Tales from the Drag Strip
Tales from the Drag Strip

Author: Don Garlits

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2013-06-01

Total Pages: 185

ISBN-13: 1613217552

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Since the moment that young men began modifying and personalizing their automobiles back in the 1940s and ’50s, “Big Daddy” Don Garlits was squarely in the thick of this intoxicating pursuit. Tales from the Drag Strip with “Big Daddy” Don Garlits is a first-person account of the many memorable experiences this drag racing icon has lived through in his half-century of nitromethane-fueled exploits. The many races, racers, race fans, and race tracks that have touched his colorful career are recounted as only Big Daddy can, painting a vivid picture of his life at speed and the triumphs and tragedies that came along the way. Insightful, ironic, humorous, and touching—but all true—Big Daddy’s remembrances are the next best thing to reliving the glory days of America’s quickest and fastest motorsports through the eyes of an American institution.

Big Daddy Don Garlits Tales from the Drag Strip
Big Daddy Don Garlits Tales from the Drag Strip

Author: Don Garlits

Publisher: Sports Publishing LLC

Published: 2004-01

Total Pages: 168

ISBN-13: 1582617740

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Drag racing icon Garlits gives a humorous and insightful first-person accountof the many memorable experiences he has lived through in his half-century ofnitromethane-fueled exploits.

Shirley Muldowney's Tales from the Track
Shirley Muldowney's Tales from the Track

Author: Shirley Muldowney

Publisher: Sports Publishing LLC

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 9781582611075

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In the 1970s, when the idea of a woman competing successfully with men in any form of motorsports was radical notion, a young woman from Schenectady, New York, began her singular quest to change the chauvinistic mindset that prevailed in professional drag racing. Shirley Muldowney not only broke the gender barrier in the National Hot Rod Association, but also completely rewrote the record books in Top Fuel Eliminator, the sport's quickest and fastest category. She was the first woman ever to receive a Top Fuel license from the NHRA, and none other than "Big Daddy" Don Garlits was one of the veteran drivers who signed off on it. Between 1977 and 1982, Muldowney won three NHRA Top Fuel championships--the first female ever to win a title in any professional motorsport--and added an AHRA Top Fuel championship to her resume, as well. She won the prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals in 1982 and, before her retirement at the end of the 2003 season, had become one of the most recognized and celebrated race car drivers in history, male or female. She was recently inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Novi, Michigan, and has been the subject of countless features in newspapers, magazines, and network television from coast to coast. Shirley Muldowney's Tales from the Track is an unabashed collection of stories, anecdotes, and opinions in her own unvarnished style of storytelling, laced with her straightforward, take-no-prisoners approach. She has spent her entire lifetime telling it like it is, standing up to the establishment, and refusing to do anything other than in her own way. Politically correct? Hardly. Readers are encouraged to strap themselves in when she shares her manytales. It's the whole truth and nothing but the truth according to the legendary Shirley Muldowney.

Rocky's Road
Rocky's Road

Author: Jim Rockstad

Publisher: Dorrance Publishing

Published: 2018-01-02

Total Pages: 185

ISBN-13: 1480946877

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Rocky’s Road By: Jim Rockstad With more than three decades of experience in the world of hot rods, drag racing and funny cars, Jim Rockstad has a million and one stories of the races, drivers and good old days of drag racing in the Pacific Northwest. He was there in the pit when Ed “Ace” McCulloch put the Northwest racing scene on the map with his momentous win in the Northwind dragster in 1965 and from there the rest is history. Rocky’s Road is a trip down memory lane through the milestones of West Coast racing from one of the sport’s premier managers and promoters. Rockstad’s story isn’t just sports trivia—it’s also a personal memoir, showing that anyone with enough passion and luck can find success in chasing their dreams.

Don "The Snake" Prudhomme: My Life Beyond the 1320
Don

Author: Elana Scherr

Publisher: CarTech Inc

Published: 2020-10-16

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 1613255187

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Don "The Snake" Prudhomme reveals for the first time ever his incredible life and career on and off of the drag strip.

Imagine spending a year with Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, having coffee together and talking about his life, his racing, his friends, and his family. He’d tell you about how he rose from being a high school drop-out who was painting cars to a respected Top Fuel dragster driver and successful businessman. You’d hear how he toured the country with Tommy Ivo and "The Hawaiian" Roland Leong, racing all the legends from "Big Daddy" Don Garlits to "The Golden Greek" [Chris] Karamesines. He'd say how he met Tom McEwen and recall how they became the Snake and the Mongoose, leading to a career in Funny Cars that netted him four championships in a row. He'd talk about the thrill of first wins and owning his own teams but also the struggles of bad seasons, crashes and fires, broken parts, and broken contracts. Along the way, he’d speak about the people in his life, such as engine-builder Keith Black and NHRA president Wally Parks, and those who were killed in the wild and unpredictable sport of nitro racing. It wouldn’t be only racing, though. Prudhomme would share lessons he learned about business and life from such varied sources as a neighbor in Granada Hills to Ford GT40 driver Dan Gurney. He also would talk about the importance of family: how his wife, Lynn, and daughter, Donna, changed his world and how finding out about his African-American roots opened his eyes to a culture and inheritance he’d always wanted. This is the experience you’ll get in Don "The Snake" Prudhomme: My Life Beyond the 1320.

Chevy Drag Racing 1955-1980: A Celebration of Bowtie's Success at the Drag Strip
Chevy Drag Racing 1955-1980: A Celebration of Bowtie's Success at the Drag Strip

Author: Doug Boyce

Publisher: CarTech Inc

Published: 2020-03-15

Total Pages: 177

ISBN-13: 1613254997

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Relive the glorious first 25 years of Chevy drag racing in this comprehensive and nostalgic history. With the introduction of Chevy’s OHV V-8 in 1955, the brand’s domination on the drag strip immediately snowballed. Drag racers loved the compact V-8. It was lightweight, revved high, and responded like no other engine previously produced to modification. Chevy saw a record year in sales in 1955, thanks to a combination of a restyled body and the new mill. It was the age of ingenuity, and those who could get their hands on the new engine were swapping it into engine bays that once housed other weaker mills. Ford’s flathead, one that had dominated for so long, was rendered obsolete almost overnight. Chevy had a winner and dominated the sales charts for years to come. Aftermarket manufacturers got on board and offered up all the go-fast goodies needed to make Chevy a winner, no matter what category they ran. From Dragsters to Stock, Chevy’s success was immediate. And it was a long-term success, thanks to a combination of years of great styling and a vast array of driveline combinations. Accomplished racing author Dour Boyce takes a celebratory look at those years of success, with a focus on the first 25 years (1955 through 1980). Chevrolets gave rise to such stars as Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins, “Jungle Jim” Liberman, “Sneaky Pete” Robinson, “Dyno” Don Nicholson, Sox & Martin, Dick Harrell, Dave Strickler, and many more. World champs and fan favorites all drove Chevys. The success showed in the record books. No brand has won more races and events or has set more national records than Chevrolet. And unlike the other manufacturers, Ford and Chrysler, it was done with little to no factory support. Whether you are a hardcore Chevy fan or just love catching up on the history of drag racing during the golden age, this nostalgic look at Chevy racing history is sure to entertain for hours on end.

Top Fuel Dragsters
Top Fuel Dragsters

Author: Denny Von Finn

Publisher: Bellwether Media

Published: 2007-08-01

Total Pages: 26

ISBN-13: 1612114571

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Top Fuel drivers and their cars race one-on-one in a straight line. Drag racing is one of the most popular forms of auto racing, and Top Fuel dragsters are the fastest dragsters around. Young readers will explore the technology that enables a Top Fuel dragster to travel faster than 330 miles per hour!

Drag Racing in the 1960s
Drag Racing in the 1960s

Author: Doug Boyce

Publisher: CarTech Inc

Published: 2021-03-15

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13: 1613255829

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The 1960s were a fascinating decade on the race scene. Relive the memories today through this wonderful new book. Drag racing has a long and storied history. Many have said that the first drag race happened shortly after the second car was made. While that may or may not be true, racing prior to World War II was mostly centered around dry-lake activities and top-speed runs. After the war, drag racing became organized with the formation of the NHRA, and during the 1950s, many tracks were built across America to accommodate the racers. Technology in the 1950s centered on the manufacturers updating old flathead designs into newer overhead-valve designs, and the horsepower race really started to heat up. In many forms of racing, the 1960s brought technological evolution. The decade began with big engines in even bigger stock chassis and ended with purpose-built race-only chassis, fiberglass bodies, fuel injection, nitro methane, and blowers. Quarter-mile times that were in the 13-second range in the beginning of the decade were in the 7-second range by the end. New classes were formed, dedicated cars were built for them, and many racers themselves became recognized names in the sports landscape. In Drag Racing in the 60s: The Evolution in Race Car Technology, veteran author Doug Boyce takes you on a ride through the entire decade from a technological point of view rather than a results-based one. Covered are all the classes, including Super Stocks, Altered Wheelbase cars (which led to Funny Cars), Top Fuelers, Gassers, and more.