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

Thanks for that perspective, Dean. That's the first time I've seen that description of the sequence of events. It makes a lot more sense than the theory that it came loose and the car ran over it. We were in the tear-down barn on the other side of the Fairgrounds when someone came in with the news and things got really quiet after the word spread.

 

The piece under the car is an air dam. The view is distorted in the photo. The dam was actually back, just ahead of the engine. It was designed to pull the car down at speed without the drag of a wing up in the air. It worked too good, and the front tires couldn't take the added down force, and Pete paid the price.

 

Did I miss pics posted of Sneaky Pete's drop launch?

 

All makes sense, thanks for the perspective. I used Honeywell Strobes in the day. Never had anyone come after me. Nevertheless did get the occasional mistakes that looked cool. Dick M

 

LOVE THIS CAR

 

And, here are a couple of shots I took at Denver's Bandimere raceway. Year around 1980.

 

Two A/F cars, not sure on ID or track...

Any ID? NicktheBandit : Looks like Ed Eaton, from Long Island, later worked for NHRA...Ed was very well known in east coast drag racing circles.



Heir and Bender A/GD, sponsored by Lee's Speed Shop in Santa Monica...motor made the cover of HRM...Ito chassis...ran strong in the gas ranks...I remember that a fatal accident convinced Ronnie Heir that it was time to quit racing, maybe Leonard Harris' accident at Lions?




Jack Moss at Caddo Mills, TX...side by side Chevy with belt-driven McCulloch blowers.


Gopher State Timing Association from MN, not sure where the track is


Presumably from Glastonbury CT, probably adjusting valves or replacing a broker rocker...back in the days when you could be competitive with your street-driven hot rod...(again, from Nick: coupe belonged to Bill Hardy, Nick was with him in the Stockers Car Club in the early '60s.


No clue on the roadster, though the Willys looks like Jim Kirby's old "Challenger" -- I think it went to the East Coast after Jim sold it...not a lot of chopped Willys coupes...


Name on car, lots of Texas racers ran Pel State...don't know driver, though...anyone?


Back before it used to be on the front of John Force's funny cars, this might be one of the first in a long line of Tasca Ford sponsored cars...quite a drag racing family. Again from Nick: picture appears to have been taken at Connecticut Drag-a-way, where Tasca Ford raced frequently.


John Geraghty? At least he sponsored it...John built a lot of drag racers, including the famous "Grasshopper" T altered with the fully chromed Olds that really didn't drag race, and then the Barris-converted Chrisman A coupe, fortunately now restored back to its original form...This looks like the '61 Smokers meet

 

Someone posted this shot of ''roo'' on another site. My man was a BeeGee?

 

I don't know it looks like he is wearing a Bad Company T-shirt

 

The original "Thunderbolt".

Roo

 

You are correct Enloe. That was the logo on the six cylinder dragster that my long time friend John Handley and I ran in the mid 70's. It met its demise in the catch net at Adelaide International Raceway. It was bent so badly that we had to hacksaw the front off to get the remains back in the trailer.

Roo

 

AHH! Modified eliminator, realllly miss those high winding small blocks.

 

Modified eliminator was what made the fans run to the stands to hear the sound of high winding engines get ready to leave the starting line.
It's just not the same anymore without Modified eliminator.
Just my opinion.
Jimbo

 

Wayne Harry - Vancouver, WA