We dug this one up off of YouTube and it is a great time capsule of drag racing circa 1964 in California. In this video you’ll see lots of great dragster runs and some historical cars to boot. There’s KS Pittman’s ’33 Willys, the famous 554 1934 Ford Coupe, and a car that appears to be Nye Frank’s awesome Pulsator dragster.
The coolest part about this whole video is the stark and bare bones nature of the tracks that the films are shot at. Lions appears briefly in the film and it is as basic and rustic a place as you’ll ever see. The other track, which we cannot identify is basically a strip of asphalt in the middle of nowhere with nary a seat or a wall to be found. Wonderfully basic if you ask us.
Dig all the cool cars, trucks, and the eagle eyed among us will see a brand new 1964 GTO drive up the return road on the way back from a run. It is a white hard top model and the hubcabs have been removed for racing. Too cool!
Press play and watch SoCal drag racing in 1964 come to life on your screen!
Saw most of these run in 1964 as a 14 year old from AL on a rare (for us) vacation to SoCal to visit relatives. On a Sunday afternoon witnessed the brand new Bones – Dubach – Pisano blown 33 A/GS Willys flip about 4 or 5 times right off the starting line. Pitman and others there. The following Saturday night my uncle took us again for Top & Jr. Fuel. An unheard of at the time, Danny Ongnais defeated The Snake in the 8 car T/F field and Jeb Allen won Jr. Fuel. I was already hooked on Hot Rods and Drag racing but that night I became addicted to smelling Nitromethane.