It is always kind of miraculous when we find video like the one you will see below. Why? What are the chances some kid that shot a bunch of film at a couple of Akron, Ohio area drag races more than a half century ago would later find the film converted to digital and uploaded to YouTube? For the hundreds and hundreds of these out there, imagine the thousands and thousands lost. Ok, don’t do that because it is really depressing. Let’s celebrate the good.
So what we are going to see here is hot rodding in its purest and some would say coolest form. Ohio has always been a gearhead crazed state and it was a buzzing hive of coolness in the 1960s and early 1960s. It was like they planted gassers and hot rods like row crops on the farms out there and there was a bumper crop every year.
The footage here comes from two drag racing meets. One was run on a service road and the other on an airport runway. The runway meets were “Regionals” as the narrator of the film calls them and they brought out the heavy guns, mainly Akron’s favorite hot rodding sons the Arfons family. You’ll actually see the Green Monster in its natural habitat and you should pay close attention. The first vehicle to turn 150mph in the quarter was a lazy leaver as the big Allison had to be walked off the starting line and then charged like the hounds of hell on the big end of the track.
“Akron Arlen” Vanke can be seen racing one of his early hot rods here as well as others.
The cars are amazing and the whole scene is just too damned cool. We think you are going to love this accurate look into drag racing’s past.
Sweet!
Current NHRA can suck it! Take that bull crap 4 Wide pro-wrestling shite and stuff it.
Whoa, this was in Akron? Anybody know where the track was located?
It’s near the Rubber Bowl and the Air Dock. It’s probably racing at Akron Fulton Airport, now just a little strip for private aviation.
Thats awesome footage! Just like my dad used to race back in the 50’s.