History Early drag racing photos

Hello,

We have a couple of good photos of the Street Roadster cl*** at Lion’s Dragstrip from the 1958 season to 1960.



I remember reading the Drag News regularly after our Willys Coupe build. Our next build, if there was going to be one was to make a Street Roadster using our 671 292 c.i. blower spec SBC motor. The complete motor turned 11:60 in C/Gas. So, it would have been in B/Street Roadster cl*** if one was built.

The idea was coming to fruition, if we pursued a ch***is and body. We knew it would take over a year to build, since my brother was now limited to what he could do mechanically.

Jnaki


This is the original drag racing record list as a blank. In February 1959, the whole organization, the Standard 1320 decided to run with this format and started accepting timing slips from racers certified by the dragstrips as records for their respective cl***es.

By summer, the records were being set for the 1320 list.

The fun thing was, in looking at my You Tube channel, "J NAKI," most of these early record holders were filmed by me at Lion’s Dragstrip during those early 1958-60 time periods, in those listed cl***es. Check them out…

So, I was wandering around in a bunch results from 1961 and 62. From the time we saw Jim C***idy’s Street Roadster at Lion’s Dragstrip with Junior Thompson driving to the end of September 1962, it was a record holder’s in A/SR cl***. Junior Thompson held the record for over a year.


Sept 23 1961 First mention of LaCoste and Tabuchi

Sept 15 1962 Last Record mentioned and posted


Not saying the LaCoste-Tabuchi roadster was not fast, it was… But the record for best official E.T. was listed for Junior Thompson/Jim C***idy. By late 1965 into 1966 there were new racers and new rules for cars in all divisions. Both names disappeared from the list and there went the fun involvement in drag racing. YRMV

 

Hello,

We never saw Don Garlits at Lion’s Dragstrip. But, we saw him driving at the Riverside Raceway in 1959. Then a few months later, at the Bakersfield Smokers March Meet in 1960, with Art Malone driving. In Early 1959, his So Cal foray visits were not the one to write home, about, until he visited Ed Iskenderian. (then, history was made out West)

But, guess who we did see at Lion’s Dragstrip in 1960, his brother with almost a duplicate FED race car. His brother, Ed, had the custom touches we all liked on hot rods and race cars. Flames!!!


Jnaki

It was the time of the filming era that I was able to sneak over to the tower side behind the actual tower and get close to the white Pontiac Ambulance. In talking with Mr. Childers of the Dilday Ambulance Services, I was able to film a great take off from the starting line of Ed Garlits. YRMV


Despite my pit p***, that area was not considered “the Pits,” although one had to go through the pits to get there. Crazy rules… It was a great place to film the race cars coming so close on full acceleration. Not the safest place to be, but had the most action possible. Check out the other "close encounters of the fast kind..." on the
J NAKI You Tube Channel during this timeline in drag racing history... YRMV

 

136mph @ 11:36? Thats hard to believe. Maybe their mph lights were at the far end of the trap? thats way too much mph.

 

that’s not necessarily true you gotta remember back then traction was nowhere near as good as it is today for example my ch***is research digger with a blown sbc would typically run 10.40 @140 (if it had an auto trans there would be much lower but it has a 3-speed stick) but when I put the blown hemi in it with a dose of nitro in it the et was way slower like 11.80 @ 145 the traction was terrible with the old pie crust slicks with that much power out of the hole but it when it finally hooked at half track it would pull like a rocket and mph like crazy compared to the et I didn’t run that engine Combe very long as it was damn near undrivable but it would sure put on a show so traction is a very big factor here

 

Paisley ^^^^^^. oj needs some education on the subject.

 

A young Roland Leong.

 

Ade Knyff and Bernie Riegels (sp) A 7 B Speed Shop from M***achusetts.

 

A young Connie Kalitta in the Crower shirt, and a younger Scott Kailtta in the driver's seat.

 

Eddie and Ercie Hilll.

 

Kenny Hirata, Bobby Vodnick, and ?

 

Roland Leong on the left, Jim Nelson on the right ?

 

Eddie and Ercie Hill ?

 

The team of Hirata & Hobbs, with Bobby Vodnick in the seat. Kenny Hirata is from Indiana, Hobbs, RIP, lived in Ohio, and Vodnick, RIP, was from Illinois.
Kenny was born in 1928, making him older than the Greek.

 

Not saying the LaCoste-Tabuchi roadster was not fast, it was…
It was fast...Thanks for sharing and I will look those videos over. I am always looking for more footage of the 404.

 

Hello,

For the new folks with a penchant for old drag racing photos and identifying them, here is one that is a mystery. Yes, it was powerful and no, it did not win the cl*** as the record holder, Weddle, Nichols 4 door Willys Sedan won.

But, the red primer 4 door Willys Sedan did win few rounds.



Jnaki

The problem is that I still cannot remember the name of the red primer Willys 4 door Sedan owner or driver. So, for those that like a mystery… here is a doozy. Who owned it, who drove it and if the sign on the door was a little clearer, then we would have something to go by and possibly identify it. It may be difficult as most folks weren't around for all of the early history of drags from December 20, 1959, in So Cal, at the Riverside Raceway... YRMV

 

In Chjcago at the indoor amphi theater

 

Here's a few from my Dads slides we found buried in the closet. I feel like it's a shame not to share them!

 

Lions 1963