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

How about tether cars.

 

My first bike was a Yamaha 80' in 62 and put some alky in it too

Its all good

 

I ran mine on close to 100%, still credit the late John Bradley for showing me how to do it, setting up injectors, mag, plug range, and especially how to lite it off...don't touch the throttle until it starts to pop and bang or you will blow the side of the block out.....yes, it was a great sound.

 

Checking this thread has been part of my daily routine for quiet sometime.
It occurred to me that Im the only one that knows the names , date and location of many of the pictures I have in files, picture albums and hanging on the walls,
So I spent part of the day putting this info on the back of these pictures. still have quiet a few to go.
My wife and daughter recall most of the cars but not name and location.
So what I am saying: it is important to do this, because we are not going to always remember this information.
Thanks to everyone posting here.
Bob

 

Our old girl got a D/Gas win at this race. Top of the page

 

Before the "Frantic 4," Jim Fox ran this modified roadster, first unblown, then added the blower, with a chain drive that was inches behind his head....candy purple, sponsored by Merrill's Speed Shop. I remember it at Riverside in '60, really nice car.


From the Norm Grudem collection, this Olds powered deuce at Pomona, early '50s. Norm caddied at the golf course at the end of the Pomona drag strip, got interested in the cars, and took lots of photos. They were on Byron Stack's "Gasser Madness" site, but after Byron's passing, the site survived but the Grudem page disappeared.


From the same collection, Waterworth and Morris deuce gasser, 296" flathead, also at Pomona. They would later run a Bantam competition coupe with an Olds.


The so-called "Football Austin," for its shape. This followed Big John Mazmanian's candy Willys, with body work by Gil Ayala, the famous customizer. Gil and Mazmanian were friends from right after WWII on, with Gil customizing a Merc convertible for Mazmanian in the '40s. Gil was known best for his customs, but he was a hot rodder too, usually fitting his own customs with highly modified engines, some built by famous drag racer Fritz Voight, who did much of the work on Mickey Thompson's Challenger.


Early Peters & Frank, looks like San Gabriel. At this point, probably early '60s, they were still using chain blower drives.


Some Texas racing from Corpus Christi. No ID on either car.


Too fuzzy to identify, but historic enough to post...anyone?


Jack Ewell at Lions. Kent Fuller built the chassis, body by Jimmy Summers. Summers was a customizer who popularized fade-away fenders, apparently came out of retirement to bend up the body for this car. It has now been restored.

 

Thank you to those who replied to my post about asking questions on this thread.

Before I get into the questions, a little background info. I was raised in Indianapolis and at the time I'm curious about, the early sixties, Indy was probably something of a drag racing wasteland and I was a young teenager. I was vaguely aware that there was more going on in the sport than I was getting out of the Peterson publications and National Dragster, but wasn't sure where to get that type of thing so the bulk of the information I got was " the gospel according to Wally" - considering the way the Peterson magazines and the NHRA were in bed with each other.

So here goes with the first question. What was the UDRA? I remember passing mentions of it in the old CarToons magazine, but never knew what it was all about or what was really happening.

Second question. In 1962 or 63 there was a guy from California who ran a fueler camped-out in my neighborhood for the summer who was a UDRA supporter. I'm not sure where all he ran, but he used to mention Cleveland, Ohio a lot. The guy's name was John Harbert. Never had heard of him before and never heard about him after that. So, have any of you SoCal guys from that era ever heard of him? The reason I'm using the 1962/63 time frame is that I remember riding my bicycle over to his garage to hang out ( and I'm fairy sure it was later than 1961 - the first year the NHRA Nations was held in Indy ) and I got my license in Septmber of 63 so I was done with pedal power before 1964.


Thanks for letting me jump in here.

 

John Harbert aka Cliff Roa (beats the shizz outta me!)
http://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=294827


"Pegasus"
Powered by Supercharged Nitro 392 Chrysler Hemi with direct drive
1/4 Mile ET: 7.650 at Irwindale 9/23/66 1/4 Mile MPH: 211.26 at Irwindale 9/23/66

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=john harbert udra

http://www.draglist.com/draglist/ca...E,FNAME,ENTRY,ENG,MAKE,MODEL,CHASSIS&page=124

 

UDRA was United Drag Racer's Association. I am somewhat hazy on its origins, but I think it came from the movement that initially led to the PDRA (Professional Drag Racer's Association). It started in '63, if I remember right, as a group of fuel racers demanded round money from Lions, and, not getting any response from management (Mickey Thompson had left at that point), boycotted the track. They met at the Tahitian Village Inn and formed what was initially the PDRA, which later morphed into the UDRA, expanding to the Midwest and beyond. According to Hot Rod Network, the UDRA success was one factor that persuaded Wally Parks of NHRA to expand purses at NHRA meets. I am creating this from memory alone, so others who remember it better, please chime in!!

 

Here are a couple of photos of John Harbert's fuelers, he was from California, had Fuller build him this car, obviously traveled to Ohio because these two photos were taken at Norwalk, OH (from Don Ewald's site)





Bottom picture is an earlier Harbert car, racing Scotty's Muffler Chev with Billy Scott up, Harbert (with partner John Yates) is in the far lane:


Photo also from Don Ewald's WDIFL site (well worth a membership)

 

Tom Dawes' Freedom Machine at New England

 

Jack Doyle's top gas car with Bob Schneider's fuel motor May 4, 1969. I was supposed to be at Fort Lewis Washington to leave for Vietnam, I didn't make it, I was driving this car. I was a little late and a lot AWOL.

 

A great car we couldn't do anything wrong with...

 

Tom Dawes' Freedom Machine that never made it back east, it lived in Belmont, CA, with my friend Gerry Glenn at the wheel at Irwindale and tuned by Dick Gazan. Photo by Auto Imagery.

 

Some Texas drag racing:


Caddo Mills??


No ID on either


Carroll Brothers at Six Flags Raceway, still Olds powered at this time


No ID...labeled "Banzai," anyone??




Pits, looks like Green Valley??


This might also be Green Valley, Texas guys?? No ID on car. Is that the brake handle sticking out from the cockpit?