Motion Pictures Early 60s Drag Racing at Cordova Dragway

Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post:

Early 60s Drag Racing at Cordova Dragway

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That was my favorite time for drag racing, wheel standing, tire smoking. Good photos although a little distorted, but very enjoyable, thanks for posting.

 

Excellent video, really showing the scene I remember in those glory days. I was loving seeing the "rat fink" style hats on many of the folks. Our club at the time The C-Dans all had them, and I was the hat maker. We would thrift the wool fedoras and then soak them in water, stretch them over a fence post, then use a broom handle to get the pointy look.

 

Great footage of the Greek's Stuckey car. I believe Cordova was the site of his over 200 mph run in about 1960, in an earlier car.

 

I agree, it's great seeing the ChiZler in action. I love the brief era of weed burner headers, before the zoomies took over.

 

Exactly. This is in late '64 at Lions. Stuckey's 56 Ford wagon doing the push duties.

 

That Coronado Red 1960 Pontiac Push-Car — love it!

 

YES......that was my first ever real drag strip experience. I was born and raised in E. Iowa about 2hrs north of Cordova. In 1963, as a junior in high school, we built a "camper" RV out of a 1947 Dodge square body milk truck.....fold down bunk beds.....Coleman stove.....small cabinets etc. It was originally Meadow Gold yellow and red. We painted it dark blue in my friends farm driveway. Pooled all our money and put two new front tires on. Flathead Dodge six and 4spd. Five of us made the weekend trip. We actually entered our friends totally stock 50 Ford sedan with a totally stock flathead......still remember what it was like to have those shoe polish class designations painted on the window ! Left them on until a few miles out of town so that the locals and his parents would not see it !!
We were in hot rod heaven......gassers......super stocks......dragsters......noise smoke and more noise and smoke. We were hooked forever. We took a little bit of a "left turn" after that and built our first dirt track car in 1964 as seniors in high school. Great.....great long journey on the whole internal combustion spectrum......

 

I grew up in Dubuque, Iowa, which is a couple hours north of Cordova. My Stepdad, Jim Perry raced there in the late 60's/early 70's, but that was well before I started going to races. He had a T altered, an early 60's 'Vette, and an LS-6 Chevelle over the years.