History Story of flat towing

I did that going to Islip in '84 all season.... pretty hairy at times depending on how much I drank after tha races. I did make sure I was on good terms with people that had tow trucks.

Bob

 

I read in Smokey Yunick's book, Best Damn Garage. He flat towed his race car to Indy.



Ago

 

In 1968 I used to flat tow my '57 gasser with my other '57 4dr. Belaire sedan. Occasionally I robbed a part off the 4dr at the track to keep racing, then put it back on the tow car to get the gasser towed home.
We did whatever we could to keep getting runs in once we were there!

 

In '61 and '62, a frend of mine and I had a '36 Ford coupe with a flathead we raced in the D-Altered class at Minnesota Dragways. The car had no starter, so when we got about a mile from the track, one of us would get out, get in the car, put it in gear, and get it started. We'd then tow the rest of the way to the track with the car in neutral. When we got to the track, it was all warmed up. The point of ths whole excercise was that we could jack up one rear wheel, and by pulling on it, could easily start the wrm engine for last second tune-ups, etc.

The same car must have had a worn out steering box, because about the third time we towed it to the track, we had to make a tight turn, and the wheels on the race car went almost to lock and stayed there. Luckily, we were going slow at the time and just threw a little gravel. After that we just unhooked the cross steering rod whenever we towed it. The car always steered well on the track so we never even bothered to find out what was wrong. Oh, to be 19 again.

 

True story. I blew the engine on my Allstate 175 motorcycle going to work one afternoon.
Got off at 11:30 P.M., had my wife show up just in case I couldn't get it to start. Didn't have a trailer, and her car was a 76 Nova. I didn't own a car, hell, I had a motorcycle! Of course it wouldn't start, I'd blown it up!
Of course I didn't have any way to get the thing home, about 17 miles. Of course I didn't even have a piece of rope. AhhHaa!! I did have a pair of jumper cables! So I make one long cable by tying both of them together, wrap one end around the handlebars of the Allstate, and the other end around the bumper of the Nova.

Now, here's where it gets good....Crissie's worried 'cuz she's never drug anyone before, let alone an idiot on a motorcycle. I finally convince her it will be OK. "Comeon, what's the worst that can happen!?!" " Here, baby, all you do is just drive along like I'm not back there, It's my responsibility to keep the cable taut". She did exactly what I told her to do...
By about the fourth or fifth mile, I was making promises to God there was no way I could keep. By the time we got the thing home, I had lost my voice from screaming.
A week later, Crissie's Nova had a hitch, and I had a new motorcycle trailer....True story...

 

i was towin a elcamino back in the 70's didn't check lugs tire came off doin 70 and passed me up tow truck driver shot over 3 lanes caught tire and guided it off freeway

 

another good one was with my buddy comein back from the glades towin his air boat his truck died we fired up the air boat and it pushed us home

 

Those towing hubs were great.. Just install and put the race car in gear and away you go.. Maybe I am the only one who knows what you are talking about.. Many of the mail order speed shops stocked them.. I made mine..

 

forget my stories....the uncle and Leroy were flat towing the roadster to BVille from Sacrameto in 1950 and there was that big grade - the Chevy was straining so they fired up the roaster to help them over the hill....