Dan Hampton

Scroll down to see some great race cars. There are some neat "oridinary" vehicles pictured, as well. I like the bright red Nomad by the tower.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...8364&showall=1

narlee

Racing in the 60's was the best. A time when a guy that knew how to tune a car was the guy to beat instead of the guy with the most money or sponsors. Thanks for the post.

jim lockwood

Dan, can I safely assume you took careful note of the car pictured in posting #75?

Jim

Birdman63

love looking at older pix back in the mid 60's. If I could that is a time period I would love to have grown up in. Looking at the photos Dodge and Plymouth were the car to have back then most likely due to the Hemi.

That time frame which is not too long ago, looked like life was simple and fun compaired to today. Maybe I'm wrong but........

jim lockwood

It kinda depended on whether you were of draft age or not.

Birdman63

ah yea forgot about that.............

Bill32

I was a very lucky kid, I got to participate in that dream. The gas station I worked in had a 3 car team - 60 C Stock Pontiac, 59 Corvette and a ******.
We were at the east coast strips every weekend.
The owner of the Pontiac sold it and bought one of the Bob Banning Dodge Bountyhunters.

My cousin was Dave Strickler, Grumpy's pardner in the Strickler/Jenlins Performance Clinics.
I got into their shop quite a bit and also Jerry Stahl's shop (Stahl's Headers).

Great way to grow up.

Pic of cousin Dave & Bill:

dplotkin

About 8 years ago a good friend of mine (who raced a 66 427 Vette at Lebanon Valley NY back in the day) gave me this book, "Superstock-Drag Racing the Family Sedan". One read and I was hooked. I had to have a car like that. So I found a 61 Plymouth sedan and in two years built my own. I've always said I was born too late. If you guys love vintage drag racing as much as I do, go get this book. It is required reading!!! Great photos too.








Dan

Bill32

York U.S. 30

I was at these events.

@ 55 sec. - Dave's 409

@ 1:45 - when Dave and Grumpy slipped over to the dark side (Dodge) for a while

midyearvette

thanks for the post!....im' glad i grew up in that era of simplicity and although drag racing is so much more sophisticated today, it was truly for everyone back then due to all the classes nhra offered for enthusiasts. it was "run what you brung" and it seemed whatever your car, they found a class for you which offered inclusion for all.
i remember the nationals in '65 when c and d modified production was called to the staging lanes and there was literally a sea of cars that filled the lanes and backed up the parking lot. it took all of that day to run all the rounds. once nhra figured out they could handicap cars with the fairly new christmas tree, everything changed. though the events were easier to manage with this system, it terminated many classes designed for the weekend racer that led to the system we have today. the competitiveness is still there but the older system that was all inclusive was gone. that's why i really like the recent nostalgia events at the older strips we can enjoy today. a great event is at thompson dragway in eastern ohio held twice a year called gasser madness. if you can ever make this event even as a spectator, you won't regret it!!......

GCD1962

That's when cars had some class and style. I was suppose to go to Tulsa in '67 with Dick Moroso, but service called and I was in boot camp. I believe another friend Dean "Skeet" Russell CS/A (one of 50 Hot Rod Mag Hall of Fame) was there too.

Chuck72

That is one awesome car!

Mission accomplished.

Chuck

JohnZ

Here's Dave's '68 Z/28, restored by Jerry MacNeish exactly as Dave ran it in 1968, when Jerry won the U.S. Nationals with it in 2004.

oldsarge

Kool stuff, always like that racing history....very cool !!!!!!

VetteRed1965

Bill32

Excellent, John.

They went thru so many cars throughout the years.

Going to a track every weekend back then was great, I didn't realize how ultra-special it was until many, many years later.

Bill32

Humm, sat here and thought that I has a pic of that car in a folder.





And another one of Dave's.

54greg

Great pics!

Railroadman

Ain't THAT the truth! Can't recall which class it ran in, but one of the regulars around western NY state was "Lil Luke", a crowd favorite, frequent class winner. A rip-roaring, black-and-white Nash Metropolitan!

Bill Lacy

Thank you for posting. 7 minutes of GREAT memories. Not the 60's but the same era. I was lucky enough to be the bottom man on Jack Revells T/F Dragster circa 1972. His fueler was one of the first rear motored cars in the country. We were so naive, it's lucky that we didn't kill Jack (with the hat on). Working on that car fulfilled a dream and was some of the best times of my life.
Thanks again for posting. Bill