What everr happened to the good ol' days

bill dedman · 11-07-2008, 03:37 AM

I started going to the races when I was a Senior in High School. 1955-'56.

Now, I'm just a "Senior."

We raced at Carlisle, Arkansas, on a deserted WW II "emergency" landing strip that was about 100 feet wide and a mile long. No shutdown problems and no guard rails. The specators pulled their cars up to the edge of the strip, sat on the front of the hood, let their legs dangle down in front of the grill and front bumper, and that was our "guard rail." Insane...

The only clocks were some home-made MPH clocks and for one lane, only. Nobody paid any attention to e.t. because there were NO e.t. clocks.

A guy stood on a folding chair (sometimes, me) at the finish line with a flag in his hand and when two cars that were racing came by, he'd lean the flag in the air toward the side that won the race.

Everything there that had anything to do with drag racing had to be hauled into that place about 5:00 a.m. and set up for the day's racing, then removed at the end of the day. I'm talking P.A. system, concession stand, all wiring for the clock (no "s") and the timing "tower." ALL portable... There were no grandstands, of course...

Stock classes ran from A to D... lol! Nobody ever heard of Super Stock.

If it wasn't a Stocker, it was a Gasser.. A through D, again...
Altereds had 25-percent setbacks and no fenders, so it was easy to tell an Altered when you saw one. I think they ran from A to C...

Dragsters were called "Open Gas" cars (go figure!) and the only "fuel" that was run there was in a twin engine Harley called "Double Trouble," and it was usually the "Top Elminator".

There was Top, Middle and Lirttle Eliminator. Top paid $100.00, Middle paid $50.00 and Little paid $25.00, IIRC.

Uh.... $100 in 1955 is equal to $797.01 in 2008, it says here...

Stockers got trophys. Four of 'em... (remember, A, B, C, and D) LOL!

It wasn't unusual for there to be 25-30 cars in A Stock... so, winning the A Stock trophy really WAS something to brag about! The fastest A Stockers of the day were almost always '55 Power Pack Chervys, which usually ran 82 to 83 MPH...

No slicks in Stock; you ran through the mufflers, with the air cleaner ON, and sticks and automatics ran together.

I remember a LOT of parts breakage back then. There were no heavy-duty ANYTHING, and those stock drivetrain pieces just disintegrated with disgusting regularity!

When the "legitimate" racing program was over, the announcer invited anyone in the crowd who wanted to grudge race his buddy, to bring their cars to the line and the flagman would start them,,,, for free.
Talk about your "grass roots" racing... Lots of people participated!

To a 17 year old kid (who was trying desperately to learn how to power-shift his folk's' POS '49 Ford flathead) it was fascinating beyond belief... Now, some fifty-three years later, IT STILL IS!!!!

I have just never gotten over standing on the starting line and listening to the gear whine of those 2.94:1 low gear '56 Chevy Power Pack 3-speeds with a 4.11 (overdrive-equipped) rear end... how ungodly FAST they'd wind up low gear!!! It was just surreal...

Some things will never change. Like my total fascination for this stuff.

I saw an enclosed trailer once, with a B Altered inside, and on the back of the trailer, a sign said, "CAUTION; THIS TRAILER CONTAINS A DISEASE FOR WHICH THERE IS NO CURE."

More truth than poetry... LOL!

Most good-running A/SA cars nowdays could win TOP ELIMINATOR at the '58 NHRA Nationals... if they could travel back in time!!! Maybe THESE are the good ol' days....

11-07-2008, 03:37 AM	#17
bill dedman VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Conway, AR Posts: 1,739 Likes: 0 Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days I started going to the races when I was a Senior in High School. 1955-'56. Now, I'm just a "Senior." We raced at Carlisle, Arkansas, on a deserted WW II "emergency" landing strip that was about 100 feet wide and a mile long. No shutdown problems and no guard rails. The specators pulled their cars up to the edge of the strip, sat on the front of the hood, let their legs dangle down in front of the grill and front bumper, and that was our "guard rail." Insane... The only clocks were some home-made MPH clocks and for one lane, only. Nobody paid any attention to e.t. because there were NO e.t. clocks. A guy stood on a folding chair (sometimes, me) at the finish line with a flag in his hand and when two cars that were racing came by, he'd lean the flag in the air toward the side that won the race. Everything there that had anything to do with drag racing had to be hauled into that place about 5:00 a.m. and set up for the day's racing, then removed at the end of the day. I'm talking P.A. system, concession stand, all wiring for the clock (no "s") and the timing "tower." ALL portable... There were no grandstands, of course... Stock classes ran from A to D... lol! Nobody ever heard of Super Stock. If it wasn't a Stocker, it was a Gasser.. A through D, again... Altereds had 25-percent setbacks and no fenders, so it was easy to tell an Altered when you saw one. I think they ran from A to C... Dragsters were called "Open Gas" cars (go figure!) and the only "fuel" that was run there was in a twin engine Harley called "Double Trouble," and it was usually the "Top Elminator". There was Top, Middle and Lirttle Eliminator. Top paid $100.00, Middle paid $50.00 and Little paid $25.00, IIRC. Uh.... $100 in 1955 is equal to $797.01 in 2008, it says here... Stockers got trophys. Four of 'em... (remember, A, B, C, and D) LOL! It wasn't unusual for there to be 25-30 cars in A Stock... so, winning the A Stock trophy really WAS something to brag about! The fastest A Stockers of the day were almost always '55 Power Pack Chervys, which usually ran 82 to 83 MPH... No slicks in Stock; you ran through the mufflers, with the air cleaner ON, and sticks and automatics ran together. I remember a LOT of parts breakage back then. There were no heavy-duty ANYTHING, and those stock drivetrain pieces just disintegrated with disgusting regularity! When the "legitimate" racing program was over, the announcer invited anyone in the crowd who wanted to grudge race his buddy, to bring their cars to the line and the flagman would start them,,,, for free. Talk about your "grass roots" racing... Lots of people participated! To a 17 year old kid (who was trying desperately to learn how to power-shift his folk's' POS '49 Ford flathead) it was fascinating beyond belief... Now, some fifty-three years later, IT STILL IS!!!! I have just never gotten over standing on the starting line and listening to the gear whine of those 2.94:1 low gear '56 Chevy Power Pack 3-speeds with a 4.11 (overdrive-equipped) rear end... how ungodly FAST they'd wind up low gear!!! It was just surreal... Some things will never change. Like my total fascination for this stuff. I saw an enclosed trailer once, with a B Altered inside, and on the back of the trailer, a sign said, "CAUTION; THIS TRAILER CONTAINS A DISEASE FOR WHICH THERE IS NO CURE." More truth than poetry... LOL! Most good-running A/SA cars nowdays could win TOP ELIMINATOR at the '58 NHRA Nationals... if they could travel back in time!!! Maybe THESE are the good ol' days.... __________________ Bill Last edited by bill dedman; 11-07-2008 at 03:44 AM.