Thanks, Jim....
I was 23 in 1961...
I'd gone to the Oklahoma City NHRA Nationals in 1957 and '58; skipped the Detroit race in '59 and '60, but went to Indy in '61 and '62.
It was a little different than what we have, now...
No Christmas Tree, Handicap Starts, Breakouts, Dial-ins, Indexes, Contingency awards, Fuelers, Funny Cars, Pro Stockers, Motorcycles of any kind, Pro Mods, Alcohol Dragsters or Alky Funny Cars, Two-steps, Delay boxes, Radial slicks, '.90 cars of any kind, TV coverage, Major brand sponsorships, Multi-car teams ala Force's current stable, 1,000-foot racing for fast cars, Reversers in dragsters, 60-foot traps, Slicks on Stockers, "THE COUNTDOWN," (gag!), Eighteen Wheeler semi-trailer car haulers, Fuel injected Stockers, Lencos, Burst panels on supercharger manifolds, Jet track dryers, Reaction times, Wheelie bars on Stockers, Fines for oiling down the track, Insurance payments to cover Pro racers (there were none) attached to Sportsman entry fees,.... and, the list goes on....
What we DID have, was 1,200 race cars entered, and EVERY RACEwas a heads-up race!!!
You have no idea how that ENHANCES a drag race!!!
'nuff sed.