Drag Strip Pins and Buttons

Drag Racing Papa

Designed as a value brand, Plymouth was well-suited to serve the post-war baby boom youth market as young men (and women) began taking to the streets, but Plymouth knew that customers wanted more. The combination of a line of lightweight vehicles with low price points, and easy access to some serious powertrains would propel the brand’s ascension from economy car nameplate to muscle car legend. Taking these lightweight cars and jamming a 426ci Max Wedge Hemi into them made for instant drag strip missiles, and professional racers saw what Plymouth was going and got behind them in great numbers. By 1970, Plymouth’s line of affordable muscle cars had blossomed into the Rapid Transit System, a group of true performers.

Atco Dragway was built in 1959, with the first racers (Motor Masters Hot Rod Club) started at the top end, racing towards the starting line. The club hosted the official opening day on Memorial Day weekend in 1960, making Atco Dragway the oldest drag strip in New Jersey. The sanctioned track has held more than 250 events in a single year, making it one of the busiest tracks in the country. After 63 years of service, the South Jersey racetrack abruptly announced it's closing in July 2023, canceling all scheduled events and causing waves of upset throughout the drag racing community.

This Pennsylvania-based performance legend started out as a maker of motor mounts for engine swaps and floor-shifters back in 1958, but they steadily expanded their product line through the 1960s. Hurst wheels, Line/Loc, and Swifter Shifter gloves were developed among other items, and later, Airheart Brakes and the Schiefer Manufacturing Company, which made clutches and other driveline components, were acquired. Hurst Performance floor-shifters were skillfully engineered, reliable and stirring in appearance, plus, their marketing was in tune with the times, catering to the flourishing muscle car movement of the 1960s. Their shifters infiltrated the drag racing, stock car racing, off-road racing and many other areas of motorsports.

Quincy's Auto Supply sat on the south side of Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica and started out as a muffler shop, but evolved into a comprehensive speed shop. They had lifts for muffler work, a speed equipment showroom, and even offered machining services such as boring and porting. Ray Alley was the muffler guy and did the porting work; he later became fairly famous as a top fuel wrench. The proprietor of the place was Bill Quincy Cox, hence the name of the business, and Quincy's had considerable credibility in the hot rod and racing scene through his sponsorships of some of the top drag racers and Bonneville competitors, most of whom set numerous records while flying the Quincy flag.

This Pennsylvania-based performance legend started out as a maker of motor mounts for engine swaps and floor-shifters back in 1958, but they steadily expanded their product line through the 1960s. Hurst wheels, Line/Loc, and Swifter Shifter gloves were developed among other items, and later, Airheart Brakes and the Schiefer Manufacturing Company, which made clutches and other driveline components, were acquired. Hurst Performance floor-shifters were skillfully engineered, reliable and stirring in appearance, plus, their marketing was in tune with the times, catering to the flourishing muscle car movement of the 1960s. Their shifters infiltrated the drag racing, stock car racing, off-road racing and many other areas of motorsports.

Hot cartoon top fuel rail dragster race car illustration, long sleek and bold blue, popping a wheelie, huge engine blowing flames, very cool design for every car guy and gal.

Atco Dragway was built in 1959, with the first racers (Motor Masters Hot Rod Club) started at the top end, racing towards the starting line. The club hosted the official opening day on Memorial Day weekend in 1960, making Atco Dragway the oldest drag strip in New Jersey. The sanctioned track has held more than 250 events in a single year, making it one of the busiest tracks in the country. After 63 years of service, the South Jersey racetrack abruptly announced it's closing in July 2023, canceling all scheduled events and causing waves of upset throughout the drag racing community.

Red Devil Racing Fuels were formulated in Los Angeles, exclusively with gasoline product out of the El Segundo Refinery from genuine California crude. With advertising that played on variations of 'hotter than hell,' their smoking devil was a common sight around the west coast drag strips, both on fuel drums and decals on drag racers. While others made various octanes, Red Devil only made their 110 high test which was known to be a good 5 octane higher than stated, something that would come back to bite them a few years down the road.

Life Goal Drag Racing Holeshot Wins Christmas Tree

1955 Chevy Gasser - 1950's 1960's racer

Bro I'm Racing Funny Drag Racing

A dragster is a specialized competition automobile used in drag racing. Dragsters, also commonly called “diggers,” can be broadly placed in three categories, based on the fuel they use: gasoline, methanol, and nitromethane. They are most commonly single-engined, though twin-engined and quad-engined designs did race in the 1950s and 1960s. The design of dragsters evolved from the front-engined rail (named for the exposed frame rails) of the earliest days of drag racing, into the “slingshot” (with the driver between or behind the rear tires, or “slicks”) of the early to middle 1960s, to the modern type common in the 1970s. Depending on the class they run in, dragsters can be injected or supercharged (or turbocharged).

Sebulba still owes us money for podracing....

Easily Distracted By Fast Cars

A design for those who love to send it at the drag strip, even if it means breaking parts!

Distressed burn-out look.

After leaving the Army on a medical discharge in 1952, a 19-year-old Norm Grabowski built a hot rod based on a shortened 1922 Model T touring car mated to a similarly shortened Model A truck bed. With a powerful OHV engine from his parents' sedan, the vehicle that resulted had a unique appearance and stance, which inspired many hot rods created afterward. The car was first featured on the cover of the October 1955 issue of Hot Rod and then underwent further modifications, including a greater rake, tilted windshield and blue paint with flames. Grabowski's hugely influential hot rod became known as the 'Kookie Kar' after it was used in the television show 77 Sunset Strip, and driven by the character Kookie in just about every episode.

distressed chevy gasser bel air

First established in 1965, VHS started out by porting cylinder heads for local racers in an old barn and has since evolved into one of the most complete engine shops in Southern California.

1959-1996

Iconic Crane Cams Speed shop vintage drag racing emblem featuring a long neck crane stretching his early rail dragster. Nostalgia drag racing look for hot rod, rat rod, race car, rockabilly and vintage fans.

JS Speed Center opened up in the late '50s in Westminster, California. Other than that they were a traditional old school speed shop, not much is known about them and all that remains is a few forum posts with vague recollections and some old waterslide decals.

When it comes to old school speed shops, Detroit definitely had more than their share. Of course, that isn't surprising seeing as the city has long been home to the American auto industry, and is known as the 'Motor City' as a result. Custom Speed Enterprises (CSE) is one such shop, and was one of the city's longest running providers of go fast goodies. Unlike some others, the shop was a windowless space, so it was rather dark throughout, and kinda creepy by most recollections. Housekeeping wasn't exactly their forte, as just about everything was covered in dust, but their inventory was second to none, and could be counted on to have whatever you needed in stock.

All cars that go over 150 mph in the quarter mile are required to have and use a chute, and dual chutes are required for those who go over 200 mph. But why parachutes, why not bigger brakes? When it comes to stopping a race car after reaching triple digit speeds on the drag strip, nothing beats a parachute (or two if you're a real monster). At those speeds, even the best of mechanical brakes can't bring the car to a stop without overheating, so parachutes employ simple physics to create massive amounts of drag to help bring these land missiles to a stop inside the shutdown area.

HURST

"Dandy" Dick Landy was a master showman and a major pioneer in Super Stock, Funny Car, and Pro Stock drag racing. He was known for his innovative race cars, wild wheel stands, and his signature look of pressed white pants and jacket and long cigar clenched between his teeth. Automotive Research was Landy's first engine-building and tuning shop, opened in Sherman Oaks, California, in the early 1960s. Later, he would change the name to Dick Landy Industries and move to nearby Northridge. The business, which also employed his brother who acted as crew chief and engine builder, would continue until Landy's death in 2007.

You Don't Scare Me I'm A Grudge Racer

This Pennsylvania-based performance legend started out as a maker of motor mounts for engine swaps and floor-shifters back in 1958, but they steadily expanded their product line through the 1960s.

Shelley's Auto Parts was an old school speed shop located in the Mission Hills area of San Fernando Valley. From the mid-sixties until the early '80s, they stocked a wealth of go fast goodies that any hot rodder or muscle car aficionado might need to make their ride go fast or just look like it.

Gnarly Camaro tribute to Niagara Dragstrip that closed in 1974, as some neighbors just didn't like the noise.

The '57 Chebby Bel Air may be one of the most iconic '50s automobiles of all time, but is without question the queen of the Tri Fives. This cartooned '57 is sporting a wild gasser stance and is ready to strut her stuff on the strip, flames and all.

Gnarly Camaro tribute to Niagara Dragstrip that closed in 1974, as some neighbors just didn't like the noise.

Carter Carburetor Company in St. Louis, Missouri, was established in 1909 by William Carter, who started experimenting with carburetors while running a successful bicycle shop. His first cast brass carb could meter and deliver fuel more accurately than many competing units, and easily found a place in the market. Carter became a major OEM supplier to Detroit. In 1971, they introduced the ThermoQuad four barrel. It was available in two sizes, rated according to air flow – 850 and 1000 CFM. The higher flow model was the largest street carburetor in terms of air flow when released, and was a factory part on many of the muscle cars of the era. Gear heads have a love/hate relationship with ThermoQuads, in that they either love or hate them.

Junior Dragster Drag Racing

Drag Racing Dad