Burnouts. Hot rods. Hemis. Horsepower. The smell of racing fuel. Trophy girls.
Drag racing back in the day wasn’t polished or corporate — it was raw, loud, and rebellious. From two friends squaring off on a back road to the growing scene at organized tracks, the culture thrived on speed and bragging rights, and these photos take us back to the glory days.
1. Ooh, Barracuda (1960s)
2. On Your Mark, Get Set …
3. A Day at the Drag Strip (1974)
4. Racing Legend Don Garlits Hanging on to Connie Swingle’s Car at Bakersfield (1960s)
5. Illegal Drag Racing in the L.A. River Basin (1957)
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6. Drag Racing the Backroads in Alabama (1960)
7. Burnouts (1970s)
8. Popping a Wheelie (1970s)
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9. Staging Lanes at a Drag Strip in Oahu, Hawaii (1998)
10. Shirley ‘Cha Cha’ Muldowney, the ‘First Lady of Drag Racing’ (1970s)
11. Dominating the Drag Strip (1962)
12. Jungle Pam and Jungle Jim (1970s)
13. Winning Corvette (1970)
14. Chevy Power (1970)
15. ‘Big Daddy’ Don Garlits With His Car, ‘Swamp Rat’ (1969)
16. Off to the Races (1966)
17. Fuel Altered Hot Rod (1966)
In search of more car content?
Check out 17 Bold Cars From the 1970s That Turned Heads, along with 11 Photos of Rare Muscle Cars That Sold for Big Money at Auction. Interested in ’60s rides? Don’t miss 15 Classic 1960s Cars That Are Still Incredibly Cool.
