What everr happened to the good ol' days

[kevintscott44]

I was messing around on youtube.com and found a old video listed as drag cars 1971 NHRA Supernationals original cut. even though i was not born until 1973. From what people have told me I wish I could have been there. It is amazing how much things have changed good/bad. Seeing all of those cars in the staging lanes and all of the fans being able to see what was going on. If you watch the video the begining is what caught my eye on it. And what Dick Landy said. Then there was another video where alot of cars were being towed by a "flat bed"trailer, even the Funny Cars. I just wish I could have been there.

[chris3racing]

You are right, things have really changed. The first race run at Rockingham Dragway top fuel cars were on flat trailers, with wood floors planks. Push started from the top end of the track, up the track to the starting line, made a u-turn in front of the tower and lined up on the starting line.. Funny cars were hauled on flat trailer or sloped back trucks. At the East Coast Drag Times Reunion at Henderson, the restored Huston Platt "Dixie Twister" was being hauled on an open trailer.

I know folks have seen me post this before, but in those days tracks ran races every night of the week. A match race may have been with several funny cars, Jungle Jim made match racing a show, super stocks or gassers. There would be a crowd of people at any track on any night. Lots and lots of cars. Cars ran off of their "national record" for the class they were in.

How about flag starts and the tracks had a wire across, overhead at the finish line, with two yellow bulbs.. A track person was at the finish line with a piece of 2x4 with two light switches, wall switches, and he tuned on the bulb for the winner. This was North Carolina Drag Racing.

Your are right those were really the good old days of drag racing.

[Jeff Teuton]

Not enough room, not enough time, and surely not enough beer to tell all the stories. Racing at airports and having to stop for a plane to land, in early 62 having at least 20 SS 409 and 20 more 406 Fords for A/S on any given day. And then the 413's came. If you didn't drive to the races, you had a death trap of a tow rig. If you were cool, you had towing hubs.(Anybody know what that was). $1 to get in and .50 for a Pit Pass. And of course you left your class and number (in shoe polish) on the windows forever. Not enough time.

[Paul Dilcher]

JEFF, we know what towing hubs were. If you had a set of those you were big-time. And , we were at the 1971 NHRA SuperNationals.

[Ed Wright]

The first division points race I ran was at Odessa, TX (don't remember them holding another one there) was in 1968. I got my towing hubs made just before that trip. I tell kids now about flat towing to Pomona in '68 & '69 and they think I'm pulling their leg. A long tow bar and lots of positive caster in the race car front end and you couldn't tell it was back there. You could back one up like a trailer.

One friend of mine, Bennie (the Wizard) Osborn had the first enclosed trailer around here. He built it himself. That guy could build anything. Built his own Top Fuel cars, engines, trailers, etc. Not many Top Fuel World Champs build everything themselves anymore. Bennie won the finals when they held them here in Tulsa, that was 1966 or 1967? They still smoked the tires the full 1/4 mile then.

[Robert Swartz]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

The first division points race I ran was at Odessa, TX (don't remember them holding another one there) was in 1968. I got my towing hubs made just before that trip. I tell kids now about flat towing to Pomona in '68 & '69 and they think I'm pulling their leg. A long tow bar and lots of positive caster in the race car front end and you couldn't tell it was back there. You could back one up like a trailer.

One friend of mine, Bennie (the Wizard) Osborn had the first enclosed trailer around here. He built it himself. That guy could build anything. Built his own Top Fuel cars, engines, trailers, etc. Not many Top Fuel World Champs build everything themselves anymore. Bennie won the finals when they held them here in Tulsa, that was 1966 or 1967? They still smoked the tires the full 1/4 mile then.

Well now, if you were rich enough for tow hubs! Man, you were big time. I managed to get a Lakewood tow bar. After I bolted it together, took it to work and had it welded. I couldn't afford hubs, so I just pulled the driveshaft and inserted a spare input shaft. Had to make sure you wired it up. Really sucks if it fell out and all the gear oil leaked out of your transmission, LOL. How many remember towing home a broke car or worse, pulling a driveshaft in the mud and rain.