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Iconografix |
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Drag Racing Funny Cars of the 1960's Photo Archive From Super Stockers to Floppers by Lou Hart |
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Reviewed By Doug Hamilton, #21985 |
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MSRP: Dick Landy, Arnie “The Farmer” Beswick, Gene Snow, Roger Lindamood and Tom McEwen… all names one thinks about when remembering the glorious days of drag racing in the 1960’s. These were a few of the pioneers of the fast and furious funny cars we all know today. Also known as “Floppers” due to the lightweight bodies that were lifted up just prior to a race, these cars were a marvel of technology in their day. Able to run nearly as fast as the dragsters, they captured the imagination of many racing fans around the country. This book, authored by Lou Hart and published by Iconografix, shows in black and white pictures the very essence of how these cars developed into today’s ground shaking hot rods that can run over 320 MPH. In 126 pages, we’re taken back to a time when the evolution took place from a pure Super Stock class into the modern Funny Car era. Included in this work are pictures showing many of the early drivers and cars of this era. Cars such as the legendary Color Me Gone, The Hawaiian, Gas Rhonda, and Candies and Hughes are all included, as are some of the lesser-known cars. There are also some Memorable Moments in text that highlight some of the more colorful characters and personal achievements that were a part of this time. One noticeable element – or lack thereof - that jumps out at the reader is the pittance of sponsorship logos plastered all over the cars. Unlike today, where each car is a rolling billboard to its sponsor, the cars of this time period usually had a unique name such as The Chi-Town Hustler, or the aforementioned Color Me Gone. These names gave the cars and drivers a unique personality that is sometimes unseen in today’s multi-million dollar approach to racing. It allowed the fan to have a more personal sense of identifying with a car and driver combination unlike today. I enjoyed this book, as it brought back very fond memories of a simpler time in racing, not driven by sponsorship monies, and the need for today’s “corporate speak” we hear so often in driver interviews. It was a time when experimentation, innovation and boldness were rewarded with victories. I recommend this work to all drag racing fans, modelers who like to build older cars, and those of us that grew up during this time who would like to remember the cars of our youth. My thanks go out to Iconografix for supplying this sample for review, John Noack, IPMS 1st VP for sending me this copy to review, and all the racers who gave me such great memories. Thank you all!!! |
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