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

Driver Bill Frontuto (bad mispell on my part) really wracked his back when the Magic Muffler car returned to the tarmac. I met a guy whose knew Magic Muffler owner Jim Miles through some means or relationship. Irregardless, Miles was smart in that I was told that all of shops sat on land THAT HE OWNED. Very smart man!

 

Yea, I kind picked up on a few weird traits of the photo as well. Also note that the driver is without a fire mask-a big no no here in the US, but not an all that rare occurance in the UK or Australia at that time.

 

I think that if there were a "golden age" of fuelers, these cars represent it, full-bodies (most, I think, by Tom Hanna), great paint jobs, and all were COMPETITORS, not just for show, I wish that the current crop of nostalgia fuelers could look like this...

THANKS FOR POSTING!

 

And I can concur with entirety with Ardun.
But sadly right about this point in time these cars began being transformed from beautifully detailed rolling owner/sponsor billboards into a yellow page directory of manufacturers that marketed racing, as motorsports at every level, component manufacturers inclusive, sold out to mega corporations. I'll refrain from using any names, but competition for their motorsport $$$,$$$.$$ ended the competition between and among drivers and the individual cars, as well as ushering in the end of ingenuity and creative individualism.
In just a short period of time it would become impossible to even determine the color of some sportsman cars where the owners were plastering each visible point with manufacturer stickers, all in hopes of eeking out another possible cent in contingency bucks, as the cars become all identical.
Sorry Ardun, and everyone else for that matter. I hate to be so negative on line and in public, but it helps to vent; Tom S.

 

I am trying guys but I can only build so many and only if I can find customers who "get it". The pix are sort of off topic in that they are recent but they do prove that it is possible to build a retro style car in this day and age.

Roo

 

You are certainly closer to the old style than most, thanks for posting, realize that these photos are modern, but you are making a point

 

Honestly I prefer the earlier early to mid 60's fuelers with the shorter wheelbase, when it was more garage built. I hope to build one, err let me rephrase that, start building one here in the next few years and it will be correct. No extra safety roll bars for me!

 

Roo, maybe you,Hannah and Parks should form a consortium.
You all do fantastic work,I'm sure the goods would be nothing short of amazing.
By the by,are you goin' to the MM?

 

Turbonique Drag Axle

 

What Roo is building today is what T/F was in the 60's. It is as close as you're going to get. These guys are wringing out as much MPH and ET as the rules will allow them to stuff into a race car.
The wheelbases are what they are for a good reason.
The roll cage is what it is because of safety and being able to run in a series and at NHRA tracks.

To build a 60's style dragster is great, but where are you going to run it, except at some rural track with nobody to race?
Also, if you go on your head you're going to be glad you have an extra roll bar.
No point building a car if there's no series to compete in and even worse when it's going to be tough to find a track to run at.

"Looks" are cool, but remember, in the mid-1960's it was about WINNING.
Sure, many teams had great paint jobs and trick bodywork, but the whole target was to see who could get to the lights first.
"Looks" were way down on the list of importance.
And wheelbase was, and is, determined by need rather than style.
These are race cars. That's what they do.

 

Here in Texas we have a lot of outlaw tracks and we have a lot of Nostalgia racing so there is plenty to compete in and the rules are very laxed. And yea if I went on my head Id wish for that extra safety but thats my decision and my choice to make on whats dangerous and whats worth it.

 

Heck we have a race during the colder months where you have to run street tires, no track prep, no roll cages, and most are 800+ hp cars. We call it street racing at the track, scary fun for sure.

 

This is certainly odd...... I got into a discussion about this stuff just last weekend at a show I went with my son to in Nashville. I was trying to tell another fellow about Turbonique out of Fla.
Wasn't this car out of Siloam Springs in Ark.? I remember that because I bought a baler in Siloam once, and wondered if I could ever find this car or the people who built it. I recall seeing it as the Ozark Mule and what a hoot to watch.

In the discussion this weekend, there was a recall of the incident at Gainesville where Russell Mendez was killed.
My question is, does anyone here recall if that was in 73' or 74'. I didn't think it was 75'. Tom S. in Tn.

 

Russell Mendez died during an exhibition run at the 1975 Gatornationals....(ironically it was on his birthday). March 16th, 1975.

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I remember this. The car hit the guardrial right after he crossed the timing beams. His whole family was in the stands I believe. The whole rocket thing didnt last much longer. I recall seeing Ray Alley's rocket at Irwindale in 75 or 76. Pulled up to the line, bled the thing once or twice, making a swooshing steam like sound. Everyone in the stands laughing. Then BAM, the thing went down the track like a rocket sled. People's jaws dropped. Ran a low 5, maybe a 4 at 300. Very nice guy in that he explained to me and a friend how the whole procees works. Then he towed the thing home on an open trailer that wasnt as nice as what some of the barcket cars were being towed in on.

 

Got a wild hair or boredom, you choose. Mondello & Matsubara through the years....

 

Remember the discussion about Rebel Wheels? It appears Ed Lenarth ran them too. R.I.P. Ed.....

 

Had the pleasure of seeing this "truck" best a bunch of local So-Cal weeklys at Iwindale. Cat recall if it was an 8 car or 16 car field, but Lenarth drove the yellow brick past everyone that night. The crowd went wild. Makes me wonder how fast that thing would have run with a more aerodynamic body. Lenarth was running one Scott injectors at the time too.

 

Man I dig those Rebel wheels,they are Bitchin"!!!!!

 

I remember Mendez i was and still into rocket dragsters found this on the man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtBXV99KDsI

 

Rumors still abound that the "factories" (GM, Ford, MoPar) lobbied to ban the Jeep-bodied funny cars (Lenarth, the Secret Weapon, Navy Destroyer), because they put their sponsored teams on the trailers....any truth?

 

I heard something similar.

 

I haven't heard that before Dave.....does your tinfoil hat need adjusting? Just kidding....

 

Never heard anything like that. GM wasn't a player like Ford and Mopar was and I don't remember any of the Jeeps being any big winner either.
We looked at them as novelties.
So, I doubt the "Big Three" were nervous about the Jeeps. Lenarth was a player, but no earth-shaker.
So.........I'm not buying the rumor.

Also, I can't imagine the "Big Three" agreeing to agree on anything at the same time about one thing in particular.
During those days if one said "jump", the other two would sit, then the two sitting would argue over who sat first and then end up in the dirt beating the crap out of each other and blaming it on the guy standing up.