Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

My home track was called "Brainerd Optimist Drag Strip" and it was located just inside the Georgia side of the Georgia - Tennesse state line, about five miles from Chattanooga, Tennessee. We had weekly super stock and modified class racing through the 1981 season, when NHRA killed modified class. After that, our track went to bracket and heads-up class racing only. It has never been the same and those good times are just a memory. We were located about half way between Nashville and Atlanta and all the big names in this part of the country came by at one time or another. We also had one of the most famous photographers in Southern drag racing, the late Marty Johnson. This group of photos were taken by Marty to put in National Dragster magazine. Most of these photos were of final rounds and don't show nearly all the cars that competed. A friend of mine, who belonged to the Brainerd Optimist Club, which the drag strip was named for, rescued these photos from the trash where someone else had thrown them.

There are some well known drivers here as well as some unknowns. Feel free to ask questions. I was there at most of these races. I've tried to group similar photos together. We'll start off with Sonny Ray driving the Collins & Jones Hemi cars. There's also a photo of him driving the Jerry Hurley SS/DA Cuda.

Wayne Holland.

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Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Sonny Ray's son Chuck Ray drove Sonny's old car, the Pontiac GTO shown in the far lane. This is the same car that David Rampy won the Cajun Nationals with in the early eighties.

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Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Clark Davis was a regular in his SS/LA Chevy II. Clark's biggest near win was a runner-up at the World Finals one year. We had a lot of SS/LA cars.

Charlie Lee Jr. took over the driving from his dad about 1979. His dad, "Cheatin" Charlie Lee, was famous in the South.

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Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

The Cheek and Ross Chevy II was drivien by Floyd Cheek of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Floyd Cheek had a winning career on the national level in IHRA culminating in the IHRA Pro Stock championship in 1997 I believe it was.

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Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Love those old pictures.

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Jim Favors in the Chevy II was one of only a couple of black drivers competing at our track at that time.

The Mustang of Eddie Caheely was one of a very few Fords at our track. Eddie went on to be IHRA super rod champion a few years later.

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Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

The "CHOO CHOO HEMI" SS/CA Plymouth was owned by J.W. Fitzsimmons and driven by his son Charles. I was good friends with the Fitzsimmons and in 1978 Mr. Fitzsimmons aked me to go to Illinois with him to purchase the car. I drove the car hauler up there and brought it back to Chattanooga.

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Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

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Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Robert Nance was a drag racing star in the sixties. His "Mr. Plymouth" cars were famous in the South. This Duster was his last race car before retiring from racing. Robert Nance is driving in the first photo. He sold the car to Jerry Bryant and Jerry is driving in the last two pics.

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Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Thanx' for posting these photos...
Can't get enough of Cotton Perrys Pocket Rocket Chevy.

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

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Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

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Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

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Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

In the 3rd pic, that looks like Everett Hill.


Stephen Johnson #2162
Horace Johnson #2167
SS/D 427 Ford Fairlane NHRA-IHRA

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

It is, I just couldn't remember the name.

Thanks, Wayne.

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Robert Nance was a pioneer in Southern drag racing in the fifties and sixties. His cars, named "Mr. Plymouth" were well known. This super stock Duster was his last race car before retiring in his seventies. The first photo shows him driving, He sold the car to Jerry Bryant and Jerry is driving in the other photos.

The Nice-N-Nasty SS/DA Cuda in the last photo was owned by Wayne Pendagrass. He purchased the car from Gary Ellis of Cleveland, Tennessee. When Gary bought the car it was named the "Mountaineer" and belonged to Eddie Smith I believe.

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Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

WOW!
Great pictures and stories...Many THANKS for sharing.

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Thanks for posting those pictures,
brings back a lot of good memories, from
down there, post all you want of those
old s/s and mod cars, I know there were a lot of them
that came out back in the really good days of racing.

DAVE

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Great pictures!

What's the story behind the name of the track?

1/4 or 1/8?

Thanks,

Jim

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

The Brainerd Optimist Club was a non profit club that did a lot of community service. Brainerd is an out skirt community of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The club started a drag strip in the fifties to get hot rodders off the street and it just went on from there to the present day, they are still running every week, March through Oct. They gave two college scholorships a year from the proceeds from the drag strip.The track was a quarter mile track until 1976 when it changed to an eighth mile.

Wayne.

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

WOW !!!!!
I guess I was lucky to race there every sat. night. I can still remember the day Cotton explained the tree to me and when I should be leaving this was long before react timers I won Heavy bracket that night my first win. This brings back alot of memories !!!!
Man I miss my old 67 GTX won alot with car.


Wayne do you remember this from the tower ? CRANK EM !!!!!!!!!!

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

night racing and modified production with the cooler air,man that must have been awsome racing,and another thing the more i see that Pocket Rocket what a nice car, how durable was the borg/worner t-10 and popin a 3800lb press.plate those days ,the good old days,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Larry,
I dont think they had to much trouble with the trans but it would break valve springs every pass !!!! The Pocket Rocket also had a hand brake Cotton used on the starting line it was really something to see .

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Great to see those old pictures. We sure had the cars at Brainerd. I was there almost every Saturday night. I turned a few bolts on Caheely's Cobra Jet as a kid. My dad usually had a few parts on that car. Those were the days of the "water wagons". I hauled my share of water for several of those guys. I never could get past Jim Headrick without him popping me good with the rag he kept in his back pocket! Those were the days, indeed. I'm sure being there has alot to do with why I'm still hooked on these things today.

Blair Patrick
2425 SS/EA

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Yes Doug, I remember. Here's a pic of you in your "Silver Bullet" Mopar.

Remember the red Dodge truck you took to the Bracket Finals at Gainsville around 1980? Those were the days!

Wayne.

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Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Wayne, Thanks for posting the great photos for us to enjoy. The 70 Cuda, Nice & Nasty was previously owned by Eddie Smith's brother Larry. They don't talk much now.;)

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/k...S53/BODSS7.jpg
Who's on the left? I know Sonny Ray is in middle and Perry on right. And did Roy Johnson drive that Opel at some point?

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

...and div.2 seemed to have all the sportsman superstars of the day. Growing up a div. 7 punk we never had the number of stock, super stock, and modified racers like the east. Instead we were overrun by Bill Doner's parade of nitro circus freakshow events. And bracket racing became the mainstay of regular weekend programs. But I always looked forward to Pomona and Ontario where I could see the "beasts of the east", specifically what I considered the best "3 pedal" racers in the country.

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

That's Allen Gunter who drove Jim Danuel's Opel for the first couple of seasons. And yes, Roy Johnson drove after that, although with a different body.

Wayne.

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Hey MEMORIES do you have any div.2 pts.races 1979to1982. I am looking for some pictures of mike pearson's c/sm #2486 , 79gators,bowling green,warner robins,ga.blaney,sc.orlando,fl.THANKS JAY

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Sorry, I don't. I'll bet Bob Rice does, he'll probably see this question and find a pic or two.

Wayne.

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Wayne,

Did Allen Gunter crash that car and got hurt bad or something like that? I remember most of those cars and drivers. A special time that we will never see again. Thanks for posting the pictures. It brings back alot of good memories.

Steve

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Jay,
I attended a lot of the points meets at Blaney and Suffolk but I don't remember the name. What kind of car was it?
Bob Rice

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Yes, Allen Gunter crashed it but I don't know where or how bad he got hurt. Charles Fitzsimmons, who drove the "Choo Choo Hemi" SS/CA Plymouth, drove the Opel one time at Commerce for Jim Danuel. He told me that was the quickest, best driving car he had been in to that point. Here's a magazine pic with Roy Johnson driving at Indy in 1983. I believe the "Neal" on the side of the car is the same man that Johnny Ferris drove the Plymouth Arrow for. Anybody have a pic of Sonny Ray driving the ex-Glidden, Jerry Hurley Arrow, comp. car?

Wayne.

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Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Hey Bob....Mike and I were very young 17an18 racing C/SM,we towed with a blue 77chevy truck an a white trailer,the car was a 68 camaro white an blue hood,painted car blue an moved to SS/J stick,set two records,I know you have seen mikes car,today it is red,white,blue(QMI) on the door

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Wayne,
Will this work?
Bob Rice

http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/w...367988_ray.jpg

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

I'll see what I can find.
Bob

Re: Nostalgic Photos From B.O.D. 1979 - 1981
 

Horace,

Didn't Sonny bracket race that convertible at Green Valley a bunch of times?

I remember seeing it there back when we all raced there: Ed and Cleo, Johnny Coefield, David Rampy, Fly, lots of others and my white '64 max wedge plymouth.

Jim Rountree
1964 b/sa