T/D and T/S

[Cliff]

Looking at Final Q for these classes. Only 20 cars in each cLass. Was NHRA limiting the # of cars or was it just only 20 cars showed up? Also 9 TA/FC and 14 T/AD. Lite fields I guess.

 

[Gone Dead Train]

Looking at Final Q for these classes. Only 20 cars in each cLass. Was NHRA limiting the # of cars or was it just only 20 cars showed up? Also 9 TA/FC and 14 T/AD. Lite fields I guess.

Remember when the West Coast was swamped with alky cars, miss those days. I really dig the class.
I went to the Div 7 race at Bakersfield, April 1993. Back then there was so many alky cars on the coast.
Div 7 had 16 car fields in dragster and funny cars. Going off memory, 25 dragsters and 22 funny cars
and that is at a div race. Can't remember who won funny car but in alky dragster it was that Chevy powered
digger from San Leandro, California.

 

[DG]

The class was fullealier at 36, but a lot of cars dropped out.

We had to withdraw at the last minute on Monday!

 

[Topfuel386]

TA/FC has been low for a few years now.

 

[Cliff]

FINALLY I remembered the S & S driver: Rick Santos. He won T/AD championship 5X in a row and then retired (1997-2001). He ran as quick as 5.69 with that little Chevy engine (w/ a screw blower) and then they built a Chrysler car & that version won the championships. Oakwood Homes was the sponsor. That car ran like 5.30 ET 22 years ago.

David, why did you guys have to drop out? Bummer!

 

[glofria]

Remember when the West Coast was swamped with alky cars, miss those days. I really dig the class.
I went to the Div 7 race at Bakersfield, April 1993. Back then there was so many alky cars on the coast.
Div 7 had 16 car fields in dragster and funny cars. Going off memory, 25 dragsters and 22 funny cars
and that is at a div race. Can't remember who won funny car but in alky dragster it was that Chevy powered
digger from San Leandro, California.
View attachment 9960

That was Rick Santos. He even has his own Wikipedia page.

Rick Santos - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

BTW, this definitely has something to do with the car count.

AAA Fuel Prices

gasprices.aaa.com

 

[Cliff]

Calif average is $4.72 !!!!!! We're about $1 lower in Phoenix.

 

[You!]

Not sure what the reason is and we've been discussing it since Wednesday roll in. Mendenhall has a car in both categories (we maybe the only ones doing that this weekend) and Mike won with both in 1st round.

Came real close to tipping it over first session. The car was coming down when this pic was taken...Mike did an awesome job to bring it down with zero damage.

 

[Cliff]

Awesome photo. Mike is a good driver to bring it down without breaking something. For some reason, this photo reminded me of back in the 70's, when a T/F driver named Prock (heh) did a big wheelie at the old Irwindale & not only brought it down but ran a good number as well.

 

[DG]

David, why did you guys have to drop out? Bummer!

Engine was all refreshed and ready to go, we though!
Warmed it up outside the shop and the oil pressure started to drop.
We weren't sure we would have time to remedy and be ready by Wednesday [some of us still work!], so we pulled the plug early to let someone else in with less points.
Obviously, that didn't work!

Turned out to be nothing major, but better safe than sorry!

Made it easier on me to do my www.DragRaceCentral.com reporting, but tough on my partners!

 

[Cliff]

David I'm glad you do DragRaceCentral. I really depend on that site for my "drag race fix". You guys do a great job!

 

[Gone Dead Train]

That was Rick Santos. He even has his own Wikipedia page.

Rick Santos - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

BTW, this definitely has something to do with the car count.

AAA Fuel Prices

gasprices.aaa.com

Yes I know it's Rick in the seat (some pictures don't need a caption). I have lost count how many times
from the mid 80s to the early 2000s that I saw Rick his late dad George his brother and sister-in-law Lori
race in the Northwest at Seattle, Yakima, Woodburn and Mission B.C. later in those years with Jack O'Bannon.
I think Rick went on to be a crew chief on a sprint car. Another alcohol dragster that spent more time in the
Northwest, same time period than there native California was my late friend John Shoemaker. John and Judee
wonderful people. You old farts on here will remember when John raced Jr. Fuel and AA/FD.
Once again I'm "Reeling In The Years"

Jr. Fuel John in the seat

AA/FD John in the seat

 

[Cliff]

Stammerjohn (sp?) & Shoemaker AA/FD at Lions. John raced T/AD for some time. Had a small American flag that he used to hold in his hand when he backed the car up after the burn out. Once I talked to him in the pits & told him I remembered his AA/FD. He was surprised I remembered the car. Heh He ran nostalgia AA/FD until his death.

 

[Al]

Remember when the West Coast was swamped with alky cars, miss those days. I really dig the class.
I went to the Div 7 race at Bakersfield, April 1993. Back then there was so many alky cars on the coast.
Div 7 had 16 car fields in dragster and funny cars. Going off memory, 25 dragsters and 22 funny cars
and that is at a div race. Can't remember who won funny car but in alky dragster it was that Chevy powered
digger from San Leandro, California.
View attachment 9960

Yeah Jim, I have always loved that class as well. I went to the US Nationals in 1984 and there was almost 50 TADs and 50 TAFCs ! Apparently before the days of "quotas". It was neat to see, but that was actually too many as it took forever to run each qualifying session. It was the same for Pro Stock. Certainly not an issue these days !