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

More from the old shoebox of photos.Don Garlits on Gas during the NHRA fuel ban at Minnesota Dragways to race The Guzler out of Chicago for a spot on the 1320 top ten list.Rain ended up as top eliminator.Also on hand the A/FD of Schifsky-Johnson from St.Paul,Mn.

 

WOW...thats a cool picture to have of your father!!!

 

A lot of the faster cars ran the smaller motors. The bored/stroked 392's just melted the tires, while the smaller motored cars seemed to hook up quicker as they didnt seem to over power the tires as much. I would assume the cooler evenings meant less traction and thus, in accordnace with my theory, the smaller less powerful motor was in order.

 

You posted before, but I dont recall if I asked you this, so forgive me if I did, but your dad venture south to run the inj A/FA circuit that ran out of Lions, Irwindale, et al?

 

One of my fav shots as this was what often greeted us every time we arrived at Irwindale. We exited the car, passed the hamburger stand, and saw a Crager equipped gasser launch from the line wheels up.

 

A little timeless fun from Thunder Valley Dragways , Marion ,South Dakota

 

Exactly, less traction at Lion's in particular because the moist air that came in around 8:00 collected on the track, but the air was also denser and thus you could pack more into the motor, and run it a bit leaner because the denser air helped to keep the pistons from melting...that was the principle of the night motor...not sure if we discovered it but we did ask Jack Engle to grind a cam with lots of top end to take advantage of the night air, and ran 198 with a 296" DeSoto...

 

Desoto's were an under estimated power plant. Hell Adams and Enriquez coaxed what 201 MPH out of an injected 305" in '68.

 

Hi WCD:

Not sure about Lions, but I know Irwindale quite a bit, and then Orange County later on. He ran Jr Fuel (out of Fresno along w/ Rance McDaniel, John Fritz, who all lived in his neighborhood) previous to the altered.

By the time he went to the the altered, I believe it had already been lumped into Comp...

He ran it in A/ Fuel and B/ Fuel trim, his driver was named Dave McClure.

His Jr Fuel driver was Tim Wingard, and the car was the former Dwight Hughes Jr Fueler.

Dve

 

Orange County International Raceway Irvine Aug 1967
photo courtesy Orange County Archives

 

OH...man...would I love to be walking though that pit (above)

 

WOW, look at all those suits!!! Very different times.

 

Notice they brought in all the pretty full bodied entries. I am digging the Nickey Camaro in the back as well.

 

Yes. That's because suits look funny with MTS, Budweiser, Skoal, Full Throttle, Summit, Gatorade, etc on them

 

T.C. Lemons told me a story about the timing of the then new 426. He said they struggled to get the car to run and the Old Man was getting pissed, he wanted to go back to the trusty 392, but Chrysler really wanted the new 426 in the car. He said the Old Man got pissed and grabbed the mag and gave it a turn, really hoping it would blow the damn thing up and they could put the 392 back in. The rest is history as the car went out and ran better then they had ever run before, from then on they new what to do to make it run.

 

I was thinking that there should be more photos out on the web somewhere that were taken the same day, for whatever event that was,
wouldn't you think Doug?

 

Amazing thread...I own the '66 L72 Biscayne that was bought new by Dick Ribaudo (RIP) from Duluth MN. The car was raced extensively (B/S) by Dick and later by John Bezdichek (sp) from New Ulm MN. Does anyone have info or pictures of the car back in the day when it raced at Minnesota dragways? I have been in touch with Dick's son and both he and I would like more info if available. Thanks in advance.
Regards
Cal

 

Looks like Carl Olsen (2nd from left in sport coat) and Pete Robinson (Sneeky Pete) 8th from left in sport shirt ( Atlanta Formal).How many others can you I.D. Someone must know the guy with the shades & Hawian formal shirt.Is that Ed Pink talking to Pete Robinson ?

 

Sure was fun to watch the small motor cars like Warren & Colburn 327 chev get out first at lions and then some Chrysler Hemi car try to catch them before the stripe sometime going 20+ mph faster. Sometimes the 170 mph range cars could hold them off sometimes the 190+ mph charge was enough to get the win.Top Fuel was a blast in the Day with such a variety of powerplants SBC,Hemis,Olds,Lincolns,Ford FE,even a Packard,twin F85 olds, Cads,

 

Notice the tire size 11.75 X16 on the American 200s wheels on the Smirnoff car.I still have some 11.00 x 16 Goodyear Bluestreaks on 16x10 Ansen sprints we use for car shows and for loading the car in a narrow trailer.Back in 1990 we put them on our 392 rear engine car with a 2 brl carb to let my Son make a pass or two they spun like crazy and did not smoke but that hard old rubber sure made a strange sound.

 

You probably did Doug! Wonder what the deal was with all the "suits"? I've never seen anything like that in any pit I was ever in.

 

THe candy striped rail is Johnson and McKwen, after that wow, I am not sure. Third car from camera seems to bare elttering that looks a little like Hawiian, but I the Hawiina was blue and white to my recollection. The 4th car I cant even guess. Nickey Camaro seems to have a chute mounted on the trunk. I wonder if this was the same car that served as Hot Rod Magazine/Edelebrock magazine test car.

 

I think what looks like a chute on the Nickey Camaro is actually the end of the bumper on the Cameo behind it.
I'm reasonably sure the Nickey car isn't the Hot Rod Camaro (Vic Edelbrock owns it now, doesn't he?). Nickey Chevrolet teamed up with Bill Thomas to build cars similar to Yenkos. Pretty sure this is one of them. I think they ran 427s in them and might have fallen into FX. Or it could be an early ProStocker.
With the "suits" there, this must have been a pretty big event.

 

Third car in is the Howards Cam Rattler, I'm betting. The 4th car, I'm guessing at this, Winkle-Trapp the Magicar

 

Maybe local media day for the opening of the track?

 

Give the man a cigar!! How right you are!
check out the link,
http://ochistorical.blogspot.com/2008/11/ocir-orange-el-toro-and-victorian.html

 

The third car looks like a Long (four radius rods) and the paint is wrong for the Rattler--too light on the side and lettering too high on the body.

Roo

 

Also, the Howard Cam car at the time (1967) featured just a shorty body with some side panels, no nose piece. And it was blue & white. The orange hued full body version that bares a resemblence to this car, and sits in the lobby of the NHRA Museum, was the one that ran in 69 with the Porsche Bros and Larry Dixon.

 

Definately mounting signs with a crane...I would guess an opening also?

 

Ron Saunders, Tommy Hughes, Harold Springs, Elaine Hughes, Julius Hughes Jr., ?? and Frank Brumby NHRA 1964 Class Champion and Best Appearing Car & Crew