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Biloxi Dragway
The Biloxi Dragway was a NHRA/AHRA-sanctioned Quarter-Mile Drag Strip located in Biloxi, Mississippi, United States and operated from August 18, 1957 to July 1, 1967. History Many drag racing pioneers raced at Biloxi. "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, Tommy Ivo, Art Arfons, Chris Karamesines, Ronnie Sox, and Mr. Norm's Grand Spaulding Dodge. Locals, Paul VanderLey, Candies & Wale / Hughes, and Joe Teuton. 101 Hall of Fame associations are currently documented with the Biloxi Dragway. Built by Earl C. Nolan for $30,000, the strip operated under the name of the "Gulf Coast Drag Strip" from 1957-1964. On May 8, 1960 an incident took place with a dragster crashing in to the fence toward Hwy 67 caused the ownership to change hands, with events being canceled in 1962. From 1962 Harvey & Bill Walther operated the venue till its closure in 1967. Early on Keesler field men under the name "Keesler Coasters" competed in a dragster representing Keesler Air Force Base. On Dec 22, 1963 A Nationa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Hot Rod Association
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a governing body which sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all over the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers in its rosters, the NHRA claims to be the largest motorsport sanctioning body in the world. The association was founded by Wally Parks in 1951 in California to provide a governing body to organize and promote the sport of drag racing. NHRA's first Nationals was held in 1955, in Great Bend, Kansas. The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, the national event series which comprises 24 races each year, is the premier series in drag racing that brings together the best drag racers from across North America and the world. The NHRA U.S. Nationals are now held at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Indiana and are officially called the U.S. Nationals. Winners of national events are awarded a trophy statue in honor of founder Wally Parks. The trophy is commonly referred to by its nickname, " The Wally". Hist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Biloxi
Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It lies on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi, bordering the city of Gulfport, Mississippi, Gulfport to its west. The adjacent cities are both designated as county seat, seats of Harrison County. The population of Biloxi was 49,449 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the state's List of municipalities in Mississippi, fourth-most populous city. It is a principal city of the Gulfport–Biloxi metropolitan area, home to 416,259 residents in 2020. The area's first European settlers were French colonists. The beachfront of Biloxi lies directly on the Mississippi Sound, with barrier islands scattered off the coast and into the Gulf of Mexico. Keesler Air Force Base lies within the city and is home to the 81st Training Wing and the 403rd Wing of the United States Air Force Reserve, U.S. Air Force Reserve. History Colonial era In 1699, French colonists fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Don Garlits
Donald Glenn Garlits (born January 14, 1932) is an American race car driver and automotive engineer. Born in Tampa, Florida, Garlits is considered the father of drag racing, he is known as "Big Daddy" to drag racing fans around the world. A pioneer in the field of drag racing, he perfected the rear-engine Top Fuel dragster, an innovation motivated by the loss of part of his foot in a dragster accident. This design was notably safer since it put most of the fuel processing and rotating parts of the dragster behind the driver. The driver was placed in front of nearly all the mechanical components, thus protecting him and allowing him to activate a variety of safety equipment in the event of catastrophic mechanical failure or a fire. Garlits was an early promoter of the full-body, fire-resistant Nomex driving suit, complete with socks, gloves, and balaclava. Garlits was the first drag racer to officially surpass the 170, 180, 200, 240, 250, and 270 mile-per-hour marks in the qua ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tommy Ivo
Tommy Ivo (born April 18, 1936), also known as "TV Tommy" and "Instant Ivo" is an American actor and drag racer, who was active in the 1960s racing community. Acting Ivo was born in Denver, Colorado. His acting career began in the early 1940s, with notable performances including Cousin Arne in '' I Remember Mama'' (1948), Joey in ''Prejudice'' (1949), David in '' The Lost Volcano'' with Johnny Sheffield. and William Button in '' Plymouth Adventure'' (1952). In 1955 Ivo appeared as Shelby in the "Heart of a Cheater" episode of the ''Lone Ranger'' TV show. He also appeared in ''Make Room for Daddy'' as daughter Terry's boyfriend Walter in "Terry Goes Steady" in 1958. The teenage Hot Rod film entitled Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow (1959), features a brief appearance of Tommy Ivo as a dragster racer and race car builder. From 1959 to 1961, Ivo appeared as Herbie Bailey on ''The Donna Reed Show''. In 1961 Ivo appeared as William, the young son of Motel owner Mrs Prattle -‘Praytell ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Art Arfons
Arthur Eugene Arfons (February 3, 1926 – December 3, 2007) was the world land speed record holder three times from 1964 to 1965 with his ''Green Monster'' series of jet-powered cars, after a series of ''Green Monster'' piston-engine and jet-engined dragsters. He subsequently went on to field a succession of ''Green Monster'' turbine-engined pulling tractors, before returning to land speed record racing. He was announced as a 2008 inductee in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame three days after his death. Family Art Arfons' father, Tom, was born in Greece and came to the United States at age 14. He settled in Akron, Ohio, where Art was born. Tom died in 1950, at age 52. His mother, Bessie, who was of Cherokee descent, and died in 1983 at age 84. Arfons had two half brothers by his mother — Walt Arfons, ten years older, who was to become his partner and later competitor in motor sports, and Dale, eight years older, as well as one sister "Lou", eighteen mo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris Karamesines
Chris Karamesines (born November 11, 1931) is an American drag racer and one of NHRA's early pioneers and nicknamed "The Golden Greek" or just simply "Greek". In 2009, he became the first driver in NHRA history to compete and become the fastest driver at over 78 years old at the final event of the 2009 season at Pomona driving in the Top Fuel category. But he would lose in the first round against Brandon Bernstein. The following year, he made an attempt at Firebird International Raceway in Arizona and made the field, but again lost in the first round. Karamesines would break his own record in 2018 at Brainerd Raceway, running a 305-mile per hour pass at 86 years old. Early years Karamesines was born November 11, but conflicting reports raise questions regarding his birthyear. While NHRA has it listed as 1931, other sources, including The Drag Racing Hall of Fame, say he was born in 1928. At age 16, Karamesines joined the army and went to Germany during World War II, where he wo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ronnie Sox
Willard Ronald Sox (December 17, 1938 – April 22, 2006 in Richmond, Virginia) was an American drag racer. His family ran a Sinclair (SOX SINCLAIR) station on Church St. in Burlington, North Carolina, where got his start in drag racing in the 1950s when the Police Club of Burlington began hosting races at an airport. He raced at tracks throughout North Carolina and became a national sensation in the 1960s and early 1970s. Sox won five National Hot Rod Association championships and more than 59 events. Together with racing partner Buddy Martin, Sox was the winningest Pro Stock driver (nine victories in 23 events) in the 1970-72 "four-speed era". Initially Martin and Sox were competitors, but Martin approached Sox to drive his car after concluding that he just couldn't beat him. Sox drove a 1963 Chevrolet and then a factory-sponsored A/FX Mercury Comet in 1964. In 1965, he drove an altered-Wheelbase Plymouth. He started the 1966 season in an injected, nitro-burning Barracu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, a city along the Gulf Coast in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2d Lt Samuel Reeves Keesler Jr., a Mississippi native killed in France during the First World War. The base is home of Headquarters, Second Air Force (2 AF) and the 81st Training Wing (81 TW) of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The base has specialized in ground trade training since its opening in 1941 during World War II. It has had high-quality technical schools and absorbed units moved from other bases under the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC). History In early January 1941, Biloxi city officials assembled a formal offer to invite the United States Army to build a base to support the World War II training buildup. The War Department activated Army Air Corps Station No. 8, Aviation Mechanics School, Biloxi, Mississippi, on 12 June 1941. On August 25, 1941, th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar from a saddle-style seat. Motorcycle designs vary greatly to suit a range of different purposes: Long-distance motorcycle riding, long-distance travel, Motorcycle commuting, commuting, cruising (driving), cruising, Motorcycle sport, sport (including Motorcycle racing, racing), and Off-roading, off-road riding. Motorcycling is riding a motorcycle and being involved in other related social activities such as joining a motorcycle club and attending motorcycle rally, motorcycle rallies. The 1885 Daimler Reitwagen made by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Germany was the first internal combustion, petroleum-fueled motorcycle. In 1894, Hildebrand & Wolfmüller became the first series production motorcycle. Globally, motorcycles are comparable numerically t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gasser (car)
A gasser is a type of hot rod originally used for drag racing. This type of car originated in United States in the late 1950s and continued until the early 1970s. In the days before Pro Stock, the A/Gas cars were the fastest stock-appearing racers around. History Gassers are based on closed-body production models from the 1930s to mid-1960s, which have been stripped of extraneous weight and jacked up using a beam axle or tubular axle to provide better weight distribution on acceleration (beam axles are also lighter than an independent front suspension), though a raised stock front suspension is common as well. Common weight reduction techniques include fiberglass body panels, stripped interiors, and Lexan windows (sometimes color tinted). The 1933–36 Willys coupés and pickups were very popular gassers, in particular the 1933 Willys 77. While neither cheap nor plentiful, it was a competitive and lightweight choice satisfying the rules of the era (which required a ladde ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dragster (car)
A dragster is a specialized competition automobile used in drag racing. Dragsters, also commonly called "diggers", can be broadly placed in three categories, based on the fuel they use: gasoline, methanol, and nitromethane. They are most commonly single-engined, though twin-engined and quad-engined designs did race in the 1950s and 1960s. The design of dragsters evolved from the front-engined rail (named for the exposed frame rails) of the earliest days of drag racing, into the "slingshot" (with the driver between or behind the rear tires, or "slicks") of the early to middle 1960s, to the "modern" type common in the 1970s. Depending on the class they run in, dragsters can be injected or supercharged (or turbocharged), with a variety of possible engines. The engines are most often derived from automobiles'; some early examples used surplus aircraft engines. Today, they may also be electric. Dragsters are distinct from "bodied" cars such as funny cars and gassers, as well ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
