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

It has been a while since I posted any old Aussie stuff but this weekend I scanned some more transparencies and here we go again. I will start with T/F cars.
This is the first top fuel car to be imported into Australia. Known as the "Vandal" Sydney car dealer Ash Marshall brought it in in the 60's and later sold it to Ross Mellish. The car is now in Don Garlits museum and Ash is living in San Diego. The photo was taken at the '69 Nationals at Castlereagh Dragway near Sydney



This is Marshall's second T/F entry, the "Scorcher" formerly campaigned in the US by multi time Aussie tourist/racer Leland Kolb. Seen here at Calder Park in Melbourne.


Ash and the Scorcher crew in pre race ceremonies at Calder


THis is another ex Leland Kolb car and is in fact the second to last Beebe and Mulligan car. Kolb ran it in Oz and it was then purchased by Surfers Paradise Raceway in Queensland to be their "house" car. Promoter David Harding then only had to contract one car for a match race. The driver was the late Peter Dykes who was also a standout circle track shoe at the time. The red, whie and blue paint job was part of the Ampol Petroleum sponsorship of both the track and the car. Ampol were for many years the backer of the annual New Year Series at Surfers which featured touring US pros. The panel truck push car was a track unit and was used by many of the tourists as a tow car when they were contracted out to the other strips.


The Hussey Borthers Ampol GT dragster. This car started life as Graham Withers' Kellison chassied car but by this time there was not much of the original car left as Withers crashed it heavily at Calder during a demonstration run at a road race event, missing the cone defined finish line and probably becoming the first Aussie drag racer to go 200 mph even if he did run it about 500 years before realizing he was running out of track. Driver Alan Hussey also did major damage to the car at Calder after he and brother Graham purchased it.




Roo

 

I dig the cool gas station whitewalls up front.

 

what about a front or side view of this one

 

Sorry - no can do

 

oh well

 

After seeing the photos of Santa Ana drags in the LIFE archive as well as the ones posted here I came across a story called "LIFE at the Drags" in a 1957 Hot Rod:

 

Hobbs, NM, 1961:

 

Hey Roo.
Thanks for posting the Aussie pics, haven't seen those ones before.
With regard to the Hussey car, I'm nearly certain that John Maher built the car in those pics. Thanks again mate.

Ross.

 

Those early flag starters could sure put on a show.....

 

The 4th one down is Ken Kapper's Henry J. He lives here in St. Louis and still races that car on occasion. He works at a speed shop that builds our dirt car motors...

 

Nice first post!
T.

 

Makes me want a '60 sedan just like it:

 

Wayne Arteaga Henry J:

 

I'm 63 now, when I was in High Schoo,l in year one, a A/Stock or Super Stock Plymouth probably 62-63 came through town, late one night, headed back to California (CA I believe)).

The racer and car was "Archie Spoon" as I remember them. My guess he'd be in his 70s now.

Anyone got any info or photos of his car(s)?

I have always wondered about the car and driver since I never seen him again or in any of the Magazines. He took the time to talk and explain to a couple of green behind the ears kids. I always remebered that every sportsman should be so patient with those so young. I was very impressed with his manorism and treating us as adults. I was West Texas then.

He must of been trying for big time since he was racing so far from home.

Just trying to satisfy some old history drag racing memory cells.

Very Respectfully

 

I can't take any credit for this pic what so ever, I found it on another site.
Have a look at the mag on the coffee table, Dean Lowes roadster

 

That’s mine – I still have that tow truck and the magazine!

 

That's pretty cool, where did the pickup and the trailer go to?

 

same car?

 

Looks to be.-MIKE

 

You, Sir, have great taste in toys and magazines!

 

What a great picture of Gene's coupe and Ranchero. Thanks for posting.

 

800th page wow! Me at Lancaster NY.

 

Heck yeah....800 pages! I usually post most in the Thunderbolt thread, but heres's a couple plain draggin' Fairlanes!

 

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about!"