What REALLY Happened in 1964 ?

[masoParticipant]

quote Larry N.:

…The revolution actually was slowly building in 1961-1962-1963 and it all hit the tracks in 1964. Henry Ford II had thrown open his checkbook for Ford to dominate in racing; Dodge & Plymouth didn’t want to be left at the line, so they were designing race cars as fast as they could; Chevrolet “withdrew” from racing in 1963, but no one believed that and they had clandestine activities in the works…

In 1959… Wally Parks moved the NHRA Nationals event from the central location of Kansas to the Detriot area. That was an attempt to basically lobby the Detroit executives into the drag racing game and I think that it worked. A personal friend of mine here in Miami, Harry Steele was a big part of that effort.

That is Harry standing by the ’58 Pontiac. Harry and Jerry Tyson, nealing down by the Dragmaster were the co-inventors of the Christmas Tree starting device and sold their prototype to Chrondak. This is the Cabriolet’s Club House in Hialieah, Florida. I see old Harry and his wife Doris oftain.

Attn: Larry Nutson:

Your comment on “Clandestine” activities of the Detroit automotive engineers is an interesting one. I’d love to see someone research that into a book someday.

[dinoKeymaster]

MASO …that is one great shot of a club …white walls….primed coupes & sedans…a Club project-the Rail …Classic.’The Way It Was’… about what year was IT?

[masoParticipant]

quote dinotheweirdo:

MASO …that is one great shot of a club …white walls….primed coupes & sedans…a Club project-the Rail …Classic.’The Way It Was’… about what year was IT?

Not sure, I see a ’55, a ’56 a two ’57’s and a ”58 there but the newest idem in that picture is probably the short wheelbased Dragmaster. What year’s date would you put on that…? Anybody…? Bobby S…?

[bobby-s]

MASO

the picture I see only shows part of the dragster r/c corner
of the chassis,

need to see the HOOPS,
thank maybe can get more info

Bobby S.

[bobby-s]

MASO

thanks for the hint on viewing the picture,

with the quick cramed learning of the Dragmaster chassis’s
that one is when Dode & Jimmy changed from the double over head bar (like mine)
to the single over head bar, this was when they were starting to make
the DART chassis, the Dart chassis was able to handle better with the
blowen motors because of the longer W.B.,
they were starting the change of chassis about ’64-65’sh
which is about right for the picture.

The picture of Ron at Indy with HELLZAPOPPIN
is one of the different DART chassis’s they had available.

I also got the answer why Foleys dragster in the odf gallery
show one bar, he made it that way for ease of entry into it.
The bent chassis pictures is mine and had 2 HOOPS when Ron sold it
to Foley. The repair area’s on my chassis is where the bends are in those pictures.
Foley was the engine builder for Ron and bought Ron’s chassis’s
when Ron was getting a new one.

ALL the pieces & history are slowly coming together,

Bobby.

[masracingtd1167Participant]

John Foley is still building motors for his son’s top dragster .

[bobby-s]

Bob Long told me that,
his son’s name is Wayne I was told,
this summer I want to try and meet him
and show him the pictures,
maybe by that time I’ll have
it there for him to see,
that would be fun,,

thanks for the info.

[dinoKeymaster]

64 saw the end of ‘Flag Starts At Dover. The “new ” homebuilt Tree was introduced. Part of the “new Deal”

[babycakesParticipant]

I was ‘drafted’ in the Army,in Feb. that’s what happened to me in 64.Good ole Infantry,and a tour of ‘Nam’ to boot!

[masoParticipant]

It’s kind of amazing to me that nobody here has mentioned the birth of the elegant and effective… “Zoom Header”…!!!

That was in 1964 and it had a tremendous impact on Top Fuel if you remember. It literally perfected the design.

I hung out at Dover from 1961 when the GramDog brought me there first time until 1965 and I saw it all, so here is my perspective:

In 1964 people throughout the various auto racing fields were still figuring out ways to convert lost energy through heat combustion into performance. There were efforts made on that through turbo-charging and tuned exhaust headers with interesting results. Then one fine day someone in the mid west with a AA/FD had a “brain fart” that changed things forever.

Then someone simply realized as we all did that traction is the link between performance on the Chrondaks and noise and smoke. So…why not simply aim that exhaust heat to the surfaces of the rear tires and use that heat to make the compound a little stickier…!!! Not only that, but this simple device will also help him see where he’s going by blowing tire smoke out of his way down the track…!!! Cool…???

How cool was THAT…??? Huh…?! 😆

Now… at that time in our racing history, top fuel cars were all aiming for that magic 200 mph mark. The NHRA record for that was up for grabs and frustration was building among AA/FD racers about it. It seemed like racers were all going 196 mph consistantly with an occational 198 mph here and there but an established record with a back up run was alluding them for about a year and a half now, and that’s a formula for frustration to say the least.

Here’s how it went: Big Daddy Don Garlits came to Dover in April of 1964 and I was there. He had his Number six Swamp Rat. I remember seeing his two daughters in the back of the green Ford station wagon. I met Donna at the museum and we talked about that. But what he didn’t have were… Zoom Headers yet because nobody had them yet. Daddy probably went 196 mph for three exhabition runs because all AA/FD’s were doing that consistantly then.

Anyway… Mid season in 1964, somebody in the midwest ( I forgot who ) got the Zoom Headers idea, tried it and within one month’s time all AA/FD’s across the country had them, that quickly.

Anyway… August 3rd, 1964, Island Dragway, Big Daddy runs another exhabition event and I was there again. My brother brought me, but I was only 17 and couldn’t get in the pits, so I snuck under the chain link fence and got in anyway. Don Garlits set the first 200 MPH NHRA record that day with a legitimate back up run and ( get this… ) I never knew it…!!! until about three years ago when I went to the Palm Beach International Raceway and daddy was there with Number six Swamp Rat and I read about it on the sign he had. I spent time talking with Tom Lemons* about it and I was austounded to learn that I was a whitness to the first 200 mph NHRA record and didn’t even know it, and I was hip to what was going on in Drag Racing at that time, believe me.

So… there you have it. 1964 was the year of the Zoom Headers that drove the top fuelers to 200 mph for the first time in the NHRA record book, and me with my head in my a$$ didn’t know it…!

* Tom passed away just last month. I found him to be an approachable and likable friend. I appreciated him very much. Go see: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2012/01/13/rip-tommy-t-c-lemons/?refer=news

[dinoKeymaster]

Anniversary Of The BEATLES….1964…Everyone left Dover Early to get in front of the TV to Watch Ed Sullivan.

[masoParticipant]

quote DINO:

Anniversary Of The BEATLES….1964…Everyone left Dover Early to get in front of the TV to Watch Ed Sullivan.

Yeah but… We put the “Roll” in Rock n’ Roll…!!!

😉

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