NY Street Racing - Back in the Day

[cammer427]

There's a book by ex-Cars editor Joe Oldham (who was also Editor in Chief of Popular Mechanics for many years) called "Muscle Car Confidential". The first chapter is all about his experience in the NY street racing scene, especially at the Connecting. It features some wicked photos as well! It's a thrilling read! The rest of the book is a giant review of some of the greatest in American muscle cars and tells it like it is: today they are million-dollar cars; back then, they were just hoping the Hemi 'Cuda they were drag testing for a review would live for another run without puking transmission fluid all over the track. Awesome book, and for the first street racing chapter, check this out: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=120680

[Motion Camaro]

<font color="blue">I used to street race in the late 70's - mid 80's. My main hangout was the "Wedge Inn" on the border of Mt. Vernon &amp; Da Bron X.

Here are some of the cars we used to drive down from Westchester every weekend.

Sorry for the quality. I couldn't get them out of the album.



My 2nd V8 Vega - 331, tunnel ram, T10, 4:88 12 bolt / it was a lot of fun &amp; my daily driver.


My 67 Camaro, same motor, Super T10, 5:13 Olds rear.
Neighbors split bumper camaro, 355, T350, 4.11 10 bolt.
My 1st Pro-Street Vega, 331, Liberty/Hemi crashbox, 5.86 Dana / very fast but still my daily driver.


My 70 RoadRunner, 383, 4 speed, 3.90 8-3/4 / I traded my 67 GTO for it. (young &amp; dumb)
Blue Chevelle was my 'winter' car / took the motor out of the Vega, T350 4500stall, 4.10 GTO 10 bolt.
Jon's 70 Charger 440, 6pack, 4 speed, 4.10 Dana.
Another Mike - 69 Mustang Boss 351, FMX, 3.00 9" / a surprisingly fast car for what it was.
Vinny's 66 SS396 Chevelle, 427, 6.71, Nash 4+1, 3.23 12 bolt.


Billy's 69 Camaro, 355, M21, 4.10 12bolt.
Walt's 27 Ford, built by Possies.
PeeWee's Nova, Blown 355, M22, 4.10 12 bolt.
Mike Ragano's 67 Nova, ???, It was a street racer before he went pro.
Dyno Dan's 67 Camaro, secret very Big Block Shafiroff motor, Street raced it &amp; drove it occasionally.

Great memories. I didn't take a lot of pics back then(wish I had), more interesed in cruisin' &amp; racin'.


</font>

[markjohnson]

WOW! Those are some great pictures! I love the brown vega up top. Sounds like you're a 4-speed guy, too. Thanks for taking the time to scan and post them. Mark

[1970Bluel78]

How about the NYS Thruway coming out of NJ in Rockland. Cars would meet at the " Shoppers Paridise " store in Spring Valley. Lots of cars all types. Great Drag Racing. Cars would line the Thruway and they would actually stop traffic to get the races in until the Troopers showed !!!

[CC Rider]

Cool post Dog!

[cammer427]

[ QUOTE ]
My 1st Pro-Street Vega... 5.86 Dana ... very fast but still my daily driver.

[/ QUOTE ]

5.86 in a daily driver? Hope you didn't have far to go to work

[cammer427]

These photos are from RonaldLyles.com, and were originally published in an article on street racing in Super Street Cars Magazine in 1970. The article was written by Seymour Baiz (whom is in one of the photos - white with beard and black-rim glasses) and a "Mr. Engeldrum".


The Mutt Bros bought a Sox &amp; Martin Hemi Barracuda! (That's Tab Talmadge with the glasses on the far left, Ronald Lyles to the right of him, and Eugene Coard leaning over the front of the car)


Benny Dunham was the Mutt Bros' mechanic, Tab was a street racer, numbers runner and drug dealer from Brooklyn, Ronald Lyles was a street racer and successfull professional Pro Stock driver and Eugene Coard was the Mutt bros crew chief.


Benny Dunham (3rd from left), Ronald Lyles (2nd from right, back row)


Ronald Lyles (white helmet) and Eugene Coard of the Mutt Bros, setting up a race with Tab Talmadge (also with a helmet). Tab bought a 9.89-second 1965 A/FX 427-ci SOHC Cammer Mustang from "Dyno" Don Nicholson at Englishtown Raceway in New Jersey.


Tab's '65 Mustang (I believe this is the ex-Dyno Don A/FX car) which was sponsored by the Mooney Tucker Ford dealership of Brooklyn, lining up against Mutt Bros (Ronald Lyles driving) '68 S&amp;M Hemi Super Stock Barracuda


Tab's '65 Mustang (I believe this is the ex-Dyno Don A/FX car) which was sponsored by the Mooney Tucker Ford dealership of Brooklyn, lining up against Mutt Bros (Ronald Lyles driving) '68 S&amp;M Hemi Super Stock Barracuda

[Dog427435]

[ QUOTE ]
<font color="blue">I used to street race in the late 70's - mid 80's. My main hangout was the "Wedge Inn" on the border of Mt. Vernon &amp; Da Bron X.

</font>

[/ QUOTE ]


[b] Mike - Great shots of some wild cars!!
I spent a lot of time in the Mt. Vernon / Bronx area myself. Working on Tiffany St. in Hunts Point we would hit the Wedge for lunch from time to time. Friday nights we used to hang at Faiella's Pine Tree on the Post Rd. before the action started.
We may have run each other 20 or so years ago!! I remember that enflamed Chevelle, but never saw it race.
You must know John from Westchester Automotive on Fulton Ave or Charlie &amp; Freddie Bauer, their shop was on 3rd Ave right at the border. I used to run into Mike Ragusa there all the time. They did the cage &amp; tin work on my Camaro and a bunch on some other cars for me. They were the best!
As big as Ragusa was his Nova was one of the fastest cars around at the time!

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[Dog427435]

[ QUOTE ]
Glenn, could you provide the dates of the issues these articles are in, if you don't mind?

[/ QUOTE ]


[b] Shawn
The first article was from Cars Illustrated - sorry I'd don't know the issue, it was ripped out of the mag years ago.
The second was from Machine Racer winter of '81.
The third's from Street Freaks issue #1 from '82.
The last was Car Craft 9/72.

[markjohnson]

There was a great story about the "re-discovery" of Tab's ex-Dyno Don Nicholson A/FX Mustang in one of the Ford magazines about 10 years ago. That was a fantastic find! I tell 'ya, I've often wondered about how many rare musclecars and even lost race cars ended up in scary neighborhoods where people are afraid to search for them. Just a few years ago, I looked at a real Bill Thomas Chevy II Drag car that was in the scariest neighborhood that you could EVER imagine. I can't begin to tell you the relief I felt once I got back on the Interstate.