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

Thanks for the tip. Something happened to your link but I was able to get there.

 

Ivo borrowed the blown nail head from Tony Nancy's roadster. Times didn't improve, so the injected motor was put back in the car.

 

Gotta love the Tony Nancy leather driving suit...never clear how it protected you from fire (doesn't leather shrink and burn?), but Tony sold more than a few of them before the aluminized suits came out courtesy of Jim Diest...Tony also made a leather bag to carry your leather suit and helmet in........

 

I think the early cloth sportscar coveralls, after being soaked in Borax, offered more protection than leather. But leather does look cool. More suited for flat track, than drag racing.

 

I don't know.....looks safe to me! sheesh! The early guys were fearless!

 

I think the extent of protection with a leather suit would be keeping hot oil off the driver with an exploded engine. Fire, not so much. The leather suits were during the time of the nitro ban. The gasoline guys didn't have as much concern about fires.

 

Eh, you might be right. Nitro or gas, until late 62, you had a leather suit or a Fonzi jacket. Hats off to Deist. Wasnt it Gary Dyer who fireballed in the traps at Fremont. Crews running up to him expecting a charred reamin only to find the prototype suit had protected him.

 

Sorry so late responding, but did I read this correct? 450" Packard?
Looks like a custom Algon on top. Tom S.

 

Tom, Wayne told me he used a B- Mopar unit, it was a close fit, a Hilborn I think.

 

Yes, Jim Deist was a hero to any driver who ever became a human fireball. The lives he saved with his safety inovations are countless. Our machine shop made all the tips for the nylon cutters he used in his business. He was a man with a huge heart, but a "pain in the ass" to do work for.

 

Yea! Muttley's back!!

 

I had a visit with funny car owner and driver Don Hudson today....very cool guy and bought me lunch.

 

This Mopar coupe is just about got damn perfect

 

Thanks Muttley !

 

Kind of a fuzzy picture, but I'm wondering if this is Big Mike Burkhart? Maybe Schmidt, too?

 

Got some info we were talking about. Found some newspaper clippings. The Irwindale crash was on Jan 2, 1966 and the driver was Andy Cordova...and suffered a broken rib...but was okay. Do you have any more photos from the crash? Would love to see them if you don't mind.