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

Classic little match up here: jr fueler takes on blown comp roadster. Near side car appears to have Garlits mail order chassis.

 

Well, they appear to be credentialed photographers...you can see a rope that designates the area.
There are still several credentialed photogs today that are in wheelchairs.
When you get press credentials you sign away you rights and you are therefore responsible for your own safety+injuries.
These aren't paying spectators.
The other side of the track shows the typical safety containment for spectators.
At Irwindale I was allowed to go anywhere I wanted, but the risk was all mine.

 

I once managed to trek into the bleach burnout area at Irwindale. I loosly aligned myself with my neighbors jr fuel car. Acting "natural" and found myself in the center of the arena where a 12 year old didnt belong. Encircled by the activity was over whelming. The blarring of the announcer, the snap, crackle and pop of the cars, having to watch your back else being trampled by car or crewman-all very cool as the packed stands looked on.

 

Kallita and Leong had a match race at York US30 when I was about 16. Haveing never been around fuel cars I was dumb enough to sneak behind the starting line. Was probably about 40 feet away when they left the line. Probably one of the many reasons my hearing isn't good.

 

Lew Arrington did the same thing in 1971.

 

Was Tommy Groves later entries to be the typical stock stroke 426's with the bogus Shotgun valve covers? I know he ran a Shotgun as late as 1971, but maybe it too was a disguised Elephant?

 

Mantenga los ojos bien abiertos, voy a publicar un lote enorme de fotos pronto.

 

From what I can see it looks like the headers are on the outside of the chassis.

But my point was it was not the monocoque car that was mentioned earlier, it was a conventional flip up car

terry

 

Here are some photos I purchased at a garage sale several years ago, they are old API pictures so black and white. I will describe in order from what picture said:Bob Burkitt cincinnatti,OH in 1970, Barry Poole Canada 1970 didnt say the track. Garlits on Friday 70 Nationals ran [email protected], Jim Nicols explodes with Prudhomme wins 3rd title(Indy) 9/7/70 ran 230.7 mph, next 3 are Nicols exploding photos by freelance Lee Jurras, Dbl.A fueler Bob Murray St.Louis,MO explodes at 70 Nationals, Bill Stepps Cuda no date, Mini Brute built and driven by Jack Ditmars runs 180 plus under 8 secs. w/injected 470 Buick engine. Dave Anderson blowing up 1970 Indy, Andersons tire flying after hitting guardrail,Jim Paoll in far lane, Anderson was not injured. Last Alan Page from the Vikings in his 71 400 inch Charger on 5/16/71 no track listed...

 

Some were indeed credentialed photographers, but many of those around the starting line when the big races were on were not. The gentlemen in the wheelchairs weren't shooters, they were just being accorded a courtesy. Not a problem for me. Many others were racers, girlfriends and other assorted hangers-on--none of whom had press passes. But they were adults and officials didn't run them off. Again, not a problem-it's just how it was.
As you stated, if you were a kid but a known quantity, such as with the folks at Irwindale or Lions, you were tolerated. If you went someplace where you weren't known, even with a pass, you were just another kid someplace where he didn't belong.-an easy target to be moved along. Just more of life's lessons being imparted to us back in the day.

 

The pictures

 

"Keep your eyes open , I'll post a huge batch of photos soon" .
hahaha
Gotta love google,,
Cant wait Muttley!!

 

Just as Garlits wasn't the first to build a rear engine car, Buterra ( and Foster) were the most sucessful at the digger type FC chassis in 1969.There were some home built similar chassis ( not everyone ran a Logghe) before that, but the blue 69 Mach I RULED FC, causing everyone to switch the next year.
THAT is the story.

 

Gracias Los Poochos!

 

Lutz and Lundberg... hometown Minnesota boys!

Thanks, AGAIN, for posting all these great photos.

 

More pictures.



And the youtube link. Pretty good picture of the chassis at 1:36.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJU3M-T0TXI

 

I never saw this car, but the headers are still inside the chassis. Was this a Foster chassis?
Buttera. Foster. and every body else may have gotten their ideas from the Riley & Powers car which could have been before Buttera's work, but I just don't think it was universally credited as the trend setter. I was thinking 71' also, but it may have been 70'. Tom S. in Tn.

 

Gary; Was this a Foster built car?
I was thinking Buttera was first with a deep car and it was later than 69'. I was a tag along during this time period, so who knows, I may have been a couple years behind the curve. Tom S.

 

Tom,
Pat Foster did build the Mustangs.
He also drove one of them didn't he?
I've done a little more poking around and it looks like the real narrow cars started showing up real regularly in 70. I've seen a couple that were Woody Gilmore cars.

Also found out that after the 69 Mustangs, Mickey Thompson tried the monocoque car in early 70 and it didn't work well enough. The article also said the 69 chassis' were too heavy to compete with the new narrow frames so those cars were parked.

 

Foster did build two Mustangs for Mickey, the blue one pictured and a longer wheelbase red one. Foster drove the red car that was destroyed at Dallas during the Springnats when he swerved into Gary Shwartz lane. Gary t boned him and the roll cage seperated from the Logghe chassis of Schwartz's rat motored Cougar. It wasn't pretty. The blue car went on to win nearly everything everywhere in 1969 driven by Danny Ongais. About the only car to run with it was Mazamanians 69 Cuda. Almost everyone that could afford it switched to the new style chassis by 70, the blue Mustang was too heavy by 70 and sold by Mickey. The rapid advancement of tech made cars obsolete sometimes in mere months. Remember there were HUNDREDS of funny cars in( of varying capabilities ) in that era.
As for Powers & Riley, seems like they still ran AA/Fd in 1969, I really don't know. Look and you will see MANY different chassis designs for funny cars pre 70 or so, some worked, some didn't. Some kicked ass, some were just not too fast. just as now, money equaled speeed and success. Remember, in those days you could build your own car and chassis in your garage if you wanted to. The NHRA had, ( by today's standards), minimum standards. There was no one way to go and FC design changed almost monthly. the whole idea was new and rapidly evolving.
Chassis and all design became more standardized by 71 or so, they just finally figured out what worked best.
For those of you that weren't around then, and pine for less regulation, it changed because a LOT of drivers died in those years due to loose or non existent safety requirements. It was a great era, but too many men died racing.

 

Here's the red car Foster (RIP) drove. Note Jess Tyre's Firebird and the nose of ( I'm guessing) Nelson Carters Charger to the left. This is the same Charger ( repainted as the Super Chief) featured in green in it's original "Imperial Customs" livery that is posted elsewhere here. I THINK it'd Carters car.
Back to the M/T Mustangs, by the Springnats, the had several TENTHS on other FC's!!

 

Gary, great write up on the state of the nation as it once pertained to the rapidily evolving F/C breed. I think the Charger behind the M/T 'Stang was the Mr. Norm Chrager. It appears red, and I know its grill was embossed with reference to the Coke Circuit. I wish someone would do a book on that circuit. Really intriguing.

 

The Logghe cars were mass manufactured, and by and large from corporate backing.
The recent photo of Bobby Wood's Chevelle is a good example of a non-corporate car on the circuit prior to rigid SEMA standards. No 1 piece body, box tubing space frame, etc.. And there are many others, and several of them did in fact kill drivers and spectators alike.
Who was the guy named Tommy (?) who built the gold colored Cadillac out of real Cad parts that lifted from the rear?

I concur WCD.
This is exactly why I come to this site, not just good photo's, but for the education.
Thank you Gary and Larry !

 

A home built f/c used on the home grown and unsanctioned local mid-tn. circuit. Tom S. in Tn.

 

#32991;
" I wish someone would do a book on that circuit. Really intriguing."

Just caught this WCD.
Of all the F/C history and coffee table books, this story would be more colorful than flying WWII aces. It was like the nationals was coming to town when the annual Coke Calvacade rolled through the mid south, and the only real opportunity for us at local and regional levels to actually see those cars that toured and competed on a national level, up close and personal.
From Orange County to Yellow River, this would make one heck of a book alright.
Tom S.

 

We drove up to Amarillo to see the Coca Cola Cavalcade of Funny Cars back in 69 (I think). Kelly Chadwick won it and Fred Goeske put on the best show with his orange Roadrunner. Found out later that it was the first race of the series.

http://www.draglist.com/stories/SOD-Oct-2002/SOD-103102.htm

 

I think you are correct, it probably is the Mr Norm car. i need to wear my glasses when looking!

Speaking of the Coke Cavalcade...

 

Here's the red car hauling ass! It qualified low at the 69 springnats with a 7.35-SUPER quick in 69. Most local FC's were still running 8's at the time!