Funny Car Summer, No Volkswagens!

[ESH]

I noticed the other night whilst watching Funny Car Summer that in one of the scenes shot at OCIR there's a question asked of a spectator as to what they liked best and I'm pretty sure their answer's something along the lines of " the Volkswagens, but they're not here ".

 

[Neil Davies]

Mat, you need to watch Hot Rod - the Mean Machine Ghia is in the background of one shot... 

[Sarge]

Nice pic, Matt...that brings back the memories.  Those American spindle mounts are the shit!

[ESH]

... Mat, you need to watch Hot Rod - the Mean Machine Ghia is in the background of one shot ...

Damn things get everywhere! 

... that brings back the memories ... those American spindle mounts are the shit ...

The whole damn car's the shit! Not wishing to detract too much from technological advancement but the old stuff looks so much better than those blobs they have now.

 

[speedwell]

here's jungle jim at ocir 

[speedwell]

as you said mat those funny car looks much better than the one we see today

[Lee.C]

Where's "Jungle Pam"

[speedwell]

mmmmmmmmmmm jungle "big boops"pam 

[team97]

Those were the days. I spent my childhood at Lions Dragstrip, Old Irwindale (home of the original In and Out Burger) and OCIR. My dad ran an Injected nitro funny car back then and the memories of the cars and people from that era will never leave me. That was a great time. Being twelve years old and having Miss Hurst, Linda Vaughn at your house for dinner! WOW! I even remember the Volkswagens, mostly the Durachrome Bug.

[danny gabbard]

WOW! you remember that far back.

[speedwell]

Those were the days. I spent my childhood at Lions Dragstrip, Old Irwindale (home of the original In and Out Burger) and OCIR. My dad ran an Injected nitro funny car back then and the memories of the cars and people from that era will never leave me. That was a great time. Being twelve years old and having Miss Hurst, Linda Vaughn at your house for dinner! WOW! I even remember the Volkswagens, mostly the Durachrome Bug.

glenn no picture of your dad's car

[Rune]

Some mean machines and crazy guys back then. To bad the M&H slicks don't have the big RACEMASTER lettering anymore btw, that looks bad ass..

[speedwell]

i don't remember having seen a drag racing night session  with vw , the only one i know it's the last drag race at lions dragstrip in dec 72
and just found on my archives some night session at irwindale

[ESH]

... just found on my archives some night session at irwindale ...

There are some cool shots in that article. 

... Some mean machines and crazy guys back then ...

For sure!











 

[team97]

Those were the days. I spent my childhood at Lions Dragstrip, Old Irwindale (home of the original In and Out Burger) and OCIR. My dad ran an Injected nitro funny car back then and the memories of the cars and people from that era will never leave me. That was a great time. Being twelve years old and having Miss Hurst, Linda Vaughn at your house for dinner! WOW! I even remember the Volkswagens, mostly the Durachrome Bug.

glenn no picture of your dad's car

Here's one

[ESH]

Those were the days. I spent my childhood at Lions Dragstrip, Old Irwindale (home of the original In and Out Burger) and OCIR. My dad ran an Injected nitro funny car back then and the memories of the cars and people from that era will never leave me. That was a great time. Being twelve years old and having Miss Hurst, Linda Vaughn at your house for dinner! WOW! I even remember the Volkswagens, mostly the Durachrome Bug.

It sure looks like a good time to have experienced the drags, how many years was your dad racing? 

[Tony M]

Growing up in OC - went many nights to OCIR - late 60's till mid 70's - Night's of fire - wheel standers - bad a.. pictures - brings back great times 

[team97]

Those were the days. I spent my childhood at Lions Dragstrip, Old Irwindale (home of the original In and Out Burger) and OCIR. My dad ran an Injected nitro funny car back then and the memories of the cars and people from that era will never leave me. That was a great time. Being twelve years old and having Miss Hurst, Linda Vaughn at your house for dinner! WOW! I even remember the Volkswagens, mostly the Durachrome Bug.

It sure looks like a good time to have experienced the drags, how many years was your dad racing? 

Raced his own cars from the 50's to the mid Seventies, he bought his last funny car from Mert Littlefield / Sublett (ex-Air Force sponcered Vega). He is still active in racing with the NHRA and travels to most all the races. He hangs out with a bunch of guys from So. Cal. (Maddern Racing) It's the Peen Rite sponcered Top Alchohol Dragster with Chris Demke driving. Check out some of their videos on You Tube under CDemke or Peen Rite Top Alchohol Dragster. Last winter (Winternationals) we got Schwimmer and the Fastbrit to come out and visit us at the track. Remember Cory Mclanethan got his start racing VWs!

Oh ya, it still is a great time

Glenn

Glenn

[ESH]

[ESH]

[ESH]

Growing up in OC - went many nights to OCIR - late 60's till mid 70's - Night's of fire - wheel standers - bad a.. pictures - brings back great times  

Raced his own cars from the 50's to the mid Seventies, he bought his last funny car from Mert Littlefield / Sublett (ex-Air Force sponcered Vega). He is still active in racing with the NHRA and travels to most all the races. He hangs out with a bunch of guys from So. Cal. (Maddern Racing) It's the Peen Rite sponcered Top Alchohol Dragster with Chris Demke driving. Check out some of their videos on You Tube under CDemke or Peen Rite Top Alchohol Dragster. Last winter (Winternationals) we got Schwimmer and the Fastbrit to come out and visit us at the track. Remember Cory Mclanethan got his start racing VWs!

Oh ya, it still is a great time

Glenn

Glenn

Five decades trackside is quite something, he's pretty much seen the entire history of drag racing! Progress is never a bad thing but to soemone that wasn't there there's something to be said for the way it was. I suppose if you lived it then it's just progress, if you just missed out it's something you'll always wonder about. Funny Car Summer came out in '74 I think and at the time I was 2 and in the film there is a world within which there are elements I can relate to but being just too young and on a different continent there's also that which is distant and I suppose 'exotic'. I also have spent a lot of time looking into the World Sportscar and Can Am stuff probably for the same reason. I'd be the first to say that this era is amazing for so many reasons, look into our own scene and cars like the Red Baron and that much is obvious as it is when you consider side-by-side '4s' are the norm at the top end of the sport but there's something about a vintage 200mph funny car or one of those old Volkswagens...

I'll check out Maddern Racing.  

[John Rayburn]

Growing up in OC - went many nights to OCIR - late 60's till mid 70's - Night's of fire - wheel standers - bad a.. pictures - brings back great times  

Raced his own cars from the 50's to the mid Seventies, he bought his last funny car from Mert Littlefield / Sublett (ex-Air Force sponcered Vega). He is still active in racing with the NHRA and travels to most all the races. He hangs out with a bunch of guys from So. Cal. (Maddern Racing) It's the Peen Rite sponcered Top Alchohol Dragster with Chris Demke driving. Check out some of their videos on You Tube under CDemke or Peen Rite Top Alchohol Dragster. Last winter (Winternationals) we got Schwimmer and the Fastbrit to come out and visit us at the track. Remember Cory Mclanethan got his start racing VWs!

Oh ya, it still is a great time

Glenn

Glenn

Five decades trackside is quite something, he's pretty much seen the entire history of drag racing! Progress is never a bad thing but to soemone that wasn't there there's something to be said for the way it was. I suppose if you lived it then it's just progress, if you just missed out it's something you'll always wonder about. Funny Car Summer came out in '74 I think and at the time I was 2 and in the film there is a world within which there are elements I can relate to but being just too young and on a different continent there's also that which is distant and I suppose 'exotic'. I also have spent a lot of time looking into the World Sportscar and Can Am stuff probably for the same reason. I'd be the first to say that this era is amazing for so many reasons, look into our own scene and cars like the Red Baron and that much is obvious as it is when you consider side-by-side '4s' are the norm at the top end of the sport but there's something about a vintage 200mph funny car or one of those old Volkswagens...

I'll check out Maddern Racing.  

                                           I'll second that! The old funny cars had a soul. The new ones are just out of a vending machine with different colors and stickers.

[ESH]

I'll second that! The old funny cars had a soul. The new ones are just out of a vending machine with different colors and stickers.

Queue some scratchy 70s Funny Car footage with Black Dog as the soundtrack. 

[Neil Davies]

I'm looking forward to seeing some of the new Nostalgia F/Cs - my only fear is that they turn into just a crappy version of the normal ones, similar to the Nostalgia Fuel Altered Association over here. IMHO, that class had so much promise, but has been let down by some really ugly cars. Technically they are superb and definately run the numbers, but I think the paint jobs and to a large extent the bodyshells used are horrendous. Really only the Havoc (Nick Davies and Rob Loaring from ICE) car looks like it should. A couple of the Topolinos are ok (Matt Wright's especially) but not Nostalgia cars - just funny cars with an altered shell.

[speedwell]

great thread mat after vw 70's funny car is my favorite subject

[speedwell]

 

[speedwell]

 

[ESH]

... I'm looking forward to seeing some of the new Nostalgia F/Cs ... similar to the Nostalgia Fuel Altered Association over here. IMHO, that class had so much promise, but has been let down ...

With the NFAA some of the cars are better than others for sure, it'll be interesting to see how the Nostalgia F/Cs work out. Cool idea, let's hope they can sustain a good field.

... after vw 70's funny car is my favorite subject ...

There is something about them!

[ESH]

[danny gabbard]

cool pictures thanks for posting