History Drag cars in motion.......picture thread.

Well said, Dean (though it was a civil and well-informed debate, and lots of gasser history came out)...but yes, let's just continue to enjoy these great pictures...this thread almost went dead a while ago, but now it has lots of great contributions...keep 'em coming!

 

So, more from the George Klass collection:


I think that this is early Jess VanDeventer, before the blower...but not entirely sure...the track could be Riverside, though I don't remember houses so close...Dean, you ran there, am I close?



Waters, Sughrue, and Guinn...I think this photo has been posted before, but bear with us who think that this was one of the great modified fuel roadsters of all time...Tony Waters drove, 330" front-mounted blown Desoto...I first saw it run in '59 at Henderson, NV, won the meet, then the next year at the '60 Smoker's meet. I was standing on the fire truck at the top end when Tony backfired the blower, and sent the engine cover WAY up in the air...fortunately stopped with car without injury. As the caption states, he was runner-up to the Hustler I the year before. This car started out in the mid-50s with a GMC and later to an unblown Desoto before this version. Wonder what happened to it?


Don Green's Rat Trap at San Fernando, you can just see the plume on the driver's helmet, indicating that he was George "The Stone Age Man" Hutchinson. Don could not get anyone to make the car go straight until George took the helm...and only George kept it straight...great story on him on Don Ewald's WDIFL site.

 

We must have been with in a few feet of each other when Tony popped the blower in the lights. The hood and plenum pieces were raining down all around.

I have my doubts that is Riverside. The houses that close, and the infield don't look quite right.

 

Jimmy Miles '34 at Fontana. The forerunner to his famous, crank ejecting, Magic Muffler Fiat.

 

Rich, could this be the US30 race?

That's Al to the right eyeing the Dark Horse.

 

I don't see the spoiler, it was pretty tall.

 

Hallsville, Tx.