David Freiburger and Brian Lohnes are this generation's Drag Racing historians. When the two of them work a Drag and Drive event together from the tower the stories are captivating and sometimes biting with their criticism for one another. No better way to make a work day go by fast than to listen to the two of them covering a Summer or Fall D+D event.
When you mentioned Reher-Morrison, it brought back old memories. David Reher and I owned 57 Chevys when we were sophomores in high school in 1963 in Arlington, Texas. His was red and mine was sierra gold. We began modding them with the goal of making them faster. You can see how far he went with that idea. My future went a different direction. I finished high school at a military school in New Mexico and later had a career in the Army for 20 years. I am glad he has been so successful in the field that we were interested in so very long ago and that I had the opportunity to share a bit of history with him. Good job David, you make me proud to have been associated with you. Billy Don. And David, I wish I had been able to see you when you had your event in Fort Worth at Coyote Drive In a few years ago. Best of luck with your new endevor.
One guy that I think deserves some recognition too especially for us younger generation that came up when TH-cam was starting to take of is Kyle Loftis of 1320video. He’s been recording coverage of the drag week events (correct me if I’m wrong) since the original and really helped introduce it to us early on.
I don’t believe 1320video has been to the last 3 drag week events to document them. They used to switch every year between drag week and Rocky Mountain race week. Personally I think that Sick week has put a serious dent into the attendance to drag week and 1320 chooses to go to sick week now every year
Really liking the history on your channel! Thank you for continuing to put out content during what’s happening down there! My thoughts and prayers to your neighbors down there. Stay safe!
David you are an absolute hot rod encyclopedia. Your stories are awesome and I love them. I have watched you for years and look forward to your videos. Keep it up you are keeping the hot rod history alive. Thank you very much. Hope you and yours are safe out there with all the fires.
Freiburger IS automotive hot rodding history. I've learned soooooo much on this channel. You need an Interview series with some of these racers. A candid inside look.
My personal favorite part of Drag and Drive... the aftermarket support. Now these upgraded parts are 1-800-availble, not one-off billet pieces... In my mind, it's a Street Car if the parts they use will work on my car. But... I love how people like Alex Taylor or the guy with the woody chevy station wagon are pushing the envelope, discovering fixes to new problems. The whole corral of racers at Hot Rod Drag Week are inspiring. Thank you for starting it.
Another amazing video, thank you David, I love these history videos to no end as a Brit who is definitely an American at heart. I remember the first roadkill episode on Hot Rod Drag Week and since then, Jeff Lutz has been my hero, very happy to see a passing glimpse of him in this video. It's great seeing drag cars over here with HRDW stickers on the windshields knowing how far the reach is!
Working my ass off trying to put together a 1957 dodge town wagon. 4 link 83/4 3:55 gears LS 4.8 cam headers single turbo 102TB, 4L60 2500 stall, Holly controller. 😢. For a drag week or something in 2025. You’re channel is excellent DF.
Yep, it's getting EXPENSIVE today for the basic building blocks. Edit: SKIP the 4L60.... I've been there and DONE that. Even 600h.p. WILL waste a 4L60 quickly. Just start with the 80, and save yourself the grief and money I went through... 💸 Also, unless you want to spin it to 7000+ RPM's and would need a MUCH larger stall converter, step up to at least a 5.3 or larger. The 4.8 lacks the torque down low BIG time compared to the larger LS engines, and you'd need much more gear, converter, and RPMs to get the thing out of the hole. I've been the turbo 4.8 route also, and later found that a stroked 5.3 is HELLA better for a street driven vehicle than the 4.8 was. The 4.8 is just TOO soft down low for anything but an extremely low geared, cammed, convertered, and MOST of all LIGHTWEIGHT vehicle. I'm sure your wagon is going to end up fairly heavy when it's all done. Just trying to save you the aggravation I've been through with a 5000lb vehicle, a turbo 4.8 LS engine, and the 4L60 trans... ✌️
3.55 gears are a bit tall for a 4.8L, a 4L60 won't live behind big power either. Look up the guy with the stock 4.8L record, it's a young guy with a SN95 Mustang, stock long block GenIV 4.8L single turbo, ran 7s. He geared and torque converted that car to keep the rpms up so that the cylinder pressure wouldn't bend rods and puke head gaskets. With a heavy vehicle like that, a huge turbo, a low stall and a weak trans that setup would be doomed unless you baby softed the tune and set the electronic wastegate to only come on way up top. You need to get on the Sloppy Mechanics Wiki and groups to see what is working for people. That turbo is way too big be difficult to light then be difficult to control once it is lit. A 78/75 or S475/S480 will make all the power an SBE 4.8 can handle in a heavy vehicle.
Love drag&drive event. I have completed in 13 events so far. Have done rmrw raceweek miles of mayhem sickweek sicksummer. First year was 2020. Love the people. And the fact you’re out on the road with everyone. The epic gas station stops hotel repairs and more. Thank you for the creativity to start this type of event
I feel as bad about the people affected by the fires as most people but I fail to see the correlation between the fires and documenting racing history. This comment smacks of virtue signaling or just mining for likes. Let's not use massive tragedy for our own gain. If that's not OPs intention, I apologize and would like to hear what prompted the post.
I was born in 1965. Long before that and up and till the mid seventies my father (1942) and all his friends were street and strip racers and car club members. What you are talking about were my bedtime stories.The older you get the more you remember the past. Keep them coming, I still love a bedtime story.
You and Jeff Smith were my favorite editors and writers for Hot Rod and Car Craft. It would be great to see you interview and reminisce with Jeff for your channel!
Im glad you mentioned "Casper" . Those dats were absolutely insane at the track ! The late stages of Casper with the quad turbo setup was nuts for the time !
Here in Au drag week is the best thing that's happened to drag racing and the street scene in decades. Also brings a great boost to the little towns it passes through.
Hi David, I remember reading Hot Rod growing up back in the 70’s and have followed it in one form or another ever since. Still love cars and actively building them today. Hearing your stories reminds me of a lot of my past. Stay safe, I hope you’re not in the fire path.thanks.
Really enjoyed the history lesson after a day of working on our 70' chevelle that is entered in Sick Week and Sick Summer, it ran Hot Rod drag Week in 2018 but dropped out due to fuel problems. We use it as a street car to go on parts runs, general shopping and pulling the trailer to go to the lumber yard to haul building materials. I will be doing the ultimate as I am driving it from west central Illinois to Sick Week approximately 936 miles. Keep the great videos coming.
Freiburger is the best automotive history storyteller! I ran across Roadkill out of dumb luck, I never cared about racing cars, building cars or fixing cars... but Freiburger and Finnegan made me love the who ecosystem! I'll never have the money to buy or build a car, but I love watching!
I have said before, these histories are priceless David. I don't know anybody now days that has as deep of understanding as you. Thanks again for doing these type of vids in your YT mix and just letting you know we are praying for all of you in California with the fires. I can not imagine. Be safe.
I religiously read Hot Rod magazine in the late 80's through the 90's and closely followed the Fastest Street car stuff. One name you didn't mention that always stuck out because of the uniqueness was Spiro Pappas, I think he had a wickes black '69 Camaro as part of the Fastest Street Car. And then the beginnings of Drag Week, watching Larsen , Lutz, Schroeder, ect throughout the years, well before the internet. Such great times and drag racing heros!
I remember those magazine articles. I was working at the parts store building my Chevelle at the time and wanted to go. Y'all know why it gets out of hand so fast. Because it's all about going faster no matter what. Thank y'all for sharing. This was absolutely great and interesting.
I had a HRM subscription all through my youth and adolescence. Read every issue ad infinitum until the next one came. My grandfather and my dad both built race cars and hot rods... my brothers and I grew up turning wrenches and we never grew out of it. Thanks for the early inspiration and current entertainment.
My father and I used to argue about what racing is. I usually want to know who the best driver is he wants to know who can build the fastest car. If a car is street legal and insured by the law of the land in my eyes it’s a street car. Past that it’s contest to see who has the most money and time. Love the site! Keep it coming!
Thank you David for reminding me of how i came up in hot rodding in the early 90s. I was about 12 and big into go carts and dirtbikes in 1991 and a friend gave me a few Hotrod mags. I saw the Fastest Streetcar stuff for the first time with Max Carters nova and eventually Pappas camaro and Scavos Impala. Im 45 now and still get emotional about those days
The early 90s is when the bug bit me also, and very shortly thereafter I built my first car and was running low 11's at my local track. 11s was fairly quick in the 90s for a "street car", or should I say, "A car that could drive on the street" (barely). But things started happening fast in the mid 2000's and the cars suddenly got MUCH faster, and I haven't been able to keep up. The fast street cars of today around here are in the 7's and 8's, and even a few in the 6s, and here I am in the mid 9s... 😬 Unfortunately, the prices of automotive racing parts has gotten OUT of control as of lately, and one HAS to be a wealthy person to go fast today. The ingenuity is gone today, and one has to just spend big cash on the go fast stuff. I enjoyed it more when the engines were all basic big blocks, and the smart guys with the good ideas that could be done at an average home shop were the ones with the advantages. Today it's basically all about the dollars spent. I still enjoy hotrodding though.
Really appreciate your perspective and your influence. Born in '84, I grew up with you as a major influence, whether I knew it or not at the time. Keep the effort coming, man.
Really appreciate these videos! Many of us are life long learners and most of us joined after Hot Rodding had been around for a few decades, half a century or heck maybe even a century. Good insight into the the time of before and filled in some gaps on how Hot Rodding evolved!
Thanks, I have been enjoying the well produced content. As for the beginning, maybe not drag week but... I had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with my grandmother and got to know many of her stories. One of them was about the boys and their horses, daily drivers but they raced on weekends. It is in our blood.
David I always appreciate your knowledge I’m an old guy that’s digs it and try to pass along those to me important facts so they don’t get lost, lord knows we can stand to appreciate a little history of what is and what started it all, and I hope you and family and friends are staying safe with the fires and will as always hope to help the charities that are helping you all in California, prayers!!
Totally nailed this one! Just jammed with stories, knowledge and history. I appreciate how many hours upon hours this type of episode must have taken. Thanks for the awesome content!
Thanks for taking me down memory lane David. At almost 70 and a major gear head for probably 71 years now, lol, I remember almost everything you spoke of.
This was a great episode. I loved all the magazine shots that I can remember reading over and over back in the day, and still have in my collection. I loved those early fastest street car shootouts! In Australia we actually have three drag and drive events now, one of which was started by the late great Harry Haig. They have run one event since his untimely passing, hopefully they keep the legacy going
I love that I feel like I’m bullshitting with you in your garage. Thanks man. I feel like I got to meet you through roadkill, Lived through roadkill with you, and now get you retire and chat in the garage.
Yes, I've lived vicariously thru Roadkill, Roadkill Garage, and Engine Masters also... and enjoyed it immensely. In fact, I have had a few Hot Rod projects that have ended up in a decade long hiatus in my life, and it was watching these shows that planted a spark in me to get my ass up and get moving on them again. I have one finished now, and have been enjoying the HELL out of it since. I'm not so sure that the one finished car would have even been a reality today if these videos had never happened. I am ready to get on the second car anytime now. I am a full blown, born again, hot rodder again today because of them. 👍 Thanks guys!! 👌
Is there anyway to get a story on the disco nova? Never was into that body style but the way that car was done made me a big fan. Love the stories and history of the sport we love so much
I think this was a great video. You are the don garlets or micky Thompson of this generation. I grew up reading hot rod and to this day I still enjoy your content. I wouldn't be into projects as much as I am without you David. Thank you, and keep it up!
Thanks David! Agree with your assessment?never really thought about it but you are right! I do like how you tied it all together! I do plan on participating in the near future. Please keep doing what you do!!! Hope you and yours are safe from the fires!!!
Hey Dave. Thank you. I was a late bloomer. I liked cars, but never took any shop classes in high school. It wasn't until I picked up my 1966 Chevy C10 in 1992 that I started really getting into hot rods. I learned almost everything I know about cars working on that truck. And I'm almost finished with a frame-up restomod build. And I cannot wait to take it on Drag week. That's a long way to say "thank you." I love your videos where you run through the history of car culture. It is so important to pass that knowledge along. You and Finnegan really reached a younger generation of gear heads, but these "Story Time with Freiburger episodes are so cool...and important. Now you're teaching that generation you introduced to Hot Rod culture the history. And I think you're doing awesome.
I've been a subscriber of HotRod Magazine since 1989. My favorite part of the mag was always Freiburger's editorials. I would always read that first. Nobody has ever captured with pen and pad, what it is like to be a hotrodder the way Freiburger could. I feel bad for the direction the magazine has gone. I also feel sad for the younger enthusiasts growing up without what Hotrod mag used to be. Sure we've got the internet and all the information one could want. But they will never know the joy of carrying the latest HRM to school folded up in their back pocket, and having all their friends crowded around the lunch table dreaming of what could be. Most of my greatest memories involve cars and my friends/family.
I've been a long time subscriber of Hot Rod mag also..... I still have countless clocks, hats, and other promotional items that used to be given out when a subscription is renewed. The magazine hasn't done that in quite a while. I miss those goofy items that they'd give out for renewals. I'm sure some of that stuff is collectable by now... lol.
I agree also, I've always liked Freiburgers style of stories, and the way he went about doing roadside fixes the way I personally would have done things. I don't remember the issue, the car, or even most of the story, but I can still remember the article a long time ago about the guys out road testing or driving something, and then having an issue with something out back of the car, and then managing to puncture the gas tank while working on it, and David just went to the closest auto parts store and got some of that "steel" gas tank repair putty, slapped it over the hole in the tank, and then kept on truckin. The same way I would have done it back in the day. (and prolly would do today still in a pinch) The stories were always so relatable and put together in a way that was completely understandable to a gearhead. His stories were the reason I was such a long time reader of the mag.
As usual, great job David. Im old enough to have been there too in the beginning of what was originally called "fastest street car shootout" stuff. Thankfully i was able to witness this action up close and personal. Mike Moran and i went to high school together and were even neighbors. So many more stories to tell..
Here is one quick story from Detroit. Mike Moran ended up driving that red Max Carter Nova shown at 12:04. It was a madhouse around here back then. At Milan Dragway for one of those early shootout events a local street racer who went by Howdie had a white 70 Chevelle back halfed car with an iron big block and big shot of spray. Driver was Kurt Urban. We all were standing there near the burnout box, Kurt stages the car with a cigarette in his mouth. I remember seeing him blow a puff of smoke just as the tree came down. The car went up on the rear bumper and bent the license plate in half. We all went nuts because this was around 1989 or 1990. Around those same years we were starting to see more and more cars on the rear bumper on the street! So yeah street car or not didn't really matter anymore because we were on the street running the cars. I was always sidelined as a spectator or helping crew in their car because I never had the money to build anything that crazy back then. Yet we all still felt part of it because we were there. Mike Moran's first serious car was a big tire pinto wagon with a hairy Roush Cleveland style big inch Ford small block on spray. One night I got called to duty with my job to sit on the tin work with no passenger seat and watch the fuel pressure gauge during several hits, on the street, while holding on for dear life. That car went low 8s before it was sidelined by the casper white Camaro. So many stories to tell, but David you do a much better job at telling them.
I am really loving your videos going over the history of drag racing! Super excited since drag week is on the East Coast this year and one of the tracks is only 20 minutes away for me.
Freiburger and partner of choice being actual participants of a drag week event,now that would sell tickets .Thankyou and happy to see you are safe from the terrible fires going on in your area
I have the Hot Rod Max Carter issue and remember it well thanks it changed my life I have made thousands of passes down the dragstrip Great Bend Ks SRCA.
You have an amazing knowledge of racing history David! I would say you yourself are historical to drag racing especially the Drag N Drive scene. I am enjoying your new channel as well.
I will never forget the day I was working at O'Reilly's auto parts and hot rod drag week rolled through. The world stopped and everything else became unimportant. I had this feeling of "I made it" despite the reality of making 9$ an hour working a parts counter. I had so much fun that day talking to people, asking about their cars, going through the parts system and helping them. I'm not in the auto industry anymore but that day alone made the time I spent in it completely worth it.
Great video, and yes I loved the tie in! I find anyone that questions what is street probably doesn’t really get it. The Memphis race planted a seed with many, I recently bought an unfinished all steel 6.0 cert 55 Chevy Hardtop that was started after that race. The guy was a Top Alcohol Dragster racer and the spare blown Hemi was mocked up with the Lenco and floater rear. He passed and just two years ago I bought it out of a warehouse in Boston. I thank you every morning when I walk into the shop!
Hey love u doing the history stuff about drag racing in general , I'm in Australia and we have great drag racing here an history but really no 1 here does it like u David
Thanks again Mister Freiburger for a very informative look into the history of American Motorsport. It is always pretty cool when you mention a name from different eras of drag racing and it reminds me of an experience I had at an event.
Best one ever. I would have loved to have heard you talk about your side of Larry Larson and Todd Maschmeier. Thanks, wish you the best out there in California
I'm so glad I started watching you Frieburger the knowledge about drag racing/hot roding I've learnt is great as I grew up watching F1 and British Touring cars being from the UK.
Not gonna lie, the recent hp wars kinda took me out of it a bit. It's like we did 30 years of engine development in 10 and didn't really get to enjoy it. Like, everything is well into 4 digits now and it doesn't even feel special like it used to. Just infinite hp turbo methanol cars now...
Yep. I went thru that feeling recently also, BUT, be proud of what you DO have. I only have a 3700lb pig of a car, with an N/A big block that goes mid 9s, which is nothing today, but I enjoy the HECK out of the thing when I'm cruising around with it. The internet helps greatly to make it APPEAR that everyone has a 1000h.p.+ street car today, butbwhen I'm out cruising in my hot rod, I RARELY come across another car that could give me a decent run for the money. Don't worry about having to have 4 digit horsepower, and get OUT there with what you have.
Thanks for the history. That was awesome. You are right, regarding the 70's and 80's. That was a fairly boring period of time for drag racing, hot rodding and almost everything out of Detroit. However the late 60's were definitely the most fun for me growing up in Memphis. I've gotten so far away from this that it was worth the time to get up to date.
Thank you for sharing the great history! Also very cool of you to donate to Birdsong! He rally gave it everything he could. Looking forward to learning more, keep it up!
I remember pouring over these magazine issues when, as you said, Hot Rod was the internet of the day for car nuts. Fell in love with Monty Bernie's Big Bertha too. For all the reasons you said but also because it looked like something my brother and I could build over a couple winters. PS, you get bonus points for saying "mission creep" without using knife hand to drive the point home.
Speaking of which, maybe we should have a rally and drive event for rwd, american, V8 or I6 hot rods. Go to places like Dirt Fish and other dirt Rally Stages and drive on the road to more. That would be cool and it wouldn't just be a massive power wins deal. It would take a very well balanced and setup machine plus driver skill and reliability. That wpuld be really cool and would echo Ultimate Adventure for 2wd fast on dirt.
2024 DragWeek Stick Shift winner here. THANK YOU for signing my winner’s plaque. Love you content as always.
Show off.....
😜
David Freiburger and Brian Lohnes are this generation's Drag Racing historians. When the two of them work a Drag and Drive event together from the tower the stories are captivating and sometimes biting with their criticism for one another. No better way to make a work day go by fast than to listen to the two of them covering a Summer or Fall D+D event.
Happy to hear you and your family are safe on Insta. Thanks for the entertainment as always.
I’ve been watching you for 13 years and I still look forward to your videos . I love the historical story’s
When you mentioned Reher-Morrison, it brought back old memories. David Reher and I owned 57 Chevys when we were sophomores in high school in 1963 in Arlington, Texas. His was red and mine was sierra gold. We began modding them with the goal of making them faster. You can see how far he went with that idea. My future went a different direction. I finished high school at a military school in New Mexico and later had a career in the Army for 20 years. I am glad he has been so successful in the field that we were interested in so very long ago and that I had the opportunity to share a bit of history with him. Good job David, you make me proud to have been associated with you. Billy Don. And David, I wish I had been able to see you when you had your event in Fort Worth at Coyote Drive In a few years ago. Best of luck with your new endevor.
One guy that I think deserves some recognition too especially for us younger generation that came up when TH-cam was starting to take of is Kyle Loftis of 1320video. He’s been recording coverage of the drag week events (correct me if I’m wrong) since the original and really helped introduce it to us early on.
I don’t believe 1320video has been to the last 3 drag week events to document them. They used to switch every year between drag week and Rocky Mountain race week. Personally I think that Sick week has put a serious dent into the attendance to drag week and 1320 chooses to go to sick week now every year
He wasn't around for the way back stuff either
Freiburger you're a freaking legend man. Love these garage vids.
Really liking the history on your channel! Thank you for continuing to put out content during what’s happening down there! My thoughts and prayers to your neighbors down there. Stay safe!
Oh man, that cover shot of the CARS Inc Yellow 69 hit right in the feels! The "Fastest Street Car" movement in the 90s and 00s was amazing.
Sure is..... My shit today still even isn't as fast as the stuff back then... 😏
I always look forward to Thursdays because I know you’ll post up a great video. Thanks David!
David you are an absolute hot rod encyclopedia. Your stories are awesome and I love them. I have watched you for years and look forward to your videos. Keep it up you are keeping the hot rod history alive. Thank you very much. Hope you and yours are safe out there with all the fires.
Freiburger IS automotive hot rodding history. I've learned soooooo much on this channel.
You need an Interview series with some of these racers. A candid inside look.
My personal favorite part of Drag and Drive... the aftermarket support. Now these upgraded parts are 1-800-availble, not one-off billet pieces... In my mind, it's a Street Car if the parts they use will work on my car. But... I love how people like Alex Taylor or the guy with the woody chevy station wagon are pushing the envelope, discovering fixes to new problems. The whole corral of racers at Hot Rod Drag Week are inspiring. Thank you for starting it.
That's steve morris
Truly enjoy these history videos , thank you for posting
Another amazing video, thank you David, I love these history videos to no end as a Brit who is definitely an American at heart. I remember the first roadkill episode on Hot Rod Drag Week and since then, Jeff Lutz has been my hero, very happy to see a passing glimpse of him in this video. It's great seeing drag cars over here with HRDW stickers on the windshields knowing how far the reach is!
@@Dumplingu come on around and pay us a visit!
Love these historical episodes. I can listen to you Dave tell stories all day, please keep it up!
Thank you
freiburger… I hope you and yours didn’t get devastated by these fires! Sending prayers to LA!
Always glad when Dave F puts out a new video.
Working my ass off trying to put together a 1957 dodge town wagon. 4 link 83/4 3:55 gears LS 4.8 cam headers single turbo 102TB, 4L60 2500 stall, Holly controller. 😢. For a drag week or something in 2025. You’re channel is excellent DF.
Yep, it's getting EXPENSIVE today for the basic building blocks.
Edit: SKIP the 4L60.... I've been there and DONE that. Even 600h.p. WILL waste a 4L60 quickly. Just start with the 80, and save yourself the grief and money I went through... 💸
Also, unless you want to spin it to 7000+ RPM's and would need a MUCH larger stall converter, step up to at least a 5.3 or larger. The 4.8 lacks the torque down low BIG time compared to the larger LS engines, and you'd need much more gear, converter, and RPMs to get the thing out of the hole. I've been the turbo 4.8 route also, and later found that a stroked 5.3 is HELLA better for a street driven vehicle than the 4.8 was. The 4.8 is just TOO soft down low for anything but an extremely low geared, cammed, convertered, and MOST of all LIGHTWEIGHT vehicle. I'm sure your wagon is going to end up fairly heavy when it's all done.
Just trying to save you the aggravation I've been through with a 5000lb vehicle, a turbo 4.8 LS engine, and the 4L60 trans... ✌️
3.55 gears are a bit tall for a 4.8L, a 4L60 won't live behind big power either. Look up the guy with the stock 4.8L record, it's a young guy with a SN95 Mustang, stock long block GenIV 4.8L single turbo, ran 7s. He geared and torque converted that car to keep the rpms up so that the cylinder pressure wouldn't bend rods and puke head gaskets. With a heavy vehicle like that, a huge turbo, a low stall and a weak trans that setup would be doomed unless you baby softed the tune and set the electronic wastegate to only come on way up top. You need to get on the Sloppy Mechanics Wiki and groups to see what is working for people. That turbo is way too big be difficult to light then be difficult to control once it is lit. A 78/75 or S475/S480 will make all the power an SBE 4.8 can handle in a heavy vehicle.
@ gt35 7lbs nothing to crazy this go round. Thanks for the info. This turbo stuff is completely new to me.
Yep, keep em coming, thanks for all the hard work!
Drove four hours to Norwalk to see all the cars for the first PowerTour . What a great time it was and prostreet cars ruled.
Glad youre safe! You're the man dave! Thanks for all you do.
Stay safe David!
Love drag&drive event. I have completed in 13 events so far. Have done rmrw raceweek miles of mayhem sickweek sicksummer. First year was 2020. Love the people. And the fact you’re out on the road with everyone. The epic gas station stops hotel repairs and more. Thank you for the creativity to start this type of event
👍
I'm glad Freiburger was able to document racing history in LA before these fires
yeah it looks like they're really getting slammed this season. i hope people play it smart and stay safe.
Rumor has it it was a car losing control in the twisties that started the Palisades fire…😢
Wow you just love spreading ridiculous rumours. Is your life that pathetic
I heard it was kids on surrons @@briandrmoreau3710
I feel as bad about the people affected by the fires as most people but I fail to see the correlation between the fires and documenting racing history.
This comment smacks of virtue signaling or just mining for likes.
Let's not use massive tragedy for our own gain.
If that's not OPs intention, I apologize and would like to hear what prompted the post.
I was born in 1965. Long before that and up and till the mid seventies my father (1942) and all his friends were street and strip racers and car club members. What you are talking about were my bedtime stories.The older you get the more you remember the past. Keep them coming, I still love a bedtime story.
You and Jeff Smith were my favorite editors and writers for Hot Rod and Car Craft. It would be great to see you interview and reminisce with Jeff for your channel!
Nice, thanks. There’s an episode of Hot Rod Pod with me, Lohnes, and Jeff
Im glad you mentioned "Casper" . Those dats were absolutely insane at the track ! The late stages of Casper with the quad turbo setup was nuts for the time !
Man I remember that white quad turbo f body
Here in Au drag week is the best thing that's happened to drag racing and the street scene in decades. Also brings a great boost to the little towns it passes through.
Sorry. ........ Challenge.
Harry Haig is sadly missed in his 2x TC BB rusty Chevelle. Vale Harry.
Hi David, I remember reading Hot Rod growing up back in the 70’s and have followed it in one form or another ever since. Still love cars and actively building them today. Hearing your stories reminds me of a lot of my past. Stay safe, I hope you’re not in the fire path.thanks.
Really enjoyed the history lesson after a day of working on our 70' chevelle that is entered in Sick Week and Sick Summer, it ran Hot Rod drag Week in 2018 but dropped out due to fuel problems. We use it as a street car to go on parts runs, general shopping and pulling the trailer to go to the lumber yard to haul building materials. I will be doing the ultimate as I am driving it from west central Illinois to Sick Week approximately 936 miles. Keep the great videos coming.
Nobody can tell a story like Freiburger. Roadkill maybe over, but we have you here, man! What a privilege!
Thanks for that!
Freiburger is the best automotive history storyteller! I ran across Roadkill out of dumb luck, I never cared about racing cars, building cars or fixing cars... but Freiburger and Finnegan made me love the who ecosystem! I'll never have the money to buy or build a car, but I love watching!
I have said before, these histories are priceless David. I don't know anybody now days that has as deep of understanding as you. Thanks again for doing these type of vids in your YT mix and just letting you know we are praying for all of you in California with the fires. I can not imagine. Be safe.
Prayers for you and your community David. glad to here your safe !
I religiously read Hot Rod magazine in the late 80's through the 90's and closely followed the Fastest Street car stuff. One name you didn't mention that always stuck out because of the uniqueness was Spiro Pappas, I think he had a wickes black '69 Camaro as part of the Fastest Street Car. And then the beginnings of Drag Week, watching Larsen , Lutz, Schroeder, ect throughout the years, well before the internet. Such great times and drag racing heros!
Hope your doing well, and all of So cal ,sending prayers
I remember those magazine articles. I was working at the parts store building my Chevelle at the time and wanted to go. Y'all know why it gets out of hand so fast. Because it's all about going faster no matter what. Thank y'all for sharing. This was absolutely great and interesting.
I had a HRM subscription all through my youth and adolescence. Read every issue ad infinitum until the next one came. My grandfather and my dad both built race cars and hot rods... my brothers and I grew up turning wrenches and we never grew out of it. Thanks for the early inspiration and current entertainment.
My father and I used to argue about what racing is. I usually want to know who the best driver is he wants to know who can build the fastest car. If a car is street legal and insured by the law of the land in my eyes it’s a street car. Past that it’s contest to see who has the most money and time. Love the site! Keep it coming!
Thank you David for reminding me of how i came up in hot rodding in the early 90s. I was about 12 and big into go carts and dirtbikes in 1991 and a friend gave me a few Hotrod mags. I saw the Fastest Streetcar stuff for the first time with Max Carters nova and eventually Pappas camaro and Scavos Impala. Im 45 now and still get emotional about those days
The early 90s is when the bug bit me also, and very shortly thereafter I built my first car and was running low 11's at my local track.
11s was fairly quick in the 90s for a "street car", or should I say, "A car that could drive on the street" (barely).
But things started happening fast in the mid 2000's and the cars suddenly got MUCH faster, and I haven't been able to keep up. The fast street cars of today around here are in the 7's and 8's, and even a few in the 6s, and here I am in the mid 9s... 😬
Unfortunately, the prices of automotive racing parts has gotten OUT of control as of lately, and one HAS to be a wealthy person to go fast today. The ingenuity is gone today, and one has to just spend big cash on the go fast stuff. I enjoyed it more when the engines were all basic big blocks, and the smart guys with the good ideas that could be done at an average home shop were the ones with the advantages. Today it's basically all about the dollars spent. I still enjoy hotrodding though.
Really appreciate your perspective and your influence. Born in '84, I grew up with you as a major influence, whether I knew it or not at the time. Keep the effort coming, man.
Really appreciate these videos! Many of us are life long learners and most of us joined after Hot Rodding had been around for a few decades, half a century or heck maybe even a century. Good insight into the the time of before and filled in some gaps on how Hot Rodding evolved!
You are a Legend Dave, keep doing whatever you do!
Nicely done. We all owe you a debt of gratitude for creating these events. I hope you take pride in fact that there are 40 of them.
Thanks, I have been enjoying the well produced content. As for the beginning, maybe not drag week but... I had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with my grandmother and got to know many of her stories. One of them was about the boys and their horses, daily drivers but they raced on weekends. It is in our blood.
Sick week is pretty awesome and it's a nice break from the cold weather in the middle of the winter in the sunny South.
David I always appreciate your knowledge I’m an old guy that’s digs it and try to pass along those to me important facts so they don’t get lost, lord knows we can stand to appreciate a little history of what is and what started it all, and I hope you and family and friends are staying safe with the fires and will as always hope to help the charities that are helping you all in California, prayers!!
Totally nailed this one! Just jammed with stories, knowledge and history. I appreciate how many hours upon hours this type of episode must have taken. Thanks for the awesome content!
I love my weekly "history with Freiburger" lesson. It definitely helps with the getting around for work bummer feeling.
Your videos like this really should be part of a national archive. Fascinating! Stay safe from the fires DF. Ash, Perth Western Australia
Awesome content as always. Looking forward to next post.
Hi Dave, Thank you for the deep dive into Drag and Drive. Please don't ever stop bringing us content like this.
Thanks! I’m glad you liked it.
Shout out to the Prock and Howell Willy's in the opening. Also worked on that for the last 25 years.
Thanks for taking me down memory lane David. At almost 70 and a major gear head for probably 71 years now, lol, I remember almost everything you spoke of.
This was a great episode. I loved all the magazine shots that I can remember reading over and over back in the day, and still have in my collection. I loved those early fastest street car shootouts! In Australia we actually have three drag and drive events now, one of which was started by the late great Harry Haig. They have run one event since his untimely passing, hopefully they keep the legacy going
I love that I feel like I’m bullshitting with you in your garage. Thanks man. I feel like I got to meet you through roadkill, Lived through roadkill with you, and now get you retire and chat in the garage.
That’s cool…though I’m hardly retired yet!
Yes, I've lived vicariously thru Roadkill, Roadkill Garage, and Engine Masters also... and enjoyed it immensely.
In fact, I have had a few Hot Rod projects that have ended up in a decade long hiatus in my life, and it was watching these shows that planted a spark in me to get my ass up and get moving on them again. I have one finished now, and have been enjoying the HELL out of it since.
I'm not so sure that the one finished car would have even been a reality today if these videos had never happened. I am ready to get on the second car anytime now.
I am a full blown, born again, hot rodder again today because of them. 👍
Thanks guys!! 👌
@@TheDavidFreiburger Sweet! 💪
Is there anyway to get a story on the disco nova? Never was into that body style but the way that car was done made me a big fan. Love the stories and history of the sport we love so much
Thanks David. Glad you brought the history to the masses. I really do enjoy these video’s.
Glad you are enjoying them. They are not the biggest view grabbers, but I like doing them
Those articles bring back many good memories.
Appreciate your perspectives, knowledge of the history, and big picture strategicpattern recognition skills to pull the story together.
I think this was a great video. You are the don garlets or micky Thompson of this generation. I grew up reading hot rod and to this day I still enjoy your content. I wouldn't be into projects as much as I am without you David. Thank you, and keep it up!
These hot rod history videos are awesome!!
Once again.. another Really interesting history lesson with Mr Freiburger... Loved it.. thanks David.
Thanks David! Agree with your assessment?never really thought about it but you are right! I do like how you tied it all together!
I do plan on participating in the near future.
Please keep doing what you do!!!
Hope you and yours are safe from the fires!!!
Hey Dave. Thank you. I was a late bloomer. I liked cars, but never took any shop classes in high school. It wasn't until I picked up my 1966 Chevy C10 in 1992 that I started really getting into hot rods. I learned almost everything I know about cars working on that truck. And I'm almost finished with a frame-up restomod build. And I cannot wait to take it on Drag week.
That's a long way to say "thank you." I love your videos where you run through the history of car culture. It is so important to pass that knowledge along. You and Finnegan really reached a younger generation of gear heads, but these "Story Time with Freiburger episodes are so cool...and important. Now you're teaching that generation you introduced to Hot Rod culture the history. And I think you're doing awesome.
Love these style of videos.
Love the history. So appreciate you sharing this and thankful that TH-cam exists as the next generation of oral history.
I've been a subscriber of HotRod Magazine since 1989. My favorite part of the mag was always Freiburger's editorials. I would always read that first. Nobody has ever captured with pen and pad, what it is like to be a hotrodder the way Freiburger could. I feel bad for the direction the magazine has gone. I also feel sad for the younger enthusiasts growing up without what Hotrod mag used to be. Sure we've got the internet and all the information one could want. But they will never know the joy of carrying the latest HRM to school folded up in their back pocket, and having all their friends crowded around the lunch table dreaming of what could be. Most of my greatest memories involve cars and my friends/family.
I've been a long time subscriber of Hot Rod mag also..... I still have countless clocks, hats, and other promotional items that used to be given out when a subscription is renewed. The magazine hasn't done that in quite a while. I miss those goofy items that they'd give out for renewals. I'm sure some of that stuff is collectable by now... lol.
Thanks for the words and memories!
I agree also, I've always liked Freiburgers style of stories, and the way he went about doing roadside fixes the way I personally would have done things. I don't remember the issue, the car, or even most of the story, but I can still remember the article a long time ago about the guys out road testing or driving something, and then having an issue with something out back of the car, and then managing to puncture the gas tank while working on it, and David just went to the closest auto parts store and got some of that "steel" gas tank repair putty, slapped it over the hole in the tank, and then kept on truckin. The same way I would have done it back in the day. (and prolly would do today still in a pinch)
The stories were always so relatable and put together in a way that was completely understandable to a gearhead.
His stories were the reason I was such a long time reader of the mag.
As usual, great job David.
Im old enough to have been there too in the beginning of what was originally called "fastest street car shootout" stuff.
Thankfully i was able to witness this action up close and personal. Mike Moran and i went to high school together and were even neighbors. So many more stories to tell..
Here is one quick story from Detroit.
Mike Moran ended up driving that red Max Carter Nova shown at 12:04. It was a madhouse around here back then.
At Milan Dragway for one of those early shootout events a local street racer who went by Howdie had a white 70 Chevelle back halfed car with an iron big block and big shot of spray. Driver was Kurt Urban. We all were standing there near the burnout box, Kurt stages the car with a cigarette in his mouth. I remember seeing him blow a puff of smoke just as the tree came down. The car went up on the rear bumper and bent the license plate in half. We all went nuts because this was around 1989 or 1990.
Around those same years we were starting to see more and more cars on the rear bumper on the street! So yeah street car or not didn't really matter anymore because we were on the street running the cars. I was always sidelined as a spectator or helping crew in their car because I never had the money to build anything that crazy back then. Yet we all still felt part of it because we were there.
Mike Moran's first serious car was a big tire pinto wagon with a hairy Roush Cleveland style big inch Ford small block on spray. One night I got called to duty with my job to sit on the tin work with no passenger seat and watch the fuel pressure gauge during several hits, on the street, while holding on for dear life. That car went low 8s before it was sidelined by the casper white Camaro.
So many stories to tell, but David you do a much better job at telling them.
"You can never go fast enough!" The Driver from Two Lane Blacktop (1971).
Love it, keep up the history of hot-rodding stuff there are a few sources for it but I love the way you tell a story.
I remember that article. I always thought that the lap of America was rod & customs version of power tour.
No, that was Americruise, which actually came before Power Tour
Interesting stuff David. Thank you for sharing.
Very cool history lesson I remember when that stuff was coming out in the magazines.
I am really loving your videos going over the history of drag racing! Super excited since drag week is on the East Coast this year and one of the tracks is only 20 minutes away for me.
Freiburger and partner of choice being actual participants of a drag week event,now that would sell tickets .Thankyou and happy to see you are safe from the terrible fires going on in your area
Loved the history !! Its great to see where some of the roots took hold. Thanx !
That was a great story. Thank you. I really enjoy your history stories and your road trips.
I have the Hot Rod Max Carter issue and remember it well thanks it changed my life I have made thousands of passes down the dragstrip Great Bend Ks SRCA.
You have an amazing knowledge of racing history David! I would say you yourself are historical to drag racing especially the Drag N Drive scene. I am enjoying your new channel as well.
Nice, thanks
I will never forget the day I was working at O'Reilly's auto parts and hot rod drag week rolled through. The world stopped and everything else became unimportant. I had this feeling of "I made it" despite the reality of making 9$ an hour working a parts counter. I had so much fun that day talking to people, asking about their cars, going through the parts system and helping them. I'm not in the auto industry anymore but that day alone made the time I spent in it completely worth it.
So great
Great video, and yes I loved the tie in!
I find anyone that questions what is street probably doesn’t really get it.
The Memphis race planted a seed with many, I recently bought an unfinished all steel 6.0 cert 55 Chevy Hardtop that was started after that race. The guy was a Top Alcohol Dragster racer and the spare blown Hemi was mocked up with the Lenco and floater rear.
He passed and just two years ago I bought it out of a warehouse in Boston.
I thank you every morning when I walk into the shop!
Hey love u doing the history stuff about drag racing in general , I'm in Australia and we have great drag racing here an history but really no 1 here does it like u David
Thanks again Mister Freiburger for a very informative look into the history of American Motorsport. It is always pretty cool when you mention a name from different eras of drag racing and it reminds me of an experience I had at an event.
Best one ever. I would have loved to have heard you talk about your side of Larry Larson and Todd Maschmeier. Thanks, wish you the best out there in California
Dude…your historical knowledge of everything automotive is amazing. Thank you.
Thanks! It’s just the stuff I grew up with.
Killer episode. Can’t get enough of the history
I love what you do. Yes it will never be cut and dry but it's cool, and that's what matters. Keep up the great work.
I'm so glad I started watching you Frieburger the knowledge about drag racing/hot roding I've learnt is great as I grew up watching F1 and British Touring cars being from the UK.
Oh wow, thanks for the genre shift
Your knowledge makes my head explode 🤯. Stay safe Freiburger 🙏
Not gonna lie, the recent hp wars kinda took me out of it a bit.
It's like we did 30 years of engine development in 10 and didn't really get to enjoy it. Like, everything is well into 4 digits now and it doesn't even feel special like it used to. Just infinite hp turbo methanol cars now...
Yep. I went thru that feeling recently also, BUT, be proud of what you DO have.
I only have a 3700lb pig of a car, with an N/A big block that goes mid 9s, which is nothing today, but I enjoy the HECK out of the thing when I'm cruising around with it.
The internet helps greatly to make it APPEAR that everyone has a 1000h.p.+ street car today, butbwhen I'm out cruising in my hot rod, I RARELY come across another car that could give me a decent run for the money. Don't worry about having to have 4 digit horsepower, and get OUT there with what you have.
David, what an awesome history lesson! Glad to hear you and you family are safe.
Absolutely fantastic video. It’s completely relevant today but a story that could only be told by someone that was there. This is top shelf content.
Very nice of you to say
Thanks for the history. That was awesome. You are right, regarding the 70's and 80's. That was a fairly boring period of time for drag racing, hot rodding and almost everything out of Detroit. However the late 60's were definitely the most fun for me growing up in Memphis. I've gotten so far away from this that it was worth the time to get up to date.
Great history lesson! Although I knew much about it as a subscriber to Hot Rod, some details were either forgotten or not known. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing the great history! Also very cool of you to donate to Birdsong! He rally gave it everything he could. Looking forward to learning more, keep it up!
Birdsong is a beast
I remember pouring over these magazine issues when, as you said, Hot Rod was the internet of the day for car nuts.
Fell in love with Monty Bernie's Big Bertha too. For all the reasons you said but also because it looked like something my brother and I could build over a couple winters.
PS, you get bonus points for saying "mission creep" without using knife hand to drive the point home.
Awesome episode - I still have my copy of HRM with the Top Gun Shootout in it! I remember being mesmerized by those cars!
Speaking of which, maybe we should have a rally and drive event for rwd, american, V8 or I6 hot rods. Go to places like Dirt Fish and other dirt Rally Stages and drive on the road to more. That would be cool and it wouldn't just be a massive power wins deal. It would take a very well balanced and setup machine plus driver skill and reliability. That wpuld be really cool and would echo Ultimate Adventure for 2wd fast on dirt.