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

Do you have any more pictures of the 65 Comet?

 

edwierd, i just fell in love with that picture of the willys from '65!

 

sorry thats all i have.

 

By September of 1966, funny cars were evolving fast. Here's a contrast between the sleek factory Mustang of Tom Grove taking on (I believe) Chuck Grimsley in the Pasadena Dodge. The factory cars were already going to custom chassis and tilt or lift off bodies, while conversions such as Grimsley's car look almost ancient by comparison. If I remember all this right, Grimsley was the track announcer at Wichita who wanted to join the party. This race featured a gathering of fuel and funny cars who no doubt received some appearance money for showing up. The strip over at Oklahoma City tried to lure guys in the week before the Nationals and the operator here at Tulsa did the same thing after Indy. The time around Labor day was always busy with lots of great action. Looks like a local car club has their rides lined up in the distance.

 

Denver's Ron Leslie drops the hammer on the Kenz & Leslie #777 factory Comet at Indy in 1966. This is one of four such cars, most of which came to a bad end. We watched this car racing a few months later at Tulsa when it appeared the body was coming off in the traps. Only when it was upside down and we saw the WHEELS did we realize it had taken off just like a plane. Fortunately Leslie survived, but the 777 was definitely worse for wear after its unplanned aerial antics.

 

"Partsrivet"..................amazing photos...thank you!!!!!

 

Another of Jimmy's pictures from the traps at Pomona in Feb. 1968. You can see the the camera is beginning to have shutter issues which eventually killed it. Still, it's fun to see Grumpy wheel to wheel with Hubert Platt in the Paul Harvey car. Anyone know who won?

 

A big thank you to everyone who has helped, encouraged and commented on these views. I appreciate it and am glad you're enjoying them.

 

Thank you!! (used to live in Golden, 915 19th street), cool town)

 

Up until about 1970, it wasnt uncommon the see rows of cars parked over there as folks clammored about phone poles, and other structures to get a cheap view of the action. I recall once on a Friday, being seated in my grandfathers car, passing by the track in the same direction as the race cars go-East. My grand dad thought his New Yorker could out run one of the rails making a qualifiying pass. We were nearifng the 1/8 mile mark when the rail left. I can still recall my grand mother screaming for him to stop as he had that "boat" whistling at about 75 MPH thinking he had that "rail job" beat. At about 1/8 mile mark, the unknown rail, rooster tail of smoke a billowing ,flew past us like we were standing still. My grandfather knew enough that most of "them rails was Chrysler powered." So it a took a Chrysler to beat a Chrysler he said smiling.

 

Dave Koffel in the Flintsone Funny Flyer Cracker 65 AWB Plymouth in the other lane.

 

Haha, great story. Thanks for sharing and putting a smile on my face.

 

is this that one allison aircraft v-12-powered wagon? I can't find info on it anywhere...

 

Search Google under E. J. Potter and/or the "Michigan Madman"....

 

John Taylor at Irwindale

 

Now that is a fire burn out!!!!

 

Wasnt it put back to stock...?

 

This fucking guy has balls....look where his goggles are. Gotta love those Scott Injectors.

 

That is a lot of fire !
One good thing about having the tank up front, with a rear mount tank and it's open vent I don't think the fire burnout would work so well.

 

SS/C action. Grumpy defeated Platt with a 11.18 @ 125.87.

 

John 'Crazyman' Taylor is an Aussie Don, This pic was probably taken at Castlereagh Raceway, Sydney, Australia
Just to show the first fire burnout wasn't a one hit wonder,
Here's another, this time with goggles on.

 

Isn't Peter Gates car the only one of these left? I saw it advertised a while back.

Those first fg bodies were only a little lighter than steel. It took several men to pick one up, and 2 to raise the front and prop. Those first Logghe/Trends cars weighed well over 2500# with big iron blower motor, full suspension and all, but any car can rotate and fly like a dove and it became obvious early once they started putting nitro dragster motors in production cars and going out past the 140~150 mph mark. At 170 and beyond, without warning or provocation, those early 1 piece cars could potentially turn a race into an air show.
Those run what you brung and then early F/C days were an experience and a learning one at that. But I've seen strange stuff in comp and even modified where you had to run with the hood on.
A good discussion a couple months back on the Altered W/B thread with a few good photos of some early aero louver & hole band-aids, air dams etc.
Tom S. in Tn.

 

I saw this old Ford run a bunch, thing would hawl ass and pound the ground...

 

Wasn't the Gate Job a fifth car that was built after the original 4 factory cars?


"The four ground-breaking cars were campaigned by Don Nicholson, Jack Chrisman, Eddie Schartman, and Kenz and Leslie."

 

Thanks, Big John! Lotta work as you know, but we are pretty happy with the result. You know racing....got to forget it and go on!
Hope you are well! E

 

Does anyone remember the picture posted about a year ago of the orange'ish cuda funny car that had the really crazy psychedelic paint job, it looked like the painter had smoked some dope before painting it. In the picture the car was on a really hokey built open trailer. I remember one of the comments was "Hey man, lets paint a funny car and build a trailer" (in a really stoner like voice)? I can't seem to find the photo. Thanks.

 

OK Southlanders (or any other AA/FD fanatics), does anyone recognize these two cars that Jimmy caught in the traps at Pomona at the Winternationals in 1968? 1/500th of a second wasn't good enough to stop these guys who were probably going 200+ and I can't make out the lettering but maybe the paint will give them away. This was during elimiantions on the final day if that helps.

 

Green Valley Raceway near Smithfield Tx was the closest sanctioned strip to Dallas in the mid-to late '60's. I always loved to wander the pits so seldom sat in the 'broiler' seats on the west side. At this time, they didn't have a Christmas tree-the guy you see is the starter who kept his cupped hands at his side, brought them up and when they touched, the race was on. Needless to say, there was grumbling from those who were disqualified for a jump start, or others that claimed someone else jumped and got away with it. Add to that the mayhem of 4 cars running at once and things could get interesting. Fortunately, fuel cars, etc ran 2 at a time. Sorry for the poor scan on this one-I'll probably hold off doing more GV post until I get the original slides back.

 

I currently live on top of whats left of Green Valley in what is now North Richland Hills. The starting line and burnout box is still there but thats about it. Go here where I have a Green Valley and Texas thread for more pics, but please post your pics, I am obsessed with Green Valley since I wasnt able to live through it.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=656268

 

Far side looks like the SOHC of Kallitta, near side might well be Jim Nichols Der Weinerschintzel.