Ingenuity in Action 1950s. Full Film | NHRA Drag Racing and Hot Rod Movie. Vintage race cars.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 พ.ย. 2022
- Classic film starts a little slow then gets packed full of drag racing action.
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is the largest auto racing organization in the world and was founded in the 1950s.
"Alcohol is for drinking, gas is for cleaning parts, and nitro is for racing!" ~Don Garlits
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough." ~Mario Andretti
"Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports... all the others are games." ~Ernest Hemingway
Don Garlits Sets Track Record in his dragster. Vintage Drag Racing 1965 • Shorts
Hot Rods Racing in Southern California, 1940s. • Hot Rods Racing in Sou...
During the 1950s, drag racing was popular among young people and was often seen as a rebellious activity. Many drag strips were located in rural areas, and races were often held at night to avoid attracting the attention of law enforcement.
Drag racing cars in the 1950s were typically modified production vehicles with large engines and custom paint jobs. The most popular vehicles for drag racing were hot rods, which were modified versions of production cars with large engines, custom paint jobs, and other modifications.
In the 1950s, drag racing was still in its infancy and there were no formal rules or regulations. As a result, races were often chaotic and unsafe, with many participants and spectators getting injured or killed.
Despite the dangers, drag racing remained popular throughout the 1950s and continues to be popular today. It is now a professional sport with a variety of classes and rules that are designed to ensure the safety of participants and spectators.
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5:25 - Pre-Interstate.
8:07 - Art Arfons; saw him and the car at several mid-west tracks. Never convinced anyone that aero-engined cars were where you wanted to go. Presume he was paid appearance money. No gripes from me, good show.
11:18 - Robin's-egg blue '33 Willys. If that ain't George Montgomery, it's what inspired him.
13:12 - Would have been nice to see what powered an A Gasser at the time. Was helping on an A gasser around that time; 409 powered. Drafted before I heard any result.
13:37 - Looks like the D-A Speedsport Special Competition Coupe; it ran at tracks around the mid west when I was a kid.
14:40 - And quite a few had clocks you might believe! Of the three local tacks, two were pretty consistent. Got close to the 12's on my 750-modded Triumph at one of them. Probably would have been in the 11s at that other one.
15:34 - Moon blower drive; no thrown belts, but it took some time before the pressure up front hit the chambers when the throttle opened and hundredths of seconds counted.
16:58 - Chrondek showed up and clocks tended to agree a *LOT* more.
17:01 - Managed to go to the first Nat's at Indy, '61. Pretty sure it was Pete Robinson who took top eliminator at just under 8.5 seconds. Pete used water injection, and I believe he got busted for that later. NHRA deemed it "fuel" at the time. VERY good engineer.
18:04 - Pretty relaxed compared to a current Top Fuel car rebop.
18:40 - Pretty dramatic delivery from that actor!
19:16 - Henry J on the far side; woulda' been just fine if there were an aftermarket for 'glass parts.
20:11 - Nope, not the D-A Speedsport Special.
21:57 - 5-car hole shot.
26:32 - TV Tommy may have later won with a nail-head, but betting this guy ended up with a mouse or a hemi in that var or his next.
Wonderful! Many thanks for posting this!
This is so cool. Thanks for doing it. Going to pin it.
@@RacingCrashesFunAndMoreTHX. Tried to clean up a bit, but seems you can't edit a pinned post.
@@currentbatches6205 I unpinned it so you can edit it however you want. It is really cool to use your time stamps
@@RacingCrashesFunAndMore THX, hope the edits made it better. Also wonder why others do not do so.
Thought I’d see Big Daddy in there (Don Garlits).
What a cool time to be involved in motorsports! I love the homemade ingenuity and experimentation that this era had for the home builder...every dragster was a unique individual work of art.
I think that is what is super cool as well. All the experimentation that went on to figure out ways to go faster.
Check out the Drag week style competitions. They have revived this older style.
@@KillroyWasHere86 Going to check those out.
Dig the 50's haircuts, the 25 cent gas and the dorky background music. But this was old school drag racing and was a ton of fun.
Thanks for checking out the video and you comment.
Was in High School in the mid-Sixties and lived ten minutes from Irwindale Drag Raceway, half an hour from Pomona, same for Fontana, an hour from Lions Drag Strip in Long Beach, and an hour-and-a half from Riverside International Raceway. Ran a MiniCooper in C Sports Modified. Good times.
You were in the middle of it all.
I was in Huntington Beach and started going to the Winter Nationals at Pomona in 63 and started bracket racing Lions in 65 and 66. My first drag race was in 60 at the San Fernando strip and they still had a flag man. I got into sand drags from 80 to 85 until I moved to the Yosemite area.
From a time when people had to think about how to go faster than someone else. Sad that now generally its who ever has the most money wins. Not who was the smartest
Tons of ingenuity went into making a car faster without spending much money.
Speed cost money…how fast ya wanna go ?
@@jcfireman2215 So true.
@@jcfireman2215
Slow costs just as much, if not more. The OP is correct.
You're racing on the wrong class
Ingenuity isn't dead
Ahhhh... the GOOD days when there was FUN, FREEDOM, and LIBERTY!! Let's bring it back ASAP!! I especially liked the gas prices on the gas station sign, 27 cents and 29 cents a GALLON!.
That's when drag racing was fun to watch. All the different classes.
It's cool to see how everyone is involved. Finding ways to make cars go faster without a ton of money.
Watching this I find it interesting how many full size cars there are! Nowadays you see plenty of midsize and compact cars in drag racing, but full size cars are rare to see. Looking at the used market I also see plenty of full size 50s and 60s cars with powerful big block V8s for not much money… it seems like full size cars would be a good way to enter into drag racing, but if there’s still a class for full size cars then it sure seems like few people race in it anymore.
I grew up with this. Thanks for letting me see it again. Los Angeles always had a street racing scene too.
Thanks so much for the comment. It is awesome seeing how this has brought back so many memories for people.
Me too. Hung around San Fernando when I was a kid in the 60's. I still hit Woodburn nowadays when I need those sights sounds and smells!
@@screenflot So cool hearing different people's stories.
Los Angeles, Van Nuys, Riverside... all the best.
@@20alphabet Love reading everyone's comments.
That was awesome! Did anyone else notice how the guys all swaggered? There was a time when being men was a good thing. And the kiss at the end. The poor girl looked flustered, like she should... I sure hope there's racing in Heaven!
And today that call that behavior toxic masculinity. 😢
Oh that is definitely a sex crime, today.
I think there will not only be racing in heaven, but new materials and technologies to experiment with, plus no need for roll cages and whatnot for obvious reasons ;)
I watch this for the cars I'm not into dudes
I watch other videos for women
So many small blocks in raw form it's so beautiful! 😍
Agreed!!!
No mistaking those SBC Siamesed exhaust ports!
@@danmyers9372 True.
I have a front engine dragster hanging from the rafters in my garage I keep saying I'm going to get it running and never do
Have a couple of projects like that. Still fun to just look at though :-)
Love how those guys turned an old school bus into a car hauler!
That is super cool.
What really sucks is today their are no pretty trophy Girls too get a kiss from when you win !
The "golden age" of drag racing. Fantastic film.
It's really bitter sweet to watch these videos. A time in America that is gone forever I'm afraid. Thanks so much for posting it.
Thanks for the comment. Guessing we all have tons of memories to share from back in the day. I wasn't sure what people would think of the video but seems they really like it. When I was watching it kept rewinding to see certain cars :-)
@@RacingCrashesFunAndMore What's not to like?
My dragster was bult in 1961, so I can really relate to this!
That is super cool. Guessing this brings back lots of memories.
My mom surprisingly used to drag race in southern Oklahoma near sulphur in the mid 50s. Cool to see where her friends got the inspiration! Even had that bit of Turner turnpike. Very very close to us.
Such a cool story.
This really was the Golden Era of racing. One could build stuff cheaply, in a backyard or garage and compete with the best.
Today? The only rule is Money Wins..
So true.
3:45 The shots of the California utopia of '50s alone makes it worth watching
SUNDAY...sunday...sunday....DETROIT DRAGWAY. SIBLEY AT DIX.
Heard that countless times on the radio in the Detroit listening area back in the day.
That's very cool. Interesting to hear from those that were local.
All those two car garages in the back of the burnt down and destroyed houses in Detroit's suburbs, through the 50's and 60's that's where these hot rods came from.
Stamp steel rockers!
That Allison though... so cool
That's what I thought.
He went on to claim the land world speed record
I am a NHRA NATIONAL WINNER MY SELF 👍
Very cool. Glad you are here. Thanks for commenting.
Wow! 500 horsepower! Can you imagine that much power in a passenger car? That would be crazy! That will never happen, like getting a man on the moon, impossible.
LOLOL
Cool to see Art Arfons before he got his hands on a J47 jet engine to put in his Green Monster land speed record car!
Now I have something else to go check out. Thanks for sharing this.
Be sure to read the book about him and Craig Breedlove.
Ah Yes When DRAG Racing was Cheaper and Fun !
Well put.
Back when my Papa was around he told me about his younger days when he ran a pit crew for a drag car that had a Lincoln V12 shoved into it. All I ever saw were old grainy photos which are long gone, so it was really cool to be able to see what these cars looked like in action!
Thanks for sharing that story. Super cool.
This is amazing, seeing how young everything is. Certainly a different time and I surely enjoyed this!
Thanks for checking it out. I was like you, loved seeing how new and young everything was.
The era I grew up in. What a blast to see this video!
Thanks for watching and thanks for commenting. Always great to hear people are enjoying the video.
I still have the Hot Rod magazine that featured the 1959 nationals. Many of these cars are featured in my collection of CarCraft and Hot Rod magazines. I Loved the video, brings back a lot of memories. Thank you.
That is so cool to hear.
Things were so much different. I actually enjoyed older days more.
I wish I lived in these times,they where lucky.
Looks like a ton of fun.
I did, my parents met at Fremont drag strip, went too the Oakland Airport estuary boat drags too. Used to be hotrod at any high school, not anymore.
Our garage was set up with a chain fall, and had all tools and welders to do all automotive and boat matinance.
Days are long gone.
Me too
What an amazing slice of history was amazing to see how the nationals were back in the day, unrecognisable today. Thank you so much!
Thanks for checking it out and thanks for the comment.
I just want to see this again please
I can't get enough the early thirties awards
1932 Ford not awards
My understanding is that Edsel Ford designed the 1932 Ford is that correct
The casualty the music makes it, says nothing for the raw power, and the extreme danger these guys lived for.
You are so totally right. Had a close relative die while racing. Experimenting with things and didn't go as planned.
california to Michigan! some road trip
Long road trip today much less back then.
Its funny that the announcer at 18:44 says they have competitors from as far north as the Canadian area.....Detroit is right across the river and is weirdly located north of Canada...There is a little finger of Canada that extends south kind of under Detroit because of the shape of the great lakes..
Did not know that. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, going through the lights at 170 mph next to a water filled ditch. And no guardrail! Different time for sure.
I bracket raced a little back in the mid 70’s at Famoso near Bakersfield, CA and didn’t return to the track until the mid 2000’s (life!). First thing I noticed was the concrete guardrails lining both sides of the track. It looked so different!
I was thinking the same thing. A different time for sure.
cool stuff! was that a crank driven blower? different times for sure
"Count on me, I'm gonna win the race!"
Awesome, time travel at its best!!
I Love a Sling Shot Dragster 👍
those panio wire in the blocks are still being used today..pretty wild.
Pretty sure it was copper wire they used. It was soft and would crush and conform to the head.
I bet my dad has watched this a thousand times.
I posted this because I saw stuff like this with my dad.
@@RacingCrashesFunAndMore that’s awesome. My dad runs a little metal shop in NC. He’s recently accepted technology and now he spends all his lunch breaks watching these old videos on TH-cam.
Thanks man keep it up!
@@AfterHoursAthlete Love hearing stories like this.
Very cool
Detroit dragway Vreeland road went there back in the 80s it was fun
Or Sibley road
There's always a "Nick" hahaha 🙋♂️😅
Last one in last one out and always eating is me by a mile 🤣
Awesome Film, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the comment. Nice one on the "Nick"
"LIFE IS A DRAG"❣️
Truly the “ Golden Age of Drag Racing “. I grew up in the 60’s & 70’s watching races and attending all the ones here in Southern California at the time . Our Next Door Neighbor Jim Wellock had built a Chrysler Hemi powered rail and my Dad & Jim’s two boys Kurt & Jeff & Myself ( we were all very young ) would Ride up in the old Ford T-Bird Powered Willy’s Wagon with the Rail on a “ T” trailer just like in this video . Went to Irwindale , L.A.C.R. , Pomona , LION’S , and Carlsbad Drag Strips, plus many others . Thanks for posting this one for all of us who were there back in those days. Great times & Great memories. 👍👍
Thanks for the great comment. Love reading all the comments how this video brings back memories for people.
That was just awesome that really turn back the clock for this 64-year-old guy I even used to collect the racing cards that used to come out in the bubble gum packs man how I love those hot rods back in late 50s early 60s awesome Thank you for such a great great video
Thanks for watching the video and leaving a comment. Much appreciated.
We have come such a long long way :) I was right after this era, parts were available and nitrous was just appearing in street cars....mine included lol. Thanks for sharing!!!!
Thanks for the great comment. Love hearing what people have to say and the memories this video brings to light.
man what a time to be alive even got to kiss the trophy girl
Definitely looks like plenty of fun.
I have to say that was not any simple peck on the cheek
That was great.
Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching as well.
the title "Ingenuity in Action" is APT.
the sheer amount of experimentation and variety
shown here is fantastic...
everyone and their dog was trying their hardest
to come up with a winner...
what a great era!...
a free-for-all where anyone could do anything
great fun...today its very strictly controlled.
Definitely agree.
1:35 - "We checked with Champion and decided we'd use Lodge."
AS FRIENDS OF MINE ONCE SANG, "BURN UP THAT QUARTER MILE"👍😎
Love the sound as they race down the track.
Oh wow, great vid really enjoyed!!! 👍👍
Thanks for checking it out and thanks for the comment
Great footage..
Thanks for the comment and checking it out.
Video was great but turn that MUSIC down.
Hollish Bros Coupe is for sale.
1959 was all gasoline ( no nitro ) for NHRA I believe. I wonder how Tex Colbert felt watching his
" DISCONTINUED '" FirePower engines stomping all over his new 413 that year ? And when nitro was brought back the old obsolete hemi went right to the top. Chrysler FirePower !!!
Y'all do some mushrooms and watch this.. that's some crazy stuff right there
LOL
I went straight to walmart, bought a package, cooked them up and ate them.
Nothing happened! 🤪
@@riverraisin1 LMAO X'D nice
Gas sign, 27.9 cents per gallon.
That would definitely be nice.
That's $2.87 per gallon adjusted for inflation. Not an unusual price before the war in Ukraine.
Awesome video bro
Thanks for checking it out.
Thankyou for posting this great content!
Thanks for the comment. Always great to hear people like the film.
Better days
Oh yes
The Allison powered rail was definitely the best show of power, so sad the tires were years behind the horsepower for all the cars, albeit the smoke was the best part of the show...
Good thing it was only a "twisted" lifter. I'm trying to visualize how a solid lifter can get twisted and not harm the cam. 🤔
Catch it early by having an ear for it.
As soon as you hear that "expensive noise" you do like they did and snatch it out. And if you wanna get right down to it, the camshaft is ground out of much harder steel than the lifters. So the lifter will go bad first and will only damage the cam if it's allowed to continue.
Maybe a bent push rod and not a twisted lifter. Don't you have to apply torque to an object to twist it.
Probably hollow and drilled for oil they kinda curl up starting at the leading edge
This is long before roller lifters, and flat tappets have to spin to work properly. I don't know what "twisted lifter" is referring to.
The one that won the meet was Ford Powered👍🏻💪🏻🏁🏁🏁
Thanks, I was gonna ask. Was it a 312 I assume? Or maybe a 410.
From the time when most still didn't understand or believe the benefits of aerodynamics. Those who did got mocked and called dreamers or lunatics. Even if they saw other people drop their elapsed time by at least 0.2 seconds.
Never thought about that but definitely agree.
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Thank you so much! Loved the old-time, upbeat music throughout as well. Reminds me of the films we watched on the old projectors in elementary school! 🧡🤍🤘🏁
Ever notice how many of these early racers were Ohioans?
Super-fun video 🙂 ...
Thanks for checking it out and thanks for the comment.
Man, I would LOVE to own that truck at the 9:20 mark.
That is a sweet truck.
I think it's an International with a special factory shortened nose.
Great video enjoyed it a lot. You have a great channel you got my sub for sure. Take it easy 👍
Thanks for checking out the video and leaving a comment.
If like me you love the old iron, you gotta check out the "Southeast Gassers Association" where these times are relived and once again the average Joe can build and race a competitive car on an average Joe's budget.
Thanks for the tip.
12:12 “VALVE LASH, VALVE LASH, VALVE LASH” 😂
LOL
It's great to see the guy at 2:53 smoking a cig while working on the car. Wonder if there's any flammable fuel around?
LOLOL now that you say that wonder how many cars caught fire because of that. I can remember my dad working on cars smoking away.
NHRA could have included the French brand SIMCA. They also had the Ford Flathead.
No doubt , this is awesome as someone said already . But , yeah this is as cool 😎 as we can get 😎 .🤺🐕🤦
2:06 Nice "welding"...
..that music...
That's when men were men😅 team work friendship.😂😂❤
13:57 that car was a real Gasser!!
21:44 Watching frame-by-frame it looks like the rim spun inside the tire, maybe costing him the race.
I don't know how you caught that. I think you are right. Love posts like yours on the details people see.
@@RacingCrashesFunAndMore I like to watch launches frame-by-frame sometimes especially when both cars are in the picture to see who leaves first. It seems like a lot of races are won or lost in the first few inches.
@@curbmassa I am going to start doing the same. Thanks for this tip.
I believe you are right! BTW, I started racing at Detroit and Motor City less than 12 years after this film was made. Hard to believe they're both gone.
wow
❤
Nice time trip. 😀
Could a version of this simpler time be done as a nostalgia type race?
That is a great idea.
A simple burn out would've changed everything.
I was wondering when they started the burn out.
At 6:53 at right side bottom I see a Volkswagen to truck conversion.
You have a some detailed eyes. Never would have caught that. Very cool.
They had kits for that conversion , the coolest kit I have ever seen ,is the camper , although that may have been a Company that built them .
it didnt take long to spread world wide , the American car culture spread like wild fire. steve in Australia. So did surfing,rock and roll and American culture in general
A few folks have mentioned Don Garlits. Posted this video of Garlits setting a track record of 206 MPH in 1965 th-cam.com/users/shortsSiExpswxWs8
Wonder whatever happened to that El Camino?
26:45 WHAT is that?? Sweet ride
Guys bein' dudes
Well put.
Is this Bruce Brown narrating?
Where are these cars! Now?
Would love to find them.
Awesome buddy..🍻🍻from Australia 👍
Thanks for the comment and checking out the video. Much appreciated.
What!?? No Don Garlits??
The two people I think of for drag racing are Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowney.
No AA in this doc.
That is the EE UU that I always admire not the actual one