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

Ronnie Cox.

 

Starting from the top the Fiat is Lonnie Butts’ Twitch a wee in the tech line at Pomona. Not sure in the flathead powered roadster but the next three are Gabby Bleeker’s Bantam, followed by Carl Heichel’s altered and then Eddie Hill and finally the Cook and Bedwell rail

Roo


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Thanks Roo. You might want to change your profile to "Mr. History."

 

Note Maintained by none other than RONNIE SOX

 

Nope, the car crashed at Irwindale, I was there.

 

I was thinking the same but I was not there so I did not want to comment

Roo


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The original Pure Hell pictured 56 years ago before it had that name, it was run by Guasco, Cerruti & Gray. Shortly after these photos were taken it was painted and given the name.
The A/HR class designation was Hot Roadster for altered roadsters running fuel. Coupes ran in the Fuel Coupe class and were required to run fenders. It was later that coupes and roadsters ran together in the Fuel Altered class.

 

The first photo is Gabby’s F/A after the car was chopped and refined a bit, seen here still running a big inch Olds.
Last photo is the original car running on gas, classed as an A/Altered coming off the line at Union Grove, WI. I see hairpin radius rods on the front but I’m not sure they are on the updated car, maybe that was a new muffler-moly chassis when Gabby went to nitro?

 

Famous chassis builder Woody Gilmore has died. This is an early effort when Woody lived in Concord. Both he and Paul Sutherland moved to Southern California later, where Woody founded Race Car Engineering, where Paul also worked. The caption is not exactly right, as Roger Lee pointed out...the car is Paul's, not Woody's. RIP, Woody (photo taken at Vaca Valley, 1958)

 

Sad to hear of such a contributor to the hobby. The roadster in the back ground - is that a B/H destination on the door ? Is that for "blown hot roadster class ?

 

B is the engine size compared to the weight. A being a big engine in a light car. H is Hot Roadster which means it's a fuel car.

 

Sad news Dave, Woody was one of the best. Too bad his career was cut short, due to a litigious society. Great picture, with Hank Vincent's Top Banana, just behind.

 

One of the great innovators, Godspeed Woody.

 

Woody certainly thought outside the box and was always willing to experiment...

Here's Kenny Bernstein early in his career driving one of Woody's creations...

 

R.I.P. Woody Gilmore, one of the great ones from an era of beautiful cars.

 

Hey M,

We also liked the Top Banana when we read about it in the Drag News. It just had the look and attitude for a cool race car. But, to see it in person at the 1960 Bakersfield Smokers March Meet was outstanding. We were totally impressed. My brother told me to definitely take some movies of that red Top Banana FED.
Top Banana total

Jnaki

It was a historic meet and there were a lot of racers from all over the USA in attendance.


A sampling of some, including Eldon Dye/Don Hampton's Competition Coupe in the staging area along side of the Top Banana.

 

Jnaki, thanks for posting the videos, you are always so thorough !

 

A few more from the Northwest. Hope everybody had a great 4th.

"1967 sparks fly when going down track crowd goes wild"

 

"2 B,S name 1968 SIR low buck"

 

"1968 SIR"

 

"63 Ford Falcon C/A Class Alt wheel Base Owner Ron Mattrs"

 

Dogs and Cats...

 

Boy, the things Bob would do to go incognito.

Here is a great article about Bob Muravez aka Floyd Lippencott(e)

http://www.allusanewshub.com/2020/04/27/the-secret-life-of-floyd-lippencott-jr/