1960s Top Fuel Dragster Racing in Socal

[jetman]

Watch the YT series (50+ 15 min vids) starting with "The Surfers" 1 .
aka "The Surfers" were a Top Fuel dragster team consisting of Bob Skinner, Tom Jobe, Mike Sorokin.
Life was simpler and dangerous back then Great stuff

 

[racer12306]

The ingenuity of that era is amazing. Twin small blocks with a blower hanging in front of the crank, who dreams that kind of thing up lol

I'll always be amazed that more people didn't die in that era of drag racing.

 

[wpod]

The ingenuity of that era is amazing. Twin small blocks with a blower hanging in front of the crank, who dreams that kind of thing up lol

I'll always be amazed that more people didn't die in that era of drag racing.

Now days pretty much everything is a kit . Back then they were the innovators. What worked caught on and was refined, if it failed it ended. Front mount blowers were what was back in the days.

 

[racer12306]

Now days pretty much everything is a kit . Back then they were the innovators. What worked caught on and was refined, if it failed it ended. Front mount blowers were what was back in the days.

I think that comes with refinement. There were very few, if any rules back then, but now there's a full rulebook that requires people to stay in a box for a variety of reasons.

 

[RDMgr]

How about TV Tommy Ivo's Quad-Engine car? I think he designed and built these cars. He was the first to hit several speed records, a little slow by today's standards but definitely fast for the early 1960s.

 

[racer12306]

How about TV Tommy Ivo's Quad-Engine car? I think he designed and built these cars. He was the first to hit several speed records, a little slow by today's standards but definitely fast for the early 1960s.

Absolutely.

There were some wild minds back then.

 

[hrv]

I loved the altered wheelbase funny cars from the 60s like **** Landy.. Mister Norms..Arnie Beswick...Don Gay and many others...

 

[LouC]

My first exposure to drag racing was at Long Island's NY National Speedway in 1970. My ears were ringing for 2 days! Started going to Englishtown (Raceway Park) in 1999 or so, and went like every other year till it stopped hosting the Nationals a few years ago. A real shame. I loved that place.

 

[racer12306]

My first exposure to drag racing was at Long Island's NY National Speedway in 1970. My ears were ringing for 2 days! Started going to Englishtown (Raceway Park) in 1999 or so, and went like every other year till it stopped hosting the Nationals a few years ago. A real shame. I loved that place.

It was a great track. I only raced there on the little Jr dragster track.

I damaged my ears as a kid at a different NY dragstrip (Western NY). I would stand at the starting line with no hearing protection. I'm paying for it now, but I'm also better about it now. Gotta salvage what I've got.

 

[hank2]

How about TV Tommy Ivo's Quad-Engine car? I think he designed and built these cars. He was the first to hit several speed records, a little slow by today's standards but definitely fast for the early 1960s.

Was his quad engine dragster powered by Buick nailheads?

I spectated at drag strips occasionally from mid 60's to late 70's. One of the most impressive demo draggers I saw in the 60's was EJ Potter, the "Michigan Madman". FI Chevy V8 in a motorcycle frame.