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

is this the orginal shores and hess car redone

 

This view at Tulsa in September of 1966 offers a nice contrast of factory vs independent funny cars of the time. Oakland California's Tom Grove in the factory car on the near side goes off against fellow Californian Joe Davis in the far lane. The days of the rebuilt street cars is already coming to a close and although the funny car era is less than two years old, these cars would soon be regulated to the past as changes in this class developed at a dizzying (and expensive) pace.

 

Contrast this view of a factory A/FX in 1965 at the Nationals with those above. It's only a year earlier, but this unidentified car definitely has a street feel to it, despite the 10 inch tires and SOHC motor.

 

that would be something to see... especially since jack passed over 20 years ago!

 

Hamberis and Mitchell's AA/G takes on an altered at the 66 Nationals. Could this have been a round in Comp Eliminator?

 

Possibly Les Ritchey....(?)
Although when you enlarge it, it appears to have more lettering on the door than the Ritchey car....hmmm

 

Yes. I think Shores took the car east and that kinda ended the partnership. Hess then built the Revell Mustang gasser.

 

the original, original wasn't chopped, though

 

Yet another picture of Don Grotheer's 67 SS/B Plymouth. This one is from Tulsa at the first points meet of the year on April 13-14 of 1967. Don went on to defeat Joe Smith in the Fenner Tubbs car for the SS win.

 

West Virginian Jim Minnick holds up his hand in victory as he wins Top Gas Eliminator at the 1966 Nationals against a red lighting John Reed.

 

Doug,
Looks like it still has the original scoop with (maybe) the original Rat Motor name on it.

 

I just don't remember either and being 17 years old I didn't think to write any of this down. I recall virtually all the Ford A/FX cars being here in 65. I think I remember Bill Lawton-Tasca, Gas Ronda, Dick Brannan, Les Ritchey but know there were more. Anybody remember who I'm forgetting?

 

Larry, there's nothing us old-timers won't nit-pick to death...

 

Who-------------me?

Whether it's the first or not, I'd love to have the scoop to hang on the wall.

I thought that this car got wrecked, but now kinda thinking the Pittman Brothers ended up with it.

 

Pat Dakin!, I was racking my brain last night, had the name in my head but couldn't formulate on the keypad, thanks Rooman.

 

I think Les was one of the few, if the only, cars in that class to have a silver paint and yellow lettering. My guess is it's him

 

Fast forward to today..Hambris & Mitchell car is owned by Paul Kennedy and we own the Fiat ..and yes that was the final for BB/A..in 1966

Thanks for posting.

Rick
=======================================

 

It needs to be mentioned that the Davis Colt 45 was actually the former BB/A Fiat altered that they had ran for some years. It featured a tubular style alterd chassi. They just replaced the Fiat shell with the Mustang. Quite often the SBC was being run on gas even under the guise of a funnycar.

 

Excellent update! Glad to hear you and both cars are still with us. You mention this was the BB/A final-so the Willy's was running BB/A also? Earlier, I posted a view of them going against the Bones-Dubach-Pisano gasser so I just assumed this was an AA/G car.

 

Thanks-I remember the altered but didn't realize this was it 'in disguise'.

 

Fast forward to today..Hambris & Mitchell car is owned by Paul Kennedy and we own the Fiat ..and yes that was the final for BB/A..in 1966

Thanks for posting.

Rick
_________________________________________________________

I saw the picture and thought that that had to be your Fiat Rick, . It sure hasn't changed. Very cool to see the old pic.

 

partsrivet, thanks for the great photo of my car and Ricks fiat, I have just sent it to Al Hamberis I know he will love it, if you have any more I would love to see then thanks, Hope nobody minds me posting a photo of the car as it looks today,
Paul.

 

Paul, I don't think anyone will mind since it's relevant to the thread topics. Here's a link to one on page 1637 of this thread. Hope you enjoy it also.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7930414&postcount=32738

Chuck

 

Thanks a lot Chuck, here is a couple of old photos of the car.
it says Indy or Bust on the bumper.
Paul.

 

damn hippy!

 

Good stuff Paul..see the lettering on the window?..BB/A..

As the story was told to me..Mike got out on the Fiat big time,but something happened and it slowed up.

Fiat went on for the win.

Rick
==============================================

 

Leibham and Strine from Houston ran this hard running CC/G at Div IV races during the mid-sixties. Here Johnny Leibham is making a pass at the Opelousas points race in June of 1967.

 

Despite the fact that I had a press pass, NHRA officials deemed me unworthy to stand with the holy of holies next to the guard rail. As Mazooma1 noted a while back, in those days if you were a kid, there was no arguing the point, so I was banished to the fence with everyone else. This generally wasn't a problem except for when the big matches were on-then people-many of who did NOT have press passes crowded the rail to watch the action. Oh well, many of them are dead and gone yet I'm still here and we get to see Lutz and Lundberg's 442 take on Eddie Schartman during the funny car rounds.