All I can say is stick to your guns. The cl*** will stand the test of time if you are consistent on your rules. There is always gonna be someone that wants to be grandfathered in. Just can't cater to everyone. BTW, I am glad to see this cl*** making a go of it.
Amen. It's how it should be. There is still a lot of flex in the rules to be creative and have fun and thats what it's all about.
I would really love to see the cars at Wichita, HA/GR or SDRA. WIR is an independent track now and is using IHRA safety rules as the guideline, so no more worry about NHRA rules.
Right now I have a 4 car field. I will give it a little more time and then I will have to call the track owner and see if he will still promote us as the headline (newspaper/radio/web site). We really need an 8 car field at least. A thing like this could help get a few cars built in the Wichita area...close enough to pull to Tulsa and MOKAN to race there. I guess we will have to just see what happens. Keep your fingers crossed. Ron.
Root, that ain't gonna work, the rules say minimum 3" diameter tubing. Maybe ya'll have some BIG paper towel rolls out there
was woundering if you are allowed to run hiborn mechanical injection as it was around in the eara of the cars or r u only allowed to run carbs
Part of the draw of HA/GR is its concept of "low bucks" racing in the era it exemplifies. Injection set-ups of the period were quite expensive (and hard to tune) and seldom seen in the then still emerging drags. Very few drag cars were high buck then, most were true "barn jobs". Thus, rules #13 and #16. That said, that's on this side of the pond, and here for those with that bent the "Gerbils" are developing nicely. A couple builders are even considering "convertible" cars, outfitable for either cl***.
Besides.......if it was easy, everybody would be making one. Old technology still works, lets keep it alive.
your not going to get this thing certified, and nhra looks for .118 in all curves ...........dom in .120 should be fine I would think.....
OK I have a 1954 270 GMC engine that has a Chev 3 spd behind it and I'm planning on running 3 Rochester 2 jets on a homemade manifold. I will run a 120 in wheel base with a Ford straight axle with a Chev rearend. I understand the rollbar rules but I want to make sure that what I'm building is going to be able to run. Roy
Roy, I'm building a 321 cubic inch GMC for our HA/GR dragster. I've already built an intake manifold with 3 Rochester, 2 jet carbs. At present I'm waiting for a set of Howard's aluminum rods for the engine. Why don't you contact me and we can talk. I may be able to help you on your car. Ron (Goldenri@ aol.com) Kansas City, Mo. 816-436-6108
In 1957 I had a dragster that would fit the bill except it had a roll bar that came to about the middle of my head. It was made from airplane wing struts and had a 3/8X3/8 flathead with 3 97's on it. It went 104 in the low 13's and I couldn't keep rearends together in it. Ran second and high Zeypher gear box and 4.11's on Eythl gas at Pamona. I would like to run in this cl*** because it sure brings back memories. I am going with the GMC because the flatheads are out of my league money wise. I have to sell my 58 Chev Bel Air to finance this project. I have the engine and carbs and I'm going to MO-Kan the 25th and take pictures and measurements so don't be offended by an old Gezzer looking you car over. Roy
I don't post here much...but I've been reading and absorbing all that's been said. The Ramrods have been guilty of wanting to go faster and quicker... that's why we've been trying out the Holley 4 barrel setup. And we were even talking about going to an automatic ******... but not anymore... We're not happy with the 4 barrel so far...we ran quicker and faster with the 3x2 setup...and the 4 barrel just doesn't look correct. So look for the Ramrods to have a HA/GR correct car at the Hamb drags...3 pedals, 3 carbs, and all. If we can get our setup dialed in, we just might be compe***ive in both cl***es...
I have debated this over and over in my head and thought better of posting this...... but here goes nothing..... I have, over the past couple of years exchanged emails with Don Garlits. I have asked several questions about this and that, but mostly just wanted to hear from one of the originals on how it was back then. Well, today I just had to ask him the ultimate question: Just what trannies were they running in the early 50's and when did auto's like the powerglide start getting put on dragsters. Here was his answer(I am paraphrasing ): previous to 1957 everyone was running "sticks". after that, they ran high gear only with a clutch. It wasn't until 1969, yes thats right, 1969 that people put autos in dragsters. I will probably take some heat for posting this, and as the ha/gr rules have already been decided it doesn't really matter. However, I wanted it validated for myself and thought I would p*** it on.
Shawn my man I've known that all along and so does all the other old timers on here. I guess it's just hard for some of them to admit it.
I wasn't around in 1957. I think I may have figured out (by 1969) that there was sucha thing as drag racing, and I should be there on Sunday, Sunday Sunday, but that's about it. I'll have to take the word of those who went before me, if I want to re-create what they did back then.
In 1957 there was only one Hotrod that I ever saw at the drags that ran an automatic. It was a 1939 Chevy with an OLDS with 6 97's and ran a hydromatic. I agree with Don Garlits that all the dragsters ran gearboxs usually Cad LaSalles in 1958 on unless you were A fuel or Top Gas, then you ran high gear only. I think that everyone that runs an auto doesn't want to break parts. Some of the g***ers started running Hydos by about 1960 or 1961. Doug Cook and Junior Tompson with their 1941 Studebakers ran Hydros. That was before Doug Cook got hooked up with Stone and Woods. These were the old Stick shift hydros and they weighed a ton, they would have never been used in a dragster. In 1961 I tuned and drove a C-gas dragster that ran a Scotty Fenn ch***is with a 301 Chev motor and it had a Cad-LaSalle gearbox with a OLDS rearend. I ran many a dragsters and I never saw one with anything but a gearbox. Roy
I know all you old dudes already knew all that, but as a young dude who was getting conflicting stories from each side of the issue, I just wanted to have it validated by one of my hero's.
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