Wow, that 's a bummer. As I child, I made the mistake of standing behind one of his jet-cars, in the staging area. Memory has been with me, since. Rest in Peace, thrill-maker.
Mr. Kneivel, and know Art Arfons in one week.They both were truly "one of a kind" men. They gave us so much. My thoughts go out to both familys.
My Uncle took me to my first drag race for my 12th birthday. It was a strip outside of Tampa, Fla , called (I think) Golden Gate. The main attactraction was a best 2 out of 3 between Art Arfons and "Big Daddy" Garlits. It was very impressive. He made his name known in the world of Hot Rods and will be forever remembered.
This is going to become very common...sucks. Glad I got to meet him once, when I was a kid around 11. Very cool. Amazing accomplishments from an amazing man.
Catch you down the road Art!. You were a true innovator and showman. Wherever you go after you die, you can be sure Art got there loud and fast!.
Damn, what a depressing week! Art, you WERE the man. I know that I am not the only one who has only the best memories of you and your feats on the salt and the drag strip. You will be missed.
he will be missed, for being one of the fastest people on this earth he seemed like one laid back dude.
Only saw him run three times over the years but will never forget. "God Speed" takes on added significance today.
Geez, Art Arfons, Dick Landy, Dyno Don Nicholson, Wally Parks, Big John Mazmanian, Ronnie Sox,.............hard to believe these guys are gone, the heros of our youth. One of my biggest thrill was seeing Arfons jet go uo against Tommy Ivos Barnstormer at San Gabriel in about '63. In '65 Arfons raced three other jet dragsters at Fontana's Drag City AT THE SAME TIME...four abreast. I tried to film it with a 8mm movie camera, but was unable due to the noise. RIP
saw him a couple times when i was a kid ....he was pulling the green monster jet tractor....he pretty much did it all.....from salt to drags to tractor pulling...he was there..... brandon
I flagged that very race that you speak of. The strip was the Golden Triangle drag strip and the placed was packed. Art Arfons was always the show, even more than Don Garlits. I remember that I dropped the flag and ran like hell, I was scared to death.I first saw him in Detroit with his first allison powered dragster. He ran several times in Florida after I moved there and was the flagger at the Golden Triangle. His exploits at Bonneville added to the legend. My old racing compadres are dropping around me. Rest in Peace, my old friend and keep it out of the ditches.
RIP Art and Evel. Found an 8mm clip captured at Dragway 42 in 1974, featuring Evel, Arfons, and E.J. Potter.<br> <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Pe8a7MHEqUo&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Pe8a7MHEqUo&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>"]
i never seen Art Arfons on a dragstrip in person but I seen him quite a few times making passes in a a pulling tractor. I have allot of pictures that I took as a kid at these events, and recall always taking some of him if he was there. I fould this on the net just now, it just said some time around 1980. He was certainly a pioneer.
The Jalopy Journal
