Pics: Nationals 1955-1958

We went with the Drifters car club who took two cars to the drags from Redondo Beach, CA. This was one of them....



This was my friend's car that we drove from Redondo to OK City. This was taken when we had a blowout on the way home somewhere in the TX panhandle.

 

Incredible pics, I'm even diggin' looking at the "new cars" in the background.

 

Awesome - no fancy motorhomes or coaches back then, just a tent next to the car.

Thanks for posting

 

Best pictures I've ever seen and not just because they're in color. One Connecticut car is a gold Model A coupe with the plate "BODY" was owned by Frank Maratta who also owned Connecticut Dragway. I only knew it from my older brothers car show pictures. Nice to see it was dragged. Thank you soo much!

 

Notice the lack of designer t-shirts and baseball hats? Girls with dresses at the drags! Shoes not sneakers. Cool

 

nice pictures its awesome to see some old St.louis cars in there.Dechrome, you guys run any club plaques back then? if so i would love to get my hands on one or a jacket for a couple of reasons!

 

I didn't know there were that many people still alive that would appreciate some of these old pictures. The quality of my old slides is amazing after all these years. I enjoyed looking at the old stuff as much as you do.

 

so you are the Hellmuth of Arteaga & Hellmuth? yes we appreciate all the pictures and somewhere I have my copy of the march 1962 Hot Rod with the potvin blown olds powered Henry J, sorry got that issue at 13 yrs old and it struck me cause hardly ever see St. Louis cars in the old mags its funny the things you remember. I'm 22 now but that car and the names still stick out to me. I'd like to see more pictures if you don't mind.

 

Incredible feeling from those photos - taken a year or more before I was born, and 5000 miles away, but amazing to see the world in colour! I think all our cars were still black, white or grey back then!

 

Ya gotta wonder if those helmets ever saved anyone from anything but a sunburn't bald spot. Ditto the un-supported shoulder height or non existant roll bars. And of course those t-shirt fire suits...

I'd kill for that Pagan Gold truck and coupe. Even like the matching pith helmets.

Anybody spot any red wheels and black primer in these shots? Or rusted rat rods?

Arfons was always nuts. Can you imagine the ride in that damned fighter engine'd go kart? The view has to be awesome at speed. I've sat in that thing. You feel pretty unprotected. Almost like a motorcycle.

Dragmaster ch***is always make me feel like somebody hot rodded a bunk bed frame. I love 'em.

Amazing how many rear engine jobs were being tried back then.

Chevy sold a LOT of pickups in 55/56/57 and guys at the drags could apparantly afford them fairly new.

I miss sitting on the hood watching the races between 1/2 track and the finish line. There was no wall, WE spectators were the wall at a lot of tracks till the mid 60's or later. Usually just telephone poles laid end to end and maybe a wire fence to keep idiots and livestock from wandering out onto the track.

 

My brother John and Wayne Arteaga ran their very successful g***er during the Alton and MAR dragstrip days. Wayne still has the Willys and drives it almost daily as a street rod. He, my brother, and many old STL rodders get together for a geezer reunion every year in June to tell lies and drink a little beer in Wentzville.

 

Best bunch of old pictures I've ever had the opportunity to see. Thanks.

 

thank's for the memories. the 32 with the blown olds was owned by clif and dan hicks of pittsburg ks. the trans from that car is in a friend's 40 today.

 

Flippin Pure Awesomeness!

 

It's great to see that old drag strip again. I was there almost every weekend in the summers from 1961 to the fall of 1964.

It cost a $1.50 to get in and I dont remember any tech. I ran 95 MPH in jeans, T-shirt and tennis shoes without socks, no helmet or seat belt.

I go to what's left of it now and drive down it and it looks so small. The railroad track to the south of the track is so close to the track and starting line,inthe pics you hardly even notice it. In the pics of the grandstand with the return road in front of it looks like there is all the room in the world. Go there now and you wonder how they got all those cars and people in there.

Thanks for the memories, Fred

 

I have gone through these photos 4 times already and keep seeing more and more.
You will be hard pressed to find a tattoo. Just weren't done back then.
Cars mostly painted, and no where do you see rust. Rust wasn't something to be proud of.
Tennis shoes were for gym cl***. Penny loafers ruled the day.
This was my era and I truly appreciate the effort to post these pictures.
This was really the time for innovation.

 

My God, and in color! Second pic looks like the Bustle Bomb. Pretty cool story about that by Garlits a few years ago in some magazine. Two pinions on one ring gear, rear motor's throttle wired wide open, and ignition on. When clutch was dumped at the start it'd light off motor #2 and away it went to 160 MPH in the 50's!

 

Outstanding pics. Usually personal stuff from that era are pretty poor quality, but these are way cool.
Just a little something I would like to add that may be of interest to some. A friend of mine from here in Duncan, OK. was at the '58 Nat'ls. Him and his parents. A Hot Rod mag photographer saw their little home built 34 Ford. He shot some photos of the car, and they appeared in Hot Rod's March 1959 issue. It belonged to Ronnie Mayberry. Ronnie became or was at that time a member of the Duncan " Hi Lifters ". They had a small drag strip on the S.W. side of Duncan. Ronnie later ran a 55 Chevy D/ G***er. Small block with 6 two's. It was the first time I had ever seen this setup other than magazine photos. My eyes and ears were impressed! Ronnie raced for many years, and now builds some of the coolest Tri 5 Chevs.
Sorry for the rambling, but in old Hot Rod mags where they list the sanctioned strips, Duncan is listed. " 1000 ft. Stocks and G***ers Only "! I always thought that sounded so cool. And as far as I can tell, Ronnie had the only car from Duncan ever featured in Hot Rod mag. Those old pics just send my mind back to another time.
Thanks for memories, Steve.

 

These pics would make a fantastic book! Somebody do it....please!!

 

I was on the tracks that year on my bike , didnt have a buck fifty to get in... when i started driving i raced there till it went 1/8th mile in 66 i think .great pics , thanks a ton ........

 

Yes, and remember push cars? I think that's the Cyr & Hopper dragster from Escondido, CA that won it all in the right lane.

Not sure who the guy in the wheelchair is but remember he was with the Grimes 57 Buick powered Fiat and may be ??? Grimes from Phoenix, AZ.



My slides are dirty and I'm not sure how to clean them. Any suggestions?

 

You can try this stuff, it seems to be good stuff although I've never tried it. It is a bit pricey but is well worth it if you have cool slides that you dont want damaged.
http://www.photographicsolutions.com/pec12.htm
You use these wipes with it.. http://www.photographicsolutions.com/padproduct.htm
You dont want to do anything to damage any archival stuff, us "younger" guys need to see these kind of pics.

 

The request for a book to display and explain the times and the enthusiasm of the period would be great. Bob is not only an experienced and accomplished photographer but has the pictures and is also a writer of some ability. His occasional articles in Bonneville Racing News and other publications showcase his abilities in that area. He would be perfect for that task.
Perhaps some encouragement from HAMB members could get his interest.
That is Bob----- bobbyhstl.
dechrome

 

Outstanding pics!

 

I peronaly liked the Mercarero it was cool!

 

I'll add my thanx to the list too. Excellent pix. I'd love to see them all enlarged in a full-colour book too!

All the best, Koops.....

 

Sweet Georgia Brown!

Hey... just a thought, but have you talked to Byron at G***erMadness.com? He might want to host those collections as well.

 

I am amazed at the interest and positive responses to these pictures. Obviously there is a story behind each one. When I recently talked to Wally Parks, he is still intending to write another book about the early days, and asked if he could use some of my pictures. Let's see what happens.
bobbyhstl

 

Pics have been removed at Bob Hellmuth's request. Sorry guys.