DRAG RACING
This is alitte history as i know it.
              I guess drags were born when the car was. Drag racing really got it start from land speed racing on the dry lakes in the early '30's. Bonneville Salt Flats had it's first national land speed event in '49. Just recently the land speed record and sound barrier were broken there. Several dry lakes in southern California were filled with racers from all over. Murac Dry Lake, which is now Edwards Air Force Test Base. Edwards is now a landing sit for the space shuttle.
see a big pic
see a big pic
         The "Srints" were born from racers moving off the dry lakes the air baces. Tustin Blimp Base in Goleta California is said to have the first organized sprints. In '37 the Southern California Timing Association helped organize hot rodding. From the lake beds to the air strips came the drag stips.
see a big pic
see a big pic
see a big pic
          Hot Rod Magazine (HRM) founded by Bob Lindsay and Bob Peterson (racers them selves) in '47. Followed the cars from the lakes to the strips. Car racer and HRM editor Wally Parks founded National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) in '51 bringing racers off the lakes and streets to the strips. NHRA was the start of official rules and safety regs. for the 1/4 mile. That same year was the first NHRA sanctioned race at Pamona Raceway
see a big pic
see a big pic see a big pic
        In the early days races were started with a flagman standing between the two cars. Times were displayed on a large round faced second hand clock at the race tower. Inyoken Airport California, home of the Dust Devils car club had it's first NHRA race in '54. The car club brought the first Christmas Tree to California in '64. Actually it was a trade with HRM. The car club arranged the first Hot Rod Magazine Championship event in Riverside Ca. for the Tree. With the first and only Christmas Tree in the state the club supported many races in California and other western states.
see a big pic
see a big pic
see a big pic
     Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) started way back in '63. Guys like Ed Iskenderian (the first President of SEMA) got together with other racers. Jim Deist, who developed drag shutes and fire suits for racers. Names like Edelbrock, Ansen, Offenhauser gave a boost to speed shops with parts they have developed. Without these guys and others we wouldn't have the go fast parts today.
see a big pic
     Today big cars run big sponsors in NHRA events. But racing has a class for everything. Hey if it has wheels on it why not! Nostalgia drag racing keeps a lot of cars on the tracks. Lucky for us, they pulled some of the cars out of the museums for a few runs. If we look hard enough we might see the original driver/builder in the pits too.
see a big pic
see a big pic see a big pic
go to NHRA
go to NHRA
Stay tuned for more.................
Museums
NHRA Museum
Motorsports Hall of Fame
Big Daddy Museum
RPM Racing Photo Museum
Nostalgia Racing
American Nostalgia Racing Association
Goodguys
California Hot Rod Reunion
Drag Links
Fuel Dragsters  We did it for Love
Awfull Awfull Fuel Altereds
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