Hurst takes you to the '64 Nats, lp on Ebay

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/127915094941

I absolutely am blown away at the incredible stories like this one, that only ever show up once a year or less... they are all forgotten, or never shared.

 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2209666336449541&set=gm.4432789470323697&idorvanity=1512133772389296

Grumpy Jenkins, made 250,000 in 1972, as much money as Wilt Chamberlain, matching him for the highest paid athlete in America... in a Chevy Vega, at a dragstrip

https://www.hotrod.com/features/throwback-tuesday-1966-grumpys-second-first-toy
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122178630452890603&set=a.122095424960890603
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/bill-grumpy-jenkins

a drag racing appearance contract for Tom McEwen to race at US 30 Dragstrip in 1971

 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=918070667883158&set=gm.1650509546256075&idorvanity=300103187963391

https://www.facebook.com/groups/300103187963391/

in drag racing history:

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/300103187963391/permalink/1650757706231259

Bill Maverick's drag race support truck

https://www.facebook.com/1jzbulldozer/posts/pfbid02pmmPmvXQjwAciPeL7RhjMWztAzfqm3VbuDWe2PxLKS5WcDYfjudRc822pncpYbjUl

drag racing on an air field

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10226759703178952&set=pcb.3088670437992852

Gary bought this 68 Torino Squire wagon new. “I special ordered it with the towing package,” Williams says. “Only 158 were built with the GT 390 engine, disc brakes, heavy-duty suspension and eight-ply tires"

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/inside-the-ford-total-performance-show

I wouldn't have guessed that anyone would come all the way to Barona drags (in East San Diego) from Santa Barbara ... but Seth Hammond and his friend Chip Foose went home with a 1st place trophy

Gray Baskerville got it right back in 1975 when he wrote, “Seth Hammond is slightly eccentric…”

Running a Pinto four-cylinder he set his first-ever Bonneville record at 140 mph in 1976 and has managed to keep his name in the record book every year since then.

In 1981, Seth bought a Lakester that was built in his hometown of Santa Barbara, California, by Tim Rochlitzer and that was on the cover of HOT ROD in 1962. He ran it until 2003, putting nine people in the 200 MPH Club and three in the 300 MPH Club, including his wife, Tanis (at 305, the first woman above 300 mph)

What's the connection with Chip Foose? Chip's dad Sam had a shop next to Seth, and Chip learned from Seth how to use a lathe and a mill. He's been painting Seth's race cars for decades.

Seth has been drag racing since the late 60s

https://www.facebook.com/chipfoose/posts/pfbid031958GzRJGT8oUmLQe1WEkGLVhmJvE76boPD54VTpHvr7yLbtCwxpeh5t3R5GkSGvl

https://www.museumofamericanspeed.org/77sethhammondlakester.html

Two Lane Blacktop clip of the dragstrip scene

 

I think this is a funny car

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1465346038935081&set=a.717965483673144

the coolest thing you'll see this week is this home video “Raceway Park 1965-1966” which was not recorded with audio, but has Beach Boys singing Shut Down to listen to. It's seriously close to high def, and very in focus. Why couldn't more home movie makers do this good a quality job?

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1036463158475475

terrific 72 Duster (best looking year for the Duster) with tiny wheelie bars, and running on Firestones

https://moparconnectionmagazine.com/a-quiet-pioneer-of-early-pro-stock-set-records-with-firestone/

the first F.A.S.T (Factory Appearing Stock Tire) car in the 8’s in the 1/4 mile

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1247246724102002&set=pcb.1247246817435326

a time out for a racing story

Ken Gillanders of Temple City CA, drag raced a TR-2 in the sixties and seventies.

 He made his own oversized cylinder liners out of high pressure gas pipe and had forged pistons made for it. He smashed out the combustion chambers in the head and had Cyclone Excelsweld create new chambers, into which he installed huge valves sourced from Hercules industrial engines. 

It ran a pair of 45 DCOE Webers. 

Lining up at Irwindale Drag Strip he staged against a 396 Chevelle. The announcer got the crowd stirred up by asking who thought the funny little foreign car could beat the Chevy. 

Of course the crowd cheered for the Chev, until the Christmas Tree lit up and spotted the Chevelle two lights head start! 

Ken smoked the Chevelle. Later he became the Mayor of Temple City.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10236267946376725&set=pcb.1996975694475891

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10225430879359187&set=gm.2955077318018832&idorvanity=527146584145263

The History of Hydrazine In Drag Racing

Good news! I just heard from the son of the drag racer in this photo, he's alive and well!

 

I posted this and 2 other cool dragsters in 2009 from Hot Rod magazine... and just today, Oct 17 2025, got this note from his son!

That's my dad there. Dan Millard Sr. I'm the Junior. He is still thriving at nearly 90

a whole lot of effort went into the paint job on this Camaro at Englishtown

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=32762834089982302&set=pcb.24600889519533328

NHRA just beat NASCAR in weekend TV ratings - 1.87M viewers tuned in on FOX, making drag racing the most-watched motorsport in America.

 

a legend in comic book illustration, Alex Toth, (his TV work included Super Friends, Space Ghost, The Herculoids ) was Hot Wheels choice for their comic books, and here's a cool excerpt of top fuelers drag racing

https://hotwheelsracetracks.wordpress.com/2016/05/30/hot-wheels-art-by-alex-toth/