Funny Car Summer - The movie

Just got done watching this (thanks Chris). Barely remember seeing it in the 70's. Man, have we come a LONG way BABY! Cool old movie that brings back MANY memories. If I could get in the Ole Time Travel machine, I would go back to 1973 in So Cal. Going nitro racing with $500 in your pocket, CRAZY, but I bet it was FUN!

 

Funny thing is the way the gov. prints money you could buy $ 20,000.00 worth of parts with that $ 500.00 back then.

 

Could you imagine running a quick change rearend now. HA HA How long do you think that would last??

 

Try this Movie

Fastco - Another 1979 Drag Racing Movie

 

If i recall Bernie Schacker ran a quick change in his TAD streamliner up till the late eighties. The car had a very narrow rear tread width.


http://www.nhra.net/2004/gallery/pow/photo35.jpg

 

I was at OCIR when they filmed much of it. Some of our friends got paid for including their race cars in the movie.

 

Randy that really cool that you were there. Did you perhaps attend the famous 64 funny car race? I wish they could do that again. I would hitchhike to Cali to witness that race. Or even a manufactures shoot out like they had in the movie.

 

I am going to see if NETFLICKS has this one:. I really want to see this movie.

 

It wasn't "That 64 funny car race" it was "Those 64 funny car races." They had them every year...and at least once a year if not more. Then there were the events known as the Manufacturer's Funny Car Championships which were run for many years, too.

64 funny cars included AA/FC plus BB/FC (not against each other) and I never missed a single event as a lowly spectator. If my memory serves me correctly, one year Dale Armstrong qualified Dale Foust's "Alchoholic" in the AA/FC field and proceeded to kick some butt. That's when I said out loud in a public restroom somewhere between Disneyland and the Sand Canyon onramp to the 5 FWY in East Irvine "Some day I'm gonna have me one of those BB/FC's.

There you have it.

RG

 

Man, I feel like I really missed my calling in life! Wish I could have been there. As a young kid I begged my mom to pick up a SS&DI when she went grocery shopping just to read about those events!

 

Check this out Me and Joe Amato at E-Town at there 32 funny car show,16 AA/FC -16 BB/FC, this was the Marks Toys car

http://flickr.com/photos/nbphotoflash/3237620421/

 

I saw that moovie in a really small town in Iowa on a cold winter night. There wasnt just a bunch of people in the theater. The streets were covered with hard packed snow. When I backed out of my parking spot, I pulled the choke out to make the engine lope. I dropped the hammer when directly in front of the theater(long burnout). That was me at age 16 making an FC pass in my dads IHC pickup right down main street.

 

Reminds me of the burn-outs I got caught doing (my neighbor ratted me out) at age 12 in my dads Dodge Power Wagon (440 4bl). That thing could smoke the tires for an 1/8th mile! Better not catch MY kids doing this!

 

personal involvement

This has turned into an interesting topic!! "Funny Car Summer" was produced, and is owned by John Brooks, aka; John Brooks Productions. This young man use to date my wifes sister, and hung out at my house in Culver City through the late 60's. We were in the process of putting an AA/fueler together and John was always there gathering info and helping when needed.We would take him to the races and he was always in persuit of data about drag racing. This was the period of time when the PDA (Professional Dragracers Association) was formed 1967,1968,1969 and the era of the 64 car Fuel dragsters shows, ie: 1968 OCIR , I recall that there were Funny cars at this show also?? I do wish that the momentum of the PDA would have persisted it is very much needed in todays climate of Drag Racing. I was in this event,driving the "The Digger" of Cook's Auto Wrecking ,Wilmington, Ca. we drew "Big" in the 1st round and the rest is history, I believe Garlits won the event. John Brooks connected later with Big Jim Dunn and put together the documentary with his cooperation, John is still in the LA area, Huntington Beach last I heard.
Gleaning cob webs, Aloha, Doug Cobeen 7D 412-AA/FD

 

This has been a great post. I wish I could get all you guys togehter with a tape recorder and just have you guys to start telling stories. I dont think enough people care about the history of our sport.

Just curious what was the first funny car you saw that got you hooked on the class. Mine was I saw Black Magic at a match race at Salem Ohio. Not sure who it raced aganist I just remeber that car. Totaly awesome for a six year old.

 

Look what I just found on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcdxx4cYdSM

 

Funny car summer

Funny Car Summer -Remember seeing it at the Paramount Drive in -betcha a WHOLE Lot of SoCal drag racers saw it there first too.

It was a hot summer night we sat OUTSIDE to watch.

It's possible Mike D saw it there for the first time, too!

Randy, were you one of the acne ridden teeenagers in the background scenes?

(He's gonna beat me up for that one!)

Driver Danny will protect me - he's won races in one of MY cars!

 

No, I'm the big guy holding the half empty box of Krispy Kremes.

RG