Milestones And Memories

I was reading an article the other day about "...how far the modern automobile has come, horsepower and technology wise, in just the past 10 years. It could almost be considered a milestone." While I'm unsure if that statement isn't a bit overboard, I have been keenly aware this past week of other milestones which usually trigger some kind of cool memory.

As I write this, I'm turning 52 in a few weeks, been married for over 30 years, my oldest daughter hits the big 3-0 next year, and I have six incredible grand kids. Which means I'm a grandfather... married to a grandmother. Those simple facts right there will flood me with memories. Heck, it'll rock your world or even knock you on your ass if you're not careful. This is post #35 of Maximum Power and this blog has just about achieved 10,000 views. While that may be small potatoes compared to the blogs of major auto magazines and / or a You Tube video, I still consider that a milestone and I have you to thank for it.

We are reaching or have reached several milestones this year - especially when it comes to 50th anniversaries. Think about it; let's start with muscle cars. Fifty years ago, it was 1965 and the muscle car wars were red hot. By this time, just about every American manufacturer, save for AMC, had it's own muscle car - even Studebaker had one! Chevy released the potent 375 horsepower 396 cubic inch V-8 in limited numbers as part of their Z-16 option on the Chevelle SS, but it created a domino effect that would last until late 1969. By October 1965, Ford as well as Chrysler would drop their own A-bombs - the Blue Oval boys would shoe horn the incredible 425 horsepower 427 side-oiler V-8 into the mid-size Fairlane, and Mopar lovers would rejoice when the street version of the Hemi would be available in any mid-size vehicle except a wagon. This was a time before the government and the insurance agencies got wise to these street terrors - legends were born, bench racing reached folk-lore proportions, and gas was cheap.

I remember living in New Jersey back in the late 60's - there was this Shell gas station about a half-mile from my house. It was one of those stations that I fantasized about as a kid dreaming that I would own one just like it when I grew up. In fact, I still do fantasize about owning one if I could swing it - retro look and all. The station had the classic look of a two-bay garage complete with the old style gas pumps. In fact, the station was one of the few left that still had it's original early 50's style overhead lights when numerous other service centers were converting to those "modern" (and ugly) fluorescent lights.
I used to beg my Dad to go there and fuel up for several reasons. First, there were always a good number hot rods and muscle cars either in the bays or parked outside. It was like the station was this uncover speed shop or something. Many times, the station gave away free Hot Wheels toy cars with every fill-up of 8 gallons or more. The owner knew I was really into hot rods & would let me look (but not touch) the cars that were parked there while my Dad gassed up the VW. I think the owner kinda felt sorry for me, as he always gave me two Hot Wheels cars every time we went...

The drag racing world is celebrating a milestone of its own this year - 50 years of funny cars. A genre of the motorsports arena that literally came out of nowhere in late 1964, exploded in 1965, and went off the charts by 1966. This was in an era when almost all of the early funny cars either had factory or major car dealership support. They were simply born out of the concept of just trying to go faster and beat the competition. However, critics of yesteryear mentioned time and again that the sport wouldn't last. Safety was always a concern, the cars were going way too fast in to short a time span. Many aspects of the sport needed to be reevaluated. The speeds these cars were capable of were outpacing technology, and yes - lives were lost. But somehow, the sport survived. Technology did find its balance with speed and safety. As a result of these advances, nostalgic drag racing is at an all time high in popularity. Even the old-school rigs that participate in these events benefit from scores of new safety items.

I remember going to Englishtown raceway frequently in the summer as it wasn't that far from my house. Numerous ads we heard on the radio for certain events were for the "wild and crazy" funny cars or the "lightning fast" dragsters. Other times, there might have been a significant Pro-stock event where famous drivers like Ronnie Sox, Bill Jenkins, and Don Nicholson would be appearing. However, it was at those meets where I developed a liking for sleepers. I remember this one 1963 Pontiac Catalina - it was a gorgeous silver and was flawless. It didn't "look" all that fast, even though it sounded kinda tough with it's big block rumble. But once the Christmas Tree dropped, the Catalina did the biggest Jekyll and Hyde transition I'd ever seen. The wheels jerked off the ground, the engine literally roared, and left the hotter looking Chevy in the dust. This unassuming behemoth pulled off a wicked low 11 second time slip. While that's yawn city today, that was flying back then for a street driven car.

NASCAR was changing and reaching milestones of it's own. By 1965, NASCAR banned the
Chrysler Hemi engine from competing due to the increasing speeds of the cars, and the concerns for safety. Chrysler responded by withdrawing their support, and drivers Richard Petty, David Pearson, Paul Goldsmith, Bobby Isaac, as well as others were forced to sit out the races. Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina opened that year, and Curtis Turner returned from his ban to win the inaugural race in his Ford. Turner had been banned from NASCAR in 1961 by Bill France, Sr. for trying to organize a drivers union with the Teamsters. If this were to happen today, we would probably be calling "union-gate"...

It's easy to forget what a challenge it was to actually watch a NASCAR event back then. In the mid to late 60's, races were uncommon on TV. You were lucky if the Daytona 500 made it to the airwaves. Unless you lived in a big city, TV reception kinda sucked. Even if you had one of those big-ass arrow shaped roof antennas, it still faded in and out - never mind if an airplane went overhead or the weather was inclement. You still had commercials, and everything was in black and white. Did I forget to mention, it was all on a 17" screen or smaller...

But that's the beauty of memories - it makes milestones in our own lives. If you have a cool memory of hot rodding or racing from your past, be sure to exercise it. It'll stay with you longer and I think you'll appreciate it more.

Until next time, peace out.
Dave