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

this pic looks like a still shot with a jackstand hidden behind the front wheel.note the slick is not wrinkling.

 

I wouldn't put anything past the marketing majic Rosen tried!
Totally bogus wheelstand.

 

Maybe he is just coming down from a short hop.

Otherwise you guys have eagle eyes and great perception. Good work.

Back in those days we could get "air" by playing with the clutch or brakes on an auto. Bouncing the front end was common. There wouldn't be any doubt this car could "hop" one pretty easy. If the car was on the way down the rear tires would be unloaded so the picture wrinkle would be real.

Someone with a good motor drive camera could get this and just clip the good shot. Standard equipment for the good photographers of the day.

 

Rick, I saw Pete's '71 crash. Happened right in front of where we were sitting. From what I saw, I would say the air dam wadded up and pulled the car right into the street side Armco. I would be one of those who say his aero package killed him.

 

If you study the pic of the car in the lights, taken just the instant before the crash, you can clearly see the right front radius rod bowed up. The only way this could have happened is if the right front wheel was seeing massive resistance, and the only thing that could have caused this is bearing failure.
It could be argued that the ground effect system worked too well and put too much downforce on the nose of the car thus overloading the bearings.

 

With the front wheels in the air?

 

That is not THE pic I'm referring to.

 

Post it,or link it Tony.

 

I was hesitant to post this photo, but hopefully we're all adults here. This shot was taken just prior to the car making a hard R turn into the Armco barrier.....Notice the chassis is sucked on to the ground, R radius rod is bowed, front tires are distorted, and strangest of all Pete's helmet appears to be unfastened and is pulled back over his head. A truly great racer was lost that day.....

 

wow, that front is smokin too. Some serious issues happening. Sad, RIP.

 

assortment

 

Adams Wayre & Mulligan.....



....the recreation @ CHRR '09.

 

thanks for sharing, rick!

i think we will all look at the pic with respect for pete, his engineering genius and overall memory.

 

Pete was great, and a great guy. I've seen this picture many times, and have thought of all that is going on in it. There are a whole series of events occuring which contributed.

35 touring, cool shot of "Secret Destroyer". Looks like an east coast track, like Pa.
I really liked the first "Secret Weapon" Jeep best of the three: Secret Weapon, Destroyer, and Secret Destroyer. If the weapon didn't crash or blow up, it usually won!

 

Pete Robinson.

I remember that day & it was horrible & I dont like to think about it.

Even years later,when Buster was still the NHRAs Chief Starter,he was quoted saying,,"Everytime I get to Pomona & look down that track,all I see is Pete Robinson".

Interesting page or 2 in Robert Posts book "High Performance" on Pete as well.
RIP Buster & Pete

 

Do you guys spend any time on DragList.com?
Great site w/ history, photos, records and you can even post your own photos and best times.

 

The guy that took the photo says its legit

 

i can't keep from looking at that picture and wonder if the ground effects are the sole culprit in what led to the crash:

is that smoke coming off of the front tire, or is it asphalt being scraped up from friction?

the right radius rod is severely phenorqued, but the left looks normal.

the right slick is much taller than the left.

pete's got the wheel cranked far to the left, but the fronts are straight.

you're right, storm king, there is a lot at play and woefully not enough forensics to accurately diagnose the problem.

 

One of the things I've always wondered about with this particular car, is what became of the wreckage, or more specifically the engine and its gear drive assembly. I am sure there were many trick pieces throughout the engine, and it's a shame to think it ended up shoved into a hole and forgotten about.

 

Dyno and Sox battling it out down in FLA.

 

As Im only 26 I do not know of most of the racers you speak of. But this time period and type of cars/dragsters is my passion I decided to look up somethings about Pete Robinson. Here's what has been said of what caused his accident.

Following his third national event title at the 1970 Summernationals, Robinson decided to vacate the cockpit to concentrate on a new enterprise that would specialize in lightweight supercharger cases, rear-end housings, and other components. Robinson, now the only SOHC Ford campaigner left in the ranks and without factory support, tabbed Bud Dabler as his replacement driver. Robinson had recorded his quickest time ever, a 6.50, at the AHRA Grand American Series opener three weeks prior to the NHRA Winternationals and decided to make a last-minute trip to Pomona to take over for Dabler, who felt uncomfortable in Robinson's new ground effects-equipped car. After recording a 6.77 that would stand as low e.t. for the day, Robinson encountered chassis twist on a later run that forced the bicycle tires to spin off the front wheel. The car veered into the right guardrail, breaking into multiple pieces, and Robinson succumbed to injuries later that evening in a Pomona hospital on Feb. 6, 1971, at age 37.
Robinson's death brought tribute from many of his contemporaries and brought back memories of John Mulligan's death at the 1969 Nationals. Said Don Garlits, "If he had survived that horrible wreck, he'd be an engineer on some team right now. Pete was always on the edge of the envelope, and I always had respect for him. Pete just didn't stick somebody in his car when he had some idea. He was the test pilot, just like Chuck Yeager or any of them. He took the risk, and there's a lot to be said for that. I did too, [speaking of his clutch explosion at Lions in 1970], but I survived mine and got to come back and see what I did wrong. Pomona got Pete, and the sport really lost something."

To those of you who knew these great men and racers I thank you. I know its hard to bring some of this stuff up but if it werent for you I wouldnt have the passion for these cars and history that I do. So thank you all for passing it on.

 

Storm , those are actually taken here in KY at the old Bluegrass Dragway. The " Destroyer" belonged to Scottie Scott from GA. , now deceased.
The Jeep was match racing Dave Zacharys ElDorado Caddy at Bluegrass when Zachary crashed, and was killed.

 

wow look how much is gutted from that I beam

 

Tampa dragway 1965

 

plum

 

I always liked the blue one!! Thanks again Bob!!

 

There was always opinion that Pete didt have his helmet strapped. But I have seen photos of other drivers in the lights, where because the straps werent tight, air pocketed up underneath lifting it partially off the drivers head. However, the accident was one where a well fitting helmet would make little difference in the outcome. On a lighter note, I recall reading in National Dragster where once Pete's garage wreaked of putrification. He couldnt find the source until while performing blower maitenance on the car, he found a bird lodged in the back of the Enderle injector. Seemed the animal flew into the buttlerfly opening during a run. In response to that one in a million long shot, Pete temporarly installed a sort of cow catcher in front of the scoop.