This continues the letter dated 5th May 1965 which began:
Dear Family,
Sunday 9th May
Today it is 90 degrees hot and pool time weather. Last night we went to a ‘drag race’. Drag-racing consists of 1/4 mile strip of dead flat road with grandstands lining both sides.
Two ‘dragsters’ stand at a line, and are electronically started and timed. They race along the quarter mile and the winner is the first to go through a beam of light at the end.
This may sound tame, but believe me it is one of the most exciting things I have seen. Some of the cars are ordinary cars that we see on the roads, some are old jalopies with massive engines, and do about 120 miles per hour, and some are things called ‘slingshots’ which is just a huge frame with a giant engine and four wheels, these do about 200 miles per hour.
The meeting we went to was only a small town meeting, but we saw one car do 120 miles per hour. Funnily enough this had an English Ford Popular body on it. The body was the only resemblance, as it had huge drag wheels and a terrific V8 engine. We plan to go to a real big meeting at a big town and see some really fast ones.
Well I think that’s all for this week so I will end.
Hope you are all fit and well and enjoying the warmer weather (I hope it has arrived by now).
All my love
Tone xxxx
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I remember being intrigued by the concept of drag racing. Thanks for the memory nudge. I continue to enjoy reading these posts.
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Thanks Andrew, I really enjoy your comments! It’s lovely to get some feedback. And I’m currently scanning a whole load of negatives from Tony/Dad’s travels in America, he’s only just found them again, and they’re fantastic – I can’t wait to show him!
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