Deed, Glad you found this thread ! There may be some pics of the '55 you speak of floating around as there are several folks who have photos from the track. I'll look to see if I have shots of the cars you speak of anywhere, if I do I'll post them here. The 8mm film would be great to see, I think Wal-mart of K-mart offer a service to convert 8mm to DVD. It might be worth looking into.
Thanks Pete, yes, very glad I found the site, I was just on the phone with my cousin Jim, telling him about this site. He is my age and the brother of my cousin Walt who drove the Mr. Postman car., he came along with us sometimes. Pete, the 55 had a fairly large hood scoop, it was made in High School metal shop by my Brother or his friend Glenn. While cleaning up in the garage attic recently, I came across the helmet that my Brother wore. I gave my brother the link so he may be posting soon too. Thanks Again
Back in the early 60's, My Dad was buddy's with a guy by the name of Jack Betio (from Lakehurst, NJ) who ran a '55 Chevy at Old Bridge. The car was called "Alley-oop". My Dad says every time Betio came to the line, they played the song "Alley-oop" over th P.A. Anybody have an info about Betio and/or pictures of the car? Thanks, Dave
Fellas, Here's an unidetified (to me anyway) '55 Chevy that may be familiar to some new visitors to this thread, that's friend George Znachko "holding" the "55 Chevy.
Pete, thanks for posting the picture of the 55, I did see that one posted and thought at first it might be the one my brother raced but it is not. I am pretty sure his was a 210 model and I know it did not have the quarters cut out. Thanks for your help Deed
Hello Deed! Is this the car? It's been quite a while since I posted on this thread, I'm not getting any update notices. I guess I forgot to "subscribe"! In the time since, I have met Pete L. at the OBD Reunion and found out he lives right down the street from me! Nice to see my brother Greg checking in. He went to the "Bridge" every week with our Dad. I went to McDonalds with my Mother and Sister! As stated up post, the photos Greg linked to are outakes that our Father shot with a Polaroid camera for his OBD Eastern Drag News results columns. As Pete L. mentioned I had found some more and had them displayed at the last reunion. It would be really cool if I could talk Greg into coming up for the next Reunion. He know's a lot more about OBD then I do. Here are some more of the "new" outake photos; A lot of people also get confused about the two lights on the pole to the right of the oval track "traffic" light. That light was placed there so the officials in the Timing Stand could read the shoe polish letters written on the car windshields. Another thing I found was my Dad's "Meet Report Book". For tax purposes he keep track of all the NJTA expenses from OBD. Here's a scan of the page from opening night, April 3th 1965! You might notice an F. Pinkus listed. That's Frank Pinkus and he used to race and was also an official. He also lives right by Pete L. and Me. Attempts to get him to the Reuion have been unsuccessful. You'll also see that the Annoucer is listed as E. Noe. That's because "Bill" Noe's real first name was Everett. His white Ford Ranchero can been seen in the photos showing the infield. The Ford Econoline van was my Dad's. Sometimes you'll also see his mini-bike parked in front of it! So does anybody know anybody else on the list? Hey Greg, I didn't know you were at Don Garlit's first 200mph run at Island. Was the whole family there? As I stated up thread that I still have a Timer. I'd been thinking about donating it to Don Garlit's Drag Racing Museum in Ocala Florida since it's the type of Timer that his first 200mph run was clocked on. Last month I went to Florida and went to Don's museum. I almost got to talk to Don but he was on the phone with somebody about a messed up shipment and was in a bad mood. The lady behind the counter said I really didn't want to talk to him today. Apparently he also just had a close friend from his crew pass away that week! Here I am with the first dragster to go 200mph in a quarter mile! He has a sign and photo about the record run at Island; Notice the difference in the time on his sign versus the time on the EDN! I ended up talking to one of the museum's curators and left him with a write up about the Timer. I got an email from Don a few days later telling me to send it down. It weighs like 70lbs! I thought maybe he might offer to pick up the shipping costs. I haven't done anything about it yet. So, what to you guy's think? Should I send the Timer down to Florida, or hang on to it and bring it to next years OBD Reunion?
Yes. By all means give it to Garlits. I know that timer well from operating it in the 1950s shortly after Fred Shulz built it for us until I went into the army in 1961. I think I posted a picture esrlier in this forum of me operating this timer. Too bad none of the finish line photo-cell boxes survived or you could see of it still works!
Thanks Greg for posting the old drag news stuff i got some stuff on my dad's B/C car and i didnt know that he raced under the name R&G race team Rocky
Kurt, From the April 3, 1965 opening day roster you have posted: ASST. Hurley R. lives two blocks away from me, and RECORDER Znachko G. is a local as well ! Thanks for posting all the pics, keep the timing stuff in Jersey...we need a drag racing museum of our own !!!
Old Bridge Drags Thanks for posting the picture of the Merlino Brothers B/A, yes that is the one I watched go over the wall, I remember the announcer had referred to it as the Merlino Brothers "Sanitary" B altered, looking at that photo I can see why, very clean car. The next day I took some white shoe polish and a tooth pick and lettered my HO scale slot car Merlino Bros. B/A. Thanks for that great photo, really brings back the memory of that night. Deed
Oh, here's the other thing I wanted to post. Some movies from "The Bridge"! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBx2qGA6d3I This is from Bee On Video out of Florida. I contacted the guy about it and he told me it was on the end of a reel of 8mm film somebody from Long island had sent him. He dubbed in the sound effects!
Old Bridge Drags Hi, thanks for posting that great video clip and for your previous post showing copies of Eastern Drag News, I think I still have an old issue in the basement, have to dig it out. I also noticed in the winners section there was mention of the Kavalick Brothers and their A/SS Plymouth, they grew up in town here about a half mile from me. Great to relive all these memories and I look forward to meeting some of you at the reunion this year. Still hope someone may find a photo of my Brothers 55.
I got some more photos scanned! Here's a great photo of my father Art Grotyohann on what looks to be some sort of awards night. They're using the NJTA van as a back drop and they look to be standing on the starting line as I think I see a photocell in the lower left corner of the photo. Anybody know who the Trophy Girl is? Too bad the photo got creased. Frank mentioned up-thread that the NJTA started at Woodbine Airport down in South Jersey. I have a few photos from there. Here's the timing crew cooking breakfast in the back of the NJTA van! On the far right with the glasses is Fred Shultz. Next to him looking a little doofy is my father. I don't know who the guy is checking out the eggs. This is a different angle shot from inside the van of the same action. (Notice the floor jack to the right of the hot plate!) Once again it's Fred Shultz on the right with my Dad next to him. I don't know who the other two people are. Here they are enjoying their breakfast! We had that Scotch cooler for years! On the back of the photos one has a handwritten number "4", and one a number "6". I'm thinking there might have been more. I only have these three.
great pictures,,,,, looking into the backround I cant help but notice the different NJTA logos one on the shirt hangin one on the banner different than one I happened to come across on a patch,,,maybe the one I have is earlier??? any info
No, it was just Dad & me. You were at Mickey D's with Mom & Beth. We went out to eat afterward with Don and his crew as well as Eddie that owned Island at the time. All the names on the list sound familiar. I guess that was before I was an official NJTA employee and just sold Eastern Drag News. When is the Reunion this year? Greg P.S. I was contacted by the Pacers after they saw your pictures. They sent me a T-shirt for emailing copies of the Tasmania Devil to them.
Greg, it looks like you show up "on the books" on opening night of 1967 as the "E.T. boy". I'm hearing that the reunion this year might be on October 6th & 7th. Nothing official yet. Stay tuned!
Ron, Since the photo of the shirt in the truck is from Woodbine and pre-dates the drags at Old Bridge, I'm thinking the shirt logo may have come first.
Rocky, I don't know if you're still hangin' here or not, but if you looked at the photos that Greg posted you would have found these:
The breakfast pictures were taken at the Woodbine drags in 1956. The guy checking the eggs is Walt McKeon. Fred Shulz did not spell his name with a "t". (He was Swiss). The other guy in the breakfast pictures is - I think - Tom Collow. He and McKeon were original NJTA members and both were officers in the early years. I have a program from the NJTA Newark show in 1957 and at that time McKeon was VP and Collow was secretary. Collow was also a state rep for NHRA and would periodically submit news about New Jersey to Hot Rod Magazine. The NJTA was founded in 1952. They held a show in Johnson Park, New Brunswick, in 1953 and I have pictures of that show. They were key players in getting drag racing going at Linden Airport in 1954 under the leadership of the NHRA Safety Safari which travelled around the country helping locals get drag racing started. By 1956 the NJTA had their own timers and the step van truck with a 5 kva generator and were able to get drag racing going at an old airfield in Woodbine. That generator powered the electric fry pans for breakfast. There was no commercial poswer available in the area. The Woodbine airfield was soon taken over by the military for a Nike missile base. The NJTA's next effort at drag racing was Old Bridge Stadium. That was either '58 or '59. I worked Old Bridge from the first meet until 1961. I also ran a 34 coupe in C/A and still have a few of my trophies from there. The NJTA logo was a Bonneville style 32 coupe. That was on decals, plate toppers, membership cards, etc. The jacket patch was the only time they used the roadster front view. Don't know why two different logos were used. Both were in use in 1956 what I first went to an NJTA meeting.
That's funny! I don't remember ever reading the E.T. clock. I only remember reader the MPH one since you had a chart you used to convert seconds to MPH.
For 1935Ron: I'm talking to Rodders Journal about NJTA history and they are very interested. Don't know where it's likely to go.
Don Raleigh still lives in NJ. and is a member here on the HAMB, he goes by the name 5quart. This should link you to his user profile; http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/member.php?u=10218
Rodder's Journal contacted me about two weeks ago but he wanted me to ID rods and dragsters from the fifties that are believed to be northeast cars. I could only ID a few. I asked him if he was still interested in NJTA pics and told him if he wasn't I'd offer them to another mag. He was apologetic and claimed to be so busy. He says he really is interested but can't get into it now. I told him as long as he's interested I'll wait. He is my first choice. If I don't hear from him by the fall I'll go shopping. Maybe Hot Rod Deluxe. They're back. I try to keep in touch with Don Raleigh. I first met him in the late fifties and later we were neighbors for many years. We both moved away about the same time. I last saw him two years ago at a hot rod reunion of sorts in NJ. His website is: http://oilnspeed.com/ Ron, I love your plate topper. Never saw that kind. Mine is the coupe on a white background.
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