History Old Indy US Nationals Pictures, 1969

Our little group of Jr. Stockers stayed at a Mom & Pop motel west of town. We had meals together and worked on the cars. Here is a photo of George Cureton putting the car back together after tear-down.



And this is the gang BS'ing after dinner. The group included: George Cureton, Alex Jarrell, John Thropp, Charlie Hampp, Johnny Davis, Doug Mentzer, Lew Smedley (later an IHRA announcer) and others I can't remember.



Some of our friends stayed downtown at Stauffer's with the "Big Boys". Tony Pizzi went through his short block in the bathtub (oil & crap everywhere), Brad Watkins put some spark plugs, in an ice bucket with lacquer thinner, on top of the TV. Next morning the thinner had melted the ice bucket and the glob was running all over the TV.

Dave Strickler was riding his mini bike in the hotel hallways and somebody jumped off the second floor balcony into the pool. They did have a GOOD time.

 

Wow! What great memories! 1969 was my first year to go and "work" on a crew. Actually just a gopher, but got in free and got all the free crap that came along and use of the minibke. I grew up on the westside of Indy right by all the motels where the crews stayed. They would tear down and rebuild right in the parking lots, their rooms were like a shop with parts all over. I would go around and hang out talk, get them beer, tools what ever just to keep from being told to hit the road. As I remember very few of those guys were assholes most even the big guys were as nice as they could be. The best part was running down the return lane in the pit station wagon sitting on the tailgate. I helped that crew for 3 years still have my 1972 crager sponsered shirt. What great fun for a 13 year old kid. Now that I think about it, parents in todays society would never let their kid something like that. I'm glad I convinced mine it would be Ok. Keep those pictures coming.

 

PERFECT! Great pics from a great (the best) era in drag racing. Love the Motel shots

 

that riviera has 70 gto pieces along with a serious chop! i wonder which motor he ran, poncho or buford?

 

I was at Indy in 67 and 68. What an era ? A high dollar guy like Mickey Thompson's funny car on a ramp truck just like the stockers. I see that NHRA has added events to the Heritage tour. Looks like the economy is starting to hit the PRO's really hard with Kalitta parking all but the funny and no money for WJ etc. The silver lining may be more nosatlgia events for us codgers. NHRA needs to replace that revenue. Wouldn't an East Coast Hot Rot reunion be awesome ?

 

Ramp truck? Hell, if we had a Brock Drag Star trailer we were in high cotton. I did know a couple guys that had ramp trucks, but there were still a lot of guys that used tow bars. Even Pro Stockers had low budget transporters like this one in 1971.

 

I built an MPC model of that P/S Challenger in?? 1972 I think...
Great thread!! Let's git her goin' again!!

 

These were truely the good old days. Wish these days were still at the strips. Thanks for the post.