The Golden age of Drag Racing

[RDAbull]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/enthusiasts/the-golden-age-of-drag-racing-part-1/ss-BBhOi39?ocid=U147DHP

Hope this comes through ok.
 

[dreamaker]

I often ask myself, where did all those cars go? I can't imagine them just cutting all them up.

[Patrick]

They were amazing times. The creativity was even more amazing.

[John Schmidt]

I still remember back in the early 50's some hi-falutin' engineers got out their collective slip-sitcks(slide rules) and predicted the maximum speed that will ever be achieved on acceleration would be around 150 mph. It was based on numerous things such as tire adhesion on the strip, maximum power possible from any engine, and a bunch of other midnight dreams. Looks like they kinda blew it. As for Miss Hurst, I met one of the current flavors back in the 60's when some of us were running at the strip in Sanford, Maine. The thing I remember about that particular one was her teeth.....big smile and those teeth looked like a miniature piano keyboard. And buddy could she cuss. Sweet All American girl!   

[old2soon]

I believe it was Arnie the farmer Beswick at Union Grove Wi. in an early funny car with no chute at the end of his run. I KNOW he kept pullin the chute cable as he bounced across the tater field!  Tryin to remember WHERE I saw Art Arfons and one of his jet powered Green Monsters. Standing near the start line with a double a fuel rail or fuel funny car was a MOVING experience. Wind blow wrong and the exhaust from a fuel engine hit start gagging and eyes watering!  Damn I miss it!  RIDE SAFE.

[czuch]

So Cal at the time. Lyons, OCIR,(Opening and closing events), Pomona, Irwindale.
Those were great days to be a teenager with a Dad who loved the go-fast guys.
One word sums it all up,, Linda Vaughn.

[Patrick]

Everyone likes Linda, but, I preferred Shirley. But, I knew Jack and Shirley in the street racing days in upstate NY. where she got her start. Nice lady.

[czuch]

That pink car made em notice.
Linda smiled and gave me a Hurst sticker when I was 9.
 I was into cars, but she set the hook real good.
Later, I had three cars that dad didnt know about, before I had my licence.
He found out,with the expected results.

[art]

I rode my 66 Norton down from the San Fernando Valley where I lived in 67 to Lyons drag strip. Seen a racer with an Allison aircraft engine in a 66 Mustang. He sat in the back seat. He got beat by a big block dragster. His chase car was a Rolls Royce, nice to have money.

[da prez]

I saw Hemi under glass several times. I raced at Union grove Wi (hey-O2S -remember it being called the onion patch)for several years. Ran Chevy's and Plymouth. While in the Army , I raced at a couple of outlaw tracks. Those were on motorcycles.
  Our car club did benefit car shows and one of the regulars was grandpa's toy. It was a 60's slingshot. Grandpa could not fit in it any more as he said the car shrunk. Still started and ran. 

                              da prez

[wiggydotcom]

I have lots of fond memories as a Drag Racing spectator in the late 60's. I used to live about a mile from the Oswego Dragstrip in Oswego, Illinois. As a kid, a friend and myself used to walk down the cornfield and wait till the National Anthem was being played and sneak into the pits. I saw Arnie the Farmer Beswick, Gene Snow and his Rambunctious Dodge, the Hawaiian, Color Me Gone, Mr Norm, the Little Red Wagon, Trick Truck, Bob Glidden, Dyno Don Nicholson, Hemi Under Glass, Big Daddy Don Garlits....and on and on.

John Schmidt, you're right about the engineers being a little off in predicting top speed. I don't think they could have predicted that the clutches would be controlled by computers allowing them to gradually engage. I've heard that at the end of a Top Fuel run, something like 4 of the 7 plates are pretty much melted.

I still try to go to the Route 66 Nationals every year in Joliet, Illinois. Since I work on the same brand machines that John Force uses in his machine shop in Brownsville, Ind, I get to go into his pit area for meet and greets. I get to talk to Robert Hight, John, Britney, Courtney and Ashley Force.

There is nothing on Earth like Top Fuel Drag Racing. Picture this....Hypothetically, if you put a Top Fuel Dragster on the starting line....and let's say a Chevy Corvette passed it in the other lane at 200mph and then the Top Fuel car launched.....the Top Fuel car would get to the 1/4 mile finish line first! Most exotic cars are impressive if they can do 0-60 in less than 4 seconds. How about a Top Fuel car going from 0-100 in LESS than 1 sec? It does.