Well I'm going to go with saltflats on that and ad..blue drag coupe with a straight axle siting in a very rocky parking lot or pit area..... Sent from my QTASUN1 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The Winged Express with the second photo showing the non cutaway steering wheel that was added in late 1964, not long before the car started to be known as the Winged Express following a comment by Lions starter Larry Sutton. Roo
This is Kurt Singleton's Phil Turgeson built coupe, most likely with former co-owner Ray Rucker at the wheel. The photo dates from 1961/2 when the motor was a blown 283 small block Chevy. Roo
Thanks to 296ardun I can tell you that this is the Keonig and Sundin car backed by Reath automotive and that it is Oldsmobile powered with updraft carbs off a WW II tank (thanks to Dean Lowe for that tidbit). Thanks to jnaki we also have video of the A in action. Roo
From post #1417 And from post # 1421 The black and white shot is an early version of Gene Cooper's Chevy and the color shot is of the later Cooper and Schmier iteration. As of 2015 Willy Souza owned the final (red) version, having purchased it from Dan Crites in 1976. Roo
Am I not seeing right, or is that the drive-shaft running right through the cockpit on the Winged Express...
The shaft itself is inside the tube that you can see although there were plenty of cars in that era that ran open (splined connector) shafts and a few front motor dragsters with live axle quickchange rear ends with just a simple aluminum shield between the driver's legs and the axle itself as seen in this shot of the Bud Moorehouse junior fueller. Roo
Thanks for the explanation Roo. I knew of the FED diff/driver relationship. Never doubted Willie's intestinal fortitude. Just couldn't for the life of me imagine a live shaft spinning at high rpm that close to the 'boys'.
The NHRA allowed, not really allowed, but looked the other way, open drive shafts till...(forgotten the exact time period) "about" the mid-late 90's when one of the Funny Car drivers got his shoe laces caught up in the spinning shaft and really screwed up his foot/ankle. Tha ended open drives shafts. Mike
For one thing no funny car driver since the late 60's has ever had exposed shoe laces. To quote the 1970 NHRA rule book (Page 58 under "Protective Clothing"), "Drivers of all fuel cars, all cars equipped with superchargers (except Stock cars) and any car where an automatic transmission is in the driver's compartment are required to wear a reflective, heat resistant and flame proof driving suit that meets SEMA Specs 3-1. Suits are to include face mask, goggles, gloves and reflective fire boots." Those fire boots have always been zipper and velcro fastened since their inception. Further to that here is the wording from the current (2018) NHRA rule book: "Each end of driveshaft must have a full 360 degree cover of minimum 1/16" steel or 1/8" aluminum. Rear cover must surround the coupler. Front cover must surround the driveshaft from the back of the reverser to the end of the splicer sleeve in the area of the driver's legs". A full drive line cover has never been required in funny cars running spline coupled shafts although in the early days of the class when some of the cars still had rear suspension and U jointed drive shafts the containment requirements were somewhat tougher--2" x 6" channel from 1" forward of the front joint to 1" behind of the rear joint plus 2" x 3/16" strap or 7/8" x .065" tube loops at each end. Roo
Walt Wentzal’s “Walt’s Sunoco” B/A from Randolph, MA. This shot was originally posted on the HAMB by Church Key in 2009 along with a bunch of other photos from New England Dragway. Check them out here: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/new-england-dragway-in-epping-got-photos.354721/ Roo
This one just keeps making laps. Posted in the DCIM thread by bucksnort in 2012 and here by loudbang in early 2016. Butch Pipins best known association is with Don Green where they were partnered on a 23 T fuel altered that raced as simply "Pipins and Green" from 1965 through 1969 before being re named "The Trip". I would guess that this car pre-dates the "T". Roo
loudbang, thank you and roo for keeping this thread going! it makes me smile everytime i go threw it! grew up at the old us 30 dragstrip in indiana. lots of memories. thanks for doing this.
Many readers here may not know Bob (aka NHRANUT) is a photojournalist in his own right. Thank you Bob for all your years of following / photographing / documenting this hot rod sport.
going back to the ditmar car, i have had some conversations with jack ditmar about his racing career. he was quite the thinker with his ideas with the little screamer. lots of stories. i saw the car after it was found and partialy restored, jack wanted to buy it back, but it wasnt for sale. after that the car was completly restored correctly, and on display with jack at the hotrod reunion in bg. really nice resto . jack was having fun signing autographs. he said he was looking for the opel funny he used to race in the midwest, but could never find. he owns a body shop in illinois . and still going strong last i heard.
The NHRA allowed, not really allowed, but looked the other way, open drive shafts till...(forgotten the exact time period) "about" the mid-late 90's when one of the Funny Car drivers got his shoe laces caught up in the spinning shaft and really screwed up his foot/ankle. Tha ended open drives shafts. Rooman wrote - Mike For one thing no funny car driver since the late 60's has ever had exposed shoe laces. To quote the 1970 NHRA rule book Yea...it did. But my old memory does fail me as to when (as noted !). Also as I recall, it was during an non-NHRA "Match Race" evening in the Midwest as I recall. As I assume you recall...not "everyone" followed the rules during non-NHRA match racing. I've witnessed that...though long ago..! Mike
From the 1957 World Series of Drag Racing at Cordova thanks to the HAMB's Nitro Marty whos dad took the photo. See some more from that event in his thread here: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/dads-old-drag-racing-photos.356411/ Roo
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