Why drag fans love the history of the sport (1 Viewer)

[sammi]

What really separates drag racing history from NAPCAR is the artistic beauty of many of the cars from the 60's and 70's. There appeared to be a concern for the aesthetic along with the kinetic. Think of the wonder you felt when you walked up to The Hawaiian or Don Gay's Infininty for the first time. These cars, so carefully crafted, really captured your imagination. When you walk by one of Force's alleged Mustangs sitting outside the barriers, you marvel at the thing the same way you consider a well designed screwdriver. Interesting engineering quickly forgotten. 10 years from now, I won't be thinking about Beckman's Dodge Whatever(it's still a Dodge isn't it?). I will be thinking about how I felt the first time I saw Nelson Carter's Super Chief roll out the back of his enclosed ramp truck at OCIR.

Maybe only older indy cars share the level of artistry built into drag racing vehicles prior to 1990.

Sadly most of today's cars, save an occasional stocker or super stocker are simply tools that inspire no one's imagination or desire. Use up the tool, throw it away, no one cares.

 

[Papa Duck]

I have no argument with your feeling on the way cars look today versus the 60's, but would wonder if they would have looked that way if there had been a good understanding of aerodynamics and the availability of windtunnels. I followed sportscar racing in that era and there were some fantastic looking cars then, but again, everyone was guessing on what was best. It took Richie Ginther to suggest putting a lip on the rear of his Ferrari in order to keep the car stable at Le Mans. He was proven right and every car then had a spoiler.

Be it race cars or street cars, everything started to look alike once the windtunnels came into wide use.

 

[glofria]

The cars of that era are as cool today as they were back then.

Chrome. Handmade craftmanshship. Ordinary people with bigger than life personalities. Friendships and rivalries. Catchy names for cars. Individuallity. Inginuity. Sucsess and failures.

Craftsmans Hanna, Fuller, Don Long, Frank Hazar, Tony Nancy, Foster, Dixon, Youngblood, Carter, just to name afew off the top of my head.

 

[Baron]

Aerodynamic considerations have affected the way the cars look, but the "paint jobs" seem to be designed to further disguise the appearance of the funny cars. Matt Hagan's Dodge looked better this weekend because the grille and headlight design stood out better on the new wrap. Force's Fords looked better last year with the over the top stripe themes used.
The auto companies would be well advised to push this issue, as I see it.
Then there's Toyota . . . . we have the Solara bodies with Solara grille decals, Solaras with Camry grille decals, and the little Honda sticker on the back of Jeff Arends' car! Har, har. It's a good thing it doesn't matter.
Cheers,
Ed
Rocky Mountain Superchargers

 

[Rajunz]

The candy Apple, pearls and glitter paint kind are what I remember most.

 

[scsp390]

I have an 8x10 of Shirley Muldowney's 1980-"Just Plane Shirley's" TF Dragster doing a Smokey Burn out in the Right Lane at National Trails Raceway near Columbus, OH where she beat Larry Brown's Roach Coach in the Final Round!!! I was at that race!! I think Shirley ran a 6.04 in that round. Those are things that I have the Best Memories of. As much as I LOVE today's drag racing. Nothing can comapre to the days of when...................

 

[d'kid]

Think you're looking at this through rose colored glass... Yes, there were some beautiful cars, The reason you remember them, is that they were the exception, not the rule.

I seem to remember as many half primed, shoe polish lettered or or worst. The pretty paint stress cracked, burnt marks up the sides, wheel wells jig-sawed to clear the latest hides.... as those, to me, were what a real drag car were all about.

d'kid

 

[TSK]

I miss real paint jobs on real looking cars. Remember when having a paint job by Kenny Youngblood was a real source of pride and a way to show you were serious about the sport?
The vinyl wraps of today, from a distance, look fine for TV. But, when you get up close in person and see air bubbles it really kills the image.

 

[sammi]

Let me look through my rose colored glasses again....there it is..I see them...Mike Mitchell's World's Fastest Hippie 'vette....Steve Korney's Goldfinger Anglia with the light show in the door.....Beebe and Mulligan-green stripes and all...Keeling and Clayton....and perhaps the most aesthetically well prepared funny car ever -The Barry Setzer Vega with Pat Foster behind the wheel.

 

[TooTall999]

Let me look through my rose colored glasses again....there it is..I see them...Mike Mitchell's World's Fastest Hippie 'vette....Steve Korney's Goldfinger Anglia with the light show in the door.....Beebe and Mulligan-green stripes and all...Keeling and Clayton....and perhaps the most aesthetically well prepared funny car ever -The Barry Setzer Vega with Pat Foster behind the wheel.

Add to that some of the artwork to come out of Circus paint...I miss things like the Trojan Horse mural on the back window of the car...or Bruce Larson's 3 mile island mural....good times...