NHRA Christmas Tree
- Thread starter DixonFan
- Start date
Randy I did replace a lot of them and it only took 58 years of starting. some have said I flag started the first Chariot race but no, I was to young then.
Larry Sutton---
stitcherbob
Nitro Member
Cliff
Norm Cowdrey in the blown sports car racing Hubert Platt at Lions. I asked both not be close to the center line where I would be flag starting from. dammed if both of them got right close to the center line. thank god Norm left before I lifted the flag, I went around norm and under Hubert Platt in a wheel stand and landed in to a crew members arms. both cars crossed the painted X where I stood on the center line to flag start.
Larry Sutton---
That sounds like…fun?Cliff
Norm Cowdrey in the blown sports car racing Hubert Platt at Lions. I asked both not be close to the center line where I would be flag starting from. dammed if both of them got right close to the center line. thank god Norm left before I lifted the flag, I went around norm and under Hubert Platt in a wheel stand and landed in to a crew members arms. both cars crossed the painted X where I stood on the center line to flag start.
Larry Sutton---
NHRAMike
Nitro Member
Good Eye Mike. After 20 plus years of going to Seattle and Pomona, I'm trying to attend a race at a different track each year, and since I fly out on Monday mornings, I have time to walk the track after the completion of the event and get some pictures of the track from a different vantage point other than the grandstands.
Bob, I remember Norm Cowdrey, think it ran AA/Sports. The black & white photo on top left is from San Fernando. 2nd green car photo is Lions, also the Hubert Platt photo is Lions. Am thinking the last bottom row photo of Platt is the old Irwindale?? Sheesh, these are all a few years ago... heh Thanks for posting the photos.
none
Nitro Member
I don't recall any "Disasters" but there were a couple of times way back when a Stage light would not come on, and the car would be shut off while the bulb was changed. That's when they decided that two Pre and Stage blubs would cure the problem.
There was also a time or two when one of the amber floods would quit. If it was a Pro start catagory, not a big deal (Unless it was Pro Stock and the top bulb left lane went out as that's the only one the driver could see over the scoop.)
Is was interesting to find out when digital cameras became popular the the incandesent flood bulbs were not consistant. With the fast cameras you could sometimes see one bulb as much as a hundredth and a half (.015) fast or slow. The LEDs cured that issue.
Alan
65 Goatboy
Nitro Member
Did you get hazardous duty pay? I think I might have been wearing a crash helmet instead of a cowboy hat!Cliff
Norm Cowdrey in the blown sports car racing Hubert Platt at Lions. I asked both not be close to the center line where I would be flag starting from. dammed if both of them got right close to the center line. thank god Norm left before I lifted the flag, I went around norm and under Hubert Platt in a wheel stand and landed in to a crew members arms. both cars crossed the painted X where I stood on the center line to flag start.
Larry Sutton---
stitcherbob
Nitro Member
Larry, this thread being about the device that tried to replace the irreplaceable , is a good place to remind any youngins on here about your contribution and I can’t think of a better article than this…Randy I did replace a lot of them and it only took 58 years of starting. some have said I flag started the first Chariot race but no, I was to young then.
Larry Sutton---
The good guy in the black cowboy hat
My most enduring memory of Larry Sutton is from a cold and misty night at Orange County Int'l Raceway, whe
When will the feature film be made?
z28
Nitro Member
when we used to street race (many years ago) I always tried to be the starter. My buddies all new my routine and almost always got a nice hole shot!Cliff
In my years of flag starting, I never jumped like you see on You Tube, Those guys were more concerned about doing their show and not the show that the racers are putting on. Lions was so narrow that if I did jump many times I would have become a hood ornament.flag starting you needed to change your routine all the time.
Larry Sutton---
Larry, this thread being about the device that tried to replace the irreplaceable , is a good place to remind any youngins on here about your contribution and I can’t think of a better article than this…
The good guy in the black cowboy hat
My most enduring memory of Larry Sutton is from a cold and misty night at Orange County Int'l Raceway, whewww.nhra.com
When will the feature film be made?
Thank you Bob, I was just at the right place at the right time in drag racing. Yes I am very proud of many things I did in my years in racing but I must say that drag racing made my life as much if not more than things I did in racing.
Larry
I might have participated in a street race or two.
No cameras and tried to pick an impartial starter back in the 80's. Arm drop from the top, not a quick up and down. Granted, we were racing for $10! That was 10 gallons of gas.
Thanks, Alan. When on a pro tree I look at one bulb, not the total flash. If the bulb I'm looking at doesn't light, I'd be a little upset.
No cameras and tried to pick an impartial starter back in the 80's. Arm drop from the top, not a quick up and down. Granted, we were racing for $10! That was 10 gallons of gas.
Thanks, Alan. When on a pro tree I look at one bulb, not the total flash. If the bulb I'm looking at doesn't light, I'd be a little upset.
Last edited:
