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

Holy crap that is cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Cant identify the comp elim dragster but I know the Amos Moses A/A got runner up in comp eliminator at 72 Nationals. Jim Oddy's BB/GS Opel beat him.

 

Econo dragster class car shown at the top was the result of the brain child of Car Craft Magazine. An ingenious way to promote low cost dragster/altered class. Today of course they are anything but. 55 Chevy ran in HRM article. I recall it being a B/Altered class car coming out of the North West.

 

http://jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1399698&d=1313214044

From post 28564, is this Tony Waters dragster that cost Mike Sorokin his life?

Tony Waters is still around. Has anybody ever discussed this tragic incident with him?

-90% Jimmy

 

Yes Sorokin sat in for Bob Edmunds that night. It was at OCIR in late 67. They were just learning the art and science of slipper clutches. Basically the clutch let go, severing the car. I have a DVD wherein Edmunds offers explanation in detail. I will search it out and advise how to go about getting a copy via PM. Its commerically available

 

Hey Guys,

Did Mike's accident happen in that pass against Mulligan?

Thanks,

Robert

 

I was there that somber night at OCIR. It was difficult to run in the same lane. Unlike the Garlits accident which happened 3 years later on 3-8-70, the clutch let go at top end. It separated the roll gage and the engine exploded as it went over the dirt embankment on the spectator's side. Correct me if I'm wrong but, I thought Sorokin was racing Jim Nicoll. It was so horrific, many drivers thought about hanging it up.

 

This is at Cordova Dragway,home of the worlds oldest continuous dragrace.The World Series of Dragracing!

 

The picture of the econo dragster looks like it's at Ontario Motor Speedway. Could be a guy named Doug Dye who did pretty good in the early days of that class.

 

Good observation, that is Turn 3 and 4 behind the "bleach burnout area." Hard to say if its Dye. But again you are right Dye was the Dale Armstrong of the econo world.

 

Moved to: Current photos of modern day "Nostalgia" race cars

 

Wow ! thanks so much for the video ! enjoyed every second of them.

 

Great stuff on those videos, anyone who skipped by them go back and watch them ASAP.

 

I dont like to talk about Mike Sorokins accident but I do recall reading or hearing a Prudhomme interview.
Evidentley Prudhomme was all suited up,ready to go in the lanes.
He couldn't quite see the whole track,but when the accident happened,he saw a big flash from the far end.
He started to get out of the car & one of the crew guys stopped him and basically told him "you dont want to see any of what just happened".
I was 10 yrs old when it happened & was there helping & hanging with KS Pittman....and Im glad I didnt see it.
Mikes son Adam is a friend of mine & he's a hot-shoe Top Fuel driver just like his dad.
R.I.P. Mike Sorokin Sr.,,
Troy Cagle

 

I got my ass handed to me for posting some pictures of real and/or tribute cars at a nostalgia meet and they were pre 64 cars......where is all of the pissin' and moaning about the videos (although great) that clearly contain post 64 stuff!!!!

 

Econo filled comp elim up and made it popular to run in that catagory, but it also contributed to the butcher and demise of some of the finest big name dragsters and funny car/altereds of all time.

 

Yea a lot of top famous top fuelers and funnies found themselves under the knife in order to accomodate a SBC and a glide. While the older FED top fuel cars adapted well to the class, the funny cars didnt with one or two exceptions.

 

I was at LIONS this day in May of '63. Don Argee had challenged Gene for a shot at the #1 spot on the Drag News Jr Eliminator list. He had run over 170 in the mid 9's at Freemont, and figured knocking Gene and Larry off would be easy. He didn't count on Jungle Larry's reflexes. Larry won two straight with hole shots. Don was so flustered he never got close to the roadster's potential. When was the last time 2 steel bodied fuel altereds went at it? The golden age indeed!

 

A testiment to the their driving skill as there is a but a whisp of smoke coming off the 554 coupe. Thats good throttle clutch and control considering the title at stake. Also notice that the challenger containes a partnership comprised of what would later be some of the best of what Nor-Cal had to offer in the AA/FA class-Burkholder Bros and Fred Sorenson early owner of the Warlock AA/FA

 

I never realized the 554 coupe had such a long exhaust.

 

Yes it did Skip. Sounded much like the Speed Sport roadster. Another car that had headers like that was the Sanchez Bonneville Stude. Remembering how that car sounded flying through the 5 mile still makes the hair on my neck stand up!

 

I still say carburetors have no place in Comp eliminator and belong Stock and Modified classes.
Everyone has a right to disagree, just on the public forum instead of private messages.
Tom S. in Tn.

 

I admit I miss all the inj gas rails and altereds that made up comp eliminator. Oh, a sprinkiling or two of blown gas coupes thrown in there was cool.

 

I miss having the comp field a manageable enough size so we could roll them out on the track and push start em.
No spectator thrill and build up of the crescendo by the announcer in the tower for each race anymore. Drag racing has become a circuit event where cars just lune up and make laps.
I'd much rather watch horses run.
Tom S. in Tn.

 

Hearing the announcer speak of the two 1/4 combatants as they fly down the fire up road reminded of when I used to take in the boxing maches.

 

The Comp eliminator dragster is Porter & Squires, reported to be a 392 with a 3 speed manual!

The Econo Dragster picture was taken at the 1975 World Finals at Ontario. Good Catch!

 

This car was just found a little less than 2 months ago (yours truly)....car was in a back yard in Palmdale found by a roofer. The roofer then sold it to another gentleman who sat on it for a few years in his shop. Placed the body on ebay nobody bought it and he was contacted. He then said he had the chassis too. Well, purchased the car and didn't really look into it too much until a friends dad provided some photos. Well it turns out the car was Cochrans and has possibly been sitting since 68 or 70. Now its under the process of restoration to its original condition that you see here...oh yeah the original upholstery was also part of the sale...and its flexible and totally intact!!!