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

The Groundshakers were more than a car, they were a club of really big guys, all over 300lb and over 6...they included Glenn Way, the Demerest brothers, and "Hippo" Brammer, of Brammer, Burns and Burkhart fuel roadster fame...they had jackets made with "Groundshakers" on the back......(that was back when drag racing was fun)

 

Yea I remember that poor Ranchero dragin its bumper like a dog with worms. Them there were some big boys

 

Dean, remember the fella "Big George" that had the twin Harley that he used to kick start.

 

Yes I do Mark. Do you remember Nira Johnson and his Triumph? He always came to the track alone. He used to kick start the Triumph, then pull off the kick starter, put it in his back pocket, and make his run. Watched him do that at LIONS and Bonneville.

 

No problem. I wish I could find more of those radio spots, that one I posted is really funny. I must have listened to it a hundred times but I still laugh at the Kelly Chadwick quote every time I hear it.

 

Nice pic.
Bruton Dragway sure looked different back then.
Great seeing it back then.

 

The way you guys respond to a photo or photos is one of the best things about this thread.Great hearing the stories and behind scenes stuff that made this era the most enjoyable for me and you.
Can't thank you enough.

 

Nice Mutley! That is a perfect send off for me as I'm heading to the U.S. Nationals in about 20 minutes.

 

........... but I bet they were painted by the same guy.
Tom S.

 

Maybe Bill Carter??

 

Or George Cerny. Each guy had his own unique style and approach on how to adorn a race car in paint. Hey, they were artists in their own right.

 

Demerest was a very astute builder and tuner of the 392 and Donovan's in the day. I beleive he served as tuner for the Super Shop sponsored era of Nanook AA/FA's, and maybe the first Arrow Super Shop's flopper.

 

The late Top fuel/fuel altered racer Dick Stahl was another "tall guy." I think he stood like 6'7" or more. Kind of like "Lurch" from the Adams Family. He seemed to dwarf the cockpit of his fuel altered.

 

I am really digging this picture. In one lane, an Austin Bantam coupe, in the other, its convertable counterpart. I loved the little injected altereds back then; be it gas or fuel. Here in So-Cal we had a circuit for both at one time or another

 

Love this shot!

 

Is it Larry Dixon in the Porsche Bros. Howard cam Spl?

 

It's the "Howard Cam Rattler" in the raw. A brand new car and it may be Rick Ramsey at the wheel.

 

Found another one from that weekend.

 

Painted rat rods. haha

I sure would not want to go on my head in the Bantam.

It's hard to believe how fast we went in those things. When you are young you think you are invincable I guess.

On the other hand back then in the very early 60's knowing you most likely would be going to 'Nam I think we felt "might as well have fun now, we may not get another chance".

 

Found some more.

 

There it is again. See it off to the right.

 

What type of motor is this based off of....appears to be a cut up v8 head turn 6 head

 

The Mustang FC looks like Dave Mudrack's "Warhorse",also known as the "Speed Freak" at one time. DD

 

These are being pushed or pulled so technicaly they are in motion.

 

Most likely a 300 CI Ford with a head made of 4 pieces of Boss 302 head welded together.

 

Ive got a question for you fellas. Planning on building a FED eventually, I prefer the shorter wheel base FED's with the frame/tubing showing (except for maybe the drivers area). Can you guys nail down a time frame of when they were running the shorter style FED's with no body and when they started getting longer and adding a body and paint? Or was it a just a mix?

 

It is the Howard Cam Special, don't know who is driving

 

Morey & Pettinato's "Rat Poison" A/FA. They took the roadster version of this out to Tucson to the Fuel Altered Nationals back around 1972 and kicked ass...

 

69chevelle,

We ran Top Gas back in the mid to late 60's and early 70's untill it was dropped by NHRA.

Top Fuel cars of the period ran both the shorty bodies and the full nose and tail bodies. Mostly to show off the builder skills as well as make the cars look cool. And most were back then. They were difficult to make and it took skilled craftsmen to design and build them. The really high dollar guys had magnesium panels as well.

Us TG guys were always looking to reduce weight so we went with the shorty style for most of us. Our own cars had mag panels in the .030 thickness so they were very light and fragil. A few of the twins had full bodies so they could display sponsors and in some cases to add weight to make the class. Our last TG car was made to be a twin and was 200 in wb. The first TG car we had was 175 in and was a real "flexible flyer". Many of the chassis uprights were floating and even the motor floated on the front mounts. To give you and idea of how light these cars were, our first car weighed 1350 rolling with a blown 392.!! Alum bellhousing and direct drive, alum clutch and FW.

 

I'm looking for detailed information and/or magazine articles on this Dragmaster Dart raced as a AA/G car in 1964 by Danny Ongais. He won the NHRA WinterNationals with it, and was dominent throughout the 1964 season. Danny worked for the Dragmaster Company and this might have been a team car to the other Dragmasters run by Jim & Dode.
This car was always SBC powered, and was called "Chevy Too".
I would be interested in talking to Danny if anyone has a contact number or e-mail.