PREFACE
They say that if you can remember the 1960s, you weren’t there. This may be in reference to the days of tight drugs and loose women and the “Summer of Love”. Of course, I wouldn’t know about that. But I know if you were into drag racing in the 1960's or even before, in the 1950's, and you are still around today, not only was it a wonderful period to remember, it’s also a time you can’t forget. In my opinion, it was the glory years of drag racing.
That’s what this site is all about, drag racing, starting in about 1950 and going through about 1965, before the advent of the more modern rear engine dragsters and prior to the advent of the flip-top Funny cars. In the SoCal area where I grew up, several drag strips opened up in the 1950's so there are many photos on this site of drag cars from that era. There was a lot of diversity in drag racing "back in the day".
I have collected a lot of photos over the years. Some of the photos were mine to begin with and some were scrounged off
the internet (Google Images, etc.) and various websites, and many submitted to me from individual drag race fans. I have tried to exclude any copyrighted photos (that I knew of). Also, I have never removed any photo credits attached to the photos. If they were there, they are still there. And if not, oh well. Mark Twain once said, “It is better to take what does not belong to you than let it lie around neglected”.
This is about my memories of drag racing "back in the day". I was there, I lived it. If I get some facts or data wrong, it’s just the way I remember it and no one’s memory is infallible. At my age, "Memory Lane" is not always a pleasant address. The drag cars on this site, the drivers, builders and others associated with these cars, many of them unfortunately are no longer with us. I know (or knew) many of these folks. These race cars and these people are what made drag racing what it used to be for me.
About me. I was born (1939) and raised in SoCal (Hollywood to be exact). I was 16-years old in 1955, drove my 1940 Ford Coupe (flathead powered) down the quarter mile that same year (Santa Ana Drag Strip), graduated high school in 1957 and was 21 in 1960. I went through plenty of street/strip cars by the mid-1960’s including a one-third ownership in a Top Fuel, twin engine dragster (pictured below). For most of my life, I have been a member of the NHRA. Although Wally Parks didn't invent drag racing, he surely put it on the map. I have also held an SFI Tech Inspector Card for about 10 years. This site, however, is not about me, it’s about what I remember about drag racing in the early days.
There are more than 5,000 photos on this site. Think of this site as a "photo album" full of old photos, the main difference being that instead of turning the page for next photo, you just scroll down.
This site went online in March, 2013, and I have been adding new photos pretty much on a weekly daily basis since then, as I find them. The 1950's and 1960's are over, if anyone can't figure out what drag racing was like "back in the day" after perusing through the existing photos on this site, adding more photos is not going to help, even though I still add them on a regular basis.
As far as copying any of the information or photos, you have my permission, be my guest, however, please note that some of the photos may be copyrighted (even though not marked as such by their owners). This site, GEORGE KLASS REMEMBERS, is copyrighted. If you post any of the photos from this site on the internet I would appreciate it if you listed the source as www.georgeklass.net or just "George Klass collection".
I have added captions and comments under some of the individual photos. I have no intention of doing all the photos, you have eyes, you don't need to be spoon fed as to what's in a picture. A lot of the photos (most of them actually) just don't need captions, the photos speak for themselves. As far as my captions or comments, I hope they are correct or accurate. I probably won't do anything in the S/S or F/X section, I'm pretty sure that everyone knows the difference between a Ford and a Pontiac.
I have tried to duplicate my own experiences of when I went to the drag races. It was like Christmas for my eyeballs, watching the action or strolling through the pits. I looked at the cars, I studied the cars, it was all visual. There were no "captions" to tell me what they were. Just scroll down and let your eyeballs do the walking. If someone wanted to consider this website as a shrine to early drag cars, I would not be offended.
That’s what this site is all about, drag racing, starting in about 1950 and going through about 1965, before the advent of the more modern rear engine dragsters and prior to the advent of the flip-top Funny cars. In the SoCal area where I grew up, several drag strips opened up in the 1950's so there are many photos on this site of drag cars from that era. There was a lot of diversity in drag racing "back in the day".
I have collected a lot of photos over the years. Some of the photos were mine to begin with and some were scrounged off
the internet (Google Images, etc.) and various websites, and many submitted to me from individual drag race fans. I have tried to exclude any copyrighted photos (that I knew of). Also, I have never removed any photo credits attached to the photos. If they were there, they are still there. And if not, oh well. Mark Twain once said, “It is better to take what does not belong to you than let it lie around neglected”.
This is about my memories of drag racing "back in the day". I was there, I lived it. If I get some facts or data wrong, it’s just the way I remember it and no one’s memory is infallible. At my age, "Memory Lane" is not always a pleasant address. The drag cars on this site, the drivers, builders and others associated with these cars, many of them unfortunately are no longer with us. I know (or knew) many of these folks. These race cars and these people are what made drag racing what it used to be for me.
About me. I was born (1939) and raised in SoCal (Hollywood to be exact). I was 16-years old in 1955, drove my 1940 Ford Coupe (flathead powered) down the quarter mile that same year (Santa Ana Drag Strip), graduated high school in 1957 and was 21 in 1960. I went through plenty of street/strip cars by the mid-1960’s including a one-third ownership in a Top Fuel, twin engine dragster (pictured below). For most of my life, I have been a member of the NHRA. Although Wally Parks didn't invent drag racing, he surely put it on the map. I have also held an SFI Tech Inspector Card for about 10 years. This site, however, is not about me, it’s about what I remember about drag racing in the early days.
There are more than 5,000 photos on this site. Think of this site as a "photo album" full of old photos, the main difference being that instead of turning the page for next photo, you just scroll down.
This site went online in March, 2013, and I have been adding new photos pretty much on a weekly daily basis since then, as I find them. The 1950's and 1960's are over, if anyone can't figure out what drag racing was like "back in the day" after perusing through the existing photos on this site, adding more photos is not going to help, even though I still add them on a regular basis.
As far as copying any of the information or photos, you have my permission, be my guest, however, please note that some of the photos may be copyrighted (even though not marked as such by their owners). This site, GEORGE KLASS REMEMBERS, is copyrighted. If you post any of the photos from this site on the internet I would appreciate it if you listed the source as www.georgeklass.net or just "George Klass collection".
I have added captions and comments under some of the individual photos. I have no intention of doing all the photos, you have eyes, you don't need to be spoon fed as to what's in a picture. A lot of the photos (most of them actually) just don't need captions, the photos speak for themselves. As far as my captions or comments, I hope they are correct or accurate. I probably won't do anything in the S/S or F/X section, I'm pretty sure that everyone knows the difference between a Ford and a Pontiac.
I have tried to duplicate my own experiences of when I went to the drag races. It was like Christmas for my eyeballs, watching the action or strolling through the pits. I looked at the cars, I studied the cars, it was all visual. There were no "captions" to tell me what they were. Just scroll down and let your eyeballs do the walking. If someone wanted to consider this website as a shrine to early drag cars, I would not be offended.
"PULSATOR II" AA/FD Owners: Nye Frank - George Klass - Bob Muravez (alias: Floyd Lippencotte, Jr.)