Big Time Money for Drag Racing

[Mike Gaines]

Here is a poster (flyer) that the track owner of the dragstrip in Harrisburg, Illinois put out circa 1966 or 1967.
He had previously booked me in for a couple Saturday Night Match Races so he used a picture of my car on his flyer. (I had altered the rear wheelbase but not yet installed the front tube axle and set the engine back 26")
NOTICE THE PRIZE MONEY BACK THEN.
But...gas, if I remember right was about 25 cents a gallon, etc.

 

[Zeppelin264]

What did your car run back then?

 

[rumblefish360]

Some of those purses are nearly equal to a weeks pay for the regular working man! Dang! That’s not bad, not bad at all! Pretty good for being a Hooligan racing cars!

 

[Mike Gaines]

What did your car run back then?

In full match race tuneup it ran high 9s at low 140s. Hilborns on 90 per cent nitro and 10 % alcohol...fast back then but not so much now.

 

[rumblefish360]

Whoa! Wooo weeee!

 

[khryslerkid]

Mike, there's always one race that stands out more than any other.

Care to share ?

 

[slimt]

Gas was gas back then ..... Not the weasel piss and water of today..

 

[rumblefish360]

Gas was gas back then ..... Not the weasel piss and water of today..

LMAO! And they will be saying the same thing 50 years from now.

 

[slimt]

LMAO! And they will be saying the same thing 50 years from now.

50s years from now.. everyone will be riding in rikshas and peddling there bikes.. if theres tires to be had.. or back to the future stone age figuring out how to carve a tire from stone.. ..

 

[383man]

That's cool Mike. You had some awesome cars back in the day. Course you also have an awesome car now ! I remember in 1979 I paid $7 dollars to get in the track and race in Heavy eliminator (12.0 to 13.99) and it paid like $200 to win and $100 for runner up. Semi's got you $50. Oh yes how the times have changed. Ron

 

[dukeboy_318]

LMAO! And they will be saying the same thing 50 years from now.

No they won't. 50 years from now there will be no gas powered engines. They've already started the banning of the internal combustion engine in California by 2040

 

[Darter6]

I have a poster from 1967.Keystone Raceway Park. TOP FUEL $1,000 payout to the winner !

 

[gtxracer]

I remember in the mid 70's, at Sacramento Raceway on Wednesday's you could race or watch for $2 and all they had was a jackpot payout. Several tracks had night races during the week and if you so desired and didn't mind the towing, you could race every night but Tuesday.

 

[black64]

I use to help my buddy with his front engine fuel dragster and we would get 50 dollars to race that was at Milan dragway in Michigan 1968 time frame. Those were the days of having a push car to start the car and smoking the slicks most of the 1/4.

 

[Budnicks]

 

[Budnicks]

 

[Budnicks]

 

[Budnicks]

oh how times
& the $$$ has changed

 

[gtxracer]

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Thanks for the look back too a fun time remembering the racers, most of whom are gone. Those prices for the RR and Charger are only dreams now.
Bob

 

[Cranky]

I was mowing yards in 64-64 for 2 bucks a yard. An AMT model kit was 2 bucks plus sales tax of .02 on the dollar. The window sticker came with my 66 Belvedere I 2-dr post and it's at 2969.00 and came with AC, and auto trans. And yeah, 9's don't seem all that fast these days lol