I was one of those people running from the pits to the start line when they came up. You have to hear them in person with OPEN HEADERS and everyone POWERSHIFTING to understand. And when they came back down the return road and you were lucky enough one would be returning under their own power, you could FEEL the engine rumbling as it went by you even at idle.
You really needed to hear them at Bowling Green. Setting in the covered stands it was deafening especially Terry Hords Mazda. I asked him why no tach in his car, his reply was “There is’nt a tach that goes high enough.
I think the thing that I appreciated about the short video clip was the somewhat indirect reference that many of these high winding engines were built by the competitors themselves in many instances. Today with computers, computer operated machinery and desk top dynos etc that allows some very impressive engines without question. The development of engine building today is a different animal in a sense from what us grey beards lived through back in the 60s and 70s. There were some pretty smart and talented guys back then and I know a few ended up with Dart and other great innovators but they were talented before enjoying the benefits of all of the great equipment of these innovative companies. The guys I hung with were pretty sharp as well and maybe a few rungs down on the "innovative" ladder but I fondly remember sitting around discussing what we might try and it was "why not, sounds good, makes sense". Sometimes it worked and sometimes not so much but we learned a lot and had fun, and the results were quite impressive IMO. I remember hearing Wally Booth turning RPMS I had not heard before one time at Milan with his new 69 Camaro and when he returned to the pits I asked him how high he was leaving and he told me 10,000. How accurate this was I cannot say, but I remember cringing hearing his BBC rev that high. The guy I bought the 60 Corvette I mentioned above told me he left the line at 9500 with a BBC and he told me he knew guys leaving at higher RPMs with small blocks. I heard it and believed it. Many of those small blocks were 268 to 278 cubic inches. Never heard it at Bowling Green (and I am sure it was special) but it was a sound that sounded great no matter where you experienced it IMO.
It was a little later than the HAMB era but we ran a 331" small block pro stock, leaving at 9500 and shifting at 10,200. And that was still in the days of ported (and welded) iron heads. Roo
We used to to attend the Sports Nationals at Bowling Green every year, it was great. It was the only time we got to see the NHRA guys, our local tracks were IHRA. jimdillon I remember most of the local gas stations back then always had a drag or dirt track car in one of the bays. Most of them were home built back then.
Brian I mentioned bits and pieces before but I worked at a gas station when I was a senior in college owned by Jack Fruehauf (related to the trailer Fruehaufs). He bought the station to help his son Dave, learn a valuable business. Dave was a good guy but he enjoyed drag racing and drove a 69 Z28 as a daily driver and raced a 69 SS BBC Camaro which we had to park in one of the bays every night. It was very loud with open headers of course and I am sure the neighbors did not enjoy it late at night but it was always cool IMO. Dave used to race with Dave Kanners so it was an experience having Dave Kanners around occasionally, with or without his split bumper Camaro he was racing at the time. An earlier station I worked at seemed to always have a drag car in the lot or we parked in the bays at night (couple of the mechanics were drag race regulars). Good memories from a by gone era.
Grew up in Burlington Wi in the mid 60s to late 70s about 15 miles from Union Grove Dragway . It seemed like no matter where you went someone had a drag car at their shop or in their garage. 1971 was a great time to turn 16. One of the hottest cars I remember back then was a black 55 Chevy with a built 283. first car I ever saw with a 10 grand tach, he would shift about 9 and the car would leap what seemed like 50 ft every time he pulled another gear. Great memories! Larry
I concur Jim, those things seemed to be "set on kill" every pass, I couldn't get enough of the M/P cars, they were real cars, had three pedals and hauled ass, hey, that rhymes.
LB, you summed that up so perfectly. It immediately took me back to days of old. 75-80, Capitol, and Aquasco were all cozy tracks where one cud see, hear, and feel the action whether they were in the middle of it or not.
Doug your terminology of set on kill is a good way to describe it. Today's pro stock (and other classes) are also set on kill but for some reason it is not the same to me. A guy in my car club drove a front engine dragster back in the early to mid 60s and he loves the new stuff as he enjoys how fast they go-we have some spirited disagreements. I enjoy the speed to an extent but guess I am lost back in the 60s and 70s-no apologies.
Steve if you are talking about the 60 Vette I mentioned, you can see pictures of it on page 38 or this thread where we had a discussion with Charlie Kostic (Charlie K-who ran his own modified Corvette back in the day). Don't want to keep posting on it and mucking up the thread and it has Super Tricks on it anyways which is beyond the scope of the HAMB. Let me know if you want any pictures or info by email or whatever. Brian cool video-I have a similar video somewhere of the same day I believe. Pretty cool. Jim
I came across an M/P marked vette photo yesterday. Either in the McKinstry photo set https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/mckinstry-photo-collection.927529/page-5#post-12890870 Or the Dover site https://doverdragstrip.com in the galleries section under the G-K section. I forget which after a wild night last night
Would that be Cal Worthington and his “dog spot?” [emoji3] Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I love these MP cars from the 60’s. Anyone have photos of modified production cars from Amarillo or Hobbs? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I grew up across the street from a guy with a MP Camaro, 260 something CID with an idle close to two grand. He would work on the car all night and get it running at six in the morning waking up the neighborhood with twenty minute romps. I remember Ron complaining he couldn't get a tack that went over 10,000 rpm, this was 1974 or 5.
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