The Secret History of Drag Racing: Mythbusting, Revelations, and A Look at Its Wild Origins

[@daryllect6659]

Here's a little drag racing tidbit - In the 60s, in NHRA, stock cars were divided into classes using a formula. In fact, it was called "formula racing." The formula was advertised weight divided by advertised horsepower. There were classes "A" through "N" stock. Some stock engines made more power than they were advertised to have. Some engines made MUCH more power than advertised. Oldsmobiles were on of 'em, making them natural winners. We had 3 of 'em and ran K, L , M and N Stock for that exact reason. We easily set strip records everywhere we went. Super Stock was a prime example. Some Super Stock engines were ridiculously under-rated. Finally, NHRA wised up and started "factoring" the horsepower.

[@brianlohnes3079]

It’s all discussed here. And smart racers sure knew how to work the system!

[@caribman10]

Happened with the 327/"300 hp" engine....it got refactored.

[@billlamb1937]

I don't recollect NHRA Stock racing ever being called formula racing. However AHRA had a class called Formula Stock. A single class would have three Formulas, one for two barrel carburetors, one for four barrel carburetors and one for multiple carburetors.

[@brianlohnes3079]

@@billlamb1937 bingo Bill

[@johnshackelford6965]

1990 ED the Ace shop Ventura California quit.

[@Grumpy_Stiltskin]

One of my oldest memories is that of my Mother racing our 66 Comet in the late 60's. I recall my Father being mad because she had to race against big block cars, as there weren't many women racers (powder puff race), the little 289 didn't stand much of a chance. As a little kid, it was cool to see Mom on the track and I'll never forget it.

[@jackperry9369]

Heck yeah dude that's cool stuff😂

[@Mike583]

I had a friend that had a '66 Cyclone 390 GTA. It was built up & it was pretty fast. He beat a '69 Chevelle w/396 cowl induction. Also a '68 Firebird w/400.

[@happydays8171]

Your mom sounds cool! Thanks for sharing.

[@randalljames1]

I have a 66 GT390 Cyclone... 390 was breathing heavy so it got refreshed to a 445 FE.. My mentor tuned on Ongias driven cars as well as other MT rides (*RIP Amos Satterlee )

[@EarthSurferUSA]

You had/have a cool Mother. My Mother is the opposite, she would have never done anything like that. I do remember her water skiing when I was a kid though.

[@claytontaylor2800]

Lots of great images that I have never seen before (OMG The Greek and the Zookeeper at Bristol!) but the Bill Lawton vs. Willie Borsch photo is an absolute gem - that made my day. Well done!

[@brianlohnes3079]

Perhaps my single favorite drag racing image ever

[@Adam-nv9zo]

The research that goes into these drag racing history videos must be pretty time-consuming given the depth you go into. Great work. 👍

[@Alone-ut7mc]

Wow , this is a great video. Very informative, and for me some great nostalgia. I was born in 61 and my Dad was Drag Racing up til then. So growing up I became a fan through the enthusiasm Dad had for cars . Model cars , local tracks , Hot Wheels , but he never went back to racing because of the expense, but we were and I still am a Huge Drag Racing fan. As you might be able to tell this video has really triggered some great memories . I got to see an awesome Drag Racing Era, the late 60's , 70's , 80's and 90's . Evolution continued with rules that has almost ruined Drag Racing . I absolutely hate 1/8 mile Racing, but what can you do. Awesome Video Thank You Yeah I hit all the buttons 😂

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you for watching it!

[@josephpacchetti5997]

Interesting video, my first trip to a dragstrip was in 1966, Nitromethane now on Hyperfules is on sale, for $19.99 reg $32.99, and a top fule dragster burns 16-23 gallons in warm-up, burnout, and 4 sec run, very expensive, Thank Brian, subbed. 👊 😎

[@ricknorrington2211]

Great History lesson!! I totally love the roots of drag racing and always learning something new!! Thanks Brian for your passion of drag racing and sharing it!!🏁🤘

[@happydays8171]

Thanks for all the work compiling this, Brian. Can't believe its gotten 78k views at this writing. Hope it means a rebirth for the sport, and 16 car plus fields show up for events.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Well, this year we have nearly 16 full time top fuel cars. Last year we had very few short fields. Funny car is also up at least one full timer, maybe 2. We’re making progress!

[@happydays8171]

@@brianlohnes3079 Thanks! Great to hear.

[@customkey]

Check out Wild Willie in the Winged Express driving with one hand on the wheel. Also, I saw Dave Koffel's Flintstone Flyer Packard. You should come out here to the North East Division and feature the Junior Stockers. The Land of NED had the most NHRA national record holders and national champions in the junior stock section and the tricks they used to get speed was mind boggling. Very scientific.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Well, as I gave been a D1 guy my whole life, I am familiar! We have ace level stock and super stock racers up here for sure!

[@alanquintus2069]

Learned a lot from this video. My favorite videos of yours are the one's featuring unusual or famous cars. Buddy Ingersol for example. Would be cool if you did one on. the Winged Express. Keep up the good work 👍

[@ed.puckett]

I love your videos, and your presentation style makes them really fun!

[@brianlohnes3079]

Ed, thanks a million!

[@jackperry9369]

Thanks Brian you got yourself another subscriber here Love this old vintage drag race stuff keep them coming

[@user-ThomReec8587]

My Father was a Founding Member (1953?) of a local Club Originally called the St Pete Timing Association which later was reorganized and became Sunshine Speedway Drag Stip He drove a 50 Ford coupe w/49 Lincoln flathead (3 Stombergs). Years later (1972) I drove a 57 Chevy Coupe Gasser

[@Nick_B_Bad]

I love the early 60’s full size cars drag racing. Like the Z11 Impala’s and Factory Lightweight Galaxies, and my buddy Heck running his Pontiacs

[@brianlohnes3079]

Agree! Those things were amazing, especially with all the factory tricks.

[@Nick_B_Bad]

@@brianlohnes3079right! Such a cool era!

[@HoosierDaddy_]

I could watch this for hours. I have to say that I kind of like that Saturday and Sunday deal.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Hey, I kind of love it!

[@donmears4090]

Brian, I like history, cars and drag racing so this was a homerun for me!

[@brianlohnes3079]

Fantastic, glad to hear it!

[@stephenlea5765]

Another great video Brian! Thanks for doing the extensive research.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thanks for watching Stephen

[@acetomatocompany]

Thanks for showing. 👍

[@mikecurtis2585]

Great interesting video! Always fun to hear the history!

[@brianlohnes3079]

Appreciate it Mike!

[@msdsinc.2194]

Lions Drag Strip, Wilmington (LBC) CA sea level (AHRA) strip. I was in G/oa class; sbc 1969 Camaro

[@brianlohnes3079]

So cool!

[@IowaBudgetRCBashers]

My hometown dragstrip Cordova is the oldest continuously operating purpose built dragstrip in the country.

[@Træfisk]

these videos are great, you are a beutiful well of drag racing knowlege. thanks for sharing these stories!

[@johnboland1401]

Good to see the Coleman Bros. rear engine dragster from Glen Burnie MD in there.

[@brianlohnes3079]

What a car!

[@robertklein1316]

There were so many cars in each class at the Nationals in the early 60's, along with their crew members which filled the stands, what else could you do after probably making your umpteenth tune-up run, when gasser were waiting for their turn it was like a traffic jam. You forgot how NHRA was partial to west coast stars, and how the mid-west and east coasters blew the doors off those fancy- dancy's ie. Garlits, Montgomery, Strickler, Hill& Zartman, Ollie Olsen and Ray Godman

[@johnclark1525]

Very informative. Nice job.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Appreciate you watching

[@keithcargill8428]

To think of what organized chaos brought us. It'd be neat if a smaller sanction like ANRA brought some of these rules back for a race. One night of confusion 😂😂😂

[@brianlohnes3079]

It would be pretty tremendous to see some one off stuff run like this.

[@jerryloughney4757]

That was a ton of great info! Were there ever any serious injuries from the early Street Roadster class? I’ve been amazed at how the drivers’ head sticks out above the body, with what sometimes appears to be nothing more than galvanized pipe for a roll bar. Crazy, imo.

[@brianlohnes3079]

There were serious injuries up and down the class scale. Drag racing journalists at the time really circled the wagons for the protection of the sport.

[@jerryloughney4757]

Understandable. Thanks for pointing that out.

[@P_RO_]

Before there were in-depth tech inspections some of the roll bars and frame rails were made from tailpipe material aka "muffler moly" to save weight. Drag racing has always been about finding ways around the rules and hiding your tricks from competitors and officials. Until about the mid-60's all car racing was known to be a potentially very deadly sport, with every type losing at least a few drivers every year in accidents.

[@saturnfivehynrgrc581]

If you ever have the chance, doing a video on the history of New England Drag Way would be interesting. For me anyway. Cheers!!!

[@brianlohnes3079]

Me and Epping are linked for life so, yes, I agree!

[@allareasindex7984]

Thank you! I love your videos.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you for checking them out!

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

🏁Great vid!!! 🏁

[@professorginz2379]

Great story (as usual). You did skip early bracket racing (including where the term originated). Early timing systems could not electronically handicap the start of the race. ET's were bracketed and arranged alphabetically. Each brackets would be grouped by 1/2 second increments. In the mid 70's I would race at Raceway Park, NJ. I would race "G" bracket which was for cars running between 15 and 15.49 seconds. So if I improved and my car started running in the high 14's I would transition to the "F" bracket which would be for cars running 14.5-14.9 seconds. Of course if you went faster than your bracket in eliminations you would break out and lose.

[@coorscwilly9683]

I remember beeline raceway from when I was a kid being there with my dad

[@brianlohnes3079]

Awesome memories!

[@theschultz-ster]

Just WOW! Thank you Brain!

[@michaellytle4968]

mid 60's on I was at beeline for all national events, local too as i grew up in phx.

[@brianlohnes3079]

That rules!

[@dragonbutt]

I hope you eventually do a history on some of the technologies to drag racing, specifically the tires. Drag slicks and drag radials have evolved a lot over the span of like 70 years

[@brianalbrecht4423]

with out know'n your history...u cant know were your going...!...history is king...!...thats "one" of the problums with this country "not" teaching history to there students...!...thank u 4 this great information...!..great job...!..

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you for watching it!

[@michaelhalsall5684]

First a question were the S/S and S/SA classes the forerunners to the Super Stock classes? Second a comment - I believe the work of Wally Parks and the NHRA set drag racing on the right path. If drag racing hadn't been promoted in the early days it may have just stayed as just an offshoot of dry lakes racing. If drag racing had been promoted the wrong way it may have ended up as an automotive stunt show rather an organised, international motorsport. All credit to the NHRA!

[@brianlohnes3079]

Indeed they were! Before super stock got busted up like stock did, those were the first two places the cars fell. And I agree for all the same reasons. Wally did not intend on starting a drag racing organization but when it basically formed itself into one, he was the right man for the job.

[@lw216316]

ok, that answered the question I've had for a while - who invented burn outs - might have guessed it was Don G. I have memories of watching tv 'wide world of sports' and seeing dragsters smoke the tires the entire length of the 1/4 mile - as I recall the speeds were a little above 200 at that time, maybe 215 ??

[@hovsepian]

Nicely done!

[@KimiWallrus]

Amazing piece both entertainingly and educationally. Hopefully this is part of the on-boarding the next time NHRA hires another big shot from another background. Now that you got this out there for the normies, what does it take for us/your fans to get more of the Ken Warby; Crush Texas; Exploding headlights+factories; Mafia dinner parties; Ferris wheels; Orange Blossom Special; Tim Engler, Banter Bros; Karl Kinser; Larry Shaw; Brett Kepner; Worlds fastest Steam Engine(it may not be Mallard;) Don Garlits getting notes on optimization of Nitromethane from UFOs likened to the ones whom dropped chassis secrets to Scott Bloomquist and is he or is he not in fact a alien? When can we see some of this content? 😊

[@brianlohnes3079]

Always working on it! Haha

[@TurboV8boi]

These videos are so bad ass.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Appreciate that!

[@kc5gym]

Another thought. The christmas tree is not needed in modern drag racing. Let everyone run on their dial in and leave at the same time. The winner would be calculated when they went through the trap.

[@RandallSoong-pp7ih]

Epic. Love it!!

[@racerd9669]

Awesome job.

[@bytornsnowdog1347]

I would rather learn more about Tractor Pulling...

[@oldrustycars]

I thought it was complicated explaining bracket racing to someone who'd never been to a race.

[@lamarzimmermanmennonitefar5269]

Will we ever hear you announce at UCC?

[@brianlohnes3079]

Hey, I’d love to!!

[@kh40yr]

"They all could Fit in a Elevator"",,,Hey!! Easy with that!!. Thanks for the Hydrazine stuff. He went 204mph. I think he did. He was a very smart racer. Regardless, that pass shook up the world a bit. Add that to the list Brian, a short story on The Greek, with his offspring making laps recently. Watched him win at Seattle. BTW, push the 4th floor please, That's where they keep the crutches and canes!,,Dick!!.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Ha! Hey I meant it lovingly! 4th floor coming right up.

[@kh40yr]

Lol@@brianlohnes3079

[@TBSWORLD77]

Com'on! What is with the 1" screen size for your videos?!?!?

[@brianlohnes3079]

You are the only person that has this issue. Works full screen on my phone and it fills the screen on my tv as well

[@guerrillaradio9953]

1:50 read em and weep, boys..... anybody have a time machine I can borrow??? 3 bucks a gallon for nitro, it's cheaper than 87 is now!!! 🤩🤩🤩

[@brianlohnes3079]

Equivalent to the 3 bucks today? 30 bucks a gallon. What are NHRA teams paying? About 30 bucks a gallon.

[@terryburgettburgett965]

I wonder if big daddy and the Greek still argue about the 204

[@FarmerKen355]

Nice work. I started drag racing in 1963 with my E/Gas Sedan, by 1964 I was racing my home built A/Altered which ran low 9’s. I have NHRA rules books going back to 1963. After an Asian holiday I returned in 1969 with my A/Dragster. I raced Top Alcohol Dragster with a blown alcohol Rodeck Chevy from 1984 to 1989. We won a bunch of UDRA events and Championships and some NHRA events as well. We low qualified at the 86US Nationals. After my wife died in 1990 I moved to Australia where I have built cars, built engines and flowed fuel systems for over thirty years. Good job with the history. Loved it.

[@ThomasELeClair]

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Drag Racing veteran,,,,,You are also a legend of our sport................................................................................

[@jfrockon]

Brian, I love these kind of videos so much, and you narrate the stories so well. Thank you.

[@brianlohnes3079]

A million thank yous.

[@vehdynam]

Wow ! That must have taken hours of research , very well done . These episodes of yours are my favorites as is all drag racing. I will have to watch this one a second time at least. Greatly appreciated ,and many thanks Brian.

[@brianlohnes3079]

A sincere thank you!!

[@eugenegilleno9344]

If you lived through those days, no research would be required. We lived Drag Racing and it was a fairly cheap sport to be part of.....unlike these days.

[@tomcumbey9029]

I love the real history you’ve presented here Brian! Thank you for not simply romanticizing history. History is often times not as glamorous as we like to recall decades later.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Tom, thanks for taking the time to watch it

[@xmo552]

@@brianlohnes3079 Could you explain all the AA/F, A/F, etc classes ?

[@roberthevern6169]

If I remember correctly, R/C planes use nitromethane as fuel! That is where I grew to love the smell of 'nitro' exhaust when I was just a kid in the 60s! Yee haw!

[@michaellytle4968]

yes they did and i and my friends put r/c fuel in a mini bike it ran good till the engine let go haha!!

[@bobroberts2371]

Part of the smell was the was Castor oil added to the nitro as a lube

[@brianlohnes3079]

Right on all accounts!

[@MiscRocketVideos]

Great stuff!!!! The only way we can truly love our sport is to learn the roots and Brian Lohnes is giving us the short course into loving drag racing!

[@brianlohnes3079]

100% appreciate you saying this. Means a lot.

[@mikewells1407]

Thanks for the lesson. Our house was on same country road that Indianapolis Raceway Park (home of the National Drags on Labor Day weekend ) was on. Family moved in when I was 6 in 1967. Got to see the Kings and Queens of the sport. Still love to take 1st timers to watch their reactions to a funny car or top fuel burnout , from the bleach box area. I remember the staggered starts but they had the tree determine starts with green lights staggered, couldn't take off till your side gave you a green light. Loved funny cars, especially The Mongoose, Tom McEwen , The Blue Max, Raymond Beadle obviously Don the "Snake" Prudhomme, Don Garlits, Shirley "Cha Cha" Muldowney

[@martymorse2]

One of my favorite books is High Performance: The Culture and Technology of Drag Racing, 1950-1990 written by Dr, Professor Robert C. Post. That books ranks right up there on my all time list of sport books. Who would have figured that a Professor with ties to the Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology would write a book about the History of Drag Racing? Another great look at the history of Drag Racing Brian. I really admire your work.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Dr Post is a legend in my mind and his book is phenomenal. Both editions!

[@proracer382d]

Awesome topic, and delivery as always Mr. Lohnes

[@TomHaroldArt]

Thanks for mentioning this book by Post. I now have a new one on my Amazon list to pick up. Sounds like a great one!

[@martymorse2]

You are welcome. Excellent book!@@TomHaroldArt

[@ThomasELeClair]

,,,,,,,,let me get up and reach for the pen ; another gem of a book I need for my Library.......At 73 ,,,how much have I missed ; been an avid reader of Drag Racing since 1965......still have the dec. 1965 issue , my first car magazine ; there was a 66 GTO on the cover......It's here in my bedroom , and I have not looked at it in decades......It was an issue of Petersens Car Craft magazine [ the sibling of Hot Rod magazine ]

[@retiredguy7273]

Tasca Ford, legendary. Great thumbnail thanks for the vid!

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you for checking it out!

[@frankdragottasfranktv7675]

Brian! You have outdone yourself! Thank you so much! As a 66yr old you are bringing back amazing memories! Your Friend Frank!

[@brianlohnes3079]

Frank thanks again!

[@P_RO_]

Darn good content here- you just gained a sub. You can go back even further when the SCTA started; they began the practice of running regularly scheduled organized standing-start races with professional grade timing equipment to ensure the accuracy of the results. Instead of paper slips you could get a small brass plaque to put on your car showing it's top speed to 1/10 MPH to impress your buddies. They were also the first drag race sanctioner to incorporate as a business for legal protection and to obtain insurance for their meets. Regardless of what the Beach Boys sang about, cars which could do 140 were extreme rarities way back then, with most of the best hot rods running around 125 over a carefully measured mile. The later drag racing sanctioning bodies emerged from that on discovering that almost all the speed possible with cars from those times happened in a quarter mile so there was no real need to have tracks any longer, and that's where the 1/4 mile standard for drag tracks originated. Now to go into the rabbit-hole of your older vids 😊

[@halseyknox]

Nice documentary....as far as the price of nitro, then and know is, in my mind not totally accurate.....you have to take in consideration everything else in this scenario, aka the cost of living and wages..It's a proven fact that in the 50's through the 60's early 70's the cost of living coincided way more in a balanced way with wages than today, that's why drag racing in those eras even at the professional level was a common man sport.....

[@brianlohnes3079]

You speak the truth, but I would contest the point about “professional” drag racing being an every man’s sport. Like today, you can own a nitro funny car and show up at NHRA races, but like back then, the veritable “guys with the gas station” got stomped by the actual touring pros.

[@aperson4713]

This is a great video as always! I'd love a video on the gas class and the birth of gassers and rules that governed the class.

[@brianlohnes3079]

That would be a great oje

[@Airsally]

Love your drag racing history lesson. Grew up @ 2 miles from Irwindale raceway. We loved the 32 funny car meets,and the east vs west meets back in the 60's. We were there every week.

[@brianlohnes3079]

What an epic time and place to be a part of

[@ronw59]

Boy, this one brought back memories. When we used to go to THE Nationals in Indy, we'd tour around to all of the motels in the evening watching the Top Fuel & Funnies being worked on, since like you said, no one was allowed to stay inside the track. Thanks, Brian, you made this 80 year old feel young again!

[@george1la]

What an education. I am 76 and started racing in high school and cruising and racing on Van Nuys Blvd. when it was certainly jumping. It looks like I started just when the XMas tree came into being. I remember no more rails at San Fernando when they went more than 160 or they would crash. Street cars now regularly go way over 200 in the quarter now. In fact, 250 has been crossed in Drag and Drive. These are not single purpose trailered cars. They are now making in street cars on methanol 4-5,000 HP somewhat reliably. Just like in aerospace the progress is dramatic. I now drive a 1969 Chevy G 10 van with a built 350. It is so simple and easy to work on. However, it has over 1.5 million miles on it. Do not maintain and what happens? New cars are kool and faster with more mileage but they do not last and are extremely expensive to maintain with high insurance. As soon as it goes off of warranty you have to get rid of it.

[@brianlohnes3079]

1.5 million!!?! You are hero!

[@J.C...]

My uncle raced nitro funny cars and dragsters in the 70s. You can see his car on the 70s Funny Cars page. Very last picture on the page IIRC. He had a Corvette funny car called Maybelline and a dragster called Voodoo Spirit.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Fantastic!

[@curthenry9398]

As a kid i was lucky to have two drag strips within bicycle riding distance from our home. Us kids would ride to the strip and hid our bikes in the woods. No money for admission we would climb the fence across the spectator parking lot and blend into the crowd. I am sure that the staff seen us but did not care, they probably seeing us a future paying customers. Mid 60's the days of altered wheelbase funny cars. One Sunday there were 16 funny cars including my favorite driver, Tom Hoover and his original Showtime funny car. One of the best days of my life.

[@J.C...]

The boohoo'ers sounded EXACTLY like the people crying in No Prep Kings about people jumping the light 🤣 Whats old is new again.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Wild, right?

[@z06doc86]

Another enlightening video from Brian. Let’s spread the word and help him build new subscribers and grow the channel!

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thanks doc!

[@jackperry9369]

Thanks Brian you got yourself a subscriber here

[@TheSquirrel72]

Thanks for the history lesson,my first trip to a drag race was in 1967.Can never learn enough about this sport,may it always survive in a world where things are forgotten,and tossed to the side.😎

[@brianlohnes3079]

Amen to thaf

[@ThomasELeClair]

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,My first time was at 18 yrs young,,,,,,,in 1969,,,,,,,,,,,,New York National speedway , in suffolk county Long Island N Y ..................

[@Tom-w1h2f]

Acres of almond trees lined the interstate highway which complimented the crazy driving nuts.

[@bezerker1960]

1958, I ran an F-Stock I950 Ford at the Samoa Dragstip/Airport,

[@brianlohnes3079]

Now THAT is cool

[@speedhunter7156]

A very interesting story i aint big into drag racing but its interesting as it has its footnotes in history

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thanks for taking a peek

[@speedhunter7156]

@@brianlohnes3079 to be honest ive been a motorsports fan since the early 2000's and well history is something that opens up what actually happened

[@Irish_For_Life1842]

I have seen national events in person as well as the local bracket racing AKA handicapped racing. IMO bracket racing is much more exciting and fun to watch. The one exception for me is experiencing how violent the feel of the top fuel dragsters running are. When you are 1/4 a mile from the starting line and the ground pounds beneath you while the truck you are sitting on shakes and creaks. That can now be approximated (not replaced) by watching a Street Outlaws show. The best racing is still bracket racing, but the street outlaws are second for me now as the competition is extremely tight and the personalities harken back to the beginning of drag racing. Note I never said organized drag racing. Any racing you watch is always better in person than being at home watching on TV. My hope is that everyone can find the drag racing that you enjoy most while experiencing all that drag racing has to offer. If you want to participate, then I probably would start at bracket racing at your local track and work your way from there unless you have a parent named Force or the like lol. Always remember to be safe, use the right safety equipment and race smart.

[@RexCars1]

WOW !!!!... You really did your homework for this one..... Another Great Vid.. Thanks Brian..

[@brianlohnes3079]

Rex thank you!

[@clifford3113]

EXCELLENT IS THE WORD FOR ( ALL ) YOUR HARD WORK . Looking FORWARD TO YOUR NEXT HISTORY LESSONS . THANKS AGAIN . PS THERE WAS A BEAUTIFUL ( TORNADO ) WITH 2 or 4 Engines And Of Course 4 Wheel Drive . COOL MAN COOL FROM OC CA

[@clifford3113]

It was a Dragster ? I think . Thanks Again

[@brianlohnes3079]

Clifford, the history of the Terrifying Toronado is coming soon.

[@billkenney422]

Thanks for this. When I saw Taska Ford funny car in your cover page I was in. Being 72 now I had started an interest in drag racing when the first funny cars began showing up. A wonderful time to grow up.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Bill thanks for sharing this.

[@bdr3125]

Brian,I hope you do more of these,your knowledge of my favorite sport is amazing and I love any history about it, nothing like hearing the stories of the what I call the more fun times,I especially love the 70's,80's and 90's,the old pro stocks and funny cars,early pro mods,this with your amazing way to tell a story is something worth listening to,I also love your announcing on tv

[@brianlohnes3079]

I am going to keep cranking on them. Thanks for watching these and thanks for being a fan of the NHRA!

[@GR1MRACER]

At this point you could do a Iceberg video on Dragracing

[@brianlohnes3079]

🤔

[@6bblbird104]

Thanks Brian! Another great video on my favorite sport's history. Here is an interesting story regarding the christmas tree starting system. I raced at NY National Speedway in the '70s. I had heard that track manager, Ed Eaton was instrumental in the development of that system, he told me that he was. He also told me that he regretted designing it as a count down system. It wasn't universally liked (understatement) and he did not like the anticipation factor which created (in his opinion) too many red lights. That pretty much explained why NYNS used what was essentially a Pro Tree system with a single yellow before the green. Another story for another day is how that starting system led to deep staging and eventually delay boxes! Walter Frey

[@brianlohnes3079]

This is great!

[@af4od02]

Excellent video. Thanks. My father participated in Drag Racing in the late 1950’s in the Southeast at abandoned military air fields. He said occasionally, the race promoters would have 1/2 mile drags. Dad said the cars really felt light in the front end as you approached the finish line at these events. Rear end gearing was crucial. Dad said he felt the speeds attained by these basically stock cars with stock tires was a bit unsafe. Dad also participated in some 1/4 mile “dirt” drags. Dad’s car was a heavy stock class car with an automatic transmission. Dad said this combination yielded great results against the lighter clutch 4 speed cars who couldn’t get good traction for half a track. I remember the staggered starts in the late 1960’s. The slower car was staged several car lengths down strip of the faster class car. The fans did get into these races. Thanks for the video.

[@88SC]

Off on a tangent here, but the Funny Cars being transported on slant backs in the open, reminded me of the occasional interstate encounter of a top competitor en route to the next event. I distinctly remember our car passing The Hawaiian while headed north on I-5 in Oregon.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Great memories

[@melodigrand]

Great memories. I first saw a dragster in 1962. Sixteen year old Robert Stirling had built an injected Chrysler A Gas Dragster and brought it to the local Scout-O-Rama as an example of a Boy Scout's hobby. Robert would go on to build nostalgia front engine dragster chassis in the 1990s. In 1962 there were half mile drags at Half Moon Bay and other places. I think that dragster could reach 180 there.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Stirling’s cars won many, many big nostalgia TF meets. How amazing.

[@jameswulzen590]

we built the cars for a class.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Smart racers do!

[@johnshackelford6965]

Tommy Bosher his dad.

[@joshuagibson2520]

Brian, please consider doing a video on all the tracks that are closing in recent times. Seems like 10 or 20 a year lately. Big ones and mom and pop owned as well. Thank you.

[@joshuagibson2520]

It can't be understated how important it is to support your local tracks. Even if just spectating.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Well you are right but the better video is on the tracks that are RE-OPENING. Phoenix, Kansas International, Huntsville, Kawana Valley, and Sky View, NY. Also the new track being built in Kansas City, known as Flyin H Drag Strip

[@joshuagibson2520]

@@brianlohnes3079 wow! That is enlightening and encouraging! Sometimes we get enveloped in our own doom and gloom and don't realize it. I'm headed off to do some reading on this! Thank you.

[@markgamble8377]

Was at south glens falls 69-70. Had a 67 nova ss 4 speed 456 gear headers bars.slicks The motor was out of a 69 chevy station wagon 300hp 50hp less that origional motor for the nova. Still ran 12.04-05 all day long.cause motor wasnt origional put me in ss class. Still was fun tho those days

[@brianlohnes3079]

How cool is that!?!

[@ashleycrane415]

Is that a young Don Prudhomme tending to the bumper of Tom Cobb's roadster wearing 'ROAD REBELS SAN GABRIEL' on their shirts?

[@brianlohnes3079]

He was a member of the Road Kings club so I am not sure it would be him.

[@Wildman9]

I must say Brian you are our new , Steve Evans . Been following your career and you've learned from the best . 👍

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you Wildman!

[@rickcole6990]

Alright,, Now this is the Stuff I go for! Please give us more

[@merylpelosi8485]

This was great! I remember going with my brother's B/MSP car to Continental Divide Raceway South of Castle Rock, Co. in '64 for the High-Altitude Nationals. At 10 years old, I was hooked.

[@markmark2080]

I was at CDR, in '65 I believe, when a brand new 396 Sting Ray raced a 289/385 hp Cobra DragonSnake, I believe the Cobra won, it was close, but the most exciting single race I can remember from my high school years. One can still see traces of that race complex on google earth, great memories. I did my little bit of racing up at the Mountain View drag strip just east of the town of Erie, one can still see traces of part of it just south Hwy 52 and the Erie High School on google earth...cheers

[@patofdubois1]

I love that you used so many pics from Sanair! This was my local track for a long while until it basically shut down. This was THE only National event I could attend because I had no driver’s license! Miss this event tremendously. I actually regularly wrench on some older NASCAR stuff at the adjacent Tri-Oval (also no longer raced at) for some « driving experience » school. Nice job on these video Brian!!

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thanks Pat!

[@brianiswrong]

Even way back then you could formaly compain about a competetors engine displacement ,2:09 And if you had the money to loose make them strip and rebuild it.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Protest, baby!

[@pattys409]

Thank you so much for such a great video. Coming from a former competition eliminator competitor I thoroughly enjoyed the breakdown of all the classes that battled it out. Thanks again WONDERFUL VIDEO

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you very much for watching and enjoying it

[@ronaldbrown5745]

Where did the name Drag race come from? My guess is it was from teams of Horses/Oxen pulling weighted sleds for distance.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Million theories on this one. Even Wally Parks couldn’t nail it down to one solid answer!

[@boblill8476]

Best presentation yet by far of the history of the quirks of Drag Racing . Keep up the good work .

[@cadmanchannel]

Thank you Brian! I started drag racing now and then in 1968 as Fremont Dragstrip was a few miles from home. I raced my daily driver, as that is all I had. Fremont was a place we went to watch and race in the 70s. The last car of my own I raced there was a '64 Vette with a L-88 427. I still have some time slips and trophies, and yes, I sometimes drove it to work.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Sounds gnarly! Must have flown with the L-88 engine!

[@cadmanchannel]

Remember, it was a street car. 11:72 at 117. We can buy faster cars at a dealer these days, but that was quick for the early '70s. Thanks again, Brian. I have 6 motorcycles these days, and both of my Ninjas would have beat the Vette at the drags.

[@The_Performance_Laboratory]

Outstanding history lesson here. Thanks Brian for doing the research on this, and making these videos.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thanks for watching it!

[@matthewsgauge]

I remember going to Lyons and Ascot raceways in SoCal. I lived near the El Toro Raceway

[@danweaver1166]

"Lyons" was Lions!