Re: Street Racing in the 60's & 70's - Tell them your s
[Re: HYPER8oSoNic]
#506119
11/22/09 09:40 PM
11/22/09 09:40 PM
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,732 Watertown, WI
MikeyT
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Quote:
That was a heck of a race with a lot of loot. Both cars were running, you figure 11 sec. flat or better. Great run!. Actually, in my previous post I mentioned about the 69' Runner and the 68' Camaro at Nassau Exp. in Queens. I misinformed the posting and will correctly recall the event at RT 440 (West Shore Expwy)in S.I., and it was a 68' Rat-Motored Nova squaring off against the 68' GTX, driven by Cook. Since these guys are "veteran drivers", the race was pretty big. The other race was HUGE, but this one was for the "bragging rights" also. Who won and by how much cause I missed this one. The Dart and the Camaro was at Nassau Exp.
Isn't that last one the famous Mudd brother race that Defeo wrote about quite a few years back
Mike
1969 Dodge Dart Swinger
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Re: Street Racing in the 60's & 70's - Tell them your s
[Re: MikeyT]
#506123
11/23/09 12:08 AM
11/23/09 12:08 AM
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Joined: Nov 2009
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HYPER8oSoNic
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The Mudd Bros' Race was definitely big money and on the Conduit (150th Overpass). The one I am trying to get the full story on is the S.I. run between the 68' Nova (Agaman) vs. 68' GTX (Cook). Two pro's battling out for bragging rights. I heard it was just as good as the Dart/Camaro run. They squared off on the West Shore Expwy, near the Bayonne Bridge. I missed this good run.
"Stupidity is Ignorance on Steroids" "Yeah, it's hopped to over 160" (quote by Kowalski in the movie Vanishing Point 1970 - Cupid Productions)
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Re: Street Racing in the 60's & 70's - Tell them your s
[Re: fullmetaljacket]
#506124
11/23/09 12:27 AM
11/23/09 12:27 AM
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HYPER8oSoNic
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I knew the Dart would win, but two times. Sheese! Mopower to him. And you are right about the action spilling on the streets. They started shutting down tracks in L.I. like left and right, back then. I knew of at least three tracks in L.I., plus two old airstrips they ran on. E-town was sometimes costly and to flat tow there, could sometimes be a hassle depending on how you left NYC. They should have built a dragstrip at Floyd Bennett Field (old airbase), it would have been a great track. SCCA sometimes runs courses there, or they did a while ago.
"Stupidity is Ignorance on Steroids" "Yeah, it's hopped to over 160" (quote by Kowalski in the movie Vanishing Point 1970 - Cupid Productions)
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Re: Street Racing in the 60's & 70's - Tell them your s
[Re: fullmetaljacket]
#506126
11/23/09 06:43 PM
11/23/09 06:43 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
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HYPER8oSoNic
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That's smart dude. That type of attitude keeps the looky-loo's and the foolhardy's out of your business, in which you have less problems with the law. You may have not ran quick but you have learned consistency.
"Stupidity is Ignorance on Steroids" "Yeah, it's hopped to over 160" (quote by Kowalski in the movie Vanishing Point 1970 - Cupid Productions)
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Re: Street Racing in the 60's & 70's - Tell them your s
[Re: HYPER8oSoNic]
#506127
11/24/09 09:31 AM
11/24/09 09:31 AM
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,252 Sebring, Florida
Mopar Grandpa
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Here is a fond memory of 1969 that you youngsters might enjoy. Back then there were 3 of us that drove bowties as we hadn't graduated to the REAL muscle cars of the day, well actually my best friend owned the Chevelle but I turned the wrenches and we were pretty much joined at the hip.
Rumor had it that there was a guy that hung out at the northside TeePee that claimed to be beating every car on the street, he had a big block Mustang.
The 3 (4) of us decide to see if this guy was willing to put his money where his mouth was and race all 3 (4) of us for $25 a race. That was big money for us back then as we were just out of high school.
Jim Meeks had a Nova and the first time I saw his car I thought "Dude, why did you buy a Grandma's car". This thing was a TRUE sleeper, when you opened the hood it looked like a stock 283 with the factory air cleaner, factory valve covers, etc. etc. His engine compartment was totally unimpressive. Actually it was a 327 stroker motor that was extrememly quick. Small dog dish hubcaps on painted steel wheels, bench seat, no radio but it was a 4 speed.
Denny Grissom has just bought a '69 Chevelle, 427 4 speed car and it was drop dead georgous. Think we put 456's in it but could have been 410's but the car was quick regardless.
My buddies car was a '65 Chevelle, 327 4 speed, tunnel ram, headers, big cam and 456's.
We cruise the TeePee one friday night, find the guy and ask if he's up for racing all of us. Well the guy had a reputation to uphold so of course he said yes so we headed for a section of Interstate 65 that was still under construction. The deal was after all 3 races were run we'd settle up on the money.
Mustang draws the new Chevelle first and Denny takes him out. Mustang draws our '65 Chevelle for the second race and we take him out. That leaves the last race to Jim Meeks with Grandma's car. He beat that Mustang so bad that the guy just kept going so none of us got any money. However, we ended the bragging rights of that Mustang owner and I think that was what a lot of street racing was about: bragging rights and not so much about the money which I think hasn't changed over the years.
Did we ever loose some races? Yep. Did we ever blow up engines and transmissions and rear ends? Yep. Would I like to go back and relive those days? ABSOLUTELY!
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Re: Street Racing in the 60's & 70's - Tell them your s
[Re: Mopar Grandpa]
#506128
11/24/09 10:17 AM
11/24/09 10:17 AM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,410 Belpre,Ohio
CHAPPER
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Belpre,Ohio
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Oct/Nov 1966...'WOODSTOCK' of drag racing for this area. Local guy working in Akron, Ohio, had just taken delivery of new Satelite 2+2, Street Hemi 4 speed. Got it at Aikey. Arlen Vanke was shop manager at time as story goes. He was coming home for the weekend and everybody wanted a piece of him. Word traveled to all the drive-ins and bars that 'it was on'. Another local guy that worked in Michigan just also happened to be coming in with his new Camaro,,,427 4 speed from one of the dealers up there. Don't remember if Nickey/Scoggins or just what dealer, but it was real. Another local, had a '64 Buick GS 4 speed that had kicked everyone's butt. The cars from all over showed up...'65 Comet 289 2 4bl 4 speed STRAIGHT AXLE, '65 Impala bigblock 4speed, numerous GTO. I imagine at least 100 cars counting spectators and all. The Buick continued to kick butt except the Camaro. Races lasted for better than 1 1/2 hour before the cops showed up. The guy with the Impala got caught as he tried to flee the red lights but was not familiar with the back roads in the area and drove down my friend's driveway to a dead end thinking it was a road! There was frost on the grass that night. The next morning when I went through the area, you could see the footprints in the frosty grass wher people had ran when the stateys showed up. This story is a legend in my area. I wasn't racing then. I was a senior in highschool. I have made many passes down that road/strip in years gone by though. In fact, I used to keep my '62 Savoy Max Wedge(clone) in the garage on the dead end drive where the guy got caught. Those were the days. They will never be again.
If you like drag racing, support your local track.
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Re: Street Racing in the 60's & 70's - Tell them your story
[Re: CrAzYMoPaRGuY]
#506130
11/26/09 01:41 AM
11/26/09 01:41 AM
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Joined: Nov 2009
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HYPER8oSoNic
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AS BoB Dylan sang it "These Times Are Changin'". Kids today try to have the cajones to defy the law of organization and authority. They want, what they want, when they want it (NOW).
"Stupidity is Ignorance on Steroids" "Yeah, it's hopped to over 160" (quote by Kowalski in the movie Vanishing Point 1970 - Cupid Productions)
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Re: Street Racing in the 60's & 70's - Tell them your s
[Re: Mopar Grandpa]
#506131
11/26/09 01:52 AM
11/26/09 01:52 AM
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HYPER8oSoNic
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Youngsters,(LOL). I do too remember some "straight axle" cars running on the street. Along with superchargers and "ram-induction" on early 60's Mopars (big C bodies ie; 300's). They ran hard like the B-bodies.
"Stupidity is Ignorance on Steroids" "Yeah, it's hopped to over 160" (quote by Kowalski in the movie Vanishing Point 1970 - Cupid Productions)
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Re: Street Racing in the 60's & 70's - Tell them your s
[Re: fullmetaljacket]
#506133
11/26/09 02:46 AM
11/26/09 02:46 AM
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 292 New York City
groundpoint6
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Connecting, Cross Bay, Francis Lewis, I used to run them all. It was`nt hard to find a run anywhere. My best rememberd run was on a road in Nassau County, it was called Community Drive. I was at a light with my 6 pack road runner, when a guy pulls up next to me in a camaro. Edgeing me on (yea right) when the light turned green we went for it. I beat the camaro by about a car lenght, all of a sudden out of nowhere we had a Nassau County cop right behind us. He pulled both of us over. He goes to the guy in the camaro first and wrote him up maybe 4 or 5 tickets, this cop left no stone unturned, he wrote him for speeding, competetive driving, loud exhaust, race tires, the whole nine yards. He then told the guy to get in his car and leave. He then walks over to me looks me right in the eyes and says "nice mopar", whats under the hood, after I showed him he said have a good evening, he then got in his car and left.
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Re: Street Racing in the 60's & 70's - Tell them your s
[Re: groundpoint6]
#506134
11/26/09 03:09 AM
11/26/09 03:09 AM
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HYPER8oSoNic
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The car does sound very familiar, I might have seen it at Fountain/Vandalia Avenues. Hey, do you have a line on the Staten Island run between Agaman and Cook on I-278/440 towards Bayonne.
Last edited by HYPER8oSoNic; 11/26/09 03:29 AM.
"Stupidity is Ignorance on Steroids" "Yeah, it's hopped to over 160" (quote by Kowalski in the movie Vanishing Point 1970 - Cupid Productions)
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Re: Street Racing in the 60's & 70's - Tell them your s
[Re: fullmetaljacket]
#506136
11/26/09 05:26 PM
11/26/09 05:26 PM
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HYPER8oSoNic
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The Hemming article I never read. I was wondering if there as anyone can provide an "eyewitness account" of the run. I heard too many "conflicting" stories about this run. I do know that Ray Cook did do this run against Benny Agaman in S.I. on I-278/440. GTX vs. Nova, HEMI vs. Maxed RAT.
Last edited by HYPER8oSoNic; 11/26/09 05:28 PM.
"Stupidity is Ignorance on Steroids" "Yeah, it's hopped to over 160" (quote by Kowalski in the movie Vanishing Point 1970 - Cupid Productions)
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