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9j MARSHALL MOORE*| Snag - racing, which has been*te*ad eft the streets hi receqtyean, hat become a WthJownsport drawing hundreds of participants and thousands of spectator*.• ,Held on a dosed paved strip under the slogan “Dedicated to Safety/’ and sanctioned Ay the National Hot Hod Asrxxration, drag racing is a quarter-mHe acceleration test with some of the more aggressive drivers crossing the quarter at more than 200 mdes per hour.'At the WkWta Falk Dragway on Farm Road 3$9, north of the Iowa Park Expressway, the next two weekends will fee some ofthe nation’s fastest drag racers in several of the more than 75 classes making the show.Among them will be Vance Bunt, who claims to be the fast* est in Texas, with h:s Class AA Fuel Dragster, Hunt, who has posted 7,50 seconds for the quarter with a finishing speed or *i0 (nrfes per hour, will be vying with such popular competitors as Bdd'e HtH of Wichfca Falls; Bobby* (The Beard) Langley of Fort Worth; Burt Brothers of Tulsa, Okla.; Benny Osborne of Sand Springs, Oida,; Denny R'ghtseB of San Aotono and several others in this bag Class AA FuelDragrter division.lt;Matched DuelA feature of the regular dragraces on Sunday, Sept. 19, will be a match race between Kelly Chadwick of Floydada, Texas, and Dick Harrell of Carlsbad, N.M., both of whom drive factory experimental Ohevrolets. Chadwick, a history teacher at Floydada High School, ss a regular popular driver here, while Harrell, a professonal drag racer driving a Chevy II this year, has some 10 vears experience and is weH remembered for. his showing in the 1963 Winternationals when he shut down top drivers of the nation for the title of Mr. Stock Eliminator.Drag racing has wide appeal from, “gray beards pushing 40“ to fuzz-faced teen-agers who havethe know-how as well as the keener reflexes. While top me-★ ★ ★jOn The CoverFrtenck talk displacement, cams, headers, fuel, tires, suspension and driving, techniquesin the pits at Wichita Falls Dragway on Farm Road 369. Here Jerry Agrima, partner in the Murphey Agrima Class D gas Dragster, checks the carburetor, while Don Milligan, a friend, reaches in the cockpit andtouches the accelerator. Looking on are Robert Gilman, right, of Irving. Texas, and his brother1. Bill, who brought up a Class B Modified Roadster lt;a 409 cubic-inch Chevy with “goodies” assembled from a score of other sources K In the background Dan Chaney and his wife of Plain-view work over the Class A Modified Roadster of Ray Ras-tetter of Plain view, the Plain-view men arc members of the famed “Texas Jacks” racing team. (Staff photo by RebeccaChaney)cbamcs laid that txm'ng a racing engine is fine trailing for veterans, the automobile industry is finding that the youngsters in the drag-racing p'ts make the finest tune-up mechanics.And under the car - bufldmg*rules, the creators of these drag racing machines have come upwith almost every device conceivable to produce automotive performance. While some of the vehicles, turned out by manufacturers and driven by professionals, stick to what is available in the store there are scores of vehicles built for a modest price using new ideas. Same ofthese ideas creep into the new*4model-.Track ResurfacedThe world’s automobile makers keep a dose watch on the drag racing industry, and not infrequently a youngster . who once was racing on city streets and country highways finds himself on the business end of a pencil signing a contract. One such group of drag racers, factory automotive anglers, recently put the top car on the strip at the Summer Nationals at Indianapolis, Ind. Then* entry proved their old pasttime had paid off.At the Wichita Falls Dragway, the owners, Pete Hall and Prank Moon of the MH Racing Em-terpr'ses, have put a new’ top on the racng surface and extended the run-out lanes for several hundred fans.In addition to cash elinvnator prizes in at least five categories for the regular races on Sept. 19, there will be a $1,000 prize for the top eliminator in the two-day regional points meetSept; 25 and 26.%WMe more than 200 cars are antkrpated ki the Sept. 19 event, k is planned that more than 400 cars from at least a dozen stateswill attend the two-day show the following weekend. This will be in addition to hundreds expected fans from a wide area. Points from the Sept. will go toward nationaljooships, while da^foafaons and scheduling of the show will be under the directxm of Dale Ham, the NHRA director for Division 4.4SfeML l a s -J‘.V'4...... . . »■...WOMEN DRIVERS—The gentle touchcan move these hot buggies at a winning pace and this is evidenced by these man and wife teams. At left R. E. Shields of Mesquite, Texas, has beenthe Class A factory experi-426-inch Plymouth “Hemi-A-this year, while in previousdrivingmentatGo-Go”winner on the drag circuit, while Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Ross (she is the formerBarbara Willen) of Wichita Falls taketurns at the driving honors in their327-cubic-inch Chevrolet Corvette. Barbara lias been a frequent class and eliminator winner. (Photos by Rebecca Chaney)years his wife, Gladys, was a consistent^.. . *RED COVERALLS—A popular group that is easy to spot at any drag race are the “Texas Jacks”—with each of the 18 members in bright red coveralls. The club, with members from Plain-view fcnd Hale Center, fields 14 carsfrom Class A A Fuel Dragsters to a powerful Chevy Class A Stock. Shown around the polished cockpit of Ray Rastetter’s Class A Roadster are left to right. Coke Royal, Rastetter, Jackie Broaddus, Doug Royal and Dan Chaney.sy-; \ \■ 7.V/i A AW .a.. , r •• ’• .lt;• V,' ' l. •••^y •• • 1 .v :*/' ' ' * ‘ ■ !• ' r.Vj-;.Y v ; V; vivJ.v '• * ' r-x*V 'A . •/.. ^-*c. • •!**. • ' -v. .- .FUELERS BLAST OFF — The roar of motors and scream of tires that hot rodders love is epitomized in this take off of two Class A Fuel Dragsters which will near 200 miles per hour as they cross the quarter-mile lights. All speeds and elapsed times are registeredelectronically and announced over a 100-acre area. Here Charlie Smith of Oklahoma City has re-acted to the starting lights and defeats Bill Jackson of Plain-view. (Photo by John Berg and David McCall)
Newspaper Details
Wichita Falls Times
Wichita Falls, Texas, US
Sun, Sep 12, 1965
Page 30
Full Page
Clipped by
Keith S.
USA 14 Aug 2019
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