Drag Racing’s Golden Era.. 60’s to the 80’s. Pictures & Articles, Cars & Drivers

[mikek]

Happy Friday everyone...

 

[mikek]

 

[mikek]

 

[indyartisan]

 

[dekeshooter]

I was a big fan of NHRA drag racing all through the 80’s and into the mid 90’s. I was lucky enough to see some of the giants of the sport race then. Muldowney, Garlits, Prudrome, Bernstein, Shepard, Glidden and Hill to name just a few. Good times.

 

[Leadeye]

My two favorites of drag racing. Linda Vaughn and Jungle Pam.

 

[JCSR]

Connor Ford 1964 Thunderbolt from right up the road in Rockport Indiana. Donnie Bowles driver .

 

[mikek]

I was a big fan of NHRA drag racing all through the 80’s and into the mid 90’s. I was lucky enough to see some of the giants of the sport race then. Muldowney, Garlits, Prudrome, Bernstein, Shepard, Glidden and Hill to name just a few. Good times.
[/QUOTE

Me to and yes those were good times

 

[JCSR]

My two favorites of drag racing. Linda Vaughn and Jungle Pam. View attachment 187646

 

[mikek]

 

[mikek]

 

[johntheplinker]

Connor Ford 1964 Thunderbolt from right up the road in Rockport Indiana. Donnie Bowles driver .

View attachment 187650

Is that a guy on a go cart in the next lane over?

 

[PGRChaplain]

Grew up with it! I worked at Avila Drag Strip 66-67. Raced a Austin Bantam A/A, 62 Nova C/A, 63 Corvette C/A. Avila, Muncie, Kettlersville, US 30, Osceola and others. Saw all the Pro's when we weren't Racing. US Nationals, Detroit Dragway, US 30, and the Little Go at Muncie. Pro's Raced there on Saturday night of the US Nationals. Heres a Souvenir from K.B. Kenny Bernstein.

 

[churchmouse]

I was a big fan of NHRA drag racing all through the 80’s and into the mid 90’s. I was lucky enough to see some of the giants of the sport race then. Muldowney, Garlits, Prudrome, Bernstein, Shepard, Glidden and Hill to name just a few. Good times.

I was introduced to the dragstrip when Raceway park 1st laid down its asphalt and a "Man" held the flags.
My uncle Oathy was a drag bike racer and hill climber. He was sponsored out of the old south side Harley store when they were south Indy off Meridian I believe. Could be wrong on the location. He ran a seriously modified sportster and he and his crew were playing with Nitro. I was pretty young so the memory's are vague at best but I clearly remember they started the fast bikes on a set of rollers. To much juice to kick them.
So yeah I was around in the Hay Days. The best days.

We were running our cars in class as bracket's were still a wet dream. Try running your street car in A/S against real stock class index cars. The plus then was you would get 4 practice runs and at least 1 round of competition before that pro index class car put you back in your place...
And they usually would unless you were paired with another street car.
The best days. IMHO.

 

[PGRChaplain]

Churchmouse, they used to start the Top Fuel cars on Rollers. The last time we Raced at Beach Bend in Bowling Green Ky. the Rollers we're still in place! They hadn't been used in years. I saw Garlits run at Bunker Hill in 1961 (I think)

 

[thunderchicken]

Churchmouse since you were there at IRP in the early days, I have a question. Did the water box & starting line use to located back closer to the bridge? I've been seeing photos of burnouts being done as the car rolled under the bridge so was just kind of curious if they just did the burnouts however they wanted or if they started back there. Same photos show stands set up where the race control tower is now

 

[mikek]

 

[churchmouse]

Churchmouse since you were there at IRP in the early days, I have a question. Did the water box & starting line use to located back closer to the bridge? I've been seeing photos of burnouts being done as the car rolled under the bridge so was just kind of curious if they just did the burnouts however they wanted or if they started back there. Same photos show stands set up where the race control tower is now

In the early days you could do dry hops all the way up the line. You let the car in front of you roll 4 or 5 cars up and then light it up. Common practice then.
The tower was on the west side of the lanes. It was yellow-ish and called the “DA” tower.
When they built the new race control they tore the old one down.
I remember bleachers on the west side only for some time. Heck 1st time I went there were no bleachers at all just the asphalt.

 

[churchmouse]

Churchmouse, they used to start the Top Fuel cars on Rollers. The last time we Raced at Beach Bend in Bowling Green Ky. the Rollers we're still in place! They hadn't been used in years. I saw Garlits run at Bunker Hill in 1961 (I think)

I was usually there at bike meets with my Uncle and his crew. The rollers were Mobil then. It was always a crazy time when the really fast guys came off the rollers hot. A few went down. At least one every time I remember going.
We ran Beach bend at the Bracket finals in the mid 70’s. Division 3 out of Edgewater. 3 years in a row. That was right at the end of being able to have a 3 peddle car be competitive with the auto’s
And right when Divorce stopped me from racing until I moved back to Indy.

 

[gregkl]

I was a big fan of NHRA drag racing all through the 80’s and into the mid 90’s. I was lucky enough to see some of the giants of the sport race then. Muldowney, Garlits, Prudrome, Bernstein, Shepard, Glidden and Hill to name just a few. Good times.

Same here. Add Warren Johnson. I was lucky enough to be working for TRW during those years working the races around parts of the country. Got eat some meals with a lot of those guys. We sponsored a few folks and of course paid out contingency monies if they ran our sticker on the car.