FUEL FUNNY CARS: THE FIRST TWENTY YEARS

Рет қаралды 224,565

2 жыл бұрын

For the latest in drag racing news, please visit www.competitionplus.com.
If there is a drag race car design equally as iconic as the rail dragster, it would have to be the Funny Car.
Developed out of the Factory Experimental movement of the mid-1960s when drag racers began taking liberties with moving the rear axles forward for better traction, developing peculiar-looking cars or as the late CJ Hart dubbed them, "those Funny Cars."
The NHRA launched their Funny Car class in 1969, and the purpose of this video was to watch the look and performance of the class over the first two decades. It's not a seasonal highlights video as much as it is to show how much the class has progressed in two decades.
It's a lengthy view, but it will be a trip to flopper heaven if you are into Funny Cars.
Be sure to download the CompetitionPlus.com mobile app; it's a free download at the Apple Store or Google Play.
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Пікірлер: 158

@groomlake51 2 жыл бұрын

This is by far the best content I have ever watched in my entire life. I’m having a hard time with life right now and this might of just saved my life. Thanks so much Bobby

@commoveo1 Жыл бұрын

You and me both ✨❤️✨✌️

@mattofafnir5654 Жыл бұрын

Hope y’all are hanging tough!

@dmedme9268 Жыл бұрын

That’s what makes drag racing so amazing, I feel you there and I really hope you remember that this made you feel that good again. I hope things are STILL going better for you by the time you read this! You may just have to get out to a race- :) Much love for everybody all in the Drag Racing Community!

@jsmith034086 Жыл бұрын

Hope you are having a better time now. You’re not alone friend. This content helps all of us gear heads :)

@slowpoke96Z28 Жыл бұрын

Hope all is well.

@abodysite Жыл бұрын

This is absolutely pure gold. Fantastic, I've never seen anything as good as this ever in my life except for when I used to watch it on TV Saturday afternoons, back in the mid 70s as a kid. Absolutely fantastic. Thanks so very very much for posting this and if you have more I implore you, post that as well.

@kevinherd3437 Жыл бұрын

My uncle's best friend raced funny cars from the beginning and built blowers too, he was sponsored by the Navy. Mert Littlefield was his name. Good times

@tonyt8805 Жыл бұрын

When I was around 9 years old, Vega Funny Cars were my favorites! 🤗 🤗 🤗 I remember having lots of pics on my wall of, Wonder Wagon, Ken "Vinny's Vega" Vinny and Mert Littlefield. 😎 Not sure if it was your uncle's friend but if he race a Vega, he was on my wall! 💯

@cjcoleman7372 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for taking the time and effort for getting us these videos. The history.. and just the memories alone are more powerful than you might realize. These were the days of Drag Racing. I grew up in Bowling Green Ky and was a track rat at Beach Bend. I remember seeing a lot of these guys and their cars running there back in the mid/late 80's on. I was in my early to mid teens then and I'm 48 now and I still can remember sitting under the roof of the stands at Beach Bend and watching them. Thanks for reminding me and all the rest of us.

@shanevision 2 жыл бұрын

Nice job Competition Plus! So many memories captured here.

@jeffreybrianring6392 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the upload, this made my day.

@robertruark4051 Жыл бұрын

Truly The Glory Days of funny cars. I'm so glad to have come up here in the 60s and 70s and saw most all of these cars. Wonderful wonderful memories.

@mrabrasive51 2 жыл бұрын

Lived just a few miles from Fremont drags back in the 60-70's..got to see all the legends from back in the day..it was usually $2-3 for kids under 16.

@sergeantmasson3669 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this video. We bought that Bruce Larson's Camaro funny car from him and raced it ourselves until we built a long nose Vega funny car. We sold that car to Jim Liberman in '74. It's now at Don Garlits drag racing museum in Ocala FL. Best run that I ever had, in that Vega, was 6.47 at 231 mph. We won against Prudhomme that race but lost the next round.

@jerrytee2688 2 жыл бұрын

That is cool as shit.👍🇱🇷

@puppetmasterblaster 2 жыл бұрын

Wow! Not many people can say they beat The Snake!

@davidgeorge1294 2 жыл бұрын

Putting Snake on the trailer is huge! Outstanding!

@sergeantmasson3669 2 жыл бұрын

@@davidgeorge1294 Another time, we beat Liberman. He was impressed that he lost to a car identical to his other than the color. The company that made the body, made three of that body. Liberman had one, Custom Auto Body had one, and then ours. Liberman's caught fire later in another race and he heard that we were quitting running top fuel and he offered to buy ours. As I stated, it now is at Don Garlits Museum in Ocala FL. After he bought it, from us, he had it painted exactly like his car that burnt.

@happydays8171 2 жыл бұрын

Wow, what a fantastic memory, thank you for sharing!

@happydays8171 2 жыл бұрын

34:24 Thanks for this compilation. That Tim Grose wreck, rolling along the guardrail, always makes me clench my seat! Thanks Tim for all the different bodied floppers you brought to competition, I was always cheering for you.

@mariopacheco3734 6 ай бұрын

Seeing this video , I still remember when John Force in his Leo's stereo Corvette funny car did a smokey burnout on Hollywood Blvd for a tv commercial. In the mid 70's

@ginofilippi7961 2 жыл бұрын

Great job! Thank you for sharing. Especially enjoyed seeing our old home track Ontario Motor Speedway.

@MrUltraworld 2 жыл бұрын

When I was a kid in the 70's, my uncle used to take me to the drag strip. These are the cars I saw there. I remember they were running about 200mph.

@jimjames3938 2 жыл бұрын

Bobby, Thanks for including So. Cal. fan favorite "Smokey Joe Lee" in the clips for 1973! Awesome compilation!, lots of memories! Thanks Again!!!

@Blackadar56 Жыл бұрын

What a treasure to watch. The video quality is the best I’ve seen for this era!

@billyray8062 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for posting this,I used to watch these races when I was a kid,so cool to see them and hear the old names again!!

@EarthSurferUSA 2 жыл бұрын

Who are you thanking?

@billyray8062 2 жыл бұрын

@@EarthSurferUSA NOT YOU!!

@MrFabrizio1962 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome Video! Thank you for the sharing!

@peterg.bassist 2 жыл бұрын

Fantastic Funny Cars, Fantastic Drag Racing Era. Thanks for sharing this memorable video!

@friguy4444 2 жыл бұрын

AWESOME!! Thank you for this!! So amazing that at first when they started or at least when the announcer was doing the film the cars were only running what our best regular fuel cars that can even be run on the street are running now. 7.5 second 1/4 mile etc.

@dennisazzopardi2089 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for Posting ..........Have my volume on my TV AT 10......Love this.....As well as Prostock this era.

@soyounoat 2 жыл бұрын

16:22 - The attitude and words of a true competitor with old-school class, Don Schumacher.

@matthewvarnam4302 Жыл бұрын

I like how they keep calling him (shuMAKER) instead of (SchuMACHER).........lol

@geneva760 2 жыл бұрын

NEATO - thanks for these memories. Have a safe and nice day all. CHEERS from AUSTRALIA.

@jerrybystedt9513 3 ай бұрын

To my knowledge a Canadian, 240 Gordy ( Gordon Bonin ) was the first on the planet to reach 240 mph in the 1/4 mile dragstrip at Edmonton, Alberta, 🇨🇦 sometime before Prudhoe pulled 241.

@remylopez4821 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent video you can still witness stuff like this today just go to a nostalgia event in Bakersfield the March Meet

@donnamoss9650 2 жыл бұрын

Nice to see drivers who STAGED their cars themselves..... Force still going strong for 2022.. Thanks so many great memories...

@donniebaker5984 2 жыл бұрын

Pulls the wheels off in second gear? Better put them back on again for third

@donniebaker5984 2 жыл бұрын

Door slammers ..twin turbos 3500 horse power all steel body , 6 sec. 230 mph

@dawnmclees 2 жыл бұрын

Cool but it took you 50 years later to get there!! LMAO

@jamesturner8080 Жыл бұрын

@@donniebaker5984 the bodies have been made lighter components removed for weight so street outlaws are race cars not factory stock

@danielrich3637 2 жыл бұрын

this reminded me how much I miss Steve Evans..RIP

@79tazman 2 жыл бұрын

Love the days of Snake and Mongoose I was not born yet but I still love those cars

@butchcassidy3373 11 ай бұрын

I was good friends with Emile Fullerton, Larry Fullerton's widow. She carried me to my first funny car race back in the eighties. I've been a huge fan ever since

@truegret7778 2 жыл бұрын

Very cool!!! Thanks for sharing! This is what the meaning of "back in the day" is ....

@stevencoyne4971 2 жыл бұрын

Brilliant ,the best days love the Old Floppers 👍👍👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧👏👏👏👏

@dmedme9268 Жыл бұрын

This is so awesome!

@billshiff2060 Жыл бұрын

Those were the days. I was there, I loved it.

@stephenmitchell3569 2 жыл бұрын

John Force and Austin Coil Favorite racers, nice fans and great family man!!!

@one-o-four889 Жыл бұрын

@6:40 God I love these dry hops, so brutal, such a violent hint of the raw power these cars pack.

@MichaelDouglasSkewes 2 жыл бұрын

I was a kid like 4 or 5 ,every weekend I was at a drag race, irwindale,Orange county, Lions ,Pomona ,but not so much ,and Bakersfield or Falmoso. I loved funny cars and altereds, Dragsters were ok,but the fire ,smoke ,dry hops ,man I miss 1/4 mile burnouts and Jungle Jim doing almost 100 mile an hour back ups! Today ,it's rolling billboards and racing millionaires. But thanks to This stupid presidency, all the big teams are going away. Personally, I would be happy watching real classic slingshot diggers and these 70s type funny cars . They would probably have a better turn out and bring the ridiculous ticket prices. I really miss this!

@EarthSurferUSA 2 жыл бұрын

@@bengelman2600 Way before that son. I know why your life is a mess, and I am absolutely sure I am correct, just from 6 words from you. You life is a mess because schools today sabotage your brains ability to rationally reason, and figure out reality. It has been getting worse for generations, (and I am not exempt at 58 years old), and they actually call it "progress". Your life is a mess because you can't figure out reality,---and you will blame trump,---when you should be getting all your brain dead friends together to redefine "class action law suit", and sue your schools. Today, not only do you know the cube root of 64, you don't know what bathroom to go into. It is reality kicking your but. It does that when we ignore it, can't figure it out, or believe the BS you learned in school. Here is how it works in a nutshell. They tell you something that we all know is reality---then they start telling you what reality is. It is a commie tactic to make it so you can't figure out reality. You are prime supporters for any dictator to guide your life,---because we are nothing but children before we could talk if we can't figure out reality,---and you will beg for the baby sitter. Glad I am old. You watch for that,---and figure out reality,--or you will retire under communism. That is reality son, and it is nothing new to me,---just new to you. Let me give you the foundational clue to start your brain with. Free people created the free enterprise system in the USA, and we got ourselves out of poverty better than any dictatorship, and we became friends by trading money instead of blood. communism hates it when the citizenry can make money,---and they do not want people with individual liberty, (which communism does not recognize), to be able to do that, (as it needs little to no government controls,---what will these non-productive people we elect do?). The goal of communism is to destroy your individual liberty, (your right to use your mind in a free enterprise system), and your free enterprise system. But there is a twist, (like always). communism is actually taking our free enterprise system from the free people who created it,--and is funding itself with it. It was 1978 when china decided to give "semi private business a try". Trump did not give it away to communism. Regan did!! What have you been taught to attack? Your own opportunity. Your own free market. You need to demand your individual liberty back, (protected by law, which is color and sex blind), and you have to demand your free enterprise system back,---(left and right is a shell game. The sides are communism and individual liberty), or you will retire under communism---in poverty, scared for you life, instead of thinking and prospering like mankind should. Wheeew. Can you understand that?

@dawnmclees 2 жыл бұрын

@EarthSurferUSA You are exactly right on all topics. You will never ever make a libertard understand anything.

@MichaelDouglasSkewes 2 жыл бұрын

@@dawnmclees yep,I know ! My son is one. I send him to collage and it wasn't immediately, but he had changed. I thought ,well ,maybe he is growing and will find his way. But ,he has completely changed, and I want to find the professor, the Solar engineering idiot that actually got go him . I 'll still try and talk sense to him,but I won't fight him,it isn't worth loosing a son over! I will take him healthy ,politically incorrect, and happy,I guess . I wish he would get married ,but that is also the left and there upside down view of the world !

@MichaelDouglasSkewes 2 жыл бұрын

@@EarthSurferUSA of course i can! I'm 57 ,and a Reagan Republican! And Trump too,but you are right, from the little I read ,I know what is right and what isnt,I teach Sunday school, I'm as far right ,without being too far ,as I need to be. Funny how I haven't seen these posts. I was just hit by a illegal alien, again! That is why I need to get out of California again ! And back to A state that hasn't been too messed up by fleeing liberal idiots ! Which is every state in the West!

@jeffshepherd6208 Жыл бұрын

Great video 👍🏼

@artmchugh5644 2 жыл бұрын

The interesting thing i see is how Busters belly gets bigger year by year 😂😂😂😂😂😁😁😁😁😁🏁🍺🍺🍺 R.I.P buster

@WFORadio 2 жыл бұрын

Love those Funny Cars! Great job..

@FINALSTRIKE94 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome bobby thanks

@redriverraider 2 жыл бұрын

Brilliant! THX!

@jfrockon 2 жыл бұрын

I was at that IHRA Mid_America dragway race. Cool!

@ehuurst 2 жыл бұрын

Great Video

@davidgeorge1294 2 жыл бұрын

Sherm Gunn had a great day! It doesn't happen often when the no buck racer beats all the big buck guys. The fans went wild!

@seanberry1 2 жыл бұрын

I was waiting for that bit of film thanks to your comment - did not disappoint! Way to go local legend in a big way !

@markwardwell6110 2 жыл бұрын

I watched Ken Miles go 0 to 100 to 0 at OCIR and then got a ride in the cobra that did it, It KILLS me to drive past the site nowdays and see a massive mini-storage instead.

@dsgb83 2 жыл бұрын

It would be awesome to have a collection of remastered 4k etc HD Diamond P NHRA old school programs

@peghead 2 жыл бұрын

I have quite a few Diamond P VHS cassettes from mid 80's. Recorded from The Nashville Network.

@79tazman 2 жыл бұрын

I love the old stuff in the golden age of drag racing. Most of the drivers then are now team owners you got Don Schumacher, Connie Kalitta and others still ion the racing business but I just love the early stuff

@anthonygibbo1881 2 жыл бұрын

You can't beat it I think it goes for most forms of motorsport there golden ages have come and gone but none the less we are blessed to be able to enjoy it 🙏🏽🎉🎄

@nitrometh42 Жыл бұрын

beautiful cars

@alkinkade Жыл бұрын

Awesomeness Wowsa Wowsa Wowsa I grew up with Pomona racing....

@tahcogunworks 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome memories.

@jamesevans1560 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Frank that was a very good ride you had me putting the brakes on those hills I never been to the west coast loved the music did you know where you were going or just riding for the video.

@homerbrockner9406 2 жыл бұрын

Who said you can't go back in time? CompetitionPlusTV show you can! Thanks x 1000!

@boblongdickder6178 Жыл бұрын

Back in the day a thousand horsepower funny car was really something today and 2022 the thousand horsepower Dodge demon I have sitting in my driveway I can drive on the street amazing. Lol.

@badad0166 6 ай бұрын

Steve Evans is my hero.

@kh40yr 2 жыл бұрын

HEY!!. The Mt St Helens of the Quarter Mile. After or right around 1980 on this,, or really close, Steve always thew the zingers with current stuff. My backyard. About 20 min from the mountain.

@bulldogbradford8081 Жыл бұрын

THE BEST!!!!!

@docsgearheadgaming2503 2 жыл бұрын

"The Plastic Fantastics" thats wicked lol and also 5:00 Dunno if that was intentional but the way the engine lope times with the lights was a cool touch. And man 30k barely get ya an entry level engine these days lol...Damn inflation. 12:08 a 6.94 at only 178mph? thats one hell of a launch....

@iket.9930 2 жыл бұрын

This brings back many memories with The Snake Prudhomme as the worlds first Black racing champion along with the best announcers in racing; the late Steve Evans and Dave Mclelland. Drag racing was the only equal opportunity racing option back then. Funny car fan since New Orleans in 1967.

@Slinger43 2 жыл бұрын

I hate to sound like a millennial, cauz I'll be 60yrs old in a couple 2-3 days, but Don or "The Snake" as the world knows him, does not identify as being Black. He is actually half Louisiana Creole, which was his Father's race, & his Mother was White. Don Prudhomme is half Cajun, half White & 100% All Baddass 💪😉👍!!

@williamstamper442 2 жыл бұрын

"floppers" is my fav name for 'em

@santatigerclaus Жыл бұрын

uninstalled fire extinguisher scooting across the track under its own power at 33:39

@79tazman 2 жыл бұрын

Damn poor Revell car at 22:01 the supercharger shot out like a rocket. I guess those were the days before they strapped the blowers down so they don't blast out of the car like a rocket LOL

@stoker20 2 жыл бұрын

1500 HP!!!! That guy popped a wheelie OMG!!! Hemi no doubt!!

@paulsteezo1772 Жыл бұрын

JUNGLE JIM AND JUNGLE PAM!!!

@michaelgiglio1571 2 жыл бұрын

Thats cool history

@danieljohnson9351 2 жыл бұрын

Really like this era! You could tell what kind of car they were supposed to be unlike today's weird space ships.

@richardlawton1023 2 жыл бұрын

Nice

@davidgeorge1294 2 жыл бұрын

Bruce Larson is a real O.G. driver. No one nicer and a huge USA 1 fan base.

@sergeantmasson3669 2 жыл бұрын

David George, do you remember Bruce Larson's USA #1 Camaro funny car that had a driver's door? We bought that car and raced it for a while until building a long nose Vega funny car. We sold that Vega funny car to Jim Liberman in '74. It's now at Don Garlits drag racing museum in Ocala FL. We sold the Camaro to a guy in GA. He ran it as an alcohol funny car for awhile until it caught fire and was destroyed.

@MGB18 2 жыл бұрын

The first twenty years of Funny Cars and no mention of the 427 SOHC Ford Mercury Comet Flip Top Funny Cars? The first authentic Flip Top Funny Cars ever? Incomplete history. lol.

@1127fctwosw 2 жыл бұрын

the Winston years at Ennis were the best...

@johnnylopez7861 2 жыл бұрын

Them good old days. National speedway LI.. the hamtons LI.English township nj. Did not missed a Sunday of racing.

@brianmathew09 2 жыл бұрын

the nanes that made the class what is today..such a great time

@badad0166 6 ай бұрын

From other KZfaq videos and maybe a (gasp!) magazine or two, I offer that the first "Funny Cars" were named because the wheelbase had been tucked up under the drivers ass to help with weight distribution.

@EarthSurferUSA 2 жыл бұрын

22:30 I wonder how much pressure was in that block to eject the blower like that? If it were not for the blower belt, after snapping all the bolts, that blower may have shot 20 feet in the air or more. The pressure under the hood, (right after blower separation, unless it also blew the block, which I doubt with the blower being the weaker link.), even blew out the side fiberglass body to stay stuck over the header ends on the camera side of the car. I don't know how much danger the driver was in, but that guy standing between the lanes,---was not fast enough if something shot his way. I doubt they let people stand there anymore, and pretty sure he never stood there again. :)

@GrocMax 2 жыл бұрын

0.20- whose rear engine FC was that? Not Dunn, but there were like 4 of them widowmakers on the west coast in the mid 70's.

@CompetitionPlusTV 2 жыл бұрын

Dennis Geisler - Hindsight rear engine FC

@colehara Жыл бұрын

Back when Funny Cars actually looked like the street version.

@NeilLB7 Жыл бұрын

Once the snake broke into the 5’s they stayed there for quite a while. In other words from 1975 to 1993…one second has very difficult to get until Etchells did it.

@LSBBD 2 жыл бұрын

"Jimmy Dunn" lol

@markholroyde9412 2 жыл бұрын

Well, did he hit the wall?........................LOL

@MrCaptainbig 2 жыл бұрын

At 6:14 is that the Snake dumping PimpJuice under the slicks?

@tabstabs1204 2 жыл бұрын

I was surprised not to see him driving, but yes, it's definitly Don Prudhomme !!

@ryurc3033 2 жыл бұрын

That change in the quality of video about 1985....wow. Talk about a change. They actually had video editing and graphics and names on the screen. Like you can tell exactly when they started putting money into the brodcasting

@crazytrain7114 Жыл бұрын

Steve Evens is the greatest announcer of all time

@cjcoleman7372 2 жыл бұрын

I know there's always been a mix bag of thoughts and opinions about John Force but you have to give it to him. 16X Champaign and almost 150 wins. He didn't get all of them by not caring or being passionate about the sport. I'm not a big fan of his but you have to give credit where it's due.

@sir945 2 жыл бұрын

1:06:40 is when the real John Force comes out.

@disco-funk 2 жыл бұрын

Funny video ;)

@saveamerica423 2 жыл бұрын

This is so great. I love looking back at history and reminiscing, which is why deleting our history on anything is fu*king stupid. NHRA all the way! When ESPN lost the rights and FOX picked it up, I was disappointed because I liked the way ESPN did it. I liked Paul Page and Mike Dunn. But I am now a fan of Brian Lohnes and Tony Pedregon. Brian is very good on play by play.

@dakotaautosales9673 2 жыл бұрын

Fox Sports coverage is junk compared to ESPN I like Bryan and Tony myself

@simpsoncompetition2877 2 жыл бұрын

Great video as always. One note do you think any sportsman racer or unknown racer could rant like that to NHRA? I don't remember the outcome of that one of the decision stood or not? But as a racer I do believe in standing up for a wrong.

@brianiswrong 2 жыл бұрын

The race win was finally given to John ,as he said there were no marks on the headers or body work.

@leebrown6153 2 жыл бұрын

$20k for a funny car wow, I blame these guy's for making me a speed junkie

@jerrycraig6522 Жыл бұрын

Funny to hear John so sick of it!!!

@nitroone6772 2 жыл бұрын

Schumacher...wow so young

@hankschrader149 2 жыл бұрын

Far out Bobby!

@edbadhorn3359 Жыл бұрын

2:58 NOTICE THE FULLY GROWN TREE IN THE SHUT DOWN AREA!! REALLY??!!

@tomashton1781 2 жыл бұрын

these days the rule is 500 cubic inches, all the block are based on MOPARs and from one company or maybe a few others but it has to pass tech,, the heads are solid (no water jacket ). The car body can be from Dodge Toyota, GM, what ever, but, the basic engines are the same, these days the cars slip the clutch down almost the whole way and the plates weld up at 325 mph with 8,000 plus HP and the plugs burn off the tip and its hard to dyno those motors at 11,000 rpm

@puppetmasterblaster 2 жыл бұрын

Rather watch promods

@williamstamper442 2 жыл бұрын

28:36 I didn't see no red light!!!

@thomasleclair7418 2 жыл бұрын

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,after decades of life and racing ,,,,John Force is tuff and will never be equaled ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

@TuyenPham-bt6yx 7 ай бұрын

Three tradtional ingredients in authentic NHRA: 1 - 1/4 mile 2 - Smoky burnouts 3 - Track personalities Unfortunately, what they have to offer for race fans are these days are almost unwatchable,in my point of view. Rest in peace, Joe Pisano.