At the height of his match racing popularity in the 1970s “Jungle Jim” Liberman knew that if he could be in two places at once he could make significantly more money, so he figured out how to do just that. Liberman had a second car running around to fill additional match race dates and Jake Crimmins was the dude who got the job (there were others too like Ron Attebury, Pete Williams, and Roy Harris) to drive that sucker. In this video we see him making a pass at Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania. From the sounds of the announcer and some off handed comments made during the film, this may have been the first run on a new car or the first run of a new season…or both. We’re not 100% sure but maybe someone will jump in and tell us.

I’ll be at Maple Grove next weekend calling the NHRA national event and the place looks pretty different than it does here. Outside of the changes in the track’s physical structure the whole sport of drag racing has changed and morphed into the facility that holds what is normally one of the quickest and fastest races on the tour each year.

The scene looks appropriately “Jungle” with the car hauling down the course and even eating itself up. Upon their return to the pits there is a throng of people there and you can here Liberman telling people to get out of certain areas and it sounds as though he is telling them to stay out of the race trailer as well. While the pass set a new track record for funny cars, Crimmins answers the question, “How did it feel?” at the top end by saying, “Slow” with a wry smile across his face.

Jim Liberman did not live many years past when this video was made, losing his life in a traffic accident but “Crazy Jake” Crimmins is still out and about, racing his own nostalgia nitro funny car and continuing a career in the sport that is at or around 50 years running! He earned his nickname “Crazy” be piloting an altered with sandals on at a race when he forgot his fire boots. Try that today and see what happens!

This is awesome natural video that shows just how it was to run a funny car in the 1970s. It is dirty, gritty, and ultimately less polished than today’s glossy world of pro drag racing but these guys were making a living at it and loving life. Great stuff!

Press play below to see Jake Crimmins make a rip in the Jungle Jim Monza With Jim, Pam, and crew standing by –