Thank you for making this video. I'm a 63 year old black man that grew up around drag racing in Northeast Ohio. I can remember drawing the Stone Woods and Cook Willies as a small child. Stone Woods and Cook was somebody that I looked up to and were inspired by. And they are probably one of the main reasons that I own a NHRA Super Gas race car now.
Stone woods&cook was my favorite race car team campaign a Willis with a blown Olds engine with a b& hydrostatic transmission as matter of fact I own a 1/16 die cast mode of this famed car
Netflix already has it in the works. So far, they've been talking to Karine Jean-Pierre to play Doug, Rachael Levine to play Stone, and Rachel Maddow to play Woods. Amy Schumer has agreed to direct.
@@TheGearheadLounge There is lots of footage of the SWC team racing to produce a great movie. But to find it all would be a challenge for sure. The SWC team inspired lots of people including my self.
I'm 68 years old. I've been a gearhead my entire life, mostly a motorcyclist, but a car guy too. I had a Hot Rod magazine subscription all through high school. I've been aware of Stone, Woods, & Cook since they began racing. I never knew before this video that there was any element of race in their team. I would not have regarded them with any less admiration if I had known. Now that I do know the obstacles that they overcame, my admiration is greater. More power to all of those men and thank you for sharing their story.
I've built that model car once in my life when I was 15 or 16 and that was about 45 years ago. ...Always wish that someone would make a movie about these guys.
Stone,Woods and Cook voted the most popular drag car in history!That says alot.These guys made drag racing history.Thank you for bringing to light what this team went through and how they dominated the gasser wars.👍
Fell in love with this car and team back in the early 70s when my older brother assembled a Revell model of Swindler A and took 1st place at a county fair with it. Anyone who touched his model got their ars kicked! We all became gearheads since then. Thanks for sharing this great story!
as a teenager, I witnessed the Stone, Woods, & Cooke gasser run at Lions Drag strip. I fell in love with the class and this car and maintain that admiration today. I bought and built a model of the car which is on display in my personal curio cabinet.
In 1963 I attended the ‘63 Winternationals in Pamona, Ca. John Mazmanian had a Corvette A/MS blown Chevy. In 1964 I was stationed at George AFB, Victorville, Ca. and saw Mazmanian’s AA/GS red Willys race against first the black Willy’s, Oldsmobile powered of Stone, Woods & Cook then mid year they started racing their light blue Chrysler powered Willy’s! So many great match races between those two!
This is a real deal American story, I grew up in a mixed race church during this period of time and I truly believe this is when America is great. Singing in choir with the black girls with such great harmony and Love, there is no boundary that any person can bestow upon we the people, that arm in arm, love each other look past those filled with the negative vibes, that hold others back because of stupidity. They no longer serve a purpose. I tell you this, I spent 5 years homeless due to unforseen circumstances, if it was not for the kindness of the brothers and sisters of a different mother, I would not have survived. I am alive and well today because the kindness and prayers of many beautiful people of color with class and loving hearts. No other thing can change my heart, it's filled with love of our human family. As a child I had a senior couple babysitters that were black, I learned about skin color fr9m them,, at 2 to 3 years old, this couple tought me that skin color is like the flowers on the earth. All are beautiful in God's creation. From those days till now, there is no better understanding in this journey of life then acceptance of each other, that we are all the same must make a concious effort to treat everybody the same as you wish to be treated. With caring and sharing the way our savior taught us. The way, the truth is life. To me our society has grown it has been strengthened, due to those who wish to devide us, by every means possible. We must as a society accept the truth there are differences in culture and skin color, these have no bearing upon us, as we share the love we all need to represent and stand in unity. To not be divided by hate that others feel to show our willingness to ensure that all are equal in our hearts, with the kindness and generosity that over comes the evil, over the negativity, with pure hearts. Drag Racing is one more way the 60's and 70's brought forth progress. My first ever concert was 1978 Earth Wind and Fire with the Commodores, probably only a hand full of white folks at that concert, gave such joy to my life, it strengthened my confidence. I was 100% accepted and danced in the isles with everyone, the top of the world at 18 years old. I absolutely know greatness was made at this time and is not lost in our societies hearts. Thank You for sharing this story.. Douglas Reed
Thanks for producing this commentary. I love that when I’m trackside just past the waterbox, everyone standing there feeling the roar is my brother or sister, and this nails it!
this is a great commentary on this subject. Stone, Woods Cook was my favorite cars back where I was 12-15... and it was only about twenty years ago did I find out that in was integrated which totally surprised me because at the time there was no hint in the magazines and I read every single article i could get my hands on as a kid! Again excellent job my friend....
I cried when finding out that my favorite drag racing car of all time was owned and tuned by two Black Men and like you I had and read everything about that car in the 60’s-70’s and never was there a clue of the truth behind STONE, WOODS & COOK! I’ll be 75 in a few months and just found out the truth a few years ago. Gearhead I appreciate your bringing even more historical knowledge about one of the top 10 drag cars and teams of all time!♥️🏁🏆👌🏿
Growing up an Air Force brat in the late 60's early 70''s I was raised that all people are created equal and and should be respected no matter what race or gender. Being born a car guy, I had the ut most respect for anyone who was involved in racing, with Stone Woods and Cook being some of my earliest memories living in Corvallis Oregon at Camp Adair until my dad closed the base in 69. To me the only race that matters is the one on a track not the color of one's skin. Thank you for the great video on my all time favorite racing team. It brought back lots of great memories
Thanks for a great behind the scenes story! I remember having the Revell model car kit of the Swindler as a kid, but never knew the story. I lived in Ohio and had the privilege of hanging out in the garage of another Gasser legend--Fred Hurst of A/Gas fame, and also got to tour Ohio George's shop when he was building one of his Mustangs.
As a kid I loved the Stone, Woods and Cook team. They are what made me a gearhead to this day at almost 67 years old. What a great video. Keep up the great work, thank you.
I loved and still love the gassers, especially Stone, Woods and Cook!! Today, amazingly, I drive a four door sedan that can match if not beat the best time of Swindler A.
Outstanding, as a boy in the ‘60s I loved the gasser cars. I had as many magazines that I could afford on lawn mowing change. My uncle raced a Super Duty Pontiac that he drove to the track with us kids in the back, great memories.
Superb video. When I was about 12 years old, Revell produced a 1/25th scale SWC Willys model car. I built several of those models and revered the SWC team. To me it was just another race car back then--but it's very interesting to hear the story of the car(s) and its great team. Thank you very much!
Thank You, for presenting the Stone, Woods & Cook story. You're exactly right with your take on the racism of the early 60's being overcome by racing! I knew about the S W & C team being owned by Leonard Woods as the owner of a really big Black Owned Construction Company, that Leonard wanted to go Drag Racing but had to fenagle around those prevalent attitudes (read that stupid attitudes) of the early 60's. However, (as a white guy), the S W & C story has always inspired me, that if you wanted to do something that there is always a way to do it! It makes me proud of Leonard Woods tenacity to skirt the system. Then once the team broke into the sport, it wasn't about race anymore, it was about racing one really fast Willys or several fast Willys as it were! I also applaud the Revell Model Company, then of Venice Beach, California for releasing one of the best NHRA Gasser scale models of all time, the Stone Woods & Cook Swindler A Willys Gasser model. Cannot believe for one minute that Revell didn't know Leonard Woods ethnicity, but they released a cool model of Leonard Wood's Willys Gasser. That model of the Swindler A ended up being one of the most sold Gasser models of all time, released clear into the 1990's when a newer model of the '41 Willys was released. Atlantis Models who has all the old Revell Models molds has been talking about re-releasing the Swindler A kit again. Which is pretty cool Leonard Woods' legacy lives on through a model car as well as all the old Drag Racing footage of the S W & C team racing, through three families who were and are still united by Leonard Woods! (That's some amazing legacy!) For me, S W & C is special, they earned the right to be there, because they all loved the sport, because they all worked hard and they all were eventually accepted into the Drag Racing community because of it, united through the love of racing!
Those Sunday, Sunday, Sunday dragracing radio spots..... was just like hardcore Rock-n-Roll for us gear heads ✌😎 I built at least five SW & C models as a kid along with Ohio George & all the rest.... in fact the Gassers & A/FX cars will always be my favorite along with the early funny cars ( like The Snake's Hot wheels car & Larson's USA-1 ) Got to see them all many times at my home track.... New England Dragway in Epping NH ( The old tower side fence was maybe 10' from that lane.... ) What a rush when 2 nitro cars left line or Jungle Jim put down a 1/8 mile burnout & of course backed up by Jungle Pam ! ) Even did some racing of my own.... dragracing gets in your blood & you are hooked for life ! Thank you for the interesting video !
I had the good fortune of seeing them race at a little dragstip in Wisconsin, just over the state line with Illinois in 1968 while I was at Greate Lakes Naval Training Center. I still have a picture of the car I took that day, and while I remember that it was fast and loud, I had no idea of the makeup and background story of the team until I watched your video. Thanks so much for telling this great story!
I all ways like that name and there car's in the 60's ,my favorite drag team back then. I never knew that they were a black team until this video, thanks for sharing. Seem them many times at US 30 Drag strip. Do anyone remember the US 30 radio commercials, they were great.
Great story! I saw SWC and Big John Mazmanian match race at Thompson Dragstrip in NE Ohio sometime back in the sixties. Two of the best looking and coolest Gassers I've ever seen. I had pictures from that race but they have been lost over the years. I'm 70 now but can still picture that day in my mind.
@@TheGearheadLounge Big John Mazmanian was master of ceremonies at a Gasser meet at Thompson Dragstrip maybe 2 or 3 years before he passed away. I got a chance to talk with him and told him about seeing him and SWC there when I was a kid. Was real glad to be able to shake his hand and thank him for that memory.
My favorite car and team. Saw them when I was 12 years old and they were very good people. Let me look at car and explained everything about it. Way over my head at the time but fired my love of drag racing and gassers.
One of my most Vivid memories is building the stone Woods & cook Model on my mother's snack tray table while listening It's a Beautiful Morning by The Rascals. Life was so good
I have always loved the stone woods and cook race team the Willis is the most remembered gasser in history and I'm a Willis freak I really love the 33 but the 40 and 41 is what most people like. I remember as a kid building gasser models my favorite was the 33 Willis and the angle thames I'm 62 years old so it's been a 50 year old love affair. Thanks for the videos.
I built a 1948 Anglia Prefect BG/Super charged gasser “Midnite Ryder” I was racing in the nostalgic series around The northwest area up until till around 2004. It was more about the fun I had and the friends I met along the way. I did not push the parts to be competitive.
What a great story ! , I have many memories of seeing the SW&C willys gassers run , along with Big John and all the rest of the legends back in the day, the way it should be , fun friendship and good friendly competition . 😎👍
Those guys got it done! I’ve built cars for over 50 years. In my youth, Black local heros accepted us white kids as not only equals but as students. Great men who were better mechanics. I have a real deal ‘63 altered wheelbase Chevy II lettered with Crew-chief Slim Willams and Raymond “Big Money” Cook. I learned much more than hotrodding from these men. RIP.
I will never forget many nights at Irwindale raceway watching Stone/Woods and Cook kick ass ! Then I went to RVN and lickily returned unscathed more or less ! I have lived at least 5 different lives and each one was incredible !
I got to see the Stones Woods and Cook Willy's match race with the KS Pittman Willy's at Muncie Dragway in Indiana in the late 60's, I might even still have the program around somewhere. It's a fond memory with my father who took me to tracks around the area. Thanks Dad, I've passed the motorhead gene on.
Enjoy hearing stories like this! Most of my racing experience is outside of drag racing. But I had definitely heard of the team Stone, Woods, and Cook.& that iconic Willys! But had no idea the owners / builders were black, as it never came up in conversation. Proving we are making some progress! Very cool story, thanks for sharing it!!
I used to watch these guys race at the "drags" in Englishtown NJ when I around was five years old. My older brothers were in their late teens and early twenty's when they used to take me there and I remember it well. I loved watching the "Willy's" and the "Altered's" race or watch the "Little Red Wagon" and the "Little Yellow Wagon", do wheelies all the way down the track. The Willy's were always my favorite cars and I always wanted to own one.
This is a really well written and presented story. I truly appreciate your handling of race relations in the '50s through '80s. Factual with zero race baiting. The bottom line is these guys took the situation they found themselves in and not only made it work, they got to the top. Reminds me of my friend Captain Fred Pitcher, the second black airline captain hired in the United States. He got the job by being better than the other candidates.
Great video. Most in depth video I've seen on all their cars that they raced. As a side note early gassers had to have full interiors and working lights along with radiators. 👍
That would explain why Swindler II has a full interior that is blue and white and even had a matching cover over the roll bar. It even has a headliner!!!
Excellent video!!! Stone Woods and Cook was one of my favorites!! I didn't know Pittman drove for them!! Love the old footage!! Keep them coming I'm a sub now lol
These gassers with their big Olds V8's put B&M Hydros on the map for many years; always liked to hear them bang shifting thru the four gears of the B&M.. Olds V8's were the engine of the '50s, had one in my Deuce roadster but with a Packard 3-speed+OD trans also installed an Olds into a '53 Ford Victoria HT with 4-sp Hydramatic + a 9” to hold it all together-- was a super-sleeper back in the day...
We lived seven miles from the Irwindale Drag Raceway when I was in High School in the mid-Sixties. At the time there were six strips within easy driving distance. I was able to meet all the greats. I doubt that there will ever be such a time and place again for gearheads. "Sunday...!"
What a fantastic video. Not only a trip down memory lane but insightful as well. Thank you for making visit into the history with so many facets to it!
My Father told me some of these stories before he passed maybe a little different but close . He did say they had to leave some people back at the motel because they couldn't come to the track. I believe he drove the 41 the fastest time too and the 33 used SWC name because a race promoter would pay more for you to come race.He was paid 165.00 a week to drive the car where the owner wasn't accepted to come for a season or so at the end of that 68/69 . I remember driving there from long beach only to stay for a week or so and drive back . He was left at the race track in OHIO ? When the car was given , sold or whatever to someone else . A fellow racer I believe Hank brought him to Cleveland and that's where he stayed until he passed.. Bob Finders
You did a great job with the history of SWC. I don't care about skin color, it's what's in a person's heart. I was a SWC fan for a long time before I knew Fred Stone and Tim Woods were black. When I found out from a picture my first thought was Fred Stone is a mountain of a man. Then learning about how they either weren't allowed in the pits or not being able to compete at some tracks was bs. What the media tells us about race is evil. We are all on this planet together and should work together. We just might learn something from each other...
Wow! I thought I knew some about SWC, I leaned some cool things from this video...In my years of being a car guy, it didn't matter what color your skins was, we all had a common denominator....hot rods, serious street cars, drag cars etc. Thank you very much for sharing this video!!
I always thought their car was one of the best gassers ever. Growing up during those years I loved these cars. I actually didn't know until the early 2000's that this was an integrated team. Thinking back to the time in which they raced I thought it was great and I admired the team even more. Thanks for this brief history of the Stone, Woods, and Cook team
Very cool video, I had no idea about the history of this team!!! I have a model of Swindler II and can't wait to build it!!! I thought the model was just a cool old gasser, but now the history makes it even more special!!!
Great video! I knew the Stone, Woods, and Cook team was interracial, but I didn't know that blacks weren't allowed to drive on the track...talk about disheartening. Thanks for sharing the history of the team. I really enjoyed it. We've come a long way in the racing world. Another driver from the 1960's that I found inspiring was Malcolm Durham (who was black) and his "Strip Blazer" cars. Those guys are what legends are made of. May they all RIP.
Thank you so much! I believe in the saying that "Evil persists because good people do nothing." This was a case where good people did something and it made a great impact!
Great Video I never even thought about Black's not being able to Run their Cars. My Pop was a Drag Racer back in that time Period. He was a shop worker so money was tight. He Ran Super stock class. I loved the willys Coupes One of my favorites. I Always Remembered the Stone woods and Cook Coupes. Thank God we can find Good inside each other. I find it Rediculus that people judge each other on color. What matters is what's on the inside!! My Pops has been Gone 5 years now and I miss him so much. He put Hot Rodding in my blood. That man could shift a 4 speed and his Reaction time won him a lot of Races. God is all our Father and he wants us children to all love each other!! God Bless you Sir . I look forward to more Great Videos.
Thank you so much for the story about your father! Yes, it’s definitely what’s inside that matters! We’ve come a long way in this country, and still have a ways to go, but for the most part, people just want to race!
I knew Tim, and his son Tim lll. I could tell stories about Tim ll street racing, with his Olds powered T-Bird, and stock car adventures with Tim lll at the wheel. Great people all.
An excellent video in all respects. I can clearly recall the SWC team dominating the Gasser Wars back in the day. I feel fortunate to have stumbled onto your channel and look forward to checking out your video library.
Been building 60s car models since the 70s and a life long real drag racer. Learned a ton I didn't know about the Gasser wars and S,W & C. Great video.
These gassers are the reason I built my own gasser. Now it's going through its final, full send Gasser rendition. I've been a fan of SW&C forever and to find myself now as a friend of the family is unbelievable. I still get goose bumps when I see some iconic parts from one of the cars. In fact, the family gave me the trunk lid off the second car. Im trying to figure out what to do with it now. FYI: Mike Cook, Doug's son has made a name for himself at Bonniville setting and breaking many records. Peace
All through the 60s I lived vicariously through the pages of Hot Rod, Car Craft, et al. This Illinois farmboy had never heard or read that Stone and Woods were black (not that it would have made a difference, BTW) until I began spending winters in SoCal and got to know several long time dry lakes racers!
Fun fact: the pick-up gasser pictured at 3:05 is in fact an Australian car. It used to run at the old Surfers Paradise (Gold Coast) International Raceway track in the 1970s. Started off with a six-cylinder inline, before going blown V8. The 'High Performance World' sticker on the door was a business owned by Graeme Cowin, who later had considerable success drag-racing in the US, running top fuel. Gassers were very popular in Australia in that era, as well.
The name Stone, Woods and Cook stuck with me for the last 60 years for some reason. Good report. Where I come from we pronounce it “Willies”, not “ Willis” Thanks for the memories. Those were the best days, being at a drag strip hearing those bad MF’s come up to the line. Cackle cackle
@@TheGearheadLounge That’s ok. Good on you for digging into it and bringing a smile to an ancient white guy. I may have forgotten but I didn’t realize anybody on the team was black. Not sure we’ve made a lot of progress in 50 years on that front. Those guys were trying to get something done and after a while color would mean nothing.
Man, I love Stone Woods and Cook, they ran many times at Loin Drag strip, been a black guy, you knew who I was pulling for, don't get mad at me, because Don O Don Necerson who drove a Ford was my favorite driver, but I love drag raceing, so much in 1969 I brought me a lime green plan jame Super Cobra Jet Mustang, won many races with it. Including a Nation Champion Trophy at Loin Drag Strip, by the the same day Don O Don won the Championship , by the way I was turning 13:43, 105 on street tires.
Awesome story! I fell in love with this car as a kid building model kits. A short time later I found out about who was behind the car. What a great story! New sub!
![ผัวเถื่อน - ยูริ โตเกียวมิวสิค [ OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/P08ORRVDGl8/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you for making this video. I'm a 63 year old black man that grew up around drag racing in Northeast Ohio. I can remember drawing the Stone Woods and Cook Willies as a small child. Stone Woods and Cook was somebody that I looked up to and were inspired by. And they are probably one of the main reasons that I own a NHRA Super Gas race car now.
Thank you for taking the time to watch my video! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and that it brought back some good memories! Enjoy that Super Gas car!
Have a great season!
Stone woods&cook was my favorite race car team campaign a Willis with a blown Olds engine with a b& hydrostatic transmission as matter of fact I own a 1/16 die cast mode of this famed car
Man, what a history! People in Hollywood needs to make a movie about them!
Agreed!
Just thinking this
Saying to my self this would be a great movie
Netflix already has it in the works. So far, they've been talking to Karine Jean-Pierre to play Doug, Rachael Levine to play Stone, and Rachel Maddow to play Woods. Amy Schumer has agreed to direct.
@@merylpelosi1704 😂
@@TheGearheadLounge There is lots of footage of the SWC team racing to produce a great movie. But to find it all would be a challenge for sure. The SWC team inspired lots of people including my self.
I'm 68 years old. I've been a gearhead my entire life, mostly a motorcyclist, but a car guy too. I had a Hot Rod magazine subscription all through high school. I've been aware of Stone, Woods, & Cook since they began racing. I never knew before this video that there was any element of race in their team. I would not have regarded them with any less admiration if I had known. Now that I do know the obstacles that they overcame, my admiration is greater. More power to all of those men and thank you for sharing their story.
Thank you for watching!
Same for me. Didn't know about the race issue.
I do remember that they did kick some behind and were a great team
I've built that model car once in my life when I was 15 or 16 and that was about 45 years ago. ...Always wish that someone would make a movie about these guys.
Thanks for the video....of all the gassers of those years the SWC were and still are my favorites.....
Stone,Woods and Cook voted the most popular drag car in history!That says alot.These guys made drag racing history.Thank you for bringing to light what this team went through and how they dominated the gasser wars.👍
Fell in love with this car and team back in the early 70s when my older brother assembled a Revell model of Swindler A and took 1st place at a county fair with it. Anyone who touched his model got their ars kicked! We all became gearheads since then. Thanks for sharing this great story!
Awesome! Thank you so much for watching!
as a teenager, I witnessed the Stone, Woods, & Cooke gasser run at Lions Drag strip. I fell in love with the class and this car and maintain that admiration today. I bought and built a model of the car which is on display in my personal curio cabinet.
Drive the highway's and race at Lions...I was there also...loved the races between SW&C and Big John Masmanian (sp)
I'm 77 and went to winter nationals at Pomona all through high school 1961-64. A great time to be alive.
In 1963 I attended the ‘63 Winternationals in Pamona, Ca. John Mazmanian had a Corvette A/MS blown Chevy. In 1964 I was stationed at George AFB, Victorville, Ca. and saw Mazmanian’s AA/GS red Willys race against first the black Willy’s, Oldsmobile powered of Stone, Woods & Cook then mid year they started racing their light blue Chrysler powered Willy’s! So many great match races between those two!
This is a real deal American story, I grew up in a mixed race church during this period of time and I truly believe this is when America is great. Singing in choir with the black girls with such great harmony and Love, there is no boundary that any person can bestow upon we the people, that arm in arm, love each other look past those filled with the negative vibes, that hold others back because of stupidity. They no longer serve a purpose. I tell you this, I spent 5 years homeless due to unforseen circumstances, if it was not for the kindness of the brothers and sisters of a different mother, I would not have survived. I am alive and well today because the kindness and prayers of many beautiful people of color with class and loving hearts. No other thing can change my heart, it's filled with love of our human family. As a child I had a senior couple babysitters that were black, I learned about skin color fr9m them,, at 2 to 3 years old, this couple tought me that skin color is like the flowers on the earth. All are beautiful in God's creation. From those days till now, there is no better understanding in this journey of life then acceptance of each other, that we are all the same must make a concious effort to treat everybody the same as you wish to be treated. With caring and sharing the way our savior taught us. The way, the truth is life. To me our society has grown it has been strengthened, due to those who wish to devide us, by every means possible. We must as a society accept the truth there are differences in culture and skin color, these have no bearing upon us, as we share the love we all need to represent and stand in unity. To not be divided by hate that others feel to show our willingness to ensure that all are equal in our hearts, with the kindness and generosity that over comes the evil, over the negativity, with pure hearts. Drag Racing is one more way the 60's and 70's brought forth progress. My first ever concert was 1978 Earth Wind and Fire with the Commodores, probably only a hand full of white folks at that concert, gave such joy to my life, it strengthened my confidence. I was 100% accepted and danced in the isles with everyone, the top of the world at 18 years old. I absolutely know greatness was made at this time and is not lost in our societies hearts. Thank You for sharing this story.. Douglas Reed
Wow! What a story! Thank you so much for your comment, and I really appreciate it!
Thanks for producing this commentary. I love that when I’m trackside just past the waterbox, everyone standing there feeling the roar is my brother or sister, and this nails it!
Amen my brother! Ypu are so right! Thank you for your kind words!
Great video...we're all together as racers
Great history of my absolute favorite gasser !
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
this is a great commentary on this subject. Stone, Woods Cook was my favorite cars back where I was 12-15... and it was only about twenty years ago did I find out that in was integrated which totally surprised me because at the time there was no hint in the magazines and I read every single article i could get my hands on as a kid! Again excellent job my friend....
Thank you so much! I was like you...I loved the car, didn’t know much about the history...but the cat was cool!
I cried when finding out that my favorite drag racing car of all time was owned and tuned by two Black Men and like you I had and read everything about that car in the 60’s-70’s and never was there a clue of the truth behind STONE, WOODS & COOK! I’ll be 75 in a few months and just found out the truth a few years ago. Gearhead I appreciate your bringing even more historical knowledge about one of the top 10 drag cars and teams of all time!♥️🏁🏆👌🏿
Growing up an Air Force brat in the late 60's early 70''s I was raised that all people are created equal and and should be respected no matter what race or gender. Being born a car guy, I had the ut most respect for anyone who was involved in racing, with Stone Woods and Cook being some of my earliest memories living in Corvallis Oregon at Camp Adair until my dad closed the base in 69. To me the only race that matters is the one on a track not the color of one's skin. Thank you for the great video on my all time favorite racing team. It brought back lots of great memories
Thank you for watching!
Thanks for a great behind the scenes story! I remember having the Revell model car kit of the Swindler as a kid, but never knew the story. I lived in Ohio and had the privilege of hanging out in the garage of another Gasser legend--Fred Hurst of A/Gas fame, and also got to tour Ohio George's shop when he was building one of his Mustangs.
I remember them, Stone, Woods and Cook always has been my favorite race car.
As a kid I loved the Stone, Woods and Cook team. They are what made me a gearhead to this day at almost 67 years old. What a great video. Keep up the great work, thank you.
Thank you so much!
I loved and still love the gassers, especially Stone, Woods and Cook!! Today, amazingly, I drive a four door sedan that can match if not beat the best time of Swindler A.
Outstanding, as a boy in the ‘60s I loved the gasser cars. I had as many magazines that I could afford on lawn mowing change. My uncle raced a Super Duty Pontiac that he drove to the track with us kids in the back, great memories.
Gotta love that Super Duty Pontiac!
I was a big fan of stone woods cook growing up in the 60s
Thanks again, your love of cars and your story telling ability is a gift we all get to enjoy.
Wow! Thank you so much!
Superb video. When I was about 12 years old, Revell produced a 1/25th scale SWC Willys model car. I built several of those models and revered the SWC team. To me it was just another race car back then--but it's very interesting to hear the story of the car(s) and its great team. Thank you very much!
Thank you so much for watching!
THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO... AS I LIVED 6 MILES FROM LIONS DRAG STRIP I WITNESSED THIS CAR AND HUNDREDS OF OTHERS AND LOVED EVERY MINUTE..
Loved watching them race in the 60 s
Thank You, for presenting the Stone, Woods & Cook story. You're exactly right with your take on the racism of the early 60's being overcome by racing! I knew about the S W & C team being owned by Leonard Woods as the owner of a really big Black Owned Construction Company, that Leonard wanted to go Drag Racing but had to fenagle around those prevalent attitudes (read that stupid attitudes) of the early 60's. However, (as a white guy), the S W & C story has always inspired me, that if you wanted to do something that there is always a way to do it! It makes me proud of Leonard Woods tenacity to skirt the system. Then once the team broke into the sport, it wasn't about race anymore, it was about racing one really fast Willys or several fast Willys as it were! I also applaud the Revell Model Company, then of Venice Beach, California for releasing one of the best NHRA Gasser scale models of all time, the Stone Woods & Cook Swindler A Willys Gasser model. Cannot believe for one minute that Revell didn't know Leonard Woods ethnicity, but they released a cool model of Leonard Wood's Willys Gasser. That model of the Swindler A ended up being one of the most sold Gasser models of all time, released clear into the 1990's when a newer model of the '41 Willys was released. Atlantis Models who has all the old Revell Models molds has been talking about re-releasing the Swindler A kit again. Which is pretty cool Leonard Woods' legacy lives on through a model car as well as all the old Drag Racing footage of the S W & C team racing, through three families who were and are still united by Leonard Woods! (That's some amazing legacy!) For me, S W & C is special, they earned the right to be there, because they all loved the sport, because they all worked hard and they all were eventually accepted into the Drag Racing community because of it, united through the love of racing!
Well said Sir!
“Those were the days, my friend, we thought they would never end”. Great story, thanks
Thank you so much!
@@TheGearheadLounge 👍🏻👍🏻
Those Sunday, Sunday, Sunday dragracing radio spots..... was just like hardcore Rock-n-Roll for us gear heads ✌😎
I built at least five SW & C models as a kid along with Ohio George & all the rest.... in fact the Gassers & A/FX cars will always be my favorite along with the early funny cars ( like The Snake's Hot wheels car & Larson's USA-1 )
Got to see them all many times at my home track....
New England Dragway in Epping NH
( The old tower side fence was maybe 10' from that lane.... )
What a rush when 2 nitro cars left line or Jungle Jim put down a 1/8 mile burnout & of course backed up by Jungle Pam ! )
Even did some racing of my own.... dragracing gets in your blood & you are hooked for life !
Thank you for the interesting video !
I had the good fortune of seeing them race at a little dragstip in Wisconsin, just over the state line with Illinois in 1968 while I was at Greate Lakes Naval Training Center. I still have a picture of the car I took that day, and while I remember that it was fast and loud, I had no idea of the makeup and background story of the team until I watched your video. Thanks so much for telling this great story!
Thank you so much!
Great Lakes Dragway, Union Grove, Wisconsin on US 45.
I all ways like that name and there car's in the 60's ,my favorite drag team back then. I never knew that they were a black team until this video, thanks for sharing. Seem them many times at US 30 Drag strip. Do anyone remember the US 30 radio commercials, they were great.
Great story! I saw SWC and Big John Mazmanian match race at Thompson Dragstrip in NE Ohio sometime back in the sixties. Two of the best looking and coolest Gassers I've ever seen. I had pictures from that race but they have been lost over the years. I'm 70 now but can still picture that day in my mind.
That's awesome! I'm going to have to do a video on Big John Maznanian sooner or later!
@@TheGearheadLounge Big John Mazmanian was master of ceremonies at a Gasser meet at Thompson Dragstrip maybe 2 or 3 years before he passed away. I got a chance to talk with him and told him about seeing him and SWC there when I was a kid. Was real glad to be able to shake his hand and thank him for that memory.
@@bobdlowrider I'm sure that was quite the honor!
My favorite car and team. Saw them when I was 12 years old and they were very good people. Let me look at car and explained everything about it. Way over my head at the time but fired my love of drag racing and gassers.
One of my most Vivid memories is building the stone Woods & cook Model on my mother's snack tray table while listening It's a Beautiful Morning by The Rascals. Life was so good
Nice job, SW&C was my favorite model in the very early 70's...
Thank you!
I have always loved the stone woods and cook race team the Willis is the most remembered gasser in history and I'm a Willis freak I really love the 33 but the 40 and 41 is what most people like. I remember as a kid building gasser models my favorite was the 33 Willis and the angle thames I'm 62 years old so it's been a 50 year old love affair. Thanks for the videos.
Thank you so much for watching!
I built a 1948 Anglia Prefect BG/Super charged gasser “Midnite Ryder” I was racing in the nostalgic series around The northwest area up until till around 2004. It was more about the fun I had and the friends I met along the way. I did not push the parts to be competitive.
What a great story ! , I have many memories of seeing the SW&C willys gassers run , along with Big John and all the rest of the legends back in the day, the way it should be , fun friendship and good friendly competition . 😎👍
Those guys got it done! I’ve built cars for over 50 years. In my youth, Black local heros accepted us white kids as not only equals but as students. Great men who were better mechanics. I have a real deal ‘63 altered wheelbase Chevy II lettered with Crew-chief Slim Willams and Raymond “Big Money” Cook. I learned much more than hotrodding from these men. RIP.
I will never forget many nights at Irwindale raceway watching Stone/Woods and Cook kick ass ! Then I went to RVN and lickily returned unscathed more or less !
I have lived at least 5 different lives and each one was incredible !
I got to see the Stones Woods and Cook Willy's match race with the KS Pittman Willy's at Muncie Dragway in Indiana in the late 60's, I might even still have the program around somewhere. It's a fond memory with my father who took me to tracks around the area. Thanks Dad, I've passed the motorhead gene on.
Enjoy hearing stories like this!
Most of my racing experience is outside of drag racing. But I had definitely heard of the team Stone, Woods, and Cook.& that iconic Willys!
But had no idea the owners / builders were black, as it never came up in conversation.
Proving we are making some progress!
Very cool story, thanks for sharing it!!
I used to watch these guys race at the "drags" in Englishtown NJ when I around was five years old. My older brothers were in their late teens and early twenty's when they used to take me there and I remember it well. I loved watching the "Willy's" and the "Altered's" race or watch the "Little Red Wagon" and the "Little Yellow Wagon", do wheelies all the way down the track. The Willy's were always my favorite cars and I always wanted to own one.
This is a really well written and presented story. I truly appreciate your handling of race relations in the '50s through '80s. Factual with zero race baiting. The bottom line is these guys took the situation they found themselves in and not only made it work, they got to the top. Reminds me of my friend Captain Fred Pitcher, the second black airline captain hired in the United States. He got the job by being better than the other candidates.
As it should be. Thank you.
Malcolm Durham was one of my heroes. Stone, Woods, and Cook are legends. Racers don't care about color.
Amen!
Great video. Most in depth video I've seen on all their cars that they raced. As a side note early gassers had to have full interiors and working lights along with radiators. 👍
Thank you!
That would explain why Swindler II has a full interior that is blue and white and even had a matching cover over the roll bar. It even has a headliner!!!
Great history lesson on a great drag racing team. Thank you for telling the story.
Thank you for watching!
I have always loved the looks of the 41 Willys.
Nice to know the back story behind Stone - Woods & Cook.
👍🇨🇦
One of the most beautiful Willys l ever seen. Love them all. Great job telling their story.
Thank you so much! And I agree, very beautiful!
Excellent video!!! Stone Woods and Cook was one of my favorites!! I didn't know Pittman drove for them!! Love the old footage!! Keep them coming I'm a sub now lol
Awesome! Thank you!
SW+C was as good as it gets. They were with out a doubt one of my favorite teams back in the day. Drag racing was the most incredible part of my life.
These gassers with their big Olds V8's put B&M Hydros on the map for many years; always liked to hear them bang shifting thru the four gears of the B&M.. Olds V8's were the engine of the '50s, had one in my Deuce roadster but with a Packard 3-speed+OD trans also installed an Olds into a '53 Ford Victoria HT with 4-sp Hydramatic + a 9” to hold it all together-- was a super-sleeper back in the day...
Watched those guys run at San Fernando Drag strip and Lyons Drag strip the good old days ✌️
I remember this car and race team as a young boy l loved this car and team and they were heroes to me and my friends
They were the best 😊😊😊😊
Great video.
Thank you for sharing your skills and expertise in providing great entertainment.
Larry Landis
Thank you so much for watching!
We lived seven miles from the Irwindale Drag Raceway when I was in High School in the mid-Sixties. At the time there were six strips within easy driving distance. I was able to meet all the greats. I doubt that there will ever be such a time and place again for gearheads. "Sunday...!"
One of the all time great names on the side of a car, classic- Stone Woods and Cook, love the old videos and pics.
What a fantastic video. Not only a trip down memory lane but insightful as well. Thank you for making visit into the history with so many facets to it!
Thank you so much for watching!
My Father told me some of these stories before he passed maybe a little different but close . He did say they had to leave some people back at the motel because they couldn't come to the track. I believe he drove the 41 the fastest time too and the 33 used SWC name because a race promoter would pay more for you to come race.He was paid 165.00 a week to drive the car where the owner wasn't accepted to come for a season or so at the end of that 68/69 . I remember driving there from long beach only to stay for a week or so and drive back . He was left at the race track in OHIO ? When the car was given , sold or whatever to someone else . A fellow racer I believe Hank brought him to Cleveland and that's where he stayed until he passed.. Bob Finders
Thank you for the story!
Hey buddy. Great job telling the story, as always! Glad to see more content from you.
Thank you!
GREAT STORY, IN 60S I LIVED TO DRAG. CRUISING FOR A RACE
57 CHEVY 396 WAS KING FOR US AT THE TIME.
You did a great job with the history of SWC. I don't care about skin color, it's what's in a person's heart. I was a SWC fan for a long time before I knew Fred Stone and Tim Woods were black. When I found out from a picture my first thought was Fred Stone is a mountain of a man. Then learning about how they either weren't allowed in the pits or not being able to compete at some tracks was bs. What the media tells us about race is evil. We are all on this planet together and should work together. We just might learn something from each other...
That Willy's is my favorite gasser of all time and is The car when Willy's gasser is mentioned ! 👍🏻
Have loved Stone Woods and Cook since I was a small kid
Wow! I thought I knew some about SWC, I leaned some cool things from this video...In my years of being a car guy, it didn't matter what color your skins was, we all had a common denominator....hot rods, serious street cars, drag cars etc. Thank you very much for sharing this video!!
Thank you so much for watching!
I always thought their car was one of the best gassers ever. Growing up during those years I loved these cars. I actually didn't know until the early 2000's that this was an integrated team. Thinking back to the time in which they raced I thought it was great and I admired the team even more. Thanks for this brief history of the Stone, Woods, and Cook team
Thank you so much for watching!
Back in the 60s I was in highschool and my favorite team racers was Stone,Woods,and Cooks!
Well done. Great team, great cars, great history.
Thank you so much!
Very cool video, I had no idea about the history of this team!!! I have a model of Swindler II and can't wait to build it!!! I thought the model was just a cool old gasser, but now the history makes it even more special!!!
Thank you!
Great video! I knew the Stone, Woods, and Cook team was interracial, but I didn't know that blacks weren't allowed to drive on the track...talk about disheartening. Thanks for sharing the history of the team. I really enjoyed it. We've come a long way in the racing world.
Another driver from the 1960's that I found inspiring was Malcolm Durham (who was black) and his "Strip Blazer" cars. Those guys are what legends are made of. May they all RIP.
Thank you so much! I believe in the saying that "Evil persists because good people do nothing." This was a case where good people did something and it made a great impact!
I've had a few people mention Malcolm; I'll have to put him on the list!
Excellent video on one of my favorite gasser cars teams. Well done !
Thank you so much!
Can't tell you how many Gasser models I glued together as a kid.
Stone Woods & Cook was my favorite gasser, I even had the Revelle car model I built sitting on my dresser...great car!
Cool story ! I wish they would make a movie about these guys
That would be awesome!
Great Video I never even thought about Black's not being able to Run their Cars. My Pop was a Drag Racer back in that time Period. He was a shop worker so money was tight. He Ran Super stock class. I loved the willys Coupes One of my favorites. I Always Remembered the Stone woods and Cook Coupes. Thank God we can find Good inside each other. I find it Rediculus that people judge each other on color. What matters is what's on the inside!! My Pops has been Gone 5 years now and I miss him so much. He put Hot Rodding in my blood. That man could shift a 4 speed and his Reaction time won him a lot of Races. God is all our Father and he wants us children to all love each other!! God Bless you Sir . I look forward to more Great Videos.
Thank you so much for the story about your father! Yes, it’s definitely what’s inside that matters! We’ve come a long way in this country, and still have a ways to go, but for the most part, people just want to race!
I knew Tim, and his son Tim lll. I could tell stories about Tim ll street racing, with his Olds powered T-Bird, and stock car adventures with Tim lll at the wheel. Great people all.
Great video!
I've had the pleasure of towing the original car to the line at beaver springs... Legend$
Awesome!
This was&is still is my favorite gasser I have a 1/16 scale die-cast
I also have a plastic model that I built &pictures of the original 3 guys&the dark horse coupe
We had a great AA/G racing experience in the mid-60's at Green Valley Raceway in Smithfield Texas with all the luminaries there.
thanks for sharing this! Great story and cool bit of drag racing history
Thank you!
Man... This is one of the best Videos on TH-cam! Great job ..
Awesome! Thank you so much!
Thank You! Love this story and its Message that I've lived my life by .......
We love watching stone woods and cook at lions , we drag raced there to but it was always great to watch that gasser run.
An excellent video in all respects. I can clearly recall the SWC team dominating the Gasser Wars back in the day. I feel fortunate to have stumbled onto your channel and look forward to checking out your video library.
Awesome! Thank you so much! Enjoy!
Been building 60s car models since the 70s and a life long real drag racer. Learned a ton I didn't know about the Gasser wars and S,W & C. Great video.
Thank you!
I’ve seen this car in many pictures. Had no idea about the story of the team. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for watching!
These gassers are the reason I built my own gasser. Now it's going through its final, full send Gasser rendition.
I've been a fan of SW&C forever and to find myself now as a friend of the family is unbelievable.
I still get goose bumps when I see some iconic parts from one of the cars. In fact, the family gave me the trunk lid off the second car. Im trying to figure out what to do with it now.
FYI: Mike Cook, Doug's son has made a name for himself at Bonniville setting and breaking many records. Peace
Thank you for the story, and the info Doug's son!
@@TheGearheadLounge🎉
My favorite Race Car of all time
Great content, and a story well told. Thanks for this great piece of history
Thank you so much!
All through the 60s I lived vicariously through the pages of Hot Rod, Car Craft, et al. This Illinois farmboy had never heard or read that Stone and Woods were black (not that it would have made a difference, BTW) until I began spending winters in SoCal and got to know several long time dry lakes racers!
Thank you ! That was drag racing history.
Thank you so much for watching!
Buster jackson. Soul shaker in my time
Fun fact: the pick-up gasser pictured at 3:05 is in fact an Australian car. It used to run at the old Surfers Paradise (Gold Coast) International Raceway track in the 1970s. Started off with a six-cylinder inline, before going blown V8. The 'High Performance World' sticker on the door was a business owned by Graeme Cowin, who later had considerable success drag-racing in the US, running top fuel. Gassers were very popular in Australia in that era, as well.
Great info! Thanks!
The name Stone, Woods and Cook stuck with me for the last 60 years for some reason. Good report. Where I come from we pronounce it “Willies”, not “ Willis”
Thanks for the memories. Those were the best days, being at a drag strip hearing those bad MF’s come up to the line. Cackle cackle
Thanks! Yeah, my mispronunciation shows I'm not familiar with these cars! 😄😄
@@TheGearheadLounge That’s ok. Good on you for digging into it and bringing a smile to an ancient white guy. I may have forgotten but I didn’t realize anybody on the team was black. Not sure we’ve made a lot of progress in 50 years on that front. Those guys were trying to get something done and after a while color would mean nothing.
I wish it was more progress than the baby steps we’ve been taking, but any progress is better than going backwards...
I remember Stone, Woods, and Cook. Subscribed
Man, I love Stone Woods and Cook, they ran many times at Loin Drag strip, been a black guy, you knew who I was pulling for, don't get mad at me, because Don O Don Necerson who drove a Ford was my favorite driver, but I love drag raceing, so much in 1969 I brought me a lime green plan jame Super Cobra Jet Mustang, won many races with it. Including a Nation Champion Trophy at Loin Drag Strip, by the the same day Don O Don won the Championship , by the way I was turning 13:43, 105 on street tires.
I love the story! Thank you so much for watching!
Man what an awesome story. That was cool as all get out!
Needs to be shown in every school in America
Amen! I second that!
Thank you very much. Great video. R.I.P. you guys..
Amen...
Awesome video I bought a model kit with my $2.00 allowance as a kid to build this car spraying it the right color was hardest part
Im building a 41 willys now. Up till 2 am tinkering with her thnx stone woods n cook. My childhood racecar not a camaro
Awesome story! I fell in love with this car as a kid building model kits.
A short time later I found out about who was behind the car. What a great story!
New sub!
Awesome! Thank you!
@@TheGearheadLounge You're welcome!