The Christmas Tree and Top Fuel: How the 1963 Season Changed Drag Racing Forever

The 1963 drag racing season changed the sport forever. The Christmas Tree was invented and used for the first time at the NHRA US Nationals and Top Fuel was run for the first time as an NHRA class. The Christmas Tree was a game changer and is still used today. Top fuel was then and is now the most gnarly collection of acceleration machines on planet Earth.
This look back 60 years takes you to the people and the machines with vintage photos and video footage that puts you on the spot where indelible drag racing history is being made. This is truly a trip through time!

[@jamescopeland9147]

Really liking your videos. I graduated High School in 1971. I was a street racer during that time with occasional trips to Gainesville Fl to run on Saturday nights bracket racing. So I'm getting a lot of flash backs watching your videos. Thank you for the history.

[@robertdean6084]

Brian, you are a natural commentator! I could easily see you narating NHRA on TV.

[@user-eq8rw8rs8t]

I absolutely love your inclusion of old videos, interviews, and pictures. I don’t think anyone is doing as much to keep the history of drag racing alive as you are.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you watching and caring about the history of drag racing.

[@codyalbright4137]

Once again me and my boy are stoked for your video man my 11 year old son just eats this up man he loves that it's the same voice as nhra announcement he just loves it

[@brianlohnes3079]

This makes me really happy!

[@Adam-nv9zo]

I always learn something from these videos. My love of drag racing just gets bigger and bigger with the more history I know about it. Thank you for all the informative content. Great video, as always 👏 👏 👏

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thanks for watching!!

[@Airsally]

Now cali doesn’t even want gasoline to be used. Love your drag racing history lesson.

[@DonoldMcPeterson]

I can't get enough of all this old school history. I love it

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you!

[@TinSoldierRacecars]

Best channel on KZbin! Love hearing all the history. Thank you for taking the time to do this!

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you for watching it!!

[@sw653j]

Another great video, thanks for sending me here. I remember as a kid the protest signs...Gas is for washing parts...Nitro for racing...

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you for watching it!

[@oaktadopbok665]

Those trophies would kill you if they fell over on you! Fascinating content and stories. 1963 I was 10 years old and first started following drag racing. . wonderful memories of most of these cars and drivers. Thanks for your excellent reporting.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you for watching!

[@dantuttle2050]

Great history lesson. As a kid growing up at the tracks in the LA area I got to watch a lot of the history of the sport happen. I had never heard the story of just how the Nitro Ban came about and when you think about the track managers from the tracks you mentioned, it's not too hard to fill in the blanks. Names like Thompson, Hart, Baney and Rackemann come to mind. As the WinterNationals for 1963 went, that wound up being the only National Event my dad, Don Tuttle, won as a driver. He won class for B/Fuel dragsters, of which there we four. Winning over future Top Fuel team owner J.E.Kristek.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Awesome personal history!!!

[@mikepaul3959]

Thanks for these great videos!

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thanks for watching them!!

[@tomstiel7576]

Your work is AWESOME,,,I grew up in this sport and made a pretty good living at it,,,my first trip to Indy was in 71,,,still in high school,,,you bring back some good memories I had forgotten about so many moons ago. Thank You

[@brianlohnes3079]

Fantastic to hear this and thank you for watching

[@jamesr.epstein]

Excellent Brian. I was at the 63" winternational. I took pictures of Don and Kaletta with my Brownie Hawkeye. I have since 50+ years later got then to sign those pictures . 50+ years later gotrgot them to sign those photos. Very nice people . Again thanks Brian.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Amazing story!

[@iowa_don]

6:05 - I fondly remember Loper's "Lil Hoss" 1948 Ford Anglia at the drag strips in Arizona.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Famous for sure! Thus Willys had the name “Old Hoss”. Pretty fun stuff.

[@Bbbbad724]

Thanks Brian for the great job in pulling this obscure film together. I really enjoy these looks in to our history.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thanks for checking them out?

[@brianlohnes3079]

Out!

[@Bbbbad724]

@@brianlohnes3079 I learn more about the early years of drag racing from these videos! I used to race in brackets with a 410 FE and 4 speed in a 68 Mustang. A 410 with 12:1 compression and 64 Galaxie heads with 2.09,1.6 valves was a blast. They quit flagging in 63. wow. I am 63 now and that doesn’t seem that long ago. I mostly street raced.

[@Bbbbad724]

@@brianlohnes3079 ❤️

[@proracer382d]

Keep up the great work my friend.. what you are doing for the sport does not go un noticed.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you!

[@ronmerkle3696]

great stories! I have 3 winter nationals record albums from NHRA from 1963.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Radical!!

[@boblill8476]

Lol ! Your comment had me jumping up to make sure that my wife hadn’t thrown away my “ Audio Fidelity “ copy of the 1964 Pomona Winternationals . Yeah , it was safe . Growing up this was my family’s FIRST stereo album . My Dad had built our first stereo system in the attic (“ ham shack”) . He put the the speakers at each end and let let it wail . My Mom was always banging on the door and yelling to “ stop racing those cars up there “. Fond memories 😎 Funny , it lists Top Fuel eliminator but nowhere on the back cover is the word nitro . Hhmmm , now I’ve got to get me a record player 😂 .

[@shafferjoe1962]

Brian, my uncle Ray Sargent was one of the original 12 men who started Great Bend race track. Yes, he is still alive. I hope that one day you will do a story on that track and the people who had the dream of building a race track. Plus the history of the track, being a training ground for the B-29 and the cool momentum they built to honor those who served. God bless you brother...

[@brianlohnes3079]

Incredible!!

[@kh40yr]

One? of The Hydrazine motors during the ban, hit 200mph in practice. I remember reading about it and Garlits talking about it. I liked how you worked in the Christmas Tree. Thanks Brian. Happy Holidays. Keep up the unique stories.

[@brianlohnes3079]

It has been claimed that Karamesines had it in the tank for his supposed 200mph run at Alton Illinois in 1960!

[@kh40yr]

That's the one. Thank you. There is a 1960's photo that I grabbed in 2010 that shows a pic of an exploded Hydrazine mill. Just a crank, rods and pistons laying between the rails. It was a screensaver for a bit. The original 'KABLOOEY". @@brianlohnes3079

[@topfuell1]

THANKS FOR THIS. so my dads car is the first winner of the top class in NHRA in 1963 using the christmas tree. My dad has great stories of this race and how he planned and worked to get in Don Garlits head, weather it worked or not. THANK YOUR FOR THIS AND THE MENTION OF MY DADS NAME. a great documentary.

[@brianlohnes3079]

One of the great wins, ever!!!

[@mcraceworks]

Cool to see the start of handicap bracket racing. Is certainly the heart of sportsman drag racing. Great fuel information. Good thing those old reals exist

[@brianlohnes3079]

Indeed and glad you liked it!

[@mikecurtis2585]

These videos are always fun! Keep them coming! Have a Merry Christmas 🎄🎁

[@brianlohnes3079]

You too!!

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Great vid!!!!!! 🏁🏁

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you!!

[@MachineintheMonkey]

Smokin the tyres through the traps and wrapping your legs around things that go bang! I love the slingshots… great video mate👍

[@papasmodelcarroom8450]

Just watched 5 of your videos in a row. WOW!!!! Love your videos, learn sooooooo much. Keep them coming 😮😮😮

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you!!!

[@RexCars1]

Another Great Flashback... Well Done Brian.. Always look forward to these.. Please keep them coming

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thanks for watching!!

[@qibble455]

Great stuff:D lol poor Wally.

[@TillrockART]

I love this stuff Brian! Oh, and you should use a Dave McClelland style microphone, standing! :)

[@brianlohnes3079]

Fun fact: I announce ever race standing. Have since my first test and tune night and do them all this way, TV and all today.

[@joshjones3408]

At 8:34 that literally looks like a mail box one of those orange ones they used to put the paper in

[@brianlohnes3079]

That’s because…it is!!!

[@oldrustycars]

With all the nostalgia drag racing we now have I'm surprised someone hasn't made a duplicate of a Chrondek Timers tree.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Great point!!

[@markmonroe7330]

Excellent presentation. I really enjoyed it. Thank you.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thanks for watching it!

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

Damn Brian, I’ve only seen you on TV and hear you on NHRA’s KZbin channel. Shame on me for not knowing you have a KZbin channel and make content like this. Subbed! Awesome video, Brian! Hope you’re having a good off-season!

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thanks for checking it out!!!

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

@@brianlohnes3079 of course!

[@RandallSoong-pp7ih]

Awesome. Thank you!

[@jameseastwood4984]

Always great content and great delivery from Brain Lohnes.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Sincere thank you!

[@markmonroe7330]

On a side note, what is really interesting is that fairly normal street cars and trucks are running in the 8-9's now. Tesla Plaids, a sedan with 4-doors and room for a family, will run low 9's at around 150-152 with normal street tires and no burnout needed. Watched Cleetus last night in his blue F150 4-wheel drive, a normal street truck with AC and all the comforts, run in the mid 9's with street tires and 22" rims after driving over with no prep. Used to be that a 10-second street car was an unreal monster but not today.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Insane, right? Boost for the masses!

[@partsdinosaur_retired]

Thanks for another great show with super content, Brian !

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you for watching!

[@raykaufman7156]

Hmmm... Garlits ran a wedge when he had to burn gas at Indy. Never knew that until I saw your photos. Another great history lesson, Brian. 👍😋

[@brianlohnes3079]

Dodge made him stuff the wedge in it as they were no longer producing the 392 hemi! Kind of a fun fact and a good eye to notice!

[@raykaufman7156]

@@brianlohnes3079 Ahh the roller coaster of factory sponsorship....

[@Markcigar1]

Fantastic! Thanks

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank YOU for watching

[@roberthevern6169]

Great post, Brian!

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you!!

[@YeahJustMe]

Loving these episodes. It's interesting how the "Fuel Ban" was started by the West Coast tracks...and, when NHRA went back to fuel, it was on the West Coast. Fans love fuel; fans = money and money, as they say, talks. I have an old Hot Rod publication which implies that Wally Parks was largely responsible for the ban, interesting because of the HRM/NHRA relationship; and as you demonstrated, neither Parks or NHRA were really the origins. Wally, however, seemed to take responsibility for it; he was certainly defensive enough about it. If you are taking suggestions for the future: I would love to see an episode on some of the early chassis builders like Scotty Fenn, Frank Huszar, Logghe Stamping, etc. Scotty Fenn probably deserves his own episode if you could find enough stuff, lol. Some of the early "lightweight dragster" drivers like the legendary Sneaky Pete Robinson; Bob Noice, and so on. Fran Hernandez and the so-called "first ever organized drag race". The death of Modified Eliminator. The Arfons brothers and other non-automotive engined stuff (you've done a superlative job covering the whole Turbonique saga, by the way.) The Chrismans. Alternative fuel engines such as the SOHC Ford, the McGee, etc. About 2000 other topics come to mind :)

[@brianlohnes3079]

The ideas here are brilliant and the topics endless!

[@bettywoods2507]

Awesome work brian this stuff is so kool keep it comming happy Holidays to u and yours❤

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you Betty!

[@bendershome4discountorphan859]

Shout out to all those old strips like rocky mountain raceway those old runways

[@uberdang830]

Running low 8s with 700 feet of burn out.

[@ridgerunnerperformance-jas5418]

Great stuff

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you for watching!

[@ridgerunnerperformance-jas5418]

Very impressive to have this post only a few days after PRI. You was a busy man up there. Thanks for all your hard work.

[@the4x4pig]

Your content lately is $$$$. Love it. Keep up the great work!

[@brianlohnes3079]

Thank you!

[@johnwingate4965]

@8:26- Is that scoop an actual newspaper box like what used to be hung on mail box posts?

[@benpeirce2531]

You left out or forgot about Bakersfield's March Meet in 63. They were wide open about there fuel. They had a bigger crowd and payed out more money. NHRA was scared to death of the Outlaw tracks and events.

[@brianbarry6909]

Ok who through the shrit in the air during Dons interveiw 😅😊

[@stealinghubcaps]

awesome content! thank you! How about some more Dork O Motive podcasts!

[@brianlohnes3079]

Working on it! I am a one man band.

[@r.maxwell233]

I believe they were called M&H Race master's. The only game in the town of Drag Slick's. Not much traction proved by all that tire smoke. This was before burn outs to heat the tires. Tire tech eventually evolved into the tires of today, thank God & Goodyear...

[@myretirementlife8731]

Was that Cecil County dragway in Maryland on Garlits's car at the end?

[@brianlohnes3079]

It was, but strangely it was not Garlits’ car, while it kind of was. Thus was the “Brief Encounter” dragster of Biddy Winward and Bob Cassidy that he just built. The agreement was that he would build it and he got to drive it at Indy!

[@myretirementlife8731]

@@brianlohnes3079 Ah, ok, that makes sense because Biddy Winward was from that area, south eastern Pennsylvania if I'm not mistaken, which is close to Cecil County MD. When I was in that area I raced at Maple Grove and Cecil County, not that far apart.

[@ThomasDeLello]

That is Dave McClelland at 17:37 with the flat top hair cut.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Heck yes it is!

[@oldrustycars]

Phil Hobbs had a memorable US Nationals in 1984 as I recall. I think it was decided it was not because his wingless design, he was in trouble as he left the line.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Shot over the guardrail! Was a terrifying crazy

[@yafois988]

Can't imagine the COUNTLESS news paper sales of the cars which had these 392's in them, the deals , LIES, stolen cars etc that DID Occur . So they magically showed up in another car the strip. LOL, Ya, it is WELL known and realized on this aspect.

[@roberthevern6169]

What motor was 'Big' running? A 413??

[@brianlohnes3079]

At the behest of Dodge, yes. A 413 wedge

[@jeffhall8282]

can not believe how bad the smog was back then, Looking down the dragstrip at Pomona is a tell tail sign. We have come a long way to cleaning it up, but I don't think electrification is the answer.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Agree on all accounts here!

[@jamestone265]

Nitromethane was a printers ink solvent!

[@AndyFromBeaverton]

0:42. I had to CC this because I thought you said 'the punk ass only rule'.

[@keithcargill8428]

I love the stories about guys hating the tree so much, theyd run it over. Talk about killing tree lol😂

[@brianlohnes3079]

Crazy for modern times right!?

[@keithcargill8428]

It is when you think about how popular a flashlight start has gotten again. Drag racing has honestly done a 360 when you think about it. Main difference is the cars are crazy fast now. One of my favorite sayings, history always repeats itself.

[@jeffhall8282]

looks like Garlit's was running a big block Mopar, not a hemi at Indy, maybe they did better on gas and the hemi did better on nitro.

[@c.r.parish5908]

Someone mentioned Dodge made him do it because the 392 was out of production.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Dodge made him run the wedge before the Gen 2 Hemi came out

[@mikebaker9574]

I'm glad you noticed that because I was going to make the same statement. My other statement is Brian is doing fantastic with the videos and his research into drag racing history!

[@iacono1987]

When did top fuel start leavening the line hard, and not just smoking the tires? Also, what caused this? Did tire’s finally catch up, or did the drivers/mechanics figure it out?

[@brianlohnes3079]

With the advent of wrinkle wall slicks and slipper clutches the tires stopped smoking…but the clutches started exploding. More to come on this subject this winter!

[@roberthevern6169]

Looking forward to your posts about clutch development!!

[@c.r.parish5908]

Clutch slipping or tire spinning increases wheel speed. Cars were fastest at 85-95% traction.

[@iacono1987]

@@brianlohnes3079 looking forward to that. Thanks!

[@WAYUPDUDE1382]

🏁🏁🏁🏁

[@ldnwholesale8552]

2083 will be a 60 foot race with engines yet to be invented.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Haha - probably right

[@_JamesBrown]

Ironic California was all about nitro

[@brianlohnes3079]

Not ironic, just sixty years ago.

[@dale5898]

Is it Don Garlits or Robert DeNiro? Twins?

[@bobroberts2371]

I'll post here so some eyes see it Famous Vulcan Shuttle Rocket Car found since 40 years Ky Michaelson

[@jasonstinson1767]

Algorithm engaging comment

[@brianlohnes3079]

Haha - thanks Jason!!

[@davidstephenson7251]

Faster the speed safety must keep up

[@daryllect6659]

18:19 WAIT! What?

[@chassisresearchkid]

What?

[@sczuylevch13]

Chrysler heads on a Pontiac block, most likely

[@daryllect6659]

@@sczuylevch13 Yeah, uh huh. Sure. As if that's even possible.

[@brianlohnes3079]

Mickey Thompson made hemi heads for Pontiacs and also for FE Fords. That car won the 1962 nationals in top fuel.

[@daryllect6659]

@@brianlohnes3079 Ah HA! That explains it! Very interesting. Thanks!

[@DIARRHEA-PANIC]

None of this would have happened if it wasn't for my Grandpa and a few of his buddies Snatching up fuel barrels from the air force in the early 50's. They would take them to the Wendover motel, set them in the sun and then scoop the alcohol dilution off the top... they'd be left with about 92% nitro for Lakes runs 😊 Drag racing always copied the lakes guys

[@vintagetractorsaustralia]

What did the airforce use nitro for?

[@joelboeve8493]

@@vintagetractorsaustraliaprobably airplanes

[@brianlohnes3079]

Ummmm, drag racing was formed by “the lakes guys” there was no such thing as a drag racer until the lakes guys started drag racing. It wasn’t copying, it was the same guys!

[@gteefxr3094]

Yep, Old Grampy was the one who started it all.

[@gteefxr3094]

😃

[@joshuagibson2520]

I miss the good ole days before everything became so coorporate \ money driven and before all the poousey's took over.