I wonder why Al had that windshield-frame-looking thing on the firewall? Did some tech inspector get pissy about the laid back cockpit enclosure?
Either a tech inspector or maybe a competitor. Back in the ‘90’s Varni, Walsh, Walsh and Cusack built a ‘32 hi boy/blown BBC for Bonneville. It was a ‘glass body and didn’t have the windshield stop molded into the cowl. When they set a new record some competitors cried that the body had illegal modifications so they made a w/s stop in the off season and pop riveted it to the cowl. The next year they reset the record again. Take that, crybabies!
Hello, It has been over 62 years, but it seemed like it was just last week. The confusion of the late night race still is sharp in my mind. My brother, Atts Ono and I were standing in the B/Gas-C/Gas Class Lanes ready to come out into the final staging area prior to the starting line. We were talking about what my brother had to do to win the final C/Gas eliminator race against the class champion in the space in front of us. When the gate opened up and we were allowed to push toward the starting line, my brother assured us that the quickest start was going to win the final elimination race for the trophy. So, he was prepped. Atts Ono and I moved the 58 Impala up behind the 40 Willys Coupe. All prepped items were checked one last time and the 671 SBC motor fired up and rolled to the starting line. We lined up on the tower side. Over to the side was the top racer in the USA with his 671 supercharged Oldsmobile powered FED. Albertson Oldsmobile with Leonard Harris at the helm. The talk of the whole dragstrip was of seeing a 13th straight Top Eliminator victory for the team that night. One of the highlights of the 1960 drag racing year. No drag racer in history ever won 13 straight victories anywhere. They were prepped and ready in the staging area. We saw Mr. Childers up ahead standing next to his White Pontiac Ambulance and he waved to us. Mr. Childers, Dilday Ambulance Services Next to the dragstrip tower spot for easy access to the action. What was the most exciting spot for taking my drag racing films? Across the dragstrip from the spectator’s side bleachers and not having a chain link fence in front of me. But, wait, that puts me on the other side of the Orange Tower where the white Pontiac Ambulance was always parked. Yes, that was the secret spot that would be good for maybe 15-20 minutes. The two brothers in their khaki pants and blue nylon jackets talking with Mr. Childers. The movie shots were easier as it was a good background and closer to the action. (I did this enough, to time it, when the security guard would come by and yell at me to get back to the bleachers.) I went over there plenty of times and actually struck up a friendship with Mr. Childers, the ambulance driver from Dilday Mortuary. We became friends from the talks during the break in the action. The sons of the Dilday Mortuary Family went to our local high school during the same time period as my brother’s class and mine. Jnaki Note: When my brother was in the Willys Coupe accident and the ambulance took him to the hospital. As he was loading my brother into the Pontiac Ambulance, Mr. Childers told me that he would stay at the hospital to keep tabs, until my parents and I came back to the emergency department. Friends help friends in an emergency. Thanks...Mr. C.
The Jalopy Journal
