Party Crashers: How Five Wild Stock Bodied Cars On Nitro Made History At The 1965 US Nationals

The voice of drag racing. We are lucky to have you making these videos. Thank you Brian!

I was at the '65 Nats, a year out of high school, and it was incredible. The sights, the sounds, the mind-boggling array of cars. I will never forget it.

I would be so extremely happy to build a blown BBC manual transmission period correct gasser. I love these history of drag racing videos you put together Brian. I am always impressed at the huge strides us hot rodders have been able to develop over the decades. When I was 16 in 1997 a high 9 second low 10 second car was an ultra lightweight race car that had to be towed to and from the track. Now you can buy a car from the dealer, throw on some tires and as long as you can drive you can run those times and faster with a factory backed warranty that can be daily driven. The times the Sick Week and Drag Week competitors are able to run and drive 1500 miles to and from the track just shows how far the ICE has come.The ability of gearheads to cut down and improve ET and trap speeds in only 660' or 1320' is absolutely incredible and never ceases to amaze.

I remember watching the Snake and Mongoose go at it at the Spring Nationals in the early 70’s, drag racing will never be that wild again

when i lost my grandfather to a heart attack last summer, i felt like i would be forever seperated from the sport he had been racing in since 1956. thank you for talking about these old stories of wild men and monster machines. rest in peace USAF Master Sargeant Robert George Wich, Jr., and may your 41 Ford Business Coupe fly the Homestead tracks again.

I love the rich history of drag racing, The cars, The men and women who built and raced them that this channel provides:)

I was introduced to drag racing in 1959 at US 30 Drag Strip at the age of 14. I was hooked. I will never forget the 1965 season. In the spring of 1965 Dyno Don showed up at the track for a match race in a 1965 Comet SOHC A/FX . The car was as built with two carburetors. Later, in the fall he returned to US 30 for another match race but now the car was fitted with a straight axle and the rear axle moved forward and the engine had 8 stack fuel injection on nitro but still with a four speed manual. The engine blew up. That season there were match races almost every weekend and the crowds were huge. The array of altered wheelbase, injected, nitro burning cars was crazy. Yellow rosin dust. Burnouts, dry hops, best two out of three races, betting in the crowds……..it was nuts but it was awesome! I’m glad my friends and I had the experience.

My first exposure to drag racing was 1969. My uncle Jim took me to Lyons Drag Strip and while watching the Mr. T Corvette exploded and my uncle told me to go grab a souvenir! I came back with an almost complete door with the Mr. T still on it!😂

As one who raced and rode the fences at the two 'San' dragstrips, Fernando and Gabriel, and the big show every Saturday night at Lions, as a kid of 17 I could dream of building a B rail or street roadster. But when the exhibition runs became a thing, I just didn't get it, nor did my wallet. Yes, a Top Fuel car went for twelve grand in 1964 dollars but still, a kid could dream. What was once a SOP hobby run at tracks with dirt, dust, and splintered seating faded from view to be overtaken by the maga-tracks, think OCR or any track with those blaring "Sunday Sunday Sunday - Be There" radio commercials, it all just became different. Having said this, thank you Brian for this fascinating look into those who did, "Think outside the box." As always, good stuff here...

Brian you are doing drag racing and other racing history justice. Thank you so much for all this in depth history. Being born in 1962 and growing up loving anything with a engine in it. This is right up my alley of learning more about our sports history. Keep up the great work and God bless you brother.

Imagine, sitting in your school's library, putting on archaic plastic cup headphones, plugging them in to the "compact cassette" player, opening the book and listening for the "beep" to turn the page as you watched and listened to the stories of "The Little Red Wagon" and "Hemi Under Glass". This was showbiz and I was hooked. I was in a Canadian suburb, so this might as well have been a transmission from the lunar surface, but I was captivated. So, damn your top speed and blown rods, I was in for the show. Rear wheel steering (brake steer) and looking through the floor boards to navigate had me. Later, there would be "Bob Chandler's Big Foot" and "Mega Saurus," but for now, pulling a wheelie all the way down the strip was the shit. Showbiz!

Thank you! My dad was involved with a lot! I've got pictures of the '63 and '64 COLOR ME GONE with Don Beebe's street DODGE CHARGER in my driveway.

1965 I got to watch Dyno Don Nicholson and Dick Landy make a couple exibition passes at the newly opened Englishtown Drag Strip. They were indeed a sight to see.

Thanks for posting. I was fortunate enough to see Art Arfons in his jet powered Green Monster.

I love this so much. Drag racing was so rowdy and chaotic back in the day. Has the best history. You are the man Brian, and putting this history out there will inspire more people to take part in drag racing.

Wow Brian, what a well researched and professionally presented summary of the "Funny Car Circus" Bravo! -Steve Magnante

Nice! Don Beebe worked for my dad, thanks for showing a couple of my dad's cars, COLOR ME GONE AND DART CHARGER. He also had LITTLE RED WAGON for a year, Jay Howell drove both LITTLE RED WAGON and DART CHARGER. Bob Branstner

i was a kid in San Antonio and my neighbor was Bill Jarrette. One of his AFX was called "the tia jana taxie". Injected hemi on nitro. Got to see the 41 Willys of stone woods and cook, Bill built a candy apple red 41 willys and crashed on its madden pass. Got to see tommy ivos glass trailer also. Not sure what work Bill was doing, but parents moved to Boerne around 1968 and I lost contact. Great stories, love the way you put these videos together. Thanks again.

LOVE that red '61 Starliner fastback at 3:56 !!!!

What an absoltue kick ass presentation. Perfect use of showing images of what you are speaking of and at just the right cadence.