Jungle Jim and Jake Crimmins at Maple Grove Raceway

Jake Crimmins piloting Jungle Jim’s top fuel funny car at Maple Grove Raceway!
Recently found this video and thought I’d share it for many other Jungle Jim fans to enjoy!
Please like and subscribe!

[@grigorpetrov8006]

Amazing to actually see Jungle Pam assisting with the car! This clip is a part of racing history! Incredible!!!

[@gregfoster8823]

This was when nitro drag racing didn't cost a fortune and had lots of nitro guys racing and some really cool characters....that's when it was way cool.....I idolized Garlits...Prudhomme ..Pro Stock guys Glidden...Jenkins ..Gapp and Roush and others when I was a youngster growing up and couldn't wait to watch on TV a several month delay on Wide World of Sports on Saturday afternoons...very very cool back then

[@draehnpipe67]

I agree I was born in the wrong generation lol

[@jamescontratti9714]

Actually the nhra destroyed most of that luring over the racers with the big sponsorships , now it’s so expensive they can’t even get 16 cars for top fuel & funny car to show up to race, now if you’ve never seen it live and stumbled across it on fox sports you’ll see the stands barely full you might think this is not a serious sport.

[@kerrymehaffey5181]

Who remembers Coke a Co!a cavalcade of stars at the Grove ? I miss the old days.

[@joen5332]

@@jamescontratti9714 I used to go to US 131 raceway when they had the popular hot rod meets up there in the day until all of a sudden one year no popular hot rod Beach and those were I would say pretty big shows even to this day

[@horseyhorselips3501]

Yup when I was young and poor, now I’m old and poor. Seen Jungle Jim at Niagara Dragstrip August 1973 RIP 🪦 Jungle Jim

[@charlesbukowski9836]

late 60's to the late 70's were the GOLDEN YEARS

[@707jetairliner]

I love this video. It’s so real. No fancy embroidered crew uniforms or driver’s suits. No $100,00 pull truck. Everyone dirty from working on the car. I’m sure Jim got some money from the Revell sponsorship, but I’ll bet he didn’t get rich. Love Jake’s hop before he takes the light. This was a great time to be a drag racing fan.

[@happydays8171]

In a story, mught have been here on KZbin, the IRS audited Jungle, and the receipts he did have, the agent couldn't believe the money Jim spent on hie cars. That all the Revell money, and match race money was gone. He had no idea how fast the money goes when stuff starts blowing up. And what living on the road costs.

[@Dilberto88]

Plus, Revell paid Jungle a mere pittance

[@arthurmchugh5184]

The track supplied the straight, Pam supplied the curves!!😁😁😀😀🍺

[@Cleatus46]

I was a crewman on Brutus in '65 and '66, mainly because I was always hanging out at Goodies so they decided to make me head gopher. There was a bar outside the gate at Irwindale and Jim, Bobbie, Lew, and Lew's wife (her name escapes me at the moment) would all end up there after the race for beer and music. Jim and Lew would never dance as they were too busy bench racing with fellow racers....so that was part of my job as well. The best of times....so nice to see Jim again.

[@osceolaassassin3188]

There will never be another "Far Out" Jungle Jim or Pam.

[@rdefabri]

I'm old enough to remember these days, and they were great. I grew up by Englishtown / Old Bridge Twp Raceway Park, Jungle was always there. I have some pics of his cars and some old 8mm film (no sound). It's nice to hear this with sound, gives you a real sense of their mindset and personalities. Those were the good old days!!

[@stephanripianzi4004]

Dito

[@coxgaspoweredtether]

For sure for me it was New York National Speedway out on Long Island all of the greats were there. Loved the wheel standers too Chuck wagon versus little red wagon , bill Maverick lol . I was lucky enough to buy a big block 70 ss chevelle and run it at the strip got some nice videos of it. Still into Drag Racing, Slot cars, Cox cars, Mini bikes, harleys, go karts, et cetera

[@horseyhorselips3501]

I saw many of these old great racers at Niagara Dragstrip from 1968-1973 when I was 13 years old to 18 back then that track closed in 1974 opened in 1962

[@bradkroboth5490]

I grew up 25 minutes from maple grove, great track even still. Miss the old days

[@goratgo1970]

@@coxgaspoweredtether Sure like to see some of that footage posted someday...

[@AMXhotrod]

Growing up watching, then after I turned 16, racing brackets in my 70, AMX at Maple Grove , often with Jungle and Pam at the same events, was a highlight of my life. Back then the Funny cars and Dragsters were parked alongside those of us racing brackets for trophies . Jungle, Blue Max, USA-1, Mongoose, all the greats would talk to you if they had time, give you pointers, even offer you tools if you broke. The 70's were in my mind, the golden era of drag racing, no real corporate sponsors making demands, the Grove owners used to compliment my car over the loudspeakers as I pulled to the line, and in general, it was just a great slice of Americana for a 16 year old kid to experience. Because I lived 1 1/2 hours away in Montgomeryville, if I went rounds, I'd often drive home down the PA Turnpike with open headers, because it was too cold to hook my headers back up , those mountain valleys got cold!

[@colingan8652]

If Jungle was still around, he would've gone all the way. Everybody wanted to be like him. Drag racing is FAR OUT!!!!!

[@simr2435]

ok so you think you know JJ. Jungle HATED the NHRA and their rules. and never raced NHRA events (other drivers did race his cars) there never would have been a team like Force, had Jungle lived. Jungle Jim was and will always be the king of Match racing - a real Gambler. No, Randall James 'Jungle' Liberman was never certified by the NHRA and never desired to..so who's to say. Liberman at this time when this video footage was filmed, was trying out new drivers for his team and so he could just concentrate on building the cars and engines. them hopes were shattered one afternoon, when after a huge falling out with Pam..Randal left and was killed shortly after when he hit a city bus in his corvette.

[@rickstephens1130]

That's terrible that happened to him and he probably would have become an engine builder Pam was saying about it. And that she misses him.

[@carlhanna8429]

Jungle Jim is a real legend he was awesome 👍👍

[@waynewilliams8554]

This is gold. Thanks so much for posting!!

[@MaximumDecibels]

oh wow..J.J alive and well. it's so nice that this video was sharred. and this is how i remember that Cool Cat Of the Jungle..Jim Liberman. here he is surrounded by jeckyls who ask 'you're going to let him drive this thing'..Sure..jim replies with that kid like smile, and thats the Jungle way..right there what you just saw. Jungle always a Cool cat in stressful times, lengend mechanic...and engine whisper'er..alongside his Nitro Burnouts and 100mph in reverse burnouts back to the stagging lights. and theres ol Jake..Jake Crimmings, raced from Florida to Canada on the east coast with different race teams, including the legendary “Jungle” Jim Liberman. One of his most memorable moments at The Grove came in 1976 driving for Liberman..“It was an amazing year in which we could do no wrong. You don’t get many opportunities like that.” “I won in ‘76, which was very humbling, because I won Funny Car Driver of the Year at Maple Grove That year, Jungle and I won four of the races and We set the track record here at Maple Grove three or four times. It was an amazing year in which we could do no wrong. You don’t get many opportunities like that.”

[@bootigwa626]

Oh man I loved seeing this.. huge jungle fan to this day he is my favorite

[@cmphighpower]

Love the old school mask looked cool as hell

[@glyphs3]

Awesome video. This was our home track back in the day. It has changed so much over the years as you can see when they pulled back and show Jake running down the track. Not very many spectators or development in the background. Staff would check our car for beer but we outfoxed them with a false floor in the '69 Pontiac Catalina. Always had a fun time at The Grove.

[@coxgaspoweredtether]

It was a great time to be a Drag Racing fan as a kid in the seventies. I like your story about sneaking in the beer.. At New York national For big events like the summer nationals or Spring nationals 3 of us would hide in the trunk 2 guys paid then we'd park all the way down near the end of the track and hop out. Ended up ended up paying 3 bucks to go in the Pits though.

[@johnwilkerson2195]

I'm almost 53 and I remember those days

[@joeking5927]

Not a cell phone in sight ! Jungle Jim and the Green Elephant were my two favorite cars , My Dad raced a M/P Camaro out of Alberta Canada at this time , The greatest era of motor sports .

[@topcat43truffles15]

Thank You for posting this… So cool to relive a moment in the past, of one of drag racing’s greatest racers. I remember watching Jim race at Englishtown many times… Jim was taken from us long ago…. And now the legendary racetrack Raceway Park is gone too…. But for all of us that enjoyed those experiences, the memories of those people and places will never be forgotten. 👍🏻🍻❤️😎

[@draehnpipe67]

You’re welcome if I stumble upon more I’ll post it on my page!

[@edwardfalcone2466]

First time I went to Englishtown my uncle took me to see jungle Jim , I’ve been hooked on drag racing ever since. Now we go to maple Grove. Thanks for that video 👍

[@draehnpipe67]

That’s awesome man and you’re welcome I’ll try and dig up some more videos

[@erniewebster9144]

Back in the days of the Hawaiian,and Blue Max. The drivers in NHRA are always so great to the fans! The best sport there is!

[@jeffb243]

Very cool seeing this ole drag racing! Listen to that blower squeal on the big end!! No 1,000 foot crap either, full 1/4 mile baby! 1,320 feet of ‘stand on it’!!

[@blaineday8675]

Before everything in the world became so complicated there were no on board computers. You run what you brung and had fun

[@calsurflance5598]

I saw them many times at New England Dragway in N.H.. Once when Jim won the main event he turned the car around in the shut down area and came back up the track doing a wheelie. Always a showman. Yes Pam was the pretty face, but she knew her shit! She was a real member of the team, and did it well!👍

[@willt9172]

You gonna let him drive this thing? Sure! Too Cool!

[@ogcarguy6661]

6.33 at Maple..not bad. good to see Jungle again. the friendliest guy ever

[@kendallevans4079]

Good to see this. Kind of shows how the life really isn't that glamorize or desirable in the long term. Fan's loved Jim but it wasn't as wonderful as they thought.

[@Dilberto88]

Saw Jim at Fremont drags. Silicon Valley loved Jim and Pam

[@CompForever]

I met Jake at Etown in the '70s when I was a kid and got his autograph on a pic of the Craaaazy Jake car he had. Little did I know then that I'd race him a few times 30+ years later in Comp. I showed him that pic that I had. He's a great guy.

[@bbo40]

Remember seeing him at Maple Grove in the early 70's ; I think it was the "Dutch Nationals" ? As a 7-8 year old I totally loved the car with its Cartoon image on the side. I even had a Revell model of the car I built in my room.

[@darrinmoore169]

First time @ Maple Grove was May 77,Dutch Classic,,Crimmins in the blue car ,Ivo,Arne Swenson,Burgin,Segrini,Larson,Glenn,Pulde?

[@scottewell9743]

We always got a kick at the Grove watching the Amish kids up in the trees watching the races! Good times !

[@rgs4x]

The Chevrolet dealership I worked at sponsored Jungle Jim for awhile.

[@Dilberto88]

Was that Briggs Chevrolet?

[@skinyviny1]

Jungle Jim and his cars were the sh&t. Jungle was our local hero in Philly. Atco ,Maple Grove, Cecil county and English Town we would travel . If Jungle and Pam were there so we're myself and my friends

[@scottewell9743]

N 30 York !

[@dougrogers835]

In 1965 when I was 9 years old all I wanted to do is go to drag races, stock car races, and beg my dad for a go cart or a mini bike. Sure I played stick and ball sports on a daily basis, but look out, on my birthday my dad took me to a race track of choice with my buddies. Saturday night was Run What You Brung at the drags, and locals in stock car. If you were lucky, there was a couple of match races in nitro at Miami Hollywood Speedway. I went on to ride and race motorcycles for 40 years since there was no way I could afford cars and loved it. NHRA is Awesome, but not as exciting as it was to this 9 year old boy.

[@carlhanna8429]

Really good video thank you for sharing 👍👍

[@evildead68]

Love me some Jungle Pam!

[@tpf340]

great video find, loved the t-shirt the woman was wearing Swensen and Lani. i remember seeing that car at E-Town many times.

[@darylbauer5184]

Thanks for sharing ! Time sure has crept up on me I remember most of these "old timers " from back in the days of the old Hollywood Drag Strip in Hollywood Fl. All of them were so talented and broke ! How the times and cars have changed , come to think about it so have I ! Thanks !!

[@osceolaassassin3188]

Miss that old track. I bought an 84 Silverado 4x4 from a guy in Pembroke Pines back in 1989. When I drove out from Lauderdale the address took me out by the now gone Miami/Hollywood Drag Strip & The Sporto. The dude told me you can't miss the house there are only three out here. The development is called Silver Lakes. I told him I used to come out here for the races all the time. He said he chose to build on this particular lot because the Christmas Tree used to sit where his mailbox was. Place is out of control down there now.

[@coyotedale]

I believe that is Jake Crimmins driving. I remember hearing that this was after he came back recovering from an accident.

[@draehnpipe67]

Did some research and you are right I got the title changed thanks man I appreciate it!!

[@edstewart7688]

NHRA would do so well if they could only backup time it would bring a lot more Spectators to the events bring back the ground pounding and the halftime shows wheelstanders rocket cars jet cars top fuel Nitro bikes people used to come to enjoy the whole spectrum and man we did bring it back alive

[@stephanripianzi4004]

Was at etown grew up there as a kid - I saw jungle run- cool video brings back memories- my dad won a top fuel dragster meet at etown in 1969- I was 4 and lI remember sitting in his dragster- meet crazy Jake 10 years ago in Epping- he is cool

[@markrowan8153]

I can almost smell the bleach and nitro…

[@olivertoeknuckle4664]

Gawd I miss the burnouts

[@mikemiller7000]

Back when they took their fire suit off between rounds and worked on the car instead of prancing around in their fire suit all day saying “look at me”.

[@sergeantmasson3669]

Is this car at Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum in Ocala FL? If so, we sold it to Jim Liberman in 1974. I drove it to 6.78 at 231.73 mph before selling it to him.

[@rtkl13]

I was just there last year I think it was the Vega

[@sergeantmasson3669]

@@rtkl13 A close friend was there two months ago and the car is still there. She looked the car all over and I had told her to look for certain aspects about it that proves that I/we once owned it. She saw the aspects that I had described.

[@robertpetersen6122]

I remember being able to stand right next to them the good old days

[@kevincarpenter616]

I saw Jake Crimmins race this car at the Winternationals in Pomona in 1976, I think. I was there with my friend Gary Aaronson who was a photographer. The only thing he ever photographed was dragsters. Crimmins was making his run and halfway down the strip the car burst into flames, just as Gary snapped the shutter. "I got it," said Gary. Later that photo appeared in the center section of one of the race car magazines, I don't remember which one. It was a great picture, with Jungle Jim's flaming hair engulfed in nitro flames. Crimmins was unhurt.

[@geraldhugley3618]

Seen all these Legends many times at Firebird Raceway - Emmett, Idaho. In the Early 70s

[@Norse1957]

Awesome video. Thanks for sharing it!

[@nitroeze]

Thank you for this.... Wow, just wow!!

[@erikshen1107]

JUNGLE PAM!!!!!

[@brewsky38c]

The real day of drag racing, sure miss it 😢

[@grigorpetrov8006]

Nobody could hit a light better than Jungle Jim!!

[@DoyleShadduck]

If the truth hurts wear it, unless you like today’s Collectivism/ Communism. Grow a pair!

[@williammiller1732]

Pam was on it the whole time

[@edgarbeers7475]

GREAT video !!!. I have been fortunate to speak with Jake and Pam at various nostalgia events. Jake would have a bad fire in this same car at Pomona '77. He autographed my magazine picture of it. He was running an alcohol funny car in Comp. eliminator up until about 5 or 6 years ago. Believe he held the AA/AM record. Any idea who shot this ? It looks top notch, not some amateur stuff.

[@draehnpipe67]

I honestly have no clue who shot it i wish I could find more video like this tho!

[@edgarbeers7475]

@@draehnpipe67 Actually I had my timeline screwed up. Jake got out of the Comp. car around 2008 and drove nitro nostalgia funny cars after that.

[@Timpscars]

Since you have a bit of insight about Jake, I'm confused, maybe you can help me out. With limited info available, I did find that he drove and had a relationship with Jim. I, however remember him wrenching the Swenson and Lani funny car Up In Smoke. In the video there is a woman wearing a Swenson and Lani t-shirt. I get the connection, but don't remember the connection. Arnie and Jim "team mates"?

[@Wikkus]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing this! Best wishes from Malta :)

[@judyroth-tf9df]

My neighbor Thomas was at the track for the record run I never knew who jungle Jim was

[@davidwiner8571]

Jj. Was always a cool person and was a great driver mechanic builder and such a great person. It's a shame he died way to young

[@vincentlussier8264]

NOW THIS WAS REAL DRAG RACING! Back then in the 1970's the cars they were racing looked like the road production cars! A Vega looked like a Vega.A Mustang looked like a Mustang. A Charger looked like a Charger! Now the car bodies look like square 90 degree angle shit boxes with no shapely features. The cost of running a team has gone up to planet Pluto and the ticket prices are a kings ransome for any family man. They might as well take down half of the grand stands because they're always empty. And why do we need 12,000 horsepower?

[@5t1300]

"How did it feel?" .........Slow"

[@bobo12055]

Very cool video. I'm amazed it isn't raining in Reading.

[@65GasBoy]

He ran a 6.33 and set a track record, now they're running 3.8 seconds @ 330 mph. Crazy

[@danmyers9372]

Modern fuel cars make 3-4 times the horsepower.

[@TheDieselndust]

I clicked for Jungle Pam.

[@patrickdonnell3591]

Cool as dirt

[@TheoneGodfather]

Jeezz, if a run like that didn’t make him smile what did?

[@davidcarper5411]

"He hurt it" Hilarious Yankee Kids

[@richardmountz3865]

And this was back when a mouse could outrun an elephant....... It's great Jim could tune a SBC and make it live a good while..... How far do you think JJ would have made it over the years?

[@waynewilliams8554]

Jim was tired of driving at this point. He wanted to build engines and be the crew chief according to Pam;. Jim would have been a legend to this day !!

[@jameshuban6515]

I'm embarrassed to ask but what brand/model of car was he running. It looked like a Monza with a big block but the distributer / magneto was mounted on front of the motor. I thought maybe a big block Chrysler but the car's nose didn't look like a Mopar. Same with a Ford.

[@tommygambardella9217]

@@jameshuban6515 no

[@jameshuban6515]

@@tommygambardella9217 What kind of car was in this video?

[@tommygambardella9217]

@@jameshuban6515 it's a Monza.

[@davesnothereman7250]

Neat vid. Just a slice of the life.

[@waynejohnson1121]

Cool video ! Do you have anymore footage of jungle Jim ?

[@draehnpipe67]

Thanks man I don’t have any more footage if I run up on any it’ll be posted up on here!

[@waynejohnson1121]

@@draehnpipe67 I'd appreciate it .

[@daviddunn773]

Pam was hot .

[@JohnW1711stock]

Cool stuff.

[@sergeantmasson3669]

Old video. JJL died in 1977 at age 31 while driving his Chevy Corvette on the street.

[@rictech1325]

Great video........ that’s real? And great history of drag racing.. like everything now? It’s commercialized and all about money..

[@iw1149]

Why wasn't Jungle J behind the wheel?

[@groomlake51]

Epic

[@dougf9978]

Maple Grove Drag O Way

[@ramonbauza8461]

Wow what year was this

[@draehnpipe67]

I’m pretty sure it’s 1977 could be 76

[@billlittlejohn2331]

I believe that Jim was killed in 73 but did not know that he let another driver run his car. I'm very surprised at that fact.

[@ronframe387]

1977

[@keithcoleman1729]

Wow, a day in the life.....

[@michaelwalker9394]

Jungle Jim raced funny cars firstly with blown big block Chevs in his early years i think he ran the Hemi drag engines in his later cars thiswas a reason his cars was really good was the stout performances firstly with BB Chevy power and later on with Chrysler Hemis in his funny cars as he got used to the Hemis in his later cars he raced in funny cars in future thises as really goocd cars he raced was really good in the day in his career in funny cars was cut short by his death in TRAFFIC ACCIDENT in 1977 thiswas what i knew on him the funny car racer thiswa the late Jungle Jim he was a drag racing legand in funny cars

[@Petequinn741]

He had beautiful cars.. but the Snake and Raymond Beadle smoke him all the time

[@robertmerk2168]

Jungle the legend. Screw jiggle Pam. She drove him crazy, caused him to wreck and now feels no remorse and profits from his death. Sorry fans, the truth hurts.

[@MsRiccig]

there wearing swenson and lani tees i knew those 2 well

[@brianmathew09]

hmm..no one looked to be having a bit of fun?

[@toomanyhobbies2011]

Cool, the car is the star, not the babe.

[@onazram1]

Was that Pam... It didn't look like her

[@ScottCole-sb8fy]

Good grief these FC's were cool. I'd rather watch these original FC's over today's nostalgia FC's any day. Today's nostalgia FC's have completely morphed into something else ! And modern late model FC's just suck. Period.

[@dennisschell5543]

Broke it... 🤔

[@americanwriter2533]

🤩🇺🇸👍⚖️👁️👁️⚖️🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁

[@chrisbennett3193]

I've never heard of this guy who the hell is he

[@rockyj2008]

Jungle Jim Liberman

[@tedh.8356]

You have to be kidding? do some research!

[@chrisbennett3193]

@@tedh.8356 I know who jungle Jim is, I've met him several times I just don't know who the guy was driving

[@tedh.8356]

@@chrisbennett3193 Jake Crimmins was also very well known, he drove for Jungle and other owners and "He" is whom I was saying do some research on, everybody knew of Jungle Jim and Pam Hardy if they know anything about 70's Drag Racing, Jake was well known also....

[@bigiron8831]

DRAG RACING IS FAR OUT........

[@ScottCole-sb8fy]

Wow ! These cars were so cool. What a burnout !! The cars looked so good. Sounded so nasty. And they were very, very basic compared to todays FC's. Modern FC's suck big time !!!