Photo access as it used to be (drag racing)

[Chris Kennedy]

Not aviation photo-related, but I thought you might be interested in seeing the "photographers" at this drag race in Phoenix in 1978. Some of those people appear to be standing or sitting within six feet of the right lane (the car is in the left lane), with nothing between them and the cars. There's even a guy sitting on top of a ladder. And, they're not even paying any attention to what is going on! Probably good for getting photos, but seems kind of crazy to me. Also, note how well protected the spectators are. This was a pro race race with a lot of stars there. It sure was a different era in track safety, and liability.

[Jay Beckman]

Cool shot.

Any idea where on the track this is?  Smokey Burnouts? Pre-staged?

[Chris Kennedy]

It was at the old Bee Line Dragway, which was, appropriately enough, on the Beeline Highway just east of where Gilbert Road intersects it, north of Mesa. If you plug the following numbers into Google Earth or Maps, you can see the old tower is still there. You can also see where the track itself was, although it appears to have been torn up. I think it's on the Salt River Indian Reservation, so the area hasn't been developed much.

Yes, they had the whole show. They billed it as Professional Winter-Nationals '78, but I'm not sure who sanctioned it, if anybody. In those days the stars went where the money was, no matter who ran the event. Garlits was there, as were Shirley Muldowney, Don Prudhomme, and Warren Johnson.

33° 30.460'N 111° 46.012'W

[Jay Beckman]

Gotta love the Old School approach!

I'm always amazed when I see images from early Indy 500s and there is very little wall and no catch fence on the outside and no wall at all on the infield side!

[scottcolbath]

In those days the stars went where the money was, no matter who ran the event.

It's still that way to a good degree. Many of the NHRA pros still hit the match race circuit. They show up and run the cars, although somewhat in a detuned state to save parts and make some money, and the track pays them well enough that they  keep coming back.

Cool pic BTW. I never got too enjoy Beeline. I was not here at that time.

S.C.

[Chris Kennedy]

Gotta love the Old School approach!

I'm always amazed when I see images from early Indy 500s and there is very little wall and no catch fence on the outside and no wall at all on the infield side!

I'm sure you've seen some of the old films of cars going over that wall too.

[Jay Beckman]

The really spectacular stuff is from the old days of NASCAR when many tracks had only one row of Armco that was supported by 4x4 posts.

Wreck, slide, roll, gone...  Right off into a parking lot or field outside the track in a shower of sparks, splinters and dirt!

[Chris Kennedy]

The really spectacular stuff is from the old days of NASCAR when many tracks had only one row of Armco that was supported by 4x4 posts.

Wreck, slide, roll, gone...  Right off into a parking lot or field outside the track in a shower of sparks, splinters and dirt!

Yes, Lee Petty, Richard's father, did that at Daytona along with another car. That was the end of his racing career. Most of the guys that did that in open-wheel cars didn't survive.