Post by dragnews on Mar 4, 2009 8:26:24 GMT -5
THERE WAS A EPIDEMIC SWEEPING AMERICA IN 1955, CALLED DRAG RACING. BORN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IT'S ROOTS RAN DEEP INTO OKLAHOMA. NHRA FOUNDER WALLY PARKS WHO
WAS BORN AN OKIE. LED A CRUSADE ACROSS THE COUNTRY
ORIGINALLY CALLED THE DRAG SAFARI. IT HAD MADE STOPS IN MOORE AND DURANT OKLAHOMA,IN THE EARLY 50'S INSPIRING A YOUNG SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA CAR CLUB INTO STARTING THERE OWN DRAG STRIP.
THE PHOTO ABOVE IS FROM THE DAILY ARDMOREITE IN 1955.
HARD TO SEE BUT THE STARTING LINE IS PAVED, THEN THE RACERS RAN ON A COMBINATION OF A OILFIELD HOT OIL AND DIRT,
THAT WAS PACKED BY CLUB MEMBERS DAYS BEFORE THE RACE.
RACE DIRECTORS BOB BISHOP, JOE CARRELL, AND BOB FAST WOULD OVER SEE THE WORK. JIM RAGLAND HAULED THE OIL IN COURTESY OF FISHER OIL AND A.N. SHORTY ALMOND WOULD USE BORROWED GRADER EQUIPMENT TO PACK THE SURFACE BEFORE RACE DAY.
FOR THOSE OF YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE DOWNTOWN AIRPORT. THE HANGERS ARE NOW LOCATED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PHOTO, YOU CAN SEE A MAKE SHIFT TAXI WAY FROM THE TRACK TO THE RUNWAY ON THE LEFT. PILOT WAYNE WARTHEN SAID HE WOULD LAND ON THE DRAGSTRIP DURING THE WEEK BECAUSE IT WAS A SMOOTHER SURFACE THAN THE AIRPORT RUNWAY.
THATS ALL FOR THIS WEEK. I WILL HAVE MORE TALES FROM THE AIRPORT DAYS LATER.......SEE YOU AT THE DRAGS ROB
(STORY AND PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RAGLAND COLLECTION 2009)
WAS BORN AN OKIE. LED A CRUSADE ACROSS THE COUNTRY
ORIGINALLY CALLED THE DRAG SAFARI. IT HAD MADE STOPS IN MOORE AND DURANT OKLAHOMA,IN THE EARLY 50'S INSPIRING A YOUNG SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA CAR CLUB INTO STARTING THERE OWN DRAG STRIP.
THE PHOTO ABOVE IS FROM THE DAILY ARDMOREITE IN 1955.
HARD TO SEE BUT THE STARTING LINE IS PAVED, THEN THE RACERS RAN ON A COMBINATION OF A OILFIELD HOT OIL AND DIRT,
THAT WAS PACKED BY CLUB MEMBERS DAYS BEFORE THE RACE.
RACE DIRECTORS BOB BISHOP, JOE CARRELL, AND BOB FAST WOULD OVER SEE THE WORK. JIM RAGLAND HAULED THE OIL IN COURTESY OF FISHER OIL AND A.N. SHORTY ALMOND WOULD USE BORROWED GRADER EQUIPMENT TO PACK THE SURFACE BEFORE RACE DAY.
FOR THOSE OF YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE DOWNTOWN AIRPORT. THE HANGERS ARE NOW LOCATED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PHOTO, YOU CAN SEE A MAKE SHIFT TAXI WAY FROM THE TRACK TO THE RUNWAY ON THE LEFT. PILOT WAYNE WARTHEN SAID HE WOULD LAND ON THE DRAGSTRIP DURING THE WEEK BECAUSE IT WAS A SMOOTHER SURFACE THAN THE AIRPORT RUNWAY.
THATS ALL FOR THIS WEEK. I WILL HAVE MORE TALES FROM THE AIRPORT DAYS LATER.......SEE YOU AT THE DRAGS ROB
(STORY AND PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RAGLAND COLLECTION 2009)