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

Dang! Just when you think this thread can't get any better along comes the pictures of the Jr. Fuelers and then the info on what it took to run one of the little beast.

Thank you! Thank you! to all. Man it don't get better than this.

Most of all thanks to Royal Shifter who started it all!

Long may they both run!

Keep'm coming guys, pictures and stories!

1940 Willys Coupe

 

Think about it a while, plus the fact that the drivers weight factored into making class, and it figured heavily into the ET equation of one of these flyweights. I can't prove it, but approaching 200mph, I contend that 10# in a 800# or < car can = .1sec .
I saw one of Pete Robinson's chassis turn to splinters on impact killing the driver at a Pro Comp race at the now defunct 1/4mi Riverside track in Nashville due to taking every effort to make a 354 try to figure class.

I couldn't wait until I had a Chrysler in a rear engine car until I actually tried to race non supercharged against featherweights on nitro. Our motor alone weighed more than most B/Fueler's wet and ready to run, and then I put a clutchflite on it thinking it would ET better in the conditions we ran in. (hey... I had to learn somehow). Suddenly twice the power woukdn't matter, and in an effort to keep from stealing 408's statement above; it was magnified by piss poor track conditions.
I'll say it again; damn buzz boxes could wear a good Chrysler plum out.

I'm thinking there has to be a difference in regional locality and where you saw races. I can remember seeing the full color glossy spreads of the magazine cars and driver stars of the day, but I don't think many people can relate to the cars and races where the only surviving evidence might be a b&w from some kids Brownie or maybe just our greying memories alone.
Tom S. in Tn.

 

#28447;

The short chassied light weight Chevy cars with hi-gear only, slipper clutch on 100% (we always ran 100% in Smallblocks) could get hold of the track when the Chrysler could'nt

Before leaving, I just had to come back and add this.

We bought our fuel from other racers and never tried over 90% out of fear of breaking or burning something up.

Please don't take offense to this 408 AA/D, and by all means find the humor in this like me, " but those small inch nitro demons broke us on a budget with a Chrysler, and if it weren't for them, who knows I might still be racing today "
Tom S.

 

No offense taken Tom and yes I did find the humor in your statement. I too ran the early and late style iron block Chryslers and also Donovans and K.B's. Hell I even ran a blown smallblock iron motor on blown alcohol. The S/B motors would stay together until you started running 660's then you would either take out a cylinder wall or the main webs. We broke alot of parts but S/B blocks, cranks and heads were a dime a dozen back then. We dimpled alot of pistons but they were pretty damned cheap. We had loads of fun and even managed to put some the alum. Chryslers on the trailer from time to time. In the early 80's we started our own blown alcohol circuit when we got fed up with NHRA's bullshit and had cars from TX. OK. LA. and KN. and would run about 8 to 10 races a year in TX. OK. LA. MS. and MO. I chased points in Div. 4 until like I said earlier got completely fed up with NHRA. We were poor boys that still wanted to race and just wanted to enjoy it without all the bullshit. Did I mention we had fun. The mind says yes lets do it again but the body says you have lost your fuckin' mind. I could still tune but my driving days are over.

408 AA/D

 

My JF weighed 900 even wet with me in it and I weighed 190-200 at the time. I don't think the chassis, front end and front wheels and tires weighed 50#. I also cut some off the block but gave up on this as blocks didn't last too long and it was a lot of work grinding and cutting. We did consider haveing some skinny young chick drive but we figured they were too dumb. We weren't dumb ...just invinceable.

As noted alum can, alum FW, single disc slipper, short 175 in chassis .049 wall, my own wire wheels with mag spools, fabricated spindles with drilled axels, holes in everything, alum steering parts.

I was an apprentice tool maker and had access to a larger tool room.
I even carried it further with a 57 Chev rear end with my own alum spool. Surprisingly the axels held up. Drilled out the hubs and stuck the machined axels in and pinned and welded them. The original body was made from alum roof flashing. .020 I think. Later replaced by .040.

We also only ran 90%. The Enderle injectors worked perfectly. rumor had it that they were 5# lighter too but I don't remember comparing.

One day at the track a guy came up and asked if I would sell the car. Anything is for sale at the right price. We talked a bit and he said he woulld call me. A few days later he called then came over. He bought the car then asked about parts and tools and the trailer. He took it all. He said if a loan co called to tell them he bought a bunch of my furniture.

I never saw or heard of the car again. I then went top gas racing with a new blown 392.

 

I'm still amazed at how light they were. In 2000 we put a blown BBC and a PG in a moly 1968 168" JF chassis. It weighed 1875 lbs. Even allowing for the blower, bbc vs sbc, trans, updated cage and well fed driver we were several hundred lbs heavier than we should have been. Dang.

Now back to some pics. This is not the car I was talking about though.

 

Reading here makes me want to build a car for fuel.
Where could I find to race within a days drive of Nashville Tenn?
Tom S. in Tn.

 

Seriously?

 

music city raceway

 

well now....that pretty much sums up drag racing from the 1960's.
If ya missed it, ya missed it....

 

Are you near Bristol?

 

From about 1970 to 1972, the San Bernardino Area served as the home base for three of the baddest alterds of the time: Mike Sullivan, The MOB, and Nanook. A smidge to the West (Pomona) was the Rat Trap. This region of So-Cal was on average 30 minutes freeway time from OCIR, Irwindale and Lions!

 

How about a strong East Coast Injected Fueler.
Not a Junior Fueler-think it ran a 389",not sure

Bernie Regels in the "B" car out of A & B Speed.
Logghe kit car
These guys were good,putting a lot of Hemis on the trailer.
They had 2 cars in '65.

Lifted this from my Eastern Drag News thread I have here.
Have not been posting much to there or the Drag in Motion thread mainly because of our way too short summers here,
been busy as hell enjoying it.

Will get back at it when the white shit hits the ground.

 

There were a few examples of guys running bored/stroked 283's on straight nitro and injectors, that when conditions were right, could hang with the AA/FD's because of poor available traction. The same situation applied to the AA/FA's. In 1967-68, Mike Sullivan, Yoshika (spl) and Graf and the Randy Bradford were able to best many a blown AA/FA for the same reason-they could hook up and go reletively straight. The blown guys didnt like that and in 1969 all So-Cal tracks decreed that their AA/FA were limited to supercharged cars only. Th injected altered guys responded by creating their own head up circuit that year.

A unlimited cu inch wedge motor is what constituted a B/FD post 1970 era. There numbers were many here in Div 7. When the advent of RED took hold by late 1971, I could see an era was about to depart from us. Actually more than one, but the demise of the FED served as one example. I rooted for them in what ever class they competed. State of the art FED chassis were going for pennies on the dollar. In the lower classes, FED still did well as many a RED racer was trying to figure out things. Seeing a driver donned in a fire mask peering over a set of chrome Enderles also made for a nice picture.

 

Starting at the bottom and going up;
I'm about 5 hrs away from the Tricities, but doesThunder run on a regular basis anymore and a routine schedule of any sort with liability coverage that would allow a nitro car other than a points or national event?
Memphis closed completly didn't it? I know it was desperately advertised for sale 09'/10'.

1/8th mi. Union Hill has not had liability coverage for nitro cars since about 1970. I know Doug Greenfield never had it, and I could be incorrect, but I just don't see that changed today. They let us make shake down (or was that shakeup) runs if we promised to use methanol only. This one I'm certain of,..... I had a nitro car in Nashville Tn. Few blown methanol cars like Perry Holt around over the years, and there was Ronnie Hunter's fuel altered, Mickey Cox & Bob Amos Desoto jr fueler, then Nathan Burdett's BBC jr fueler in the late 60's and very early 70's, but then no one for years until Norman Sitz built ours. Memory is old, but I think I'm remembering correctly that no one using nitro could run any place closer than Bowling Green Ky since early 70's. When circuit funny cars were booked was about the only time we could run then.
I've wondered if they routinely allow nitrous oxide on cars at Music City?

And yes Rick....... I'm serious as the national debt right now. Bet there are some serious fire sales out there if you knew where to look, but I can not travel and stay away weeks at a time, especially trying to have fun racing. I might afford the car and a few spares over a winter saving, but how in the hell does anyone afford travel expense with today's inflation ?? I couldn't afford coffee, let alone gasoline.
Now, I'd give one of my jewels if I could go out and drag home old Imperial motor or something off an irrigation pump for $100, a rear axle out from a big Dodge or Pontiac, and get some tubing bent up.
I'm serious as global warming, but doesn't look like the rest of the world is anymore. Like all those old cars, fraid it's gone and ain't comin' back. Anyway I'm still here; Tom S. in Tn.

 

Bowling Green Ky, Indy, Norwalk.............I could keep goin!

 

Did anyone run smallblock Mopar for there Injected Fueler/Jr. Fueler?

 

Keep goin' cause ATCO and Indy are not quite a days trip to race. Tried to reach Charlie Harmon to find out about Beech Bend and nitro during what's called Fun Racing events, but can't make connection.
Anyone know about Huntsville Al?
Tom S. in Tn.

 

Memphis is open again.
http://racemir.com/

 

Yea there was a car called the Pizza Palace Un-Hemi car that ran in So-Cal circles. I think the driver was a guy named Sil Brander. I dont recall if it was 340/426/or 440 wedge, but it was a Mopar powered inj fueler

 

thunder valley?

no. nhra just ran there 6 or 8 weeks ago.

 

Old San Gabe

 

What a great shot of your Dad at one of my all time favorite strips. Thanks for posting it.

 

Here is Huntsville's number---seems more like a bracket racing 1/8 mile strip

256-859-0807

 

We ran at BG last weekend with the NDRL at the Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame event and there were 2 nitro cars there, a flopper and a Fiat altered.

Roo