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

Hank Vincent's Top Banana. Read the whole story here: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=34184

Roo

 

From Moby here on the HAMB (in the Competition Coupes history thread) :
"Bob Carroll's "Fiat Bug" (from Marietta PA) in the early 60's. When running without the body he called it the Fiat Bug Skeleton. This car was one of my favorites back in the day and decades later, a guy named Bob Carroll worked for me and for a long time I never connected the dots. Yup, turned out he was the son and he provided me with some history and video of his dad's racing days.

The Fiat body was previously run as a short wheelbase fuel coupe with a flathead and carbs. Before that the flathead was in a 32 coupe. The driver was a guy with the real last name of Zipp, a perfect last name for a race car driver!"

Roo

 

Hey Roo,
I was fortunate enough to be in the right spot in Bakersfield to document the drags at that time. That HAMB thread included this 1960 film clip taken at the Smokers Bakersfield March Meet. It was a great day with a ton of top notch racers. Thanks for the link, Roo..
Jnaki
Teenagers wandering around drooling over all of the wild builds and machinery, what was not to like? What an experience, but a long drive home...

 

Wheelie at Lions

 

Vettes at Dover

 

TV Tommy at Fremont

 

The Virginian At Paradise Tenn. Drag Strip

 

The Mystery Willys

 

I can't be sure but this looks like it may be Steve Sturgeon in the Sturgeon and Sons car.

Roo

 

Robert Weaver Sr. far lane vs Pappy Hartman maybe at Shelton

 

Robert Weaver at Shelton Wash.

 

296ardun's comment from when he posted this last year:
"Pretty rare to have a six-engined drag race...Ivo's "Showboat" racing Bob Sbarbaro in the Ambassador's Car Club twin Chevy from Orinda, CA, Fremont, '62. Not sure who won but Ivo's car was very heavy and while it put on a great show, it didn't win many races. This photo from Don Ewald's site."

Roo

 

Here is Al DeAngelis and the Mystery Willys in living color and here is some background on the discovery and restoration of the car
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/beside-the-barn-willys-find.480358/

Roo

 

From Robert Weaver Jr:
"This is my favorite pic. We believe this to be Puyallup, WA Drag Strip (later, Puyallup RaceWay Park), early 60's. These are A/R or Class A roadsters, which would soon morph into the wild AA Fuel Altereds. They went by weight per cubic inches, and besides that anything goes. The far lane (my father) was running a 390 or 394 stroked Olds with 6 Stromberg 97's, and soon would be running a 406 olds and Hilborn injection (ran car in various progressive variations for many more years. He says that he could get Pappy until about half track where the mighty 6-71 GMC blower and Pontiac motor would come flying by at about 150mph. You think our cars can be a handfull, these were the beasts of all beasts. This car I am trying to locate and was last known to be in the hands of Hank Aron (will do a full thread on locating this car later)."

Roo

 

was digging....came close or a little after.....April 18 1959 - Drag News :
top pic - Emory Cook smokes some pistons while Jim McClennan in far lane gets down the track
bottom pic - bottom is Jim in the Champion Speed Shop/Ted Gotelli rail giving up the win at mid track to the DeSoto powered machine of Tony Waters....

 

And that is why Tony's roadster was called "The Little Giant Killer". The little blown Desoto hemi didn't over power the tires of the day. It just hooked and went!

 

Cal Automotive Special

 

Chizler at Lions

 

Connie Kalitta Bounty Hunter

 

Coupe at Dover

 

Eves Tall Chief at Fremont

 

Thanks Roo. That was a labor of love for my husband.

 

The Greek vs Greer, Black, Prudhomme in the final race of a three round match up at Lions in 1964. Prudhomme is out on Chris here but wheelied at 400 feet and Greek took the win with at 8.32/189.06. This was the last west coast appearance for the Chizler which was sold to Charlie Proite just before the US Nats later that year.

Roo

 

Hey Roo see you next week

 

Aurora 7 with Pontiac power at dover

 

Old Caddo mills Drag Strip Caddo mills Texas

EDIT: From Blackrat40 The car on the right is the very early version of Don Briethaupt's(sp?) famous "DCB" coupe w/Chev V8 power.

 

Lime Ricky 2

 

La Place Dragway LaPlace Louisiana