Long before the golden age of the internet and YouTube, if you were a kid who loved hot rods and fast cars and wanted to see more of them, you needed some gumption…and some money. Whether you were on the east coast of the USA or all the way over in England, there was a way to see your drag racing heroes in action and that was through buying the films that were advertised in car magazines. People would basically go and shoot the races on 8mm or whatever format they could get their hands on, cut the stuff together in no particularly compelling way and sell them via mail order. The venue to buy may have been different in England than the USA but the films were the same.
Below is six minutes of this magic and we think you are going to love it. The films are heavily concentrated on Bakersfield for the March Meet and Indy for the NHRA Nationals. Ivo, Garlits, the Melrose Missile, Stone, Woods, and Cook, Ohio George and the names just keep on rolling. This is a great hunk of video because the clarity, action and fun are off the charts. Oh you will also RIDE IN the Pure Hell fuel altered as it fills with smoke during a run.
The era of the tire smoking top fuel car is one that we are currently obsessed with. They look so majestic and cool going down the track. We think you’ll dig this video trip into the past.
Please tell me I am not that only one who drew \”rail job\” pictures in my text books in school on the pages showing them smoking the slicks through the quarter mile based on magazine pictures and occasional Wide World of Sports coverage. When I finally got the \”Nationals\” at Indy in 1970…my brain exploded and was never the same again. Thanks for the memories.
Me Too Joe! Lots of good stuff here, as a young’n I dreamed of this stuff! One of my favorite all-time drag cars is the SBC Pure Hell, have a framed picture of it smoke’n the tires doin’ a wheelie—BOSS!
No Joe, you are not the only one. I made it to the Nationals for the first time at age 11 in 1964. It was an easy trip since my family lived 20 miles south of IRP.
Glad you enjoyed the movie. The two 3 minute films were originally bought by UK Drag Racing pioneer Brian Sparrow from Watford Motor Accessories, one of the first Speed Shops in the UK… Nick Pettitt.
Glad you enjoyed the movie. The two 3 min films were originally bought by UK Drag Racing pioneer Brian Sparrow from Watford Motor Accessories, one of the first Speed Shops in the UK… Nick Pettitt