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

Full of hot air...

 

1959-60 timeline in So Cal drags, filmed at Lion’s Dragstrip

Hello,

Lets not forget the West coast’s twin SBC motor FED during the late 1959-60 era. The above photo shows Lefty Mudersbach in the pits doing some adjustment work while his son has one of those famous tasty Lion’s Dragstrip hot dogs. I can attest that those hot dogs from the pits snack bar stand prepped by my H.S. friends working there, were the best around. Add in a chili topping for a different meal and lunch + dinner are covered. Yes!

The twin SBC motors started out as 6 Strombergs on top of each motor and eventually turned to Hilborn Injection systems for both motors. The winning combination continued and the anticipation was great for the match against the Tommy Ivo Twin and the Howard Cam Blown SBC Twin in every encounter.


The anticipation of the twin vs twin races made everyone stop what they were doing and ran to the seats or jammed the staging area to get a glimpse of the fire up and back to the starting line for the show!

Jnaki

I was fortunate to be in the pits attending to our 58 Impala or in 1960, our 671 powered SBC 40 Willys Coupe. but, in between our class elimination runs, I was in the stands or somewhere else taking films of the action on the dragstrip. the small 16mm color camera was handy, but, I wish I had sound to go with the action.

One of the images I captured was the twin SBC of Lefty Mudersbach doing a burning wheelie at the start of an elimination race and still caught up to win at the finish line.


“Wheelies” in a dual SBC FED?

Wheelies normally do nothing for getting out in front, but the intensity of the driving attitude and the power of the motors did the job at end. YRMV

 

With carbs.

 

Looks like Ivo in the far lane.

 

These are old pictures that have been seen many, many times but these are the epitome of motion...
Sometimes up-down. sideways, upside down.
Long live the fuel altered.

 

Been posted many times also, still a breathtaking photo!

 

Brian Lohnes just did a great piece on this car

 

Hello,

Last week, I happened to re-read a story written by the late Bud Rasner. He was one of the Bixby Knolls group that was a year older than my brother’s group. The tales were all passed down to different teenagers until we heard them when it was our high school hot rod days. We happened to be at a huge drag race event in 1959 at the Riverside Raceway and the Red Fiat Altered of the Rasner, Mc Ewen, Reath Automotive was present. Tom McEwen and Reath Automotive were well known in that part of Long Beach.

The story that was told mentioned the group with the local legend, Gary Gabelich. We were friends after our high school years and the story I put together for the historic society of Long Beach’s cruising/hot rod/drag race display included the “Legend of Lions” film clips.

from the files of Bud Rasner:

"I can lend a little first hand knowledge about Gary Gabelich."

"We lived about 1/2 mile away from one another and spent time at each others house and at Lions. We were the same age (born in 1940) and went to Long Beach Poly high school together. We both lived about equidistant from Tom McEwen who was to become known as "Mongoose". At lot of racers in Long Beach were influenced by the great Reath Automotive and we were among them."

"As I have said before at that time in LB as we were getting our driver's licenses as Lions opened. And the street racers went to the strip to try and learn from the pioneers. Rapp, Brooks, Woodcock, Gabelich, Rasner, Mushegian, McEwen, Ferguson, Evans and others generally knew each other before we knew anything about cars. Lions had a big influence on all of us."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqp_NASb3FQ Legend of Lions

Jnaki

Rae Gabelich collection

After presenting the film and re-reading the story, it made me go back into my files to see the films of teenager, Gary Gabelich and his dark Blue Fiat Altered Coupe.

 

Quincy Automotive

 

EJ Potter.
Look him up kids!

 

The Michigan madman

 

^^^^ Did those Turbonique, (spl?) go any good? Probably a lame question, was just wondering, cheers ^^

 

Yes they worked; if the gas engine was putting like 400HP + to differential from driveshaft and the Turbonique was fired off it would add 3 or 4 times more HP to back of differential. Main problem was if differential, axles and rear slicks could handle that much more HP with setup used.

Never saw any used in competition at sanction racing events, mainly just as demonstration runs like jet or rocket cars later.

 

Main-er problem... no off switch. It ran until empty... even if you crashed into a wall.

 

I saw the Chevelle and I think a '64 Galaxy in a static display at Carlisle. Were there any others?

 

That sounds more like the hydrogen peroxide rockets than the Turbonique. Only thing I recall with the Turbonique’s was if you shut them off and quickly turned it on again it might explode. But I’ve even had similar experiences with blown nitro burning V8’s, when I had to let off the loud peddle and quickly jammed it wide open again.

 

Jack Moss