The video we ran this morning from McCracken Dragway in the early ’70s has us drooling. It also got us thinking. What is the coolest period in Drag Racing’s history? Clearly any answer is going to be pretty subjective, so that that made us think we should ask you what period in Drag Racing’s history would you most like to go back to? I was at the drag strip in 1972, the year I was born. And as cool as my life around drag racing has been, I sure would like to go back to those times at driving age. For some the late ’50s and early ’60s is where it’s at, and we can’t argue with them. The truth is we wish we could turn the old dial on the BangShift Way Back Machine and go visit all of them just once.
Depending on the cars that make you tick, or the drivers you have always been fascinated with, your time period may differ. Keep in mind, we’re talking Drag Racing. Not the dry lakes, not Bonneville, not circle track or road racing. Drag Racing only. We’ll give you a shot at answering the same thing about other types of racing later.
Any bets on how many guys will say something like 1987? When Bernstein was owning funny car in NHRA competition. Or how about the John Force and Al Hoffman rivalry years? Or maybe the 1975 Pro Stock battle between the Gap and Roush Tijuana Taxi and Bob Glidden is more your speed.
Whatever it is, let us know. If you could go back to any period in Drag Racing history, when would it be?
I would like to go back to the early 70’s Pro Stock before Lencos.
I’d like to go back to the days of 64 top fuel car fields when everyone had a fire breathing 392 hemi slingshot in their garage. I met an old timer the other day that told me about firing up his fuel car and making a pass on a city street so he could try out his very first parachute. Then hiding the car back in his garage after the pass so the cops couldn’t catch him.
O Yeah, the good old days of hiding form the cops.I don’t know if I miss them or not.
I’d like to go back to the days before huge corporate sponsorships. You know… the days when everyone flat towed their junk or used an open trailer.
We’re almost back! Most of the huge corporate sponsorships like beer, oil and the manufacturers themselves have already left.
1971/1972 front engine dragsters and funnycars. This was drag racing’s greatest hour. Anywhere you went across our country, you would find numerous local funnycars, as well as, front engine dragsters. This is the era when 63 top fuel cars would show up at the Indy Nationals to qualify for a 32 car field. “Cookie cutter” funnies have destroyed the class.
Back to IMO that perfect balance of when AA/GS – AA/FA – AA/FC – Top Fuel dragsters – Pro Stocks that were both ‘ Pro ‘ and ‘ Stock ‘ as well as those AA.gas dragsters all running in perfect harmony .
1968 – 1974 when muscle cars ruled the stock classes and went faster than the magazine test cars.
The days when it took only a 1/2 ton truck with a open bed and a open car trailer or flat towed to the track.
Now if you look in the pits of any type of racing today, you usually see the generic white truck pulling the generic white enclosed trailer.
Like to go back also to the 68-72 days when real men drove cars that required shifting a real trans, and I was on my 1st marriage and would’nt do it again!
Yeah..1968, 4 speed close ratio muncie, 4:56 gears, 375HP Camaro, $3,100 bucks. M&H’s, headers, traction bars on the leafs and your power shifting the Hurst.
I would go back to 1976 when I was about to be told that we were going to run Top Fuel in NHRA division V and I was going to get my Top Fuel license at 17. We lost our track the following year and the opportunity was lost.
I think around 1970 to 71ish. When the Pro Stocks were exactly that. Steel doors and fenders with original firewall and original floor boards that were notched for frame rails with original front sub frame, with just the wheel tubs being completely replaced for a narrowed Dana and slicks. A few had most all removed from the main hoop back. Everyone used the steel case, short tail shaft Hemi box with liberty parts. No such thing as a slipper clutch in any of them. If a nostalgia Pro Stock class is started in the next few years, that’s what I think it should look like. Weight to cubic inches with probably a good dose of engine restrictions. Make it easy for anyone who wants to participate able to. A lot of out of the box parts would have to included in the rules. Just or mostly stuff that could be bought in that time frame. I think something along those lines would assure probably 75 to 100 would show up at Bakersfield. Of course I don’t think enough old Hemi boxes exist any more, so naturally that part would not be possible. Unless some one tooled up to make them again. No strut front end chassis.
Mid 60’s to 1970. I’m kinda hooked on that era. I was just out of the service and seeing I still have a 140″ FED 392 blown, injected, dragster now, I have to like that era.
Back when you heard over the pa system.Dragster push-out send em down.Kevin.
My choice would be an era AND a place, the entire ’60s at Detroit Dragway where all of the Manufacturers had a direct or indirect hand in the amazing Stock body based cars that ran there every week and were so popular that the fuel cars were merely filler.
There is a short time in the early 80s where tiny stroke on the ever common 4 something inch bore screamed its way into proving, alternators suck, oil pumps, fuel pumps, and bearings, water pumps…even power steering. That demand even ricocheted in formula 1 in the same years. It altered history…without even being popular. That standard on a big engine today is still finding nothing stronger.
Ship my butt back to before NHRA put the big hurt on Junior Stockers by changing the rules that outlawed the 55 56 and 57 Chevys (and other similar year cars) and more or less forced them into Super Stock or Modified Production. One other thing, make it back when everyone had to win their class before they were able to run in an eliminator bracket. Not asking for much am I ?
Mid/late 60’s. A/FX, Fuel altered’s, the “gasser wars” all at or near their peak.
Fine times indeed.
1970-1980, competition was great and there were classes for every racer in anything they wanted to race…
when dragsters were push started. Watched a late nite test by pushing on to interstate one entrance, stop, then push start, short pass, and push right to home shop. Seems unreal that we actually did that.
Every era I wish I could live or re-live, my favorites being 64-76 & 1984-1996…An exciting time to be a Drag Racing Fan & A period that isn’t really mentioned in Drag Racing History: Nitro Cars went through significant evolution & picked up 60mph, the 4 second & 300mph barriers fell, the emergence of Pro Mod, Nostalgia Nitro & Fastest Street car racing, drastic improvement of the National Event race tracks, data acquisition, Live & Same Day TV Coverage, internet, the dawn of professional bracket racing…etc.
Les
Twin engine Eddie Hill FED, IVO’s Showboat, Tameless Tiger, Snake and Mongoose.
From the early 60’s till the late 70’s was the best era, too many cookie cutter cars now, the funny cars and pro-stocks look like turtle shells going down the track, it might be the reason there is so many empty seats now in the grandstands.
John Brown has the right idea !
Before bracket racing started, you ran heads up against an index
Bracket racing p#ssed me off so bad I switched to boats
Easy………back to the Summer of ’66 and to the old Ste. Gen Dragstrip.
Small AHRA strip with a flag starter……..about an hour South of St. Louis.
I owned a rat rod ’49 Chevy with a six banger I beat on and my best friend just bought a ’66 Dodge Charger with a 383 automatic we thrashed as well.
There were several larger strips North of us….Alton, IL and Mid America Raceeway but he stayed local.
Had some great times back then.
I love the Gapp & Roush maverick because they were not afraid to try something different back in those days. Today every things the same o shit…
….and the Maverck’s were and still are a bitchen Hot Rod =)
Just freeze time the year Motor Wheel Fly’s were introduced and 14×32’s were on almost every Super Stocker (1974-1976-ish)…perfect!
Early 70’s to 80’s when top fuel car’s still did
Dry-Hop’s !! Unforgettable ! Flash