maddog
Here he comes to save the day!
My wife and I went to the Peterson Auto museum yesterday. We go a couple times a year because its close and they change the displays every so often. They were featuring low riders and micro cars. They had some really small single and two seaters that I had never seen before. No Topolinos though.
Then we hit the gift shop before leaving. I bought a book on the Fuel Altereds of the 60's. I was quite amazed at how many Topolinos there were back then. It was one of the main bodies of choice.
Anyway, I didnt know much of the history of the sport till I spent some time reading this book last night.
There was an attempted ban on fuel ( alchol, nitro, etc) burning cars in the late 50's. (They werent called Fuel Altereds at that point.) That didnt stop some of the guys and the crowd loved the tire smoking squirlly little cars. By the early 60's they were gaining in popularity and the sanctioning bodies and tracks gave into advertising pressure and made a class for them. Fuel Altered. They were very popular.
Apearently, they went really fast and not allways down the track. They were short and rather unpredictable. By the end of the 60's they were doing 200mph in the quarter. Slightly slower than the rails. In the early 70's the frame and tire technology had increased and they were on thier way out.
I sure wished I had seen them in the 60's but I was into dirt circle track and only occasionally went to the drags.
Thats what I learned yesterday.
The pics dont match the thread but I know you guys love pictures, so here is some of what I saw at the peterson yesterday.
Then we hit the gift shop before leaving. I bought a book on the Fuel Altereds of the 60's. I was quite amazed at how many Topolinos there were back then. It was one of the main bodies of choice.
Anyway, I didnt know much of the history of the sport till I spent some time reading this book last night.
There was an attempted ban on fuel ( alchol, nitro, etc) burning cars in the late 50's. (They werent called Fuel Altereds at that point.) That didnt stop some of the guys and the crowd loved the tire smoking squirlly little cars. By the early 60's they were gaining in popularity and the sanctioning bodies and tracks gave into advertising pressure and made a class for them. Fuel Altered. They were very popular.
Apearently, they went really fast and not allways down the track. They were short and rather unpredictable. By the end of the 60's they were doing 200mph in the quarter. Slightly slower than the rails. In the early 70's the frame and tire technology had increased and they were on thier way out.
I sure wished I had seen them in the 60's but I was into dirt circle track and only occasionally went to the drags.
Thats what I learned yesterday.
The pics dont match the thread but I know you guys love pictures, so here is some of what I saw at the peterson yesterday.