Post by dragnews on Nov 22, 2009 18:54:43 GMT -5
The year is 1956. Don Larsen was the first man to pitch a perfect World Series game. Paul Horning won the Heisman Trophy.
Coca Cola cost 5 cents, Elvis Presley had the number one song
Heartbreak Hotel, and..............Melvin Heath won the Nationals!
Kansas City Missouri hosted NHRA's second annual Nationals held during Labor Day weekend. Some 400 cars were entered including Bobby Langley,Arnie Beswick, Pete Robinson,Calvin Rice and a host of others from 48 states. This event marked the first race of NHRA's 150 MPH club. Art Arfons Green Monster became the first, followed by Calvin Rice and top speed of the meet was Bob Alsenz at 159 MPH.
The finals pitted California's Calvin Rice who had won the 1955 event and Oklahoma's Melvin Heath. Both cars featured Chrysler engines, but it was Melvin's perfected hole shot start that propelled
him to the win.
Photo above is Ardmore Dragway's first super star Melvin Heath
from Rush Springs Oklahoma. Seen here at the 2007 Ardmore Hot Rod Reunion.
Melvin's car was located in a barn near his home. It had been e
raced as a bracket car at one time but had been stored under a pile of Pecans for years. Jackie and Ronnie Stidham was commissioned by NHRA to restore the drgaster for the Wally Parks Museum. Jackie told me the story on locating the car and how it was preserved under the pecans. Jackie said the tires still were holding air after all those years.
This is a photo I took of the beautifully restoration work done by the Stidham brothers. The car now rest at the NHRA museum in Pomona California.
Now I have known Melvin and Betty most of my life. I even bracket raced with their son Brian back in the 80's at Ardmore Dragway.
While I was still in Jr. High school, I had to take a Oklahoma history class. On the final exam of that class we had a 10 question quiz.
One of the questions was, name someone that was influential in early Oklahoma history?.........Duh! Melvin Heath....I made a D- on the test. Till next time Rob.
Coca Cola cost 5 cents, Elvis Presley had the number one song
Heartbreak Hotel, and..............Melvin Heath won the Nationals!
Kansas City Missouri hosted NHRA's second annual Nationals held during Labor Day weekend. Some 400 cars were entered including Bobby Langley,Arnie Beswick, Pete Robinson,Calvin Rice and a host of others from 48 states. This event marked the first race of NHRA's 150 MPH club. Art Arfons Green Monster became the first, followed by Calvin Rice and top speed of the meet was Bob Alsenz at 159 MPH.
The finals pitted California's Calvin Rice who had won the 1955 event and Oklahoma's Melvin Heath. Both cars featured Chrysler engines, but it was Melvin's perfected hole shot start that propelled
him to the win.
Photo above is Ardmore Dragway's first super star Melvin Heath
from Rush Springs Oklahoma. Seen here at the 2007 Ardmore Hot Rod Reunion.
Melvin's car was located in a barn near his home. It had been e
raced as a bracket car at one time but had been stored under a pile of Pecans for years. Jackie and Ronnie Stidham was commissioned by NHRA to restore the drgaster for the Wally Parks Museum. Jackie told me the story on locating the car and how it was preserved under the pecans. Jackie said the tires still were holding air after all those years.
This is a photo I took of the beautifully restoration work done by the Stidham brothers. The car now rest at the NHRA museum in Pomona California.
Now I have known Melvin and Betty most of my life. I even bracket raced with their son Brian back in the 80's at Ardmore Dragway.
While I was still in Jr. High school, I had to take a Oklahoma history class. On the final exam of that class we had a 10 question quiz.
One of the questions was, name someone that was influential in early Oklahoma history?.........Duh! Melvin Heath....I made a D- on the test. Till next time Rob.
