Pictures from my past

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

I was looking for something the other day and found a box full of old photos and just sat down for a couple hours and went down memory lane. These were made at Bristol in 1968 and 1970. I worked in one of the racing shops in Asheville during this time racing was not a big thing. You can see in the pictures you could go anywhere you wanted on the strip. You could stand right behind the cars on the line or go to the end of the track and feel them thunder by. That is why they called Bristol Thunder Valley.

I think the best photos from then are in an album somewhere in a box from all my moves in the past. I also have video or 8 mm somewhere. There were no big tractor trailers back then, no big budgets. One thing I would bet on is that one of our members had his hands on every one of the SOHC Ford engines there.

The NASCAR shots are how it was then. You could get cheap seats for sure $2.00 in 70. No big budgets there either about anyone could go racing. There were several cars in the race we built engines for. I quit going to NASCAR about then it got just too political you had to kiss A%% to go anywhere. If I remember correct Bud Moore hit the wall coming out of turn 3 where there was an entry gate in the wall. His car tore in three pieces. Entire front and rear gone and him just sitting in the cage, he drove a Mercury Comet that was same as a Farilane.

I was just getting started on a tool & die apprenticeship in 70 three years in.

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[red351]

Great pics. Thems were the days when you could afford to take the whole family and feed them there, and everybody knew everybody. Last local event I went too, there where only few folks in the stands and I can see why. A family of 5 was a $100 and $5 hotdogs. To many big pockets to fill I guess. I don't even watch it on TV much anymore. You know the ones with the biggest budgets is most likely to take top spots. Times has changed.

 

[72MustangSprint]

those are some cool vintage photos.

 

[rocket366]

Way Cool!

Thanks for posting

Paul

 

[Boss1Ray]

Very cool pics! Thanks for posting.

Ray

 

[secluff]

Great pictures David, sure appreciate your posting them. Especially liked the shots of Dyno Don's Cougar. Took me back to the times when we "Legally" drag racing at Blaney Drag Strip in Elgin SC. Back then you could afford the entrance fee, spare parts in case we broke anything, and still have money left over for hot dogs and beverages of your choice. We always had a blast. Then things started getting so high that you couldn't even afford to sit in the stands and eat there, much less the entrance fees and other costs if you wanted to race. Forced a lot us back to the late night drag racing in the country.