Hot rod drags 2014...

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spoodler

Original Poster:

2,091 posts

155 months

Monday 15th September 2014
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Just a taster of the weekend of old time drag racing at Shakespeare County Raceway... I know lots of folks won't like this stuff, so just move onto the next thread please. For those that do find this interesting - highlights of the weekend were, undoubtedly, seeing Andy Hadfield's "Twister" Model T (fully road legal and regularly street driven) running a seven second quarter mile at about 180m.p.h. terminal speed, and, for me, the matt black Vauxhall Viscount with its consistent eight and a half second passes at over 160m.p.h. Flatheads were a little slower but no less enjoyable...
The Mk1 Escort seen in the pairing lane was one of two almost identical cars, one running 12.5 E.T.s and the other, unbelievably two seconds quicker...

As for the classic aspect - cars like "Dorset Horn", "Green Onions" and "Roarin' Rat" have been about for decades with the little yellow A35 running eights after forty one years of racing...
















damoP6B

54 posts

144 months

Monday 15th September 2014
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Who couldn't not love the HotRod Drags! I was there yesterday for the day, utterly fantastic! as you say 'Twisters' run was epic! the outlaw Anglia's are great to watch as is the gasser circus!
All sorts of V8 powered beauties as well as four pots, the two Mk1 Escorts were very nice & quick.
You can see the on the 6th picture down the 70 Challenger & Red 59 Impala burning out, the Impala is local to me & I know the owner, stunning car!.
Here's to next years event!.

aeropilot

34,574 posts

227 months

Monday 15th September 2014
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Nice flatty powered '34 in the first pic smile


Hooli

32,278 posts

200 months

Monday 15th September 2014
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thumbup

spoodler

Original Poster:

2,091 posts

155 months

Monday 15th September 2014
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aeropilot: The "Drags" is the home of the Flathead Meltdown, a race series for sidevalve powered cars, so there is normally a good showing of early Ford V8s and big fours, even a boat tailed six cylinder special this year. Some are running surprisingly quick times using old period speed equipment.

Hooli: I think you might have appreciated the exhibition runs from the old drag bikes including (I think) a 350cc J.A.P. single that was hitting thirteen second quarters with some pretty hairy startline wheelies, the old boy controlling it, complete with ancient crash hat, seemed completely unfazed and appeared to be about the same age as his bike.

aeropilot

34,574 posts

227 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
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spoodler said:
aeropilot: The "Drags" is the home of the Flathead Meltdown, a race series for sidevalve powered cars
I know.

I've known Neil Fretwell, who runs the VHRA, for years.

Spitfire2

1,918 posts

186 months

Tuesday 16th September 2014
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Nothing NOT to like here. Awesome stuff. If I was closer I would be there.


spoodler

Original Poster:

2,091 posts

155 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
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aeropilot said:
spoodler said:
aeropilot: The "Drags" is the home of the Flathead Meltdown, a race series for sidevalve powered cars
I know.

I've known Neil Fretwell, who runs the VHRA, for years.


thumbup You never know who you're in contact with on the 'net. I would imagine tho' that there are plenty of folk on this forum who weren't even aware that a "flathead" was a sidevalve, or that there are folk out there who'd consider racing a vehicle where the engine type has more in common with an old lawnmower than most "normal" cars... ah, the rich tapestry of life... and the narrow line between patronising and informative smile

Just for info's sake to put some perspective on performance, I think a couple of the flatties were into the fifteens at Shakey and last year on the sand at Pendine a mate of mine was just shy of triple figures in his Model A...



Dilligaf10

2,431 posts

210 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
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Fabulous weekend blessed by good weather.

Wide of variety of stunning cars including the worlds most stunning Jaguar Mk10 with a twin turbo'd big block Chevy.
My highlight was getting a new personal best run of 13.3 seconds down from 15.2 thanks to a little,sniff of nitrous.

The orange Studebaker pictured above is my friends car and even after seeing it regularly over the past two years it still takes my breath away when I see it.


aeropilot

34,574 posts

227 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
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spoodler said:
Just for info's sake to put some perspective on performance, I think a couple of the flatties were into the fifteens at Shakey and last year on the sand at Pendine a mate of mine was just shy of triple figures in his Model A...
Jim T went over the 100 at Pendine last year, and went a lot faster this year, and 2 x other flatty powered cars joined Jim in the 100mph Club this year at Pendine.

ClassicMotorNut

2,438 posts

138 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
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Lovely stuff. I'll take the Stude, but without the cooler.