History roll bars, fuel safety ect

Over on George Klass,s site looking at the 1950 to 1960 cars I do not know how any of us old turds survived. Ever now and then ,NO helment, shoulder high roll bars, no scattersheild , gas tank in cock pit, ect. Our safty suits were levi,s and a white T shirt. I have rodded for 60 yrs now and still enjoy it however do realize the good Lord was beside me every run. Have a good trip guys and be safe.

 

I was reading a story on a race that ran in the 20's or early 30's where five of the people racing died that day. That was when "roll bar" probably wasn't even a term yet.
I'd agree that looking at photos from the 30's, 40's and 50's I don't know how guys survived if they crashed. I remember seeing one photo of a "race car" that had a roll bar made out of old drive shafts that still had the yokes on some of them.

 

Survival was for non crashers.

 

we all know what the rule book was written with...

 

I did survive a couple of those crashes however our cars were very solid for the day.

 

I don't like a lot of rules but the people who want to build period correct and not adhere to basic safety such as decent cages are nuts. might as well put it in a museum ( or cackle fest) it.

 

Just bought a truck for my son yesterday and drove it home from three towns over the way. The Po had swapped out the seat with a nice one. All good but he must have been a no seat belt guy. They were crammed under the seat and unbolted. Can't remember the last time I drove without one, it felt funny. This afternoon I got it all straight, before my kid can drive it. He's never been in a moving vehicle without wearing one.
Looking back, it was a crude world we lived in.

 

still see the argument here, and elsewhere, against seat belts, etc

 

And to think some of us can still saddle a horse and ride. We have come a long way in the last 100 years or so.

 

This starts out in 1950 and has sections by the decade.
https://dragstripdeaths.webs.com/195059.htm

 

We had stopped for gas with the coupe last weekend and I was talking with a guy who's grandfather raced dirt tracks back in the 50s.
He was telling my that his grandpa used to use the strap the holds a saddle on a horse as a seat belt. One time his grandpa got into a bad wreck. He had a scar across his back where the wheel from one of the other guys in the wreck had went across his back! The guy told me that grandpa always thought he was pretty lucky in that crash.
The allure of the danger was part of the reasons many guys used to race. Gene

 

Look at how many guys died in the 1940-1960 era of dirt cars. It was astronomical at one point. Tracks like Salem, if you went over the rail it was presumed that the driver was dead. Around 1965 guys like Kenny Weld had the balls to put a roll bar in a sprint car.