Items allowed by NHRA over the years
 

Talking with other guys recently, we compared what we could remember about how it started. My first race when I was 15 in 1958, we drove to the race at an airport. 6 Classes s/s, a thru e. Win class, run eliminator. The cars we ran that day, a 57 Bel Air 283 270 hp ran low to mid 14's. The other car was a 58 Impala 280 hp ran high 14. No scales at all, remove the spare, jack, trunk mat, floor mats, and take the air cleaner off. Somebody had to listen for the times on a bad pa system. Traction Masters(pre cursor to Cal Tracs) were allowed, pump gas (Super Shell and Amoco White), street tires of course, stock exhaust. Basically dead stock. Soon exhaust cut outs. Then as it went on, headers, but let the exhaust hang down by one bolt on the collector. I think the 62 Mopar had the first cast iron headers, around 59 or 60 Atlas Bucrons, work well, lasted about a week, 4 in wide. Then 7 in tires and recapped slicks, tow bar, take the shaft out and tow it. Then towing hubs, then some trailer that today you would not use. Along the way, aftermarket brakes, 9 in tires, and tons of other stuff. Add yours here and see who has the best memory.

Re: Items allowed by NHRA over the years
 

When the cam rule changed to allow the "square" lobes. Howard Stanfield [Greg's Dad] showed me one shortly after they became available. I said, "wow, that has got to be hard on lifters"

Re: Items allowed by NHRA over the years
 

flat towed to indy with tow hubs steve burns came to me at the winter nationals and said what would think if some one made a race gas nhra would except that would be better than white pump. I said yes how much? about a dollar a gal. I said no . white pump was 39.9 a gal and 280 Sunoco was about the same if you could brake the seal. being a big guy I went to Jack hart and farmer and said why not weigh the car with the driver in wouldn't it save time at the scales they said how much should we add for the driver I said national aveage for a man is 170. that is how that number came about. I have had a lot of good times racing took my wife of 50 years last week on our firsr date to the drags was talking racing the whole nite she should have figured it out but didn't Won my class in 1963 winter nationals tore down got out at 3 am towed home with a rope no racing sunday.

Re: Items allowed by NHRA over the years
 

Bob,

Maybe you contact NHRA again and get the driver weight adjusted for us full figured guys?????????????????

Bob

Re: Items allowed by NHRA over the years
 

Yeah, I started out Towing my '69 GTO to the tracks with a '68 4-door Caddy. It had a 472 engine with plenty of power for towing and a huge trunk for tools and stuff.

Two tracks we ran, still had a flagman--no lights or timers. And the tracks were airstrips that were still in use. When a plane needed to land, they would buzz us and we would clear the track til the plane parked, then go back to racing.

In '73 we had to run hard street legal tires. I ran M&H tires, but they were hard street tires.

Then in '74 they allowed some street legal slicks with a couple of grooves in 'em. They were similar to the drag radials they have today. They knocked a half sec off my ET instantly.

Then in '75 we could run headers and 9" slicks. All this took place in north Louisiana. Don't know what they were doing anywhere else.

Then in '76 and '77 most of the smaller tracks in this area switched to bracket racing.

Re: Items allowed by NHRA over the years
 

How about when we had to use 7" slicks they would put a measuring tape on them make sure only 7". We had to put the car on jack stands as the wheel is spinning using a body file and trim the tire down to make sure 7". Kinda dangerous when you think back on it but that was low on the dangerous scale of a lot of things we did back then! Hey that would be a good Post "wild and woolly things we did to drag race!

Re: Items allowed by NHRA over the years
 

I remember we would use the line lock and "spin" start the car. That lasted until someone left divits on the line. Finally Marv Ripes got many around here to use a "Stall" converter.

Re: Items allowed by NHRA over the years
 

Original Class wt breaks was an interesting story. Some went to .5 lb because neighbors or friends didn't want to be in same classes. then it went to even lb and you couldn't add or subtract wt. Shipping wt was it....Everyone used certain bodies to make class better. Bus coupe, 9 pass wagons, Sedan delivery. Sure there were special fords and Pontiacs . Allowing wt adjustment to top of class and weighing with driver were two REAL improvements. 170 lb driver wt is unrealistic today...Needs to be 190-200. Still being able to adjust car makes up for this.

Ball joint lift kits were dangerous Had one A arm tearing at a bolt hole and luckily noticed car leaning in time to replace it not the whole car.
Only new cars in Stock and moving all old to SS was a hard rule. Now the old cars can return but costs and newer tech makes it unlikely.

Teching in the lanes AFTER parking in the pits is Great. I sat in line in the entrance to Indy my first year for one night, next day and second night to get to tech in round track.

Re: Items allowed by NHRA over the years
 

The car was weighed without the driver and with 5 gals of gas.

We set a record and were asked to drain the fuel tank after the backup run. The car was not much over the shipping wt. More than 5 gals came out so the back up run was disallowed.

We added a spare tire but time ran out and we did not get that record that day.

The driver on both runs was probably over 200lbs....

Many rules from the past really needed changing....that was one...

And the 7" tire rule was dangerous.....and definitely needed changing well before bigger tires were allowed.

Big Block Stockers were running 120mph on 7" tires with narrow rims....

Re: Items allowed by NHRA over the years
 

Recent stuff is light seats and roller rockers, just when did NHRA create SS from Stock. And the removed back seats, are outside mirrors required? I think that has gone. Way back even seat belts weren't needed let alone a helmet. There are ton's of things. I see memories are being taxed. Please post your bit of history.