Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: Kansas City Drags in 1956 Continue reading the Original Blog Post
My favorite part about old drag footage from Kansas City is how many of the cars are still running around Kansas City and Omaha virtually unchanged. great find!
I still have the 1956 KCTA book written with info about all the clubs and detailing the track featured in the videos, above. I am wondering if anyone would want a copy (no profit to me) if I had it reprinted? It likely would be around $20 plus shipping. I can scan and reprint it very cleanly and on good paper. Typically takes about two weeks or so after an order is in. Let me know. Here is the cover and a page or two inside it.
A little before I started going to that strip since I turned 16 in January 1957 but I remember also going down to the strip on Friday and Saturday nights after taking a date home. My Dad always said if I broke something at the strip to not call him! He was a good mechanic but didn't care for racing.
Very cool film. And I dig that KCTA book, Tom! Pace's Speed Shop (3430 Independence Ave.) is now a Mexican restaurant. I'm glad that KC is finally getting another strip this year to replace KCIR (and Heartland Park).
Tom, I’d be down for a copy. Where was this strip? KCIR opened around ‘66/‘67. We also used to go to a strip next to a bridge over the Missouri River. The shut down faced the river, lol. Really cool video.
I believe it was in the east bottoms off Front Street, between Chouteau Trfwy and I-435, which wasn’t built yet.
This is the coolest thing I have seen in years!! If Ray Ericson was still around he would be able to probably tell you about every car in this film and probably list their best time.
I wasn't old enough to go there in '56 but less than a decade later spent some time there on Front Street. It was sure flat in that Missouri River bottomland. My neighbor had a '57 DeSoto with a 341, then later a '63 former Highway Patrol two-door cruiser (we were told only Kansas and Florida HyPos used two-door cruisers back then) with a well-used 383. When KCIR opened north of Knobtown, we ran there. His dad was a TWA overhaul base mechanic and knew his MoPar. Somehow his dad got an entire exhaust system, banana manifolds, H pipe, dumps, all the way to the back. We even got a stock two-fours cast-iron manifold with the gold painted oval air cleaners running Carters and a dual-point ignition (Packard distributor?) When he bought it, the Plymouth had 2.87 rear gears and 15-inch tires. As for timeslips, nothing spectacular or even respectable as I recall, but it improved when he got the differential up into the mid-3.00s, but it never was quick because even after an overbore to 0.030 he stuck with a stock cam, lifters, springs, etc. and never jumped up the compression or considered bigger wedge valves or heads. Still, with that HyPo spotlight still stuck through its A-post base, it was more of a performer at Winstead's if you know what I mean. Thanks for an amazing video of the old strip and all the cars lurking out there. Those truly were Happy Days.
When I watch these videos I just want to jump through the screen and be part of it. It always amazes me too how many of the fellas are wearing white clothing, t-shirts, jumpsuits etc. always looking sharp.
Amen. Miss Ray! Whistle Bait, around 5:07 mark. Lot of Hambers would enjoy this: @sodbuster @CTaulbert @cactus1 @Abomination @Jack Luther @Kevin Lee @KCTA Chris @53sled @Bill H. @Tom davison @64afx @ryno @lippy @Cowtown Speed Shop @hotrodlane @Kan Kustom @RDP @easyrider47 @WB69 @oldfart36 @Kerry @flott57 @39-2dr @choprods There are others who would be interested, not sure how many of these folks ^^^ are still on the HAMB. Thanks Jay!
Sting Ray, pretty much it sat parallel to what is now 435 and ran north. What I recall was a small two lane, maybe dirt road heading from Chouteau down what is now called Front Street and ending just about where 435 is but not quite that far. Old images show the grain elevators in some of the photos and I have made my estimates based on the location where they are currently. The pits were partially north of what is now the big intersection of 435 and Front Street, again as to what I remember. Dad used to take us there from 61 till it stopped in 65-66-67. I was 5 to about 11 but I can sure remember a lot about being there. Doug Boyce's new CarTech book on the "AHRA Rebels" has a few images of the old track too as well as some stories about its beginnings.
Tom, I still have My original copy as well. John Povmire had copys of the book made many years ago for guys as well. I have seen about a half dozen post from guys on here and FB asking about copys of the book lately. Also Ray Ericson loaned John his original club plaque and John had them made as well. It was a bit before my time but I am a KCTA geek and collect everything I can on it. John also got the original metal sign out of the dumpster and kept it for years. He had a auction a while back and I did not find out about it till it was too late. One thing is for sure the guy who bought it at that auction would have payed a hell of alot more for it if I would have been there or it would be hanging on my wall. It is a Big sign, as that is a 16' garage door it is leaning on.
L. Eckart- This is a crazy coincidence! My dad, Jerry Ward was born in KC in January of 1941 just like you, and grew up a total car guy. Went to Raytown High, and was good friends with Doug Thompson (who built some of Ray Fahrner's cars). Small world... He drag raced at SeMo in the early 60s.
Awesome, thanks for sharing! After my Dad got out of the service in '55 he went to A&P school in KC. He took his '47 Ford business coupe to the KC drags. I have some old B&W photos that he took at the track. I remember he said there was a gentleman there with a hopped-up Olds cleaning every bodies clock.
Thanks for sharing this. I've never been to that rack. But have been to others in my home town in those days. Very cool. Nicely done on the shooting as well. Well composed.
Of interest to me, in the first reel, was a 40's Lincoln Continental Coupe with markings of a runner, not a push car. Even bet it had a Cadillac V-8 in it.
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