Early days of Texas drag racing (1 Viewer)

[twok4hd]

If some of you Texas (ok, and from other states too) drag racers want to see what it was like in the early years. Man these were the days.

Teri, there is also a good section of pics of the Sewell family.

Check out this great site. http://www.aafueler.com/

 

[Rajunz]

That's awesome Glenn, I grew up in Houma, Louisiana and watched all of those guys when they used to run there at Southland Dragways. Here is an awesome site from the old days of racing in Louisiana, go down to the middle of the page to Older Picture Section.

http://www.maxracesoftware.com/blast_from_past.htm

 

[Four Kalitta]

Thanks Glenn, we'll be sure to check it out!!

 

[twok4hd]

Lance, I forgot about that web site. Thanks, for reminding me. Will need to see his newer stuff. I know you and I have crossed paths many times and didn't even know it.

 

[mw6789]

MAN--that is way cool!!! Sometimes I wish I had a time machine to go back.

 

[sammy]

Southland Dragway

Hey Lance, Are You Still Posting On The "southland Dragway" Site? I Saw Your Name A Few Times While Searching There. In Fact, Put My"two Cent" In..... Sal Cimino Metairie,la.

 

[Rajunz]

Hey Lance, Are You Still Posting On The "southland Dragway" Site? I Saw Your Name A Few Times While Searching There. In Fact, Put My"two Cent" In..... Sal Cimino Metairie,la.

I keep checking back, but have not seen any new post in quite a while. I remember you posting, you had some great stories.

We had a really great thread going on the old Mater about Houma, Opelousas and Baton Rouge, I wonder if Shannon could resurrect it?

Here are some of the old pictures from that Houma, it was a top class facility in it's day..........

 

[Rajunz]

These were posted by Dave McClelland, he was the track manager back in 1969 & 1970:

I remember as a kid we would ride our bicycles to the Ramada Inn Hotel on Hwy 90 and the parking lots were full of racecars. They would let us help them work on them. Or my dad would drive us to the West/Gibson department store (similar to a WalMart back then). For some reason the rail guys all would meet up in the parking lot and work on their cars, 15-20 Top Fuel Dragsters in the parking lot, it was the coolest thing in the world for a 10 year old kid.

 

[Rajunz]

..........................and sadly, I took these in 1983:

 

[Rajunz]

Obviously growing up in Houma, Candies and Hughes were my childhood heros. This car I can remember Leonard Hughes used to work on it under his carport. The chassis would be on jackstands, the body laying in the front yard and the ramp truck parked in the street next to the ditch. He would just throw a blanket over it at night..................

The next year they built a shop and had two funny cars for most of the year, the '69 and the '70. Leonard Hughes used to let us watch them work on the cars, so cool

These pics were posted on the old thread by Larry Meaux from his Max Software site. They were taken in the C&H shop when Prudhomme was in town with the Hot Wheels Cuda.

This race was at the end of 1970, the Bayou Championships. This is first round, Leonard Hughes was driving and when he came down the car spun out and barely hit the guard rail, just enough to crack the body. So next round Paul Candies came out in the street version cuda, tow car with matching paint job and raced against Shirl Greer. Chomping on his cigar, they gave him a half track head start,

 

[sammy]

Pictures

Hey Lance, Thanks For The Trip Down Memory Lane. Please, If Possible, Keep Em Coming.......... Sal (new Orleans)

 

[Rajunz]

No doubt Sal, I could talk about the old days of drag racing forever...................

This is the first funny car that I ever saw go down a track, it was owned then by Harry Schmidt and driven by Jake Johnson, check out that fine uniform on the crew....................

This from the same event, it was the WCS meet in Houma, May of 1970, Don Gay won the meet for funny cars.

I always loved this car, it was a supercharged station wagon by John Fitz, also in the background Ed Wright and the Chevy II Too Much

..........and always popular with the fans, the Rainbow Camaro

 

[Rajunz]

This was from their opening weekend in July, 1969.........................
I went back to Houma a few years ago to visit and went down to the main library, all of the old Houma Courier newspapers are on file on microfilm, all of the old ads and stories are in there.............pretty neat to go back in time.

I also reproduced the old track logo on photoshop, enjoy...............

These are from the 1971 WCS meet,

Plain Vanilla Cuda of Charlie Smith:

This one is C&H vs.Grover Rogers in the Meyer and Rogers Camaro, Billy Meyer's dad............

 

[Rollout96]

I love these old pictures. Thanks for taking the time to share them!!!

 

[sammy]

Old Funny Car Pictures

TO LANCE PELTIER: HEY LANCE, I'AM LOOKING FOR A FEW FUNNY CAR PICTURES FROM SOUTHLAND. IF YOU DOWNLOAD SOME AT MY E-MAIL ADDRESS, I WOULD CERTAINLY APRECIATE IT VER MUCH. THANKS, SAL [email protected]..

 

[sammy]

Mike Martini

Pictures Needed: If Anyone Has Any Photos/pictures Of Mike Martini Both When Driving For Gene Mooneyham Or For Himself, Please Post Them. I Belive His Aa/fd Was Called The "dry Martini" Thanks Sal.