1973 Bison Dragways Instamatic camera

[Hammerdown]

I was a Track Rat with a Kodak Instamatic back in 1973. I would help my brother-in-law run his Econo then injected C Dragster so I guess the track crew got use to seeing me in the bleach box and never bothered me when I hung out snapping pics. Here are a few of what I got. Note: I had to get real close to fill the frame with that goofy little Instamatic. If only I had a 35mm I could have become Steve Reyes.

Objects in pictures are Closer Than They Appear!

Just about got run over a few times, no wonder I have a ringing in my ears still.

Edited November 26, 2015 by Hammerdown

[angelo7]

These are great photos.  Thanks for posting them.  I do searches of Funny Car vintage photos on the net often and these are some of the best I've seen.  

[Hammerdown]

Thanks man, first time I've shared them and I've got lots more.

Edited November 26, 2015 by Hammerdown
addition

[Mike Chernecki]

That was a great track, all the big names in drag racing would come there. My Mom's brother raced there and we spent every weekend at the track.

Here is a few pictures of my uncles Thames at Bison.

 

[Sixties Sam]

Great photos, some real history there! I had an Instamatic too - used it well into the late 1980's, mostly for vacation pics!

Sam

[Hammerdown]

Hey Mike, great pctures of your uncles Thames. We actually raced him at Bison in competition eliminator. I remember that the button tufted roof on the Thames would puff up at speed due to the air travelling through the body. That little Gasser was a hard running wild ride! Richard Woods the track photog got some of those shots I see. I think I use to piss him off because I had to get allot closer with my Kodak than he did with his 35mm, so I was always getting in the way of his shot . lol

Here's Don Sherwins Pro Comp car heat'n up the hides.

Not bad action shot for a simple instamatic eh? I was about 10 feet from the car to get it. 

[Hammerdown]

Hey Sam great diarama's man. Here's one I set up for a cool shot of my Russ Davis Camaro F/C racing the Snake at BeeLine in 1974,  with my trusty Instamatic.

Edited November 29, 2015 by Hammerdown

[afx]

Great photos Bob.  Keep'm coming.

[Hammerdown]

Pabst Blue Ribbon Grabber Maverick turn'n around to take on the Vegabond Vega in a Pro Stock match race. My brother got the Vegabond from a ways back with his 35mm while me and my Instamatic were playing chicken with the Grabber

Edited November 29, 2015 by Hammerdown

[ChrisBcritter]

That was a great track, all the big names in drag racing would come there. My Mom's brother raced there and we spent every weekend at the track.

Here is a few pictures of my uncles Thames at Bison.

 

Cool! Why did it have those Eldo/Toronado wheels - did it have a GM FWD setup mounted in the rear?

[Mike Chernecki]

Cool! Why did it have those Eldo/Toronado wheels - did it have a GM FWD setup mounted in the rear?

No not the Fwd setup. It did have an Olds rearend (forget which year), went with the Olds rims.

[Force]

The rear axle was probably too wide for the body and the Eldorado/Toronado wheels has lots of back spacing and would move the tires inward.

[Hammerdown]

 

Here's acouple of regular weekend warriors, off the line and in the traps. Don Shirwin in his injected Hemi B Gas Dragster and a little injected A Altered that allways ran hard.