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

Yes. And a picture is worth 1000 words. 1966 funny cars, packed parking lot at least one guy thinks they're loud.

Gone are the days, So sad. I was 4 years old.

 

The Mustang is Darrell Droke.

 

The Chevy II is David Robinson in the Texas Twister,while Jack Robbind ran a similar Chevy II called Texas Bandit.

 

My neighbor gave me a few pictures he took one Sunday in May of 1958 at the first San Gabriel drag strip. (there were 2) I know this isn't in motion, but it is extremely historically significant. This is the maiden outing for Mickey Thompson's twin Chrysler dragster. This is the car that, a few months later, with it's full streamlined body, Mickey stopped by Bonneville with to do some more testing on his way to the NHRA nationals. When this car ran 294 on the salt, Micky turned around, went home and began planning the Challenger and his quest for the land speed record. My neighbor whitnessed an historic event and didn't know it!

 

Dean thats a cool story, Glad you shared the picture along with it....JOHN

 

This is the first picture I have seen of the car in its dragster form...saw it run at San Fernando the next week, raced Ronnie Heir in the Lee's Speed Shop dragster, Mickey push-started it three times but couldn't get the second engine to light...later figured it out and set top time at 138...on gas. Story I remember was that Mickey was originally going to run the twin at the NHRA Nationals but decided to stop off at Bonneville first, and after running 298 (I think?), decided to stay...you're right, this was the inspiration for the Challenger...got to see it run in '59, never forgot it, ran over 360...Great shot, thanks for posting!!

 

Me at Da' Grove on Saturday

 

A very nice altered roadster from the same day at San Gabe.

 

A neat little Crosley altered. My neighbor thinks it was running a blown Cad.

 

These are really great shots, hope he has more...I think that this one was run by Ollie Prather, blue in color with a GMC 6, engine later went into a TE-440...Ollie ran a body shop, maybe in San Dimas...

 

Yes, this one ran a blown Cadillac, Bader and Ferrera, from Cypress, near Long Beach, ran high 130's on gas (sorry to sound like a know-it-all, but am old enough to remember these cars, San Gabriel was one of the first tracks I spectated as a kid)

 

absolutely cool.

 

the see through ones your friend makes are they made out of lexan or????

do they have a mounting flange? what colors can he make them

 

Where was the "orginal San Gabe" in relation to the 2nd more well known venue locale?

 

Leaving the line at Tulsa are two of Division 4's toughest comp eliminator cars of the 60's. The red altered belongs to Charlie Smith of Oklahoma City while his brother Frank is piloting the nice orange A comp in the near lane. Both were regular holders of various national records and were the scourge of the comp brackets, especially their rivals in south Louisiana. Frank and Charlie were also practical jokers as the following tale will illustrate.

The scene is a Div 4 points race at La Place, La, probably in 1967. It's late on a scorching Louisiana day and eliminations are winding down. I'd occasionally taken refuge in the fuel check tent to escape the relentless heat and humidity and on one occasion, the fuel check official asked me to spell him for a bit. Nothing to it-just fill the hydrometer beaker with the contestants gas and drop the bulb in. If if floats to the line, all is well.

Shortly after he leaves, one of the Smith Brothers (Charlie I believe) arrives after winning comp eliminator. He's trailed by an agitated group of vanquished locals who are positive Smith used some fuel additive to win. Charlie then proceeds to drain off some gas from his tank and the sample comes out GREEN! The Cajuns increase the mayhem by howling in anger as soon as they see the sample. Smith hands me the sample, I pour it in the beaker and drop in the bulb. It floats perfectly to the line-and I announce its pure gasoline. The locals are now apoplectic with rage, snarling and threatening both Smith and ME! Soon, three blue shirted NHRA officals rush in and attempt to calm the melee. Smith then produces a bottle of green food coloring and offers to turn their gas green too! One of the officials mentioned this might be a good time for me to exit and I was glad to beat a hasty retreat.

Munching on a filet on the Delta flight home, I was laughing to myself at the mystery of the green gas and the mayhem it caused. NHRA headquarters in LA would not have been amused, but this after all was the wilds of Division 4 and LA was a LONG ways away.

 

No idea who this pretty blue willys is. It's either C/G or CC/G. Anyone remember it from the 1966 Nationals?

 

It was east of what is now the 605 freeway. Probably not much more than a mile from the second track, as the crow flys.

 

You are not coming across as a "know it all". On the contrary. I very much appreciate your sharing information about these cars. And old San Gabe was where I saw my very first drag race. Dad and I drove up Rivergrade Road in my old RPU on Easter Sunday one month before these pictures were taken. The RPU was a stocker with the original 4 banger then. I was just 13 years old, and remember that great day like it was yesterday. Tommy Ivo, with his injected Buick, beat Jim Nelson in the first Dragmaster rail for top eliminator. The impression that day made on me influenced the rest of my life.

 

Ollie Prather's shop was in Arcadia. Last time I was up that way Ollies son was still running the shop, and Ollie's Kurtis Indy roadster was still sitting right where he parked it 50 years ago. Dad bought two Indy Firestones from Ollie for our Bonneville Studebaker in '61.

 

Barb Hamilton.......still has the car today unrestored. Nice car.

 

Indiana's Norm Paddack in his B/Gas Willys and Rudy Held out of Ontario Canada in the Gold Gambler Prefect.

 

The blue Willys is famed female driver Barbara Hamilton. It was a CC/GS class car. Blown 265" Chevy I think. Wow, I like Paddocks purple Willys. A few years before his Opel days.

 

There are no remnents of Speedway 605 is there?

 

I think Rod Kulture Illustrated mag did a story on Barb and her car a while back

 

Barb and her car were at the NHRR last weekend at Bowling Green. I spoke with her briefly early in the event and she was as gracious as ever.

Roo

 

No. There is a large Edison facility there now.

 

Nothing left of Speedway 605 that I can identify and I live close enough to be in that area fairly frequently. What remains of Rivergrade Road begins at the overpass (on the Baldwin Park side of the 605) of Los Angeles Street /Lower Azusa Road and continues to Live Oak. There is literally nothing east of the river, south of Live Oak, that bears any resemblance to the appearance of the area as I remember it from 1961. Nearly the entire distance from Los Angeles Street south to Ramona Boulevard is consumed by a single working gravel pit.

Dean, I didn't arrive at San Gabriel until the fall of 1961 but I lived just off the corner of Lower Azusa Road and El Monte Road for a year in 1962. I'm not sure where the first track was located. Is there anyway that you could pinpoint the location of the first track on Google Maps a little more closely?

Chuck

 

Perhaps the BEST fire burnout by ANYONE at ANYTIME !
Bad to the bone !

 

Dean, the Edison facility that is there today is where the San Gabriel Drag Strip #2 was.
The Speedway 605 location was just a bit south of there and off of Rivergrade Road. It was the headquarters for some bank the last time I looked, just a big concrete walled building.
The last race I went to at the oval was the annual Thanksgiving "Turkey Night" midget race in 1975. It was town down the same year as Irwindale Drag Strip was closed, in 1977.



the electric facility that replaced the San Gabriel drag strip in the early 1960's....this photo was from last year, camera looking NE.



this is pretty much where the oval was..."Speedway 605"

 

The car is affectionatly known as "Miss Blue" She is beautiful. Barb is one of the most wonderful people that you could ever meet. She will stand in the heat at Bowling Green for hours to talk to her fans and sign autographs. I'm very proud to call her my good friend.
Gasser Girl