(Photos by Bob Boudreau) – Oh, the SummerNationals. This is one of the most historic and heralded races on the NHRA tour. E-Town stands as one of the major tap roots that continue to anchor the drag racing tree on the right coast.  The place has battled for its own life in recent years and that is not a fight that will abate any time soon, but racers and fans still flock to the track and drag racing fans all over the world can identify it by that one simple word, “Englishtown”.

Back in 1973 the SummerNationals were in full swing and in many ways the event was the largest thing going on the East coast. Racers from all corners of New England and the eastern seaboard would flock to see the action, test their mettle against the best in the business, and to set the bathrooms on fire which was apparently some sort of odd ritual that took place along with blowing up trash barrels with M-80s and other tom foolery that people still laugh about today. There’s none of that in this gallery but you will see awesome photos of vintage pro stocks, top fuel cars, sportsman machines of all stripes, and even a great looking backup girl or two. The AMC pro stocks are totally awesome, as evidenced by Wally Booth’s Hornet below.

We can’t thank Bob Boudreau enough for sharing these photos with us so we can then in turn share them with you. He was a guy in the right place at the right time with the right gear and the skills to use it. You have to remember, when he blasted these photos there was no digital stuff, no autofocus, no photoshop, no nothing. You either got it or you didn’t and Bob got some great stuff. The Eastern Raider burnout shot below is just one of the photos that stopped us in our tracks with this gallery. Thanks Bob…you rule!