Great Kodachrome Pictures 1957 OK City NHRA Nationals

great pictures

 

I believe this car was destroyed in an accident. Apparently it rolled more than a dozen times. (I once read that it flipped end over end thirteen times.)

So many great cars! How about those '57 Chevys in A/S and S/S class?
(At 283 c.i.!) Thanks for posting.

 

Thanks for taking the time to put all these great photos up for all of us!

 

My brother owns the blue roadster in the far lane at the 55 ATAA meet. From what we found out, a group of guys from the Detroit area attended the event and took some cars out.

 

This is the kinda stuff that TRJ was looking for their Scrapbook. Great shots. Clarity, color, everything. I saved every one of those shots to an album right on my computer..

Thanks so much for sharing these. They rule.

EDIT: just re-read your first post.. I'd give the guys at TRJ a heads-up and see if they're interested in using your pictures for an article or even for a book. They absolutely dig this stuff. Of course, I'm interested in seeing everything else if this was just one set of pictures you own!

 

In fact I was talking to the RJ staff today. They already used some of my photos in the Scrapbook (Chapter 8).

 

Ain't that ironic.. Well, then share the rest of them with us.

 

I believe that the blue 1932 Vicky with black fenders was owned by Johnny Lovelean from Fort Worth. It ran a buick v8. I have never seen the car in color before. Fantastic photos.

 

I always wondered where the actual "strip" had been in OKC. The covered grandstands in the background were for the half-mile dirt track. The city fathers threw the promoters out a couple of years back and I think just tore them down this past year.

It looks like it ran East to West, alongside Reno with the starting line back toward May Ave.

1957 was Oklahoma's hundredth year of statehood and I remember going to the fairgrounds for the celebration, took in the circle track stuff, but I guess had not yet discovered "drag racing" at age 7..

Thanks for posting.

Take care, K

 

50 years maybe ---okies ...

 

Might as well Throw throw this in-

@ 38:38, this video shows the building of the dragstrip and the earliest races there.

 

Great pics. The quality is very good for that time. Thanks for sharing.

 

In your picture album of the '55 Nats, I believe photo ATAA55064 is this car. This picture of it was taken at Halls Dragstrip in Halls TN(north of Memphis) in the early 50's. Marshall Robilio told me who had this car and what it was, but I don't remember right off, it was outta Memphis. Anyway, strange car, guess he kept running it and made it west.
(not nearly as nice as your Kodachrome pictures....just WOW)

 

It is an awesome car! I am friends with the guy that built it and ran it back in the day. I am building a clone of it right now with his help and input. The original car was crushed in the late 60's. The dents are just the way he found the car, it was built in a small garage by the owner/driver. Truly an original home-built hot rod from the day. Unchopped top, 2 1/2 inch ride height, ran a 50 Olds motor in all of 56 and early 57, then ran a 392 Hemi for the 57 Nationals. It got second in its class at the Nationals. It is a wild car with alot of really subtle modifications that are hard to peg.

 

Very Kool!! Love them old pics!

 

very cool link to the ol days in OKC Brian....thx for posting.

 

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Thanks for posting these pics, I had this exact photo in my ablum. These guys are the Satans from Philadelphia. They were all friends of mine, I say were because they have all passed on. Freddie Allen, "Little Al" Cravera, "Toby" Altimare, and a whole bunch of other guys made up the "Satans". Freddie Allen was the driver, "Little Al" did the beautiful candy paint work. This car was one of the first cars to run fuel in the Philly area. Freddie and I used to meet up at the Summernationals at E'town every year, I miss those guys.

Here are some more pics.

[IMG]http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc320/luapdlog/DevilDeuceCrew1.jpg






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To: 3dnSouth

The car shown in the ATAA 064 photo is actually Burt Keisler in the Effingham Cam Grind Special. As the name of the car would suggest, Burt and his crew ran out of Effingham IL. The car had a side mounted Olds engine in the back with a very husky chain drive to the rear axle. With all the weight in the rear he didn't have traction problems and the car ran pretty good. The chain drive set up looked pretty strange but it worked well.

 

Holy cow, really different style for a drag car. Effingham would be little drive to Halls, back in the early 50's. I would guess Hwy 51 all the way (if that's the same car). I'll see if I can freshen Marshall's memory. Thanks the info man (and the pics!).

 

The info about the Satan's club is terrific. Unfortunately when you have been in hot rodding as long as some of us, from the 50s and early 60s, you have seen many of your fellow club members and hot rod buddies leave you behind. The best thing about looking at the photos that document your youth is the refreshing of lots of good times in your mind.
Nostalgia is often a very useful thing when you get long in tooth.

 

Great thread......very cool pic's!

 

I appreciate all the email and phone calls from old and new friends about these historic pictures. The photos have brought lots of good memories to those who have lived in that era and those who are interested in the history of NHRA racing.

 

Very cool, thanks.

 

Kieth,you are correct on the location of the track,,,We entered the Fairgrounds from May Ave..was no entrance from Reno...

 

Thanks for the time machine ride....

 

Did i miss the password somewhere? Won't let me in. I'm from Oklahoma City and would love to see these.

 

It now says

Restricted access!

Password required.

 

I would love to see these, but when I clicked on the link, it wanted a password.

 

Revell makes the 25th scale model.

 

It now says

Restricted access!

Password required.
I got the same info???