Have a few vintage video's from my grandfather and his friends (Dick Foster, Bud Ward, Nylic Tatum, Bert York and Harold Lozano) drag racing around Texas. The early ones are from the mid 50's in San Antonio and then go into 60's. I will add more videos to this thread as we get them together. Some track side in the pits, some at the shop and a lot going down the air strip or track. Found some video of the Scorpion, Don Garlits in Swamp Rat III, Widdle White Wabbit, El Toro 666, Vance Hunt, Greer Black Prudhomme and many more. Enjoy! #1 The next few videos are the roots of drag racing in the San Antonio area. This is where it all began! No drag strips to run at - so they would race down the flight lines at the local air force bases. The flight lines were at Randolph Field (now Randolph Air Force Base) and at Martindale. This was the beginning of the Rebels Race Club (1953) and Gear Grinders CC (1951) out of San Antonio. #2 #3 This video is from Bud Ward out of San Antonio in the mid to late 50's. #4 Mid 50's drag racing in San Antonio. More racing on the flight lines at Randolph and Martindale. Could you imagine getting on an air force base these days to drag race down the flight lines. #5 The next 3 video's are from Witchita 1958 & Houston 1957, 1958 and 1960 #6 Scorpion I in this one. About one minute in and then running down the track after that. #7 #8 #9 Green Valley Raceway - Don Garlits with Swamp Rat III and several others #10 1962 Green Valley Raceway with Greer Black Prudhomme, El Toro 666, Widdle White Wabbit and San Antonio's York Automotive and Bud Ward. #11 First few seconds of video is around 1962 with Widdle White Wabbit running down the track at Green Valley Raceway. It then goes into Green Valley Raceway from what I believe to be 1966 / 1967. There is a wild looking dual engine FED about 50 seconds in, Widdle White Wabbit, Vance Hunt's black FED, Mayhew & Dyer and a few cars out of Houston. Next few videos will be from this time period at Green Valley. #12 GREEN VALLEY RACEWAY AHRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DRAGS!!!!!! Not exactly sure what year, but either 1966 or 1967. Roy Thigpen in "The Jumpin Jimmy", The Burgandy Bandit, Ayers & Stroud, Byrds Automotive out of Ft. Worth and Art Malone wrecks his FED. #13 GREEN VALLEY RACEWAY AHRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DRAGS -Continued #14 How about some old school circle track. Video quality is not that great, but still worth looking at.
Didn't realize how many cars were sporting Wide Whites at the track!!! Seeing that three window 32 with the crushed roof reminds me how dangerouse going in a straight line can be!!! What's the deal with the guy wearing a Big Red Square on his head in the end of the second video? Cool to see the Fly-over by the B-47 Stratojet in the middle of the third film!!!
Fantastic footage and good coverage. That 8mm film held up really well and thanks to your grandpops for saving it and you for sharing it. Very cool.
Thanks for going to the trouble of posting these for us. They show a time when America was, I believe, at its most optimistic. At the time of these videos, I was a little too young to drive but absorbing everything I could from the older guys with the hot cars and devouring the "little pages". Tell Grandpop thanks also.
I agree. A good portion of the video's I have posted so far were from the mid 50's and the racing took place at the Randolph and Martindale Air Fields here in the San Antonio area. Could you imagine getting on an air force base these days and them letting you run down the flight lines or actually holding drag racing events there? Got some more videos from the early 60's coming up next. Tons of slingshots!
WOW! Just watched video 3 and it Ruled! When I was stationed at Randolph in '88 I remember "old timers" at the NCO club and auto hobby shop talking about the days shown in this video. Too cool to see what they described.
I think my pants just tightened up a little bit watching a couple of these clips! Schmoovy! You've got some great material to work with here. These are better than average '50s home movie clips. Not just great car and racing footage, but some incredible "people" shots too. So how did you convert these from film to digital? They look really good and the speed looks to be dead on. And how about some music credits too? Nice job. Keep 'em comin'!
They were transfered from film to VHS some years back and I just recently put them in a digital format. The music: Hot Rod walt and Psyco DeVilles Rock'n Ryan and the Real Goners The Hillbilly Hellcats Gene Vincent Reverend Horton Heat Link Wray
my head just exploded to find THAT much stuff - quite amazing if you ever sell these - let me know and I will purchase from you - you can ask EVEL or the guys from Hot Rod Havoc - I pay my bills usually! ha people would LOOOOVE to see this stuff
That is the best Ive seen as of today since I started my blog Hecho In Texas 2 years ago. Every car I've written about is in this group of videos and then some. Its great to see hidden treasure like this being posted for everyone to enjoy before it gets lost. Only on the Hamb! I could name a few of the racers I saw in the vids for those that dont know them. Instead heres the link to photos of most of these racers found in the videos. Texas Drag Racers
The Jalopy Journal
