The way it was then.

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2door

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
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63
Littleton, Colorado
Thanks Steve. That brought back some fond memories. No fire suits, no NHRA overpriced entry fees, in some cases no helmets. That's about where I came in, maybe a couple of years earlier but things hadn't changed much.

I could go for hours about what those early drag races were like. Remember when they had to push the cars down the strip to build up oil pressure, then they'd turn around down near the end and come back. About half way back they'd hit the ignition switches and brings things to life. Then, they'd cross again at the starting line and roll up to the line. It always looked to me like a form of challenge, like two gladiators squaring off for the fight.
As things progressed and they found out how to make more power you started seeing the smokers. They'd pull a cloud of rubber smoke through the full 1/4 mile. They knew how to make the power but they hadn't figured a way to get it all to the ground yet. Oddly enough even today that's the biggest challenge.
Thanks again for that trip down the lanes. We were all so young.

Tom
 
F

fasteddy

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2009
7,446
4,890
113
British Columbia Canada
Tom,
That was as they like to say, back in the day. Did you notice the tires. Like the chap who posted it said they look like pizza cutters. I had a much worked over 1953 Ford flat head and I ran the 900 15's so I could get traction.

Now you look at John Force and the fellas who run a 1,000 HP plus and tires that we only dreamed of. Some of the cars in the race were so slow that it looked like they were doing a warm up run but it was a race.

I only saw one helmet and that was the old soup bowl kind. Bet there wasn't any safety tech. Of course the lads that remember the little books, ranks are thinning ever so slowly. If Honk and Hop-up send a shiver up your spine your one of them. A lot of reading and dreaming for a quarter.
They fit inside a text book so well too when you had to sit through those useless classes that they forced you to attend. If your really old you remember Truant Officers.

Don't now what they are? Try Google. Always had to find new places to hang out.

I remember the first 1/4 mile wheel stand that I saw. I mean more than a couple of feet off the ground. This was when they really needed the wheelie bars. The whole crowd jumped up and cheered.

There is a part two if you look at the comments below the video but I couldn't get Youtube to give it up so maybe someone will have better luck.

Steve.
 
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