Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» Any long ago oldtimer New England Dragway dragster fans out there? Late 60's? Remember any of the names of the stars like the SNAKE?
I followed drag-racing over here for a short time in the early-1970s.
They used either airfields or Britain's only dedicated drag raceway, converted from a former airfield and named Santa Pod - after the nearby village of Podington with "Santa" tacked on to make it sound vaguely Californian. I don't know if it still operates.
Highlight though was seeing Dennis Priddle beat the 7-second barrier for the first time for an English driver, in the UK. He'd not named his Top Fuel rail until then, but did so after that success, as "Mister Six", I think by crowd selection. His opponent, coming second, was Clive Skelton; and the two regularly raced each other.
'
The raceway also hosted one or two odd-balls running just for display not competition, and I remember two in particular.
One was a Chevrolet Stingray fitted so it could be driven entirely on its dragster-pattern back wheels, with those fitted with independent brakes linked to the steering. A transparent panel in the floor-pan provided the driver with his view ahead when careering down the quarter-mile with its radiator-grille pointing skywards.
The other was a Barbie-pink Rolls-Royce (at least in shape - I don't know if it was a customised real Roller or an imitation), and yes, it had a Rolls-Royce engine... only this engine was the type originally built for the Spitfire aeroplane, the massive 24-cylinder 'Merlin'! Unlike the Wheelie Stingray, this RR was fully street-legal too - I last saw it on the journey home when it overtook me on the motorway and vanished into the distance.
You did Durdle? Imagine meeting a guy like you in a place like this! So you know of what I speak. I bet those vehicles are somewhere in a museum. I wonder too about the rails that were hot way back then. Where are they? I cannot imagine any of them ever being junked. There was a certain atmosphere and excitement to it. You never knew how the rail would perform. The engine could just die. There was always the chance of a crash. OR some new world record could be made right before your eyes! A connection across the pond is pretty nifty to me. This was when we lived in Massachusetts! Now I'm across the pond AND across a continent! Life is always surprising. You never know when you open a door what or whom will be behind it. I love opening doors. Don't you? Thank you for your reply m'dear. Another connection. My cuppa tea! So much more fun to talk about than politics! :)
This post was edited by RosieG at October 13, 2020 2:08 PM MDT
Yes, it is strange how these links suddenly appear!
I've not been to a drag-race meeting for many years as my interests developed elsewhere, but alongside that I also loved the custom-vehicle scene although I never had the means to build anything myself.
I remember among the souvenir posters at Santa Pod was one showing a crash that happened there, but not by the dragster hitting the barriers or anything. Instead the driver lost control on the start-line and wheelied the thing so violently that it reared up almost vertically and toppled over from one rear wheel. The photo was taken just as it started to fall over sideways.
I still have about a dozen UK-published drag-racing magazines from that time (about 1972), reporting on events at Santa Pod and Blackbush Airfield. I went to Blackbush once but it was a bit disappointing because it was still a working airfield so the race organisers had to erect temporary fences a long way from the runway. Santa Pod was dedicated to drag-racing so its owners could modify it to suit that, with track-side and start-line stands and just a simple fence around the paddock.
I can look up on the internet what I lived. What I experienced. My ex-husband was pretty famous as an engine builder among dragster fans back in the 60's in Massachusetts. Exciting times. Sometimes I Google it just for nostalgia's sake I guess. That life was so different from the one I live now. Who was the girl? Who was that woman? Would she and I have anything in common? Could we like each other? I'm going to ask. I don't know the answer. Thank you for your thoughtful reply and sharing some of your memories. Here goes..
Durdle 