WEBVTT Kind: captions; Language: en 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:07.000 Now it's time for the crew and the driver to test the car and the car. 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:11.001 The first days of the meet are strenuous and exhausting. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:17.000 The track is in continuous use by contestants, making test runs in time trials. 00:00:17.001 --> 00:00:22.000 All classes participate, and crews make run after run, trying to get 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:23.001 their cars in perfect tune. 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:39.001 For the spectator, it's an exciting time too, because they have the opportunity 00:00:39.001 --> 00:00:44.000 to observe the many different classes in action and compare their lapsed times. 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:49.000 It is not at all unusual for the meet's best elapsed time to be 00:00:49.000 --> 00:00:50.001 set during the time trials. 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:49.001 The parking lots and stands were filled to capacity as enthusiasts 00:01:49.001 --> 00:01:51.000 turned out in droves. 00:01:51.001 --> 00:01:54.000 Hot rodding has really come of age in the last decade. 00:01:55.000 --> 00:02:00.000 Since 1950, the sport has grown from only two active strips to the present 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:02.001 colossal number of more than 250. 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:10.001 This group from Washington represents the best in cooperation. Father drives and 00:02:10.001 --> 00:02:12.000 the whole family acts as crew. 00:02:23.001 --> 00:02:29.000 Whether it's an airplane engine or a V-8, there's always work to be done. 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:34.001 And a cool drink hits the spot on a hot day. 00:02:46.001 --> 00:02:50.001 For us, the big day was here. We were ready for the flat out run to 00:02:50.001 --> 00:02:52.000 see if we really had it or not. 00:02:58.001 --> 00:03:01.001 We checked with Champion to make sure we had the right heat range. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:10.001 The Parkers were all at it too, making their last minute adjustments. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:22.001 A word with one of the toughest competitors, Chuck Jones, with the Sidewinder 00:03:22.001 --> 00:03:24.000 crew from Long Beach, California. 00:03:27.001 --> 00:03:29.001 And then we were ready to take her down to the line. 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:55.001 From Oceanside, California, it's the Martin Nelson machine, the master's track 00:03:55.001 --> 00:03:58.000 master. They'll be running down for a record run. 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:26.000 With top elapsed time on our contact clock, a 9.12 seconds, the Nelson 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:28.001 Martin machine, the master's drag master. 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:34.001 With the lowest ET of the meet so far and a possible record, they had to check 00:04:34.001 --> 00:04:37.000 the gas to make sure we weren't on rocket fuel. 00:04:42.001 --> 00:04:45.000 I felt mighty good on the trip back to the pits. 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:56.001 You never want to count your chickens or however the saying goes, because the day 00:04:56.001 --> 00:05:00.001 of eliminations we heard those expensive noises when we fired her up. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:11.000 Nick was a big help. He ate as usual. 00:05:17.001 --> 00:05:21.000 There was nothing to do but tear her all down and see what the trouble was. 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:38.001 It turned out to be a twisted camlifter, so we dropped the pan, pulled out the 00:05:38.001 --> 00:05:40.001 cam and got at it from the lower end. 00:05:47.001 --> 00:05:51.001 Fortunately, the cam was okay. The eliminations were starting and 00:05:51.001 --> 00:05:53.001 time was working against us. 00:05:59.001 --> 00:06:04.001 The 1959 National Championship drag races has seen the Detroit Dragway, Detroit, 00:06:04.001 --> 00:06:09.000 Michigan. We have competition coming from as far south as the Panama Canal Zone 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:13.000 and as far north as the Canadian area from the east coast to the west coast. 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:18.000 Two cars in the sea gas clacks, Jamie Parker on the tower side. 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:27.001 It looked like everybody 00:06:27.001 --> 00:06:29.000 in Detroit was in the stands. 00:06:34.001 --> 00:06:38.001 Bill Parker in his A-Gas Coupe against Bill Waddill. 00:06:40.001 --> 00:06:47.001 Two four-bangers with Ray Huckabee of Houston, Texas on the 00:06:47.001 --> 00:06:49.000 spectator side taking an early lead. 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:55.001 A thunderbird in the Corvette in the sports car class. 00:06:59.001 --> 00:07:06.000 Two Chevy sedans vying for class honors. 00:07:10.001 --> 00:07:14.001 The original hot rods, two street roadsters. 00:07:18.001 --> 00:07:21.000 An Austin against a Viet in the altered coupe class. 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:27.001 The Cotton Figgins special from Arizona taking the lead 00:07:27.001 --> 00:07:29.000 in the modified roadster class. 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:35.001 In the competition coupe class, Nike and Visselka's last year's class winner 00:07:35.001 --> 00:07:38.001 blows up and loses to Robert Andrews of Ohio. 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:44.000 Ernie Partridge in misfortune from California gets a good start 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:45.001 in the modified roadster class. 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:51.000 With only minutes left, we got her buttoned up and down to the staging area. 00:08:10.001 --> 00:08:15.000 Jack Moss's twin Chevy taking a good lead over Arfon's green monster. 00:08:20.001 --> 00:08:24.000 Text Bishop Roo taking an early lead in his A-Dragster. 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:30.001 And the very beautiful misfire the third, a blown Chrysler dragster from 00:08:30.001 --> 00:08:32.000 California on the spectator side. 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:37.000 Two blown A-Dragsters getting off to a good start. 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:53.001 Two Texans, Jack Moss and his twin Chevy being taken by Rod Singer on the tower 00:08:53.001 --> 00:08:55.000 side. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:11.000 Note Martin in the drag master losing to Tets Ishimaru. 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:21.000 The drag master with a lower ET but Tets getting off the line better. 00:09:21.000 --> 00:09:23.000 Well, that's drag racing. 00:09:27.001 --> 00:09:32.001 Herman Moser in his ramrod getting off to a slow start. 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:38.000 Two beautiful owners, the red coupe from Texas dusting off 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:39.001 the bronze entry from Ohio. 00:09:41.001 --> 00:09:45.000 Charles Johnson from Michigan failing John Klein from Massachusetts 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:46.001 in the modified roadster class. 00:09:47.000 --> 00:09:52.001 The very fast Hollis Brothers competition coupe with Jig's Shamblin from Ohio 00:09:52.001 --> 00:09:54.000 taking a terrific lead. 00:09:57.001 --> 00:10:00.000 Rod Singer from Texas eliminates Bill Tibbles of Ohio 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:02.000 and takes another step up the ladder. 00:10:05.001 --> 00:10:08.001 The crowd waits anxiously for the run off of 00:10:08.001 --> 00:10:10.000 the little eliminator to get underway. 00:10:12.001 --> 00:10:15.001 And there goes George Montgomery of Dayton, Ohio. 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:25.000 The winner with hood blinds. 00:10:25.001 --> 00:10:30.001 Otis Smith of Ohio, a roadster class winner, takes on Gabby Bleeker of Illinois, 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:33.001 a altered winner to win middle eliminator. 00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:42.001 Wally Parks, president of NHRA, talking to Mr. Ed Cole, general manager of 00:10:42.001 --> 00:10:47.001 Chevrolet, and Robert Peterson, publisher of Hot Rod magazine, with Mr. Tex 00:10:47.001 --> 00:10:50.000 Colbert, president of Chrysler Corporation. 00:10:51.001 --> 00:10:55.001 The grand prize, the DA lubricants Chevrolet El Camino. 00:10:56.001 --> 00:10:59.000 Rod Singer on the way up to the line to run against Jig's 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:01.000 Shamblin for Mr. Top Eliminator. 00:11:01.001 --> 00:11:04.000 Rick gets a shot for Hot Rod as the crowd watches. 00:11:06.001 --> 00:11:10.000 And they're off. Up to the halfway mark, they're neck and neck. 00:11:12.001 --> 00:11:19.000 And coming into the tracks is Rod Singer way out in front. 00:11:19.001 --> 00:11:23.000 Bad luck for Jig's Shamblin, who dropped the clutch in the Hollis Brothers 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:24.001 beautiful competition coupe. 00:11:29.001 --> 00:11:32.001 On the starting line, the Green Monster 1945 Allison 00:11:32.001 --> 00:11:34.000 -powered dragster with much, much go. 00:11:34.001 --> 00:11:37.001 And there's the flag. It's Bill Smith getting on the big green sign. He 00:11:37.001 --> 00:11:39.001 approaches the quarter mark and a trip for one mile up to halfway. 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:42.001 He's on it, and into the big quarter, he's really coming on in in the traps with 00:11:42.001 --> 00:11:48.000 a top time, a top contact time of 170. 45 miles per hour. 00:11:49.001 --> 00:11:52.001 170.45 miles per hour with the top time of the meet. 00:11:53.001 --> 00:11:58.000 And then the awards. The trophy for traveling the greatest distance to the 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:00.001 Nationals accepted by Mike Bamber. 00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:04.000 The award for the best appearing car and crew goes to 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:05.001 Darryl Zimmerman of Colorado. 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:19.000 And the trophy for the best engineered car to Mr. and Mrs. Lindley's Miss Fire 00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:20.001 the Third from California. 00:12:25.001 --> 00:12:29.001 Wally Parks presents the eliminators trophy in the sports car class to Jack 00:12:29.001 --> 00:12:34.000 Horsley Jr. of Miami, Florida, who won in his Lincoln-powered Devon. 00:12:35.001 --> 00:12:39.001 George Montgomery of Dayton, Ohio, receiving his trophy for winning 00:12:39.001 --> 00:12:41.000 as the Little Eliminator. 00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:47.000 To the beautiful Otis Automotive Special of Akron, Ohio goes the 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:48.001 trophy for Middle Eliminator. 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:09.000 The Martin Nelson Dragmaster was considered, in the judge's opinion, the 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:11.000 safest constructed car of the meet. 00:13:11.001 --> 00:13:16.001 They also won the trophy for the lowest ET. Wally Parks beckons to the crew of 00:13:16.001 --> 00:13:21.001 the Green Monster to share honors with Art Arfons for establishing a new top 00:13:21.001 --> 00:13:26.001 speed record on gas of 170.45 miles per hour. 00:13:29.001 --> 00:13:33.000 And here comes the Singer Miller car being pushed back to the winner's circle. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:37.001 The car that won the meet. 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:47.001 And Mr. Top Eliminator himself, Rod Singer 00:13:47.001 --> 00:13:49.000 of Houston, Texas. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:55.001 And to the winner, the beautiful champion spark plug trophy, the DA lubricant El 00:13:55.001 --> 00:13:58.001 Camino and the Kiss. 00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:07.001 And so another 00:14:07.001 --> 00:14:11.001 national's draws to a close. Records have been set and 00:14:11.001 --> 00:14:14.000 broken, ideas have been exchanged. 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:20.000 Enthusiasts will return to garages and workshops to create new machines that will 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:24.001 go a little faster and get from here to there in a little less time. 00:14:25.001 --> 00:14:30.000 For this is the story of ingenuity in action. 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:44.000 Thank you.