History Old Indy US Nationals Pictures, 1969

A friend shared his personal pictures from the US Nationals taken roughly 40 years ago (They were marked August 31st 1969, though I see a few newer cars??)

I realize there are some rides here newer than the cutoff, but I think you might enjoy the pics like I did. This was an interesting transition period for drag racing.

One surprise to me was the amount of trash all over the ground in a lot of the pics. The sponsors today wouldn't like that, nor would the "green" police!

Click on the pics for a bigger version. Hope you like...

 

Some more...

 

and more...

 

and more yet...

 

and some final shots (love the last one!)

 

Great photos...you should add them to the Drag Cars in Motion thread.

 

Great pics, the big go is my favorite race of the year.

 

Check out the headers on that blue twin engined dragster. What up with that rear engine?

Kevin

 

Yeah, I noticed those rear pipes too, like maybe they are staggered to stay away from the rear tire (see the fourth pipe off to the side?)

And, yes I thought about the other drag post, but nothing is in "motion" here! I asked my friend about that and he said he just enjoyed taking pics up close in the pits as opposed to the (probably) more professional equip needed to get good pics from a distance on the track.

Love that Mission Impossible 55 car too.

Also like the various vintage wheels in these pics. Everything from magnesium spindle mounts (saw at least two guys polishing!) to American 200S, Keystones, Cragars, Indy Wheels, etc. Cool.

 

My first trip to the Nationals was in 1961.Man, that was Realllll Drag Racing!!!!.Cold Beer in the stands and going down on the track and shaking hands with "Big Daddy".

 

Maybe that fourth pipe is staggered to help shoot some heat on the tires and or maybe even create some aerodynamics over the tire??

 

awesome photos!

 

the MAXI BRUTE! I hadn't thought of this one in years! Wasn't there also a "Mini-Brute", maybe an Opel Kadette or GT?
thanks for the post

 

Great pics!

 

Why does everything from this period look like it was dipped in NICOTINE? Cool pics anyways!

 

And what's up with the injector scoops facing the rear????

 

Hey Jeffrey, the color in color prints is not permanent, so the old photos start to fade with age.


Oh yeah, nice pics Redlinetoys, and thanks for posting.

 

WOW, killer pics! I love that time period, mostly 'cause I remember some of it. That Egyptian car is wild! Is that a Riv with a goat nose or a goat with Riv fenders. Somebody was smoking something funny. Thanks for the pics, it was a trip!

 

The 1969 US Nationals was my first national event and was a real treat. Back then the tickets had stubs that were torn off each day of the event. I managed to keep my ticket in tact for the entire event.

 

These are extra cool...
I'm a big "Grumpy" Jenkins fan.
Thanx' for sharing them.

 

Thanks for the pictures. Were they still doing tech inspections at the Speedway shopping center in 1969?? Went to every nationals from 1961-1965 . Last one I went to was in 1967.

 

Wow, '61-'65!! If I could go back in time that would be the years I would want to attend!!! SS/AFX was the best during this time. Do you have any photos??

 

Does anybody know any thing about this "highly unusual Riv from the first set of pics???

 

Here are a few more.

 

They were still doing at least the sportsman tech at the Speedway Shopping Center in 1984, my first US Nats. I bummed a ride from the motel to Speedway with the DeFrank and Cohen crew and then rode from there to the track with Frank Bradley's guys.

Roo

 

It's a Rivi with a goats nose. I was 16 years old when that picture was taken. Don Boeke, aka "The Egyptian" from Dayton Ohio always had a radical Riviera. My Mom and Dad always ate out at resturants on the westside of Indy. All the race cars crews stayed at 5 or 6 hotels on the westside of Indy. While we were out for the evening I would beg my Dad to take me past the hotels. Don and his Rivi's always hung out at the now seedy hotel (nice back then) down on Tibbs Ave by the junkyards.
The Rivi in that picture was always riveted in my mind. The first thing other than a girl to give me wood...

 

Thanks for sharing....I love the HAMB for exactly shots like these-Shots I would never ever see otherwise unless someone decides to share. Thanks again.

 

Too bad we didn't have digital cameras with big memory cards back then. Most of the time I would shoot two rolls of 36 exposure film. Wish I had shot more!

 

It was my first Nationals too. I was crewing on a BB/GS '33 Willys coupe. We didn't qualify but what an incredible experience Indy was back then. I still have 3 Crane Cams participant t-shirts that they gave us. And a bottle of Malco chrome cleaner that Ohio George gave me. Last time I raced at Indy in was the early 90's and, by then, the magic just wasn't there anymore for me.
How about all the motel parking lot activity during the Big Go? That was a show in itself! I miss those days.

 

seeing that photo of the Candies & Hughes car...

If anyone is interested.. last week on ebay there was the...

The Original 1970 Candies & Huges Barracuda AA/Funny Car​

the car that won the very first
NHRA Gatornationals and the 6th annual Super Stock Magazine Nationals in York, Pa. plus countless other events.

It needs to be restored but there is tons of stuff there along with document proof of the car.

The car is Ankeny, IA and it didn't sell or even get any bids it was starting at $23k
the item # was 330297107198

and there was a phone # 515-238-0012 email was mccauley117@msn.com

Someone need to bring this car back to life. It's not my car or do I have any connection to it, but it looks like someone here would need to have it!