Drag Racing In The '60s US Nationals Part 1

Pictures and movies that I took at the US Nationals at Indy in the '60s.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Supercharged
• Nitro
• Top
• Fuel
• Dragsters
• Funny
• Cars
• Don
• Garlits
• Tommy
• Ivo
• Prudhome
• Rare
• Earth
• Get
• Ready

[TheLittleLizard1]

The song "Get Ready' by "Rare Earth" was recorded on the Motown label & released in the year 1969. I can remember as a youth the summer of 1970 at Camp Sacramento in the Sierra's, it was most played song on the Lodge jukebox that summer. A simple web search can validate the release date on Motown.

Just the facts!

Mark Clayton "The Little Lizard" California

P.S. Great video that captures the spirit of the sport & our country in 1969!

[jrsn2cars]

@TheLittleLizard1 Thanks for the confirmation on the Rare Earth tune. I've always loved that long version! Great Jammin'! Great comment! Thanks!

John

[MrRonnieG]

@jrsn2cars ~ Of course. I'm sorry, wasn't much into Rare Earth (more a 70's thing, right?) but The Temps and "Get Ready" happened right in the middle of my drag racing experience. Front engine cars were trouble waiting to happen but there WAS something special about drag racing back in the 60's that's missing today. Nobody had spare motors (etc,etc) and even the strongest teams only had 2 or maybe 3 guys at best. My favorite was The Mongoose driving Baney's Yeakel Plymouth Special.

[jrsn2cars]

@MrRonnieG Thanks for the commentary! There were so many great cars and drivers to cheer for back then. Your right about the front engined fuelers. I was there to witness John Mulligan's horrible crash at the '69 Nats. It was a great thing that Garlits did when he moved the engine to the rear... saved a lot of lives. Thanks for the west coast perspective!!

John

[MrRonnieG]

Without sounding rude ~ Rare Earth wasn't anywhere around when these cars were running. I grew up at SoCal dragstrips (Lions, Irwindale, OCIR, Fontana and Pomona) from 1963 until I was drafted in 1969 (strictly Stones, Beatles, Buffalo Springfield, Cream, Byrds, Iron Butterfly, etc.) and these really were the good old days. You've got Tom Hoover's fueler in here when he was campaigning the 427 SOHC Ford motor, the Fighting Irish car of Beebe & Mulligan. The Zoo Keeper was killed @ the 69 Nats

[jrsn2cars]

@MrRonnieG The song "Get Ready" was released by The Temptations in 1966 and the cover version, by Rare Earth, was released in 1969. Both versions received a lot of airplay here in Michigan, where I'm from, since both groups were from Motown. I took these photos and movies from 1966-1970 so for me the song brings that time back perfectly. Thanks for watching!

John

[shikamano]

Thank's for sharing, I remember these times with my Dad at Baylands Raceway Park in Calif.

[solmar1013]

Very, Very cool Video! Going to my first US Nationals this year! Can't wait!!!

[laphant]

i grew up in indy ...used to go to Raceway park...sundays at raceway park...Gas Rhonda,Garlits and all of us run what you brung gearheads full of testosterone

and dreams.....i am so grateful to have lived as a kid wheni did...still got a 72 dart 318 dual exhaust over 185 thou on the 318 because i change its oil.....

still remember the gasser willys like a turtle standing on its hind legs ....hahah

[pfoneil67]

this is great stuff thanks for posting.

[alvin5516]

way cooler back then.

[MrRonnieG]

I was, of course, talking about the "Freight Train"

[MrRonnieG]

At about 1,000 feet the Train would blow its' horn and simply drive around the single Chryslers. Being a Chevy guy (1st car was a '57 BelAir) it was about the only dragster I could root for outside of a strictly West Coast Jr. fueler class). By '66 the big-block Chevy started showing up in some of the Floppers (Jungle Jim, Dick "Seaton's Shaker", Doug Thorley of Doug's Headers and Hayden Profitt) so I had nitro cars to cheer for. Those were wonderful wonderful memories of 60's drag racing.