Hot Rods Lets see your neat vintage jackets

My good friend Gene Altizer and Ed Iskenderian with Gene's 1963 NHRA NATIONALS ISKY Class Champion Jacket.
Gene won A/Gas with his Anglia and was runner-up to George Montgomery in Middle Eliminator. These photos are from a few years ago....Ed said "Gene, I bet you can't fit in it anymore" !

 

Walking the Pomona swap meet several years ago, I found a vender wearing this jacket and I bought it from her.

 

A few more from my collection

 

This jacket was awarded to Chuck Arnold when he made the Champion 100 mile an hour club at the Indy 500 in 1959. That was quite an accomplishment at that time, because you had to average 100 miles an hour or more for the entire race and finish on the lead lap. He was a rookie that year and one of only a few to make that exclusive club.

 

Who... is.... that.... handsome young fella....

 

Flathead. Does the jacket with the name Dick Robbins happen to have a tag that says Indy Racing Apparel?

 

I think it does.

 

I won this jacket in High School at Milan Dragway with my 64 GTO. I was having a blast that day and I had just done a huge burn out in the pits. Then I heard the guys next to us say here comes the owner. He walked right up to me, looked at my car, put his hand on my shoulder and said "son we are glad you are here racing today and having fun but you are going to have to abide by our rules. Now take your hub caps off!!!!" I apologized and went on to win my class. Looking back at pictures I was racing with not even a helmet! Hub caps were a no no but helmets not required. Man that was fun times!!!

 

Hey LM,

We won our class many times, but never got one of those red jackets from Lions. Trophies, yes, but never a cool jacket.

I think there was a conspiracy in handing those out to the class winners. At any rate, we certainly would have kept them. Unless, of course they were made of wool, then by now, they would have holes in them.

Jnaki
Nice Photo Flatheadtommy.
These Wynn’s Friction Proofing jackets were the only jackets we wore at the drags when we were racing. Otherwise, it was the standard blue nylon jacket, white t’s, levis and desert boots. They were very comfortable and warm. But, the nylon chest and arm construction did little to protect the driver from fire or explosions. It actually melts fast near a flame or raging fire.

Later on, I wore mine at all of the desert motorcycles race events that we entered. If I got lost in the 100 mile desert races, it was a great flag or eye catching design. Plus, if someone was taking photographs, that Wynn’s red/yellow jacket stood out quite well.
Thanks for the memories, FT.

 

This is the official Indy photo of Chuck Arnold the year he intered the 100 mile an hour club

 

WOW amazing jackets and history that goes with them . Thank you all for sharing. Only vintage jacket I have is my Dads FFA jacket from 56

 

it's old so maybe it will count

 

Hello,

After walking around the Lions Dragstrip museum, I found several cool looking jackets. The biggest collection of jackets was in the Jack Chrisman corner with various, Howard Cam, and many different Lions Dragstrip, class champion jackets all along the wall.

The display was impressive for the jackets alone, but the rest of the display is drag racing history. Cook and Bedwell, Jack Chrisman, there was a lot of early history going on in that portion of the Lions museum.

Jnaki

Outside in the Cacklefest grounds, there were plenty of jackets and T Shirts. The Bivens and Fisher AA/FD had the neatest, large crew and family with their versions of drag racing history jackets and T shirts.