When dragracing came to Europe in 1964

COPO_Anders · #1 09-21-2009, 11:09 PM

Wheels magazine has an article in the latest issue about when Wally Parks brought the U.S. Drag Racing Team to Europe in 1964. These guys are named: Dave Strickler, Tony Nancy, Dante Duce, K.S.Pitman, Ronnie Sox, George Montgomery, Don Garlits, Tommy Ivo. They made a huge impact on the crowd in England and speeded up things. Two years later Santa Pod was opened.

COPO_Anders · #2 09-21-2009, 11:23 PM

Who´s who ?

Heavy sponsors like GoodYear, Valvoline, Ford and Pepsi made this journey possible.

The motorcycle-drivers right leg was made of wood so he could not feel the strokes TV-Tommy gave him when he got scared !

Stirling Moss was one of the important supporters in England. A true racing legend.

COPO_Anders · #3 09-21-2009, 11:33 PM

On the journey in 1964 the team visited six different Royal Air Force bases, but soon tracks were built for dragracing. This is a pic I found on the wall in the old Rogers Custom shop showing Al Eckstrand at THE English track, Santa Pod.

**PeteLeathersac** · #4 09-22-2009, 06:01 PM

C

L stuff Anders!!!

Do you know if anyone made a deal to leave their car behind?.

I met Stirling Moss years ago at Mosport...cool guy but I ever knew he had any interest in Drag cars?.

~ Pete

Stitch · #5 09-23-2009, 03:02 AM

**olredalert** · #6 09-23-2009, 05:04 PM

------Met and talked to Al Eckstrand at B/J the year he sold the Hemi Charger there. I really wanted it!!! So did someone else. Must have been 4-5 years ago, maybe more. You couldnt imagine a nicer guy. There were dozens of guys around asking questions for hours and he answered every one graciously........Bill S

COPO_Anders · #7 09-23-2009, 07:37 PM

Pete, I don´t think Sterling Moss ever dragraced himself but he seemed to be interested in the sport. As for cars beeing left in the U.K. after this event, I haven´t heard of it. But definitely in the seventies.

Al Eckstrand has Swedish ancestors I think.

He came to Sweden in 1969 and raced a Mustang at Mantorp Park, when the track had been opened for the first time.

COPO_Anders · #8 09-23-2009, 07:39 PM

Great Ron !

Are there more interesting pics inside ?

69hurstSC · #9 09-25-2009, 03:40 AM

Holy Crap, is that a 2%er I see!?!?!

COPO_Anders · #10 09-26-2009, 12:47 AM

Wes here is some info from Jim Schild on the 2% subject. After having bought his book "Maximum Performance", which I recommend buying, I had some questions about the 2% cars. This is the answer I got from Jim.

Anders:

Thank you for the note. I tried to explain this in my Maximum Performance book but it is confusing. The 2% term actually applies to the NHRA class rules rather than the car. The only cars that were really called "2%" cars were the four 1965 Hemi hardtops that competed at the AHRA Winteratinals at Phoenix in January 1965. There were also four altered 1964 Hemi sedans that are sometimes put into this description but I don't think they were ever actually referred to by the 2% term. These were the 1964 cars with moved front and rear wheels and special front suspension components.
At the AHRA Winternationals in 1965 two Dodge and two Plymouth hardtops were entered. These were actually cars that were later altered to the better-known 15" - 10" configuration to run later in that year. These cars had acid-dipeed two-door hardtop bodies and used all of the rest of the parts, including the interiors from the donor Hemi sedans. The A-FX rules allowed a 2% wheelbase change so that is where the term came from. These cars actually had a 115" wheelbase, the same as the standard Hemi sedans but used fiberglass doors, front fenders and hoods with A/Fx scoops. If you have my Maximum Performance book, find the color photo of the 1965 Melrose Missile Plymouth in the 1965 chapter. That is one of the 1965 2% cars. The other cars were the Ramchargers Dodge, the Color-Me-Gone Dodge and the Golden Commandos Plymouth. After this one meet, all four cars were altered to the full 10" - 15" configuration. All but the Melrose Missile were sent back to Detroit to be modified. The Missile work was done at Melrose Motors. I just talked with the second driver Cecil Yother last weekend at Moline. Some people have mistakenly believed these were four additional cars but that is not true.
That is a great photo of Shirley Shahan's 1965 Plymouth I have not seen. In that photo the front wheels are in the stock location. They just look different because of the front end height. She continued to run that car in NHRA Super Stock for the 1965 season. I believe the rear wheels were altered for the 1966 season but is was very obvious.
I hope that explains it.

Jim