the National Hot Rod Association. He had earlier partnered to organize the Southern California Timing Association in 1938 and the hot rod sport owes him real recognition for all he did to make the sport legitimate. Harry Duncan's '34 coupe at Saugus. Harry was a home builder who ran some really nice cars. He normally ran a 365" Chrysler in this coupe, but here it is running a blown Ardun (you can barely see the induction tubes leading to the engine from the front-mounted blower. The car would later become the Goodyear and Serpia "Pacific Auto Body Special" with a 296" flathead, and later ran on the salt. It may still be around. Harry's grandson gave this photo to Craig Wise. Another tribute to Gary "Red" Greth, who ran this roadster with a 360 crank flathead. It really sounded different. Norm Grudem photo at Pomona. Dode Martin's first dragster, now fitted with a nice body after an earlier, more basis effort. Dode went on to co-found Dragmaster with Jim Nelson, and was both an incredible craftsman and driver. Dode Martin collection.
Ed "Ace" McCulloch's first dragster. The original caption said "1962," but I think it is late '50s. Blown Cadillac. Why did Ed call himself "Ace?" Because then-dragster rival Jerry Ruth called himself the "King of the Northwest." What beats a King? An Ace. Of course Dick Kalivoda topped them all when he called his Northwest fueler "The Joker."
Charles Adams and Leroy Luckey ran this nice deuce roadster, seen here at Caddo Mills. Possibly a Connell Miller photo. Bob Alsenez in Kenny Lindley's "Misfire," blown Chrysler from California, at the '56 NHRA Nationals...artwork by Von Dutch, who worked briefly out of Competition Body Shop. It looks like a street custom, but Bob Armstrong ran it at the drags as a fuel coupe. Here he is in line to run at Pomona. Photo from Kustomrama. Ken Austin's chopped and channeled T coupe at Scappoose, Oregon, early '50s. He normally ran a flathead V-8, but the local Ford dealer gave him a new Ford OVH 6, seen here.
Bob Rounthwaite's coupe at Paradise Mesa, Don Montgomery collection. Bob ran a 296" flathead in the car, which he also ran at the lakes Tony Waters at Saugus. He ran a GMC when this photo was taken, but would switch to a blown Desoto to take runner-up to Art Chrisman at the inaugural Fuel & Gas Championships. Randy Shinn's roadster at Pomona, 1953. The car started out as a street roadster, and then Randy modified it to a competition car, first front-engined, then engine moved to the rear for drag racing. Gene Mooneyham's 554 before Carl Johnson chopped the top, and before Gene partnered with Al Sharp to run his blown Chrysler. Dennis Stiles roadster, with Pomona Police Officer Ron Root ---the Pomona Police Department were instrumental in setting up and running the Pomona drags along with the Pomona Valley Timing Association. I found this photo in the Los Angeles Public Library archives. Ernie Hashim and driver Bill Repogle pose with Ernie's blown flathead dragster. The car would get a sturdier roll bar later. Smoker's of Bakersfield photo.
"which with a blown DeSoto to take runner-up to Art Chrisman at the inaugural Fuel & Gas Championships." He shoulda won!!!
Dave, Oregon had a similar Coupe to Bob Rounthwaite's. Father and Son team of Earl and Monte Rowland, ran this 33 in the early 50's, and went on to run a Blown Gas Dragster to the later 50's. Earl did the building and Son Monte did the driving. The Coupe was the first closed car to run over 100, up here.
Thanks, Marty, what a great photo, may I post on pre-'55 hot rods, attributed to you? We get way too few Oregon hot rods, and there were lots of them.
The Jalopy Journal
