‘Bikini Beach’ Is an Absurd Look at the Golden Age of Drag Racing
Racing movie rec of the week: The Beach Party crew hits the asphalt aisle, tackles the British Invasion, and go on a go-kart chase.
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Bikinis & Drag Racing
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mick
Nitro Member
i believe we can all collectively say 'we miss you terry mcmillen' ........ who knew!?
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z28
Nitro Member
I was expecting Bird is the word‘Bikini Beach’ Is an Absurd Look at the Golden Age of Drag Racing
Racing movie rec of the week: The Beach Party crew hits the asphalt aisle, tackles the British Invasion, and go on a go-kart chase.
Ramjet
Nitro Member
There are several problems with Bikines in Drag racing. 
1. The Harness will give you a rash.
2. 1 piece or 2 piece.
3.Too Hot in Summer - Too cold in Winter.
4.Where do you sew the SFI Tag.
5.Nowhere to put the sponsors logo's.
6.NHRA whould have to have a meeting with the Mfgrs. to see how much to charge them for approval.
However there could be some catchy names like "Simpson Speedo's" or "Nomex Shorties"
OH - I thaught you meant for the Drivers - My Bad
1. The Harness will give you a rash.
2. 1 piece or 2 piece.
3.Too Hot in Summer - Too cold in Winter.
4.Where do you sew the SFI Tag.
5.Nowhere to put the sponsors logo's.
6.NHRA whould have to have a meeting with the Mfgrs. to see how much to charge them for approval.
However there could be some catchy names like "Simpson Speedo's" or "Nomex Shorties"
OH - I thaught you meant for the Drivers - My Bad
The Dragster that they wrecked in the movie is Jack Germans top gas car that his brother Willie crashed at San Fernando; it ended up in the flood control channel next to the left side of the track.
Jack sold what was left of the car to the studio for the movie. Here's a couple of photos of the crash.
Jack was a great friend who helped me with my first F/C chassis as he had a Heli-Arc welder at his house and welded up my first and second chassis' after I tacked them up in my garage. RIP
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When I first started going to San Fernando, there were hay bales on the left side of the track, and later trees. You had to go thru those to end up in the wash, which a few drivers managed to do. There was also a local airport that paralled the track and there were a few cases where the pilot landed on the track instead of the airport. There were never any guard rails. About half way down on the right side was the "hot pit" area, where anything that had to be push started was parked. Once a gasser got loose in the right lane and looked like it was headed toward the hot pit. People scattered! The gasser driver got the car back under control but it got tense for a bit. HA The only grandstands were by the starting line. Spectators would park their cars on a berm kinda back from the right lane and you'd have a good view of the cars going down the track.
Gone Dead Train
Nitro Member
Speaking of planes and dragstrips. Remember this stunt that went wrong at the
NHRA Grandnational Molson race at Sanair dragstrip. Saint-Pie, Quebec, Canada
in the mid 70s. And to add insult to injury, the pilot chopped down the Christmas tree.
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That is some great footage from the movie. Safford-Gaide-Ratican Olds AA/FD, doing a few wheelies and almost crossing the center line (the blue car). And the dragsters both lined up in the right lane.... sure. heh Wonder what Don Rickles (sp?) thought about when he played the starter? Greer-Black-Prudhomme. I bet Ivo got a lot of the racers to be in the movie. Ivo did a lot of stunt driving in the movie. One of the red cars is Stellings & Hampshire, which I think was called the S&H Red Stamp Spl. (?). I never saw Ivo's 4 engined car in person until Tucson, early 1980's, when Ivo ran it the year he retired. This is when it had the funny car body on it. One of the earliest memories I have of Pomona is 1963, The Greek VS Weekly-Rivero-Fox-Holding for the #1 spot. Rd 2, the Greek did a "powerstand", ie: about 1/2 way down, went into a big wheelie. The Greek lost the 2 out of 3, but wow, what a memory!
Oh, for those of you that wonder why S & H car was called the Stamp - it's cuz, about 5 million years ago, you'd get "green stamps" when ya went to the grocery store (also other kinds of stamps). You had a little booklet and when it was full of stamps, you could trade it in for an item in their catalog. Seem to remember my mom getting a toaster, or something like that with the green stamps.
Oh, for those of you that wonder why S & H car was called the Stamp - it's cuz, about 5 million years ago, you'd get "green stamps" when ya went to the grocery store (also other kinds of stamps). You had a little booklet and when it was full of stamps, you could trade it in for an item in their catalog. Seem to remember my mom getting a toaster, or something like that with the green stamps.
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