History Early drag racing photos

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

 

Hello,
I have no idea about the actual photo. It is later than 1959-60 and lined up next to one of the "gold" Dragmaster Potvin blown FED race cars of the time. Since the Dragmaster Team was from the coastal city of Carlsbad, near Camp Pendleton, we saw them at Lion's Dragstrip almost weekly.

The background is unfamiliar and could have been a tour across the USA at one time or another. But those Dragmaster chassis components were very popular and a lot of folks put all sorts of motors in them. In So Cal, Mickey Thompson had many different versions of Pontiac powered race cars during the late 50s early 60s.

Jnaki
I recorded/filmed the Dragmaster Team when they came to Lion's Dragstrip and made a big impression on me.

Here is one of my favorite composite films I took from my "secret" location at Lion's Dragstrip with my dinky point and shoot 16mm color movie camera. (Summer 1959) I added the original Dragmaster sound from an LP album from September of 1959.

 

Willie's Pie Wagon was a killer in Little Eliminator at Fontana. Flat motor left best and was seldom caught.

 

What type of fuel are they carrying in the silver cans?

 

Nitro

 

. . . or alcohol or gas.

 

That would be a lot of nitro for the little chevy, but car looks classed as B/FD....MeOH maybe?

 

Not sure I would want to ride in the Chevy wagon with all that in the back!

 

Hydrozene....

 

Only SIX exhaust stacks out of the center !!! Weird .........
6sally6

 

I think he had 2 pointing towards the ground.

 

Hello,

The late, great Mickey Brown Oldsmobile powered FED. Starting out with a Potvin style 671 supercharger, then within a year or so, a top mounted 671 for his string of Top Eliminator wins. We were lucky enough to be at Lion’s Dragstrip in his heydays of winning just about every race he drove. His runs against the top race cars is well known.

Early Mickey Brown Quincy Automotive Oldsmobile powered FED Lion’s Dragstrip

The group decided that the top mounted 671 gave them a better all around power for winning.
This was the version that my brother and I saw weekly in 1959 at Lion's Dragstrip.
Not many could win a race against the Sidewinder, but their races were legendary. Win some, lose some was so exciting to watch. YRMV

Mickey Brown 1959

Jnaki


Thanks… @Jakes


But, as all good things come to a halt, young, Mickey Brown had an accident in another FED and he did not make any more runs… a nice memorial is set aside at the Lion’s Dragstrip Museum. Lions Dragstrip Museum Memorial Wall: Mickey Brown 2nd from right, top row… Great artwork by Cindy Gibbs…

Later in 1959, he was testing another FED and it had handling problems even his outstanding skill could not overcome.

NOTE:
In the beginning of the 1960 year, Lion’s Dragstrip racers were feeling the loss of one of the best drivers from So Cal. Mickey Brown was just 22 years old and making a big time name for himself in drag racing. Here is an excerpt from that tragic post then at his memorial event in January of 1960, the Competition Coupe of Leffler Loukas was presented with a world record trophy.

In the 1959 year at Lions, there was a big loss for all drag racing fans and racers. A young, Mickey Brown, racing in a different FED was unlucky and lost his life at a very early age. All of the Lions Dragstrip competitors and supporters gathered together to help the family of Mickey Brown.

In January of 1960, there was a benefit drag race meet held at Lions Dragstrip and the majority of the top racers in the area were signed up to compete. The list of donations from the So Cal Speed Shops and manufacturers was long and supportive.

($11000 in 1960 equals approximately $96000, today. )

 

propylene oxide...?

 

...and I only counted 14 here. Shouldn't there have been 16? Are two pointing downward?
I wonder about pipes pointed at the ground. In the examples I have seen (downward pointing exhaust collectors on gassers) they kick up large amounts of dust.