Fans, do I have a treat for you! I just met another Jamestown car lover who was nice enough to share some of his videos from Martin US131 Dragway from the 1960's. So come along with me and let's take a look. Turn up those speakers. There are sexy sounds of 700+ HP engines turning the quarter mile!
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John says:
"I have been into cars all my life,having four brothers who were and still are into classic cars. I have been a race-fan and a racer since 1966 when my dad took me to my first Drag Race at 131 Dragway in Martin Michgan when I was fourteen yrs old. The first race that I saw was a match race between "Big Daddy" Don Garlits in his "Swamp Rat" top fuel dragster vs Chris "The Golden Greek" Karamesines in his "Chizler" dragster. It was amazing, the noise, the smell of Nitromethane, the quarter mile tire smoke, what a show! Later that year we returned to the track to see a match race between "Dyno Don'" Nicholson in his fuel injected, Nitro burning, SOHC Ford Hemi powered, fiberglass flip top bodied 1966 Mercury Comet, the "Eliminator I" vs Mr. Norm's Grand Spalding Dodge 1965 altered wheelbase Coronet with a Supercharged, Nitro burning 426 Hemi for power. These were the forerunners of today's modern funny cars. These racers put on a real show and when they came to the local track the Rock and Roll radio stations would advertise it all week,"SATURDAY!! SATURDAY!! at MARTIN US131 DRAGWAAAAAY!!!! with the song "Drag City" by Jan and Dean playing in the background... I was hooked. I couldn't wait for Saturday to come so I could watch those early Funny Cars run!! They would have a pre-race routine that would consist of sweeping Rosin across the starting line to give the cars better traction. While this was going on the track announcer would ask how many Ford fans are out there. Then he would ask how many Dodge fans or Chevy fans or Pontiac fans, etc. Then he would scream "HOW MANY THINK DYNO DON WILL BLOW THE DOORS OFF MR. NORM'S DODGE?!!" Then he would ask "HOW MANY THINK MR.NORM WILL PUT DYNO DON'S MERCURY ON THE TRAILER?!!" The crowd would be whipped into a frenzy when the engines would come to life. The drivers would slowly pull up to the starting line and then burnout through the Rosin and then back up and do it again, each driver trying to out do the other one. After four or five burnouts they would slowly pull into the staging beams while they revved their engines in a way that they seemed to taunt each other. The lights would turn green and they would fly down the track with the front wheels in the air and flames coming out of the header pipes! It was total sensory overload for a teenage boy like me and I'll never forget it!"
"Well, the hook was in deep and in the '70s I got into racing myself. First with a 1965 Mustang with a HIGHPO 289 inch V8 with a four speed. Next came a 1969 428 Cobrajet powered Mustang with a four speed. Then I built a race only 1965 Mercury Comet with a 427 V8 and a C6 auto trans. I raced that car for ten years through the '80s then sold it and bought a 1990 5.0 Mustang that I still own today."
That is John's story. Now- "Let's get ready to RUMBLE!!!!!!
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Now, is that cool, or what? My thanks to my new friend, John Camfferman from Jamestown! These are from his personal collection. I understand he has some DVDs that might be for sale if you want one. I will let him know if you ask!
John lives just about a mile from me. I can't believe our paths have never crossed, or if they did, we didn't know it. John, thanks again for giving me permission to feature your great videos. I know my car friends will have a BALL watching!
To leave a comment (Mike's Show & Shine loves comments) please click on the comments link below. Tell me what you think of John's Videos. Did you see your favorite cars from the past? Maybe a friend's car? Let me know!!
