In 1956 our St Louis hot rod club drove to Kansas city for the second NHRA Nationals. The first Nationals were held in 1955 in Great Bend Kansas but were rained out. Final eliminations were postponed for a week or two. The race track was an airport runway in an industrial part of downtown close to the river. This was the first time we could see the big name west coast racers in action. http://public.fotki.com/bob****s1937
Bobbie, those are awesome shots. Thank you very much. Not sure if I interpreted your words correctly so sorry if I misunderstood. The old KC track was poured/paved all by itself. In other words, it was made in an old field and was not originally an airport. When they shut it down in 1967 or so, the police used it for helicopter practice. Thank you so much again for sharing those great color images from so long ago. In fact, I am sitting here with my original KCTA 1956 Annual book and it is cool to see things in color. Dad used to take us there in the early 1960s and when he raced his big Pontiac wagon from 64 till it closed. Tom
You are probably right about the track. It was our impression at the time that it was an unused runway, but that seems to be incorrect. I have many high quality pictures from the later Nationals in Oklahoma City and Detroit that will be posted in the future as the spirit moves me.
Brilliant historical do***ents - thanks so much for sharing. Great to see the roots of top flight drag racing were so basic - we have come a very long way. Cheers.
Growing up in KC, I grew up around the circle racing crowd. Dad raced on the dirt tracks of the early/mid 50's, in the KC area. Riverside, Olympic & Lakeside. He was one of the first that started the dirt track races at the Platte County Fair's old track. I started driving in 65. At that time the "Drag Strip" still had a few big events. But it was the Fri/Sat Late Nite unorganized races that kept it going on. I went into the Navy in 68 and by the time I returned it was blocked off & closed down. Today, You'd never know it was ever there
Unfortunately a lot of the old drag strips have disappeared across the country. Two of the best in the St Louis area in the 60s and 70s are now converted into housing developments with the old strip used as the main street.
The interesting fact about the 1955 ATAA event in Lawrenceville IL is that the Lloyd Scott Bustlebomb dragster with both Cad and Olds engines was the first one to go 150 mph in the quarter. He repeated that amazing for the times speed at the first NHRA Nationals a few weeks later in Great Bend KS.
I believe the ATAA was the first to allow nitro to be run......I have personal typed letters from ATAA from 1954 stating how that year at their very first "World Series of Drag Racing" the top speed was 132.35 m.p.h. which was run by the Arfons brothers from Akron Ohio in their now famous "Green Monster". Any more ATAA info? Thanks again for these excellent pictures.
A little bit, stood for Automobile Timing ***ociation of America, run by Arnold Maremont, who owned Maremont Mufflers. They ran the World Series of Drag Racing, think that their national meet was at Cordova, IL, Cook and Bedwell from California made the trip, as did John Bradley and the Speed Sport roadster, summer of '57. A relatively unknown guy named Garlits beat Cook & Bedwell, then was beaten in the final by Serop Postonian...If my memory is correct, Maremont and Wally Parks signed a merger agreement around the same time, merging ATAA into NHRA...guess that's one way to rid your self of compe***ion!...anyone who has a better memory step in to correct me...
Thanks for the info brother......I didn't know about the Maremont Muffler connection. The one letter I have from Nov. 1954 is signed by Joe Di Lorenzo National Director of the A.T.A.A. plus have a lovely 8x10 pic of the World Series Queen Miss Shirley Bliss who was actually Miss Australia in 1954.....thought you'd might enjoy that little tid bit of info.
The Jalopy Journal
