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

damn , Mazooma, I almost fell out of my chair. I am still laughing!

 

I spent a fair amount of time at Irwindale during it's last 2/3 years with my Anglia. I think it would have lasted a few more years, but eventually as noted closed without Millers help, but because of the surrounding non-racing people....the "noise" factor. There was, even though it was mostly an industrial area, there was plenty of housing to the west of the track with a little within earshot to the east and south also. Not much but Azusa Canyon to the north, that the housing didn't start up big till quiet a few years later.
Even then, people were complaining about the noise. In the papers every few weeks. Mostly coinciding with a large event..!

The Dirt bike racing was done on the property, on and off actually for quite a few years. I had a neighbor that was there a lot. And pissed because there was so much "closed" time. The dirt bike track came and went for many years...for some reason, never knew why.

Mike

 

Indy Nationals 1974

 

Roy Fjastad's Ant Eater?

 

^^^^^ that is bitch'in^^^^^

 

the noise really carried, I lived in the Sierra Madre Canyon in the early '70s (yes, with the hippies, just ask Mazooma!!), and even at more than 20 miles away (I think), I could hear the fuel motors from Irwindale (even heard the funny cars backing up at idle -- rump, rump, rump!!)...later lived around 15 miles from National Trail Raceway in Ohio and could clearly hear the fuelers during the Spring Nationals....now that I am a grumpy old fart, I sort of sympathize more with the folks who had to listen to it, back in the days it was "to hell with them!"

 

There goes Ward, being hard on the beaver again.

 

I could here the fuelers and funnies from Azusa when we lived off of Gladstone Ave.

 

Oh, you're the guy that sold me that lid full of stems and seeds!
Ha!
Yup, I lived here for 39 years and Irwindale was easy to hear on a saturday night.
What's weird is the noise from the runs would last about five seconds. I am about 6-7 miles west of the track, yet the sound compressed from 7 to 4 or 5 seconds. I have no idea why, but they all couldn't have been runs where the driver shut of early. They were all like that.
In 1974-1976, I'd sit on the armco barrier lined the south side of the track inbetween the strip and the fire-up lane. The other guys with photo passes would do the same. (yellow dot, photo below)
They'd roll out the funnies with the bodies up for a sort of static parade for the fans during the dinner break. Some of the drivers would walk along the fence and sign autographs and shake hands.
The announcer would introduce each team to the fans and then the crews would tow the cars back to the pits, all except for the first two for the first round.
The crews that I knew hated this tradition, but the promoter expected the whole staged show. The crews would much rather be doing some final tweaking before Round One.
But, it was a time when drag racing was mixed with big gobs of show business and glitz.
At the break, they even had some dope named "Leapin' Larry" who would try to jump from ramp to ramp on a go-kart. He'd get the crowd all worked up doing some "test runs" approaching the wooden ramp. The announcer's voice would add the necessary tension to what was a dumb trick.
Ol' "Leapin' Larry" then proceeded to go "ass over tea-kettle" and land upside-down with the kart landing on top of him.
The beer-guzzling crowd loved it when Larry waved his hand while they dumped him into the ambulance. Larry continued to wave out of the window of the meat-wagon as it sped off to the hospital.
"Leapin' Larry" broke a few ribs and being the professional that he was attempted the same "trick" again the following week at OCIR where he got killed.
Sometimes racin' should be just left to racin'.
But in the mid-70's the track owners would do all these stunts and have "tube-top nite" for the ladies and the famous "Fox Hunts" when the gals got in free and the beer was half-priced.
I swear half of the people in the stands didn't know Jack Schitt about drag racing. The whole show turned into a non-stop circus of antics, parachutists, rock bands and...."Leapin' Larrys"....more later...

 

Though from the early 80's the Anglia bares classic markings from some 10-12 years prior-Cragers, old school lettering, injectors, M/T valve covers. Could easily pass for a 1968 were it not for the later sedan behind it.

 

Early model action at Minnesota Dragways

 

Bob McGinley Fiat altered vs blown dragmaster

 

some Walt Niesen Cars

 

Still has a 1975 contestant sticker behind the door, about the same vintage of the Crower injector set-up.
Excluding the Rod Shop car, this could be trickest Anglia I've seen. This is a jewel of an example of what a gasser should to look like.

 

Looked pretty much the same when it parked across the street from my house in Sioux Falls in 1972-3

 

Some more from Pomona & San Gabe

 

Thx grave...30502 is badass

 

Tom Hoover 1964 AHRA Winternats Beeline Dragway Scotsdale Az

 

Growing up in San Dimas, could hear the fuel cars at San Gabe on Sat. nights from our place out on Cienega

 

More from Beeline 1964

 

B/D 8 goes to Winapeg Bison Dragway

 

I really digging the little Willys P/U. This use of magneseum wheels in the back and kidney slots in the front really accentuate its look.

 

Some Shots of my stuff 1964-66

 

Interesting...being only about 7 miles away (just about centered between Irwindale and Pomona !), I could hardly ever hear Irwindale..almost never. I guess the wind had to be just right...which it hardly ever blows toward the east..!
Now Pomona...before the seating redo...we could hear every fuel car round like it was across the street. Now, not so much. In fact, I only recall being able to hear the fuel cars at Pomona from two races, one a coupla years ago, and from last years Final race (I went Thursday and Friday only).

Irwindale - On those "show" days....I recall some of the altereds firing up...on "the return road"...just inches from us.
One ocasion..don't recall the car other than it was a Fiat..."something" blew out the header tube as soon as the car fired and cut the leg of the guy standing next to a friend of mine. We later found...an exhaust valve head...it had hit and stuck into one of the 55G drums they used for trash/oil dump cans. He pried it out (still warm) and kept it.

Also my first "almost" one on one with Garlits. Long story...

Mike

 

Please tell us the Garlits story..

 

Thank you for posting. Awesome!

 

Great tow car
1957 Olds wagon
Had 2 of them