Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed Wright
Tulsa went AHRA for a while. I never could slow my car down enough to run with that deal. Never saw so many cars with no front bumpers. Tulsa scedualed a National event with them. I ran off my own record in NHRA back then. I decided I would just set the AHRA record where I needed it at that race. Their tech guy, Vance Brady about had a stroke when I went down for the rear down. Told me I "was not going to screw our guys over like that". His whole little bald head turned red. And, said that if I was not happy running off the record as it was, to just take my ***** somewhere else to race. I was just going to knock it down 1.10 seconds. Slowest bunch of cars I had ever seen. Only good AHRA car I remember was Alan Patterson's '55. Very nice car.
Some of us used to call it the Arkansas Hillbilly Racing Association.
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I only knew people mostly from California - I ran AHRA because we had Irwindale, Orange County, Long beach and Bee line. I only ran stock a couple of times and never took off the bumper but I guess I did not because I had a new car ('69 Z28). I do remember a little of the snipping from NHRA guys but to tell you the truth there were not that many in So Cal. I was hitting National events in a Pro car in GT3. I do remember Sox + Martin, Rod Shop, Bill Hielscher, Golden Commandos, Wally Booth, Gary Kimble (Kimble Brothers Chevrolet), Ram Chargers, Kevin Rotty, Dick Harrel (Fred Gibb Chevrolet) - the list goes on - none of them were junk. Seems I also remember Wheatly Brothers (from upstate NY) made a movie called "Two Lane Blacktop" - oh and Granny Goose (Hiner and Miller) both of those cars were NHRA competitors - man this is dredging up some old old memories - 45 to 50 years ago. Of course most of you are to young to remember most of those guys. Thank you for stiring the embers. BTW the pay outs were the same or better than NHRA and the contingencies were just as good. It is America and everyone is entitled to their opinion.