Da Grump and Landy Match Racing Circa 1975 – Dry Hops, Rosin, THE WORKS!


Da Grump and Landy Match Racing Circa 1975 – Dry Hops, Rosin, THE WORKS!

This is the coolest drag racing video we’ve seen in a long ass time. Filmed at the long dead Boundary Bay Raceway in British Columbia, Canada it features Dick Landy and Grumpy Jenkins match racing in 1975. It is nearly seven minutes of magic because you get to experience what match racing was all about in those days. The show of the dudes spreading the rosin, the dry hops, practice launches, rev throwing, and throngs of fans rabidly pulling for one guy  or the other.

We also get to see that a couple of the biggest names in the history of the sport would show up and run on what looks to be an unused runway if the price was right. Watch this one all the way to the end because there’s a neat twist involving Jenkins. After the run, he drives his ass straight back up the strip. The announcers think he is making a victory lap, but he goes up to the starting line and chews someone’s ass through the open door! Total greatness!

What fans of today’s professional drag racing don’t understand is that back in 1975 match racing was how these guys made a living (and a good one at that). There wasn’t a 23 or 24 event NHRA national event schedule, rules about when and where you could test, or throngs of corporate sponsors directing your every move. Landy and Jenkins probably did this several times a week barnstorming across North America for as long as they could each year. While Landy’s career was level by 1975, Jenkins was continuing his rocketship ride into immortality. His Vegas and Monzas revolutionized the class and you can even tell that in ’75 his Vega is lightyears more advanced looking than Landy’s Duster (which may be an older car with new front sheet metal to stay with the times in appearance.

This video is freaking awesome. ‘Nuff said – PRESS PLAY BELOW!

 

 


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5 thoughts on “Da Grump and Landy Match Racing Circa 1975 – Dry Hops, Rosin, THE WORKS!

  1. Jimmy Jarrett

    That was a great great video. Bill Jenkins was a hero to every Chevy racer. If you have more videos of Bill please show them.THANK U for bringing back some great memories.That was the best days of drag racing.

  2. 69rrboy

    They called him the grump for a reason.

    I got to meet him once at Bruce Larsen’s open house. I said “hi Mr. Jenkins. Thanks for coming”. He just grumbled something and walked away. Oh well.

  3. Ted

    We had some epic times street racing there in the early 80’s, there was some serious talent on the streets of Richmond back then.

    Sigh…..the good old days of real Pro Stock, not the shite they pass off nowadays.

  4. Tom P

    I was the second comment on that You Tube video, 4 years ago.
    Check his other ones from Boundary Bay,

    I only went there for the illegal “street” racing that Ted mentioned. It was epic for sure. The final one had several hundred race cars but also must have had tens of thousands of spectators, they were backing freeway traffic up through the tunnel five miles away.

  5. Mike

    My good friend bought that car from Landy in 1978 as a roller (Lenco Included). In the contract he had to repaint it. He campaigned it as the Thundering Wedge out in CA after having Landy build a Hemi Blocked Wedge motor. The sheet metal manifold was made using aluminum angle. He went low 8’s.
    So many tricks in that car. When my friend sold, Dick came to my Shop to verify it. It was amazing to hear the two of them talk. I stamped a number on the cage and then we then went to dinner. What an amazing day.

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