Back when the "average" guy could compete---July 1975

[Docwheelhorse 2,660]

This is my Uncle... he built it from ground up. Ran it everywhere he could including Gator and Summer nationals... ran against Shirlee Muldowney more than once. Then gave up when it became rich mans game. Sold car, trailer and all parts around 1985 and got into big fishing boats. CT dragway closed around then too... neighbors bitched about noise etc... its now a Consumer Reports test track. Ahhhh.... just one more day with screaming Hemis and Big Block anythings....

 

Tony

[JoeM 7,871]

It was a great time for drag cars. As a teenager I worked in a local garage. The owners son had two Hemi Super Stock Factory cars. Did a lot of racing, Ran up and down the east cost running the IHRA circuit, and when those were not close, we ran local brackets trying to pick up money. I remember ripping off a few 9.90 runs, Now you can buy a car off the show room floor that will do 10's.

The coolest race I remember was the 1/8 mile Nationals in Va. Made it all the way to the finals and raced against a SSU car, Chevy station wagon. Our Car was a SSC car. Had to give him two plus trees head start. Beat him to the finish line but ran a couple hundreds to fast and lost. After the race, I went to the trailer and had the ramps down so Bill could pull the car straight on. The guy in the SSU Stopped and shook our hand and said the best car lost this race. He said when I was headed down the track I kept looking for you, I could hear you coming and when you went past me at the finish line it shook the hell out my car.

Pretty good times and days!

Oh almost forgot, Spring Nationals were held in Columbus OH. Made the trip every year, love the top fuel cars.

Edited February 1, 2019 by OILUJ52

[Sarge 3,463]

I grew up in that world - Dad ran the door slammer classes with his Plymouth, then the '70 Charger RT/SE 440-6. Finally gave up - too many protests and time spent at the office. He had a ton of special trophies from Chrysler and worked at a dealer - wish I had those cars today.

 

Sarge

[Ed Kennell 38,022]

A little known history on the Ammon R. Smith  "Old Reliable " chevy.

Before Dave Strickler married Ammon's daughter Suzie and took over the driving of the car,  It was driven weekly at the York US 30 airport dragway by Paul Drawbaugh from Dover, Pa.

Paul, Jerry Bittner, and myself operated equipment for James Julian Construction from Wilmington Delaware.  We installed the pipelines for new sanitary sewer installations in SC Pa in the 1960s.

The three of us single guys traveled and roomed together for several years at different work sites.     

While working in Red Lion, Pa.,  Paul drove the Old Reliable weekly on the street, took the car to Smiths every Sat. morning where they prepped the car for the Sat. night drags.

Now you know...The Rest of the Story.

 

Edited February 2, 2019 by Ed Kennell

[peter lena 8,580]

back in the day ,I have to say THE OLD RELIABLE / DAVE STRICKLER  set up was my favorite, the combo was just in another league . I was at Connecticut drag way early 63 when a NY  afx Chevy, ran a 11.97 , it was just stunning . back then ,bob tasca would show up driving his red 427 cobra, and the rest of his factory race team, 63 glass nosed galaxy and fairlanes were awesome. talked to don garlits while setting up his next run, like speaking to yoda, to this day his knowledge and humility  was unforgettable, at 86 he is still revered . there was a glass nosed 63 galaxy in new London, CT, built by Holman and moody, that was running 12 flat regularly, he would go to westerly ri, on the airport road , and the gto,s would line up for 100$ , never beaten, by anything, Kelly's hamburgers were 12 cents. I was delivering fuel oil for 12 cents, very glad to have done all of it , pete