the old days 10 - Lakeland International Raceway

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the old days 10.

Bruce Grooms spent a lot of time at racetracks with his father Billy Grooms. He dug up some Lakeland memories and sent them along with a nice note:

Dear Greg,

Thanks for such a great website. I grew up there as a kid along side my dad Billy Grooms who drove for Bill Taylor and Stanley Wolff's Super Duster. He bought it from them on July 1st, 1974 only to loose his life doing what he loved 20 days later at US 30 in Indiana.

It's been almost 30 years now since that time and the other day we got down his box of stuff. I collected as many pictures as I could to have scanned and I still have many to go. Most were pictures of his cars at home or at other race tracks.

Attached are some taken at Lakeland. Thought I would share them with you and if you wish, it's no problem for you to post on your web site. I believe my dad would be proud. I know I am of him.

I'm pretty sure they are all from early 1974, notice everyone still in coats. Most are close ups of his car. One has Bill Taylor backing away from the car after helping him get staged. The man standing behind the car and helping him buckle in is my Uncle, Lowell Grooms.

Sincerely,
Bruce L. Grooms

The obligatory pre-race maintenance.	Lowell Grooms buckles Billy in.	I can almost smell that tire smoke.	Lowell poised to watch the launch as Bill Taylor gets a good whiff of nitro.
Super Duster at the 1320' mark.

Ken Hartsfield captured some great images back in the track's infancy.

Dear Greg,

Found your site on NHRA.com about ghost strips. Glad I found it mentioned; so I didn't have to pass on just these small remembrances.

These are some shots I got with my parent's Kodak "Brownie" camera in 1962. I would have been 16 that summer, (17 the next month). Not that great as a photographer, but just glad I got the images to remember what a great time that was back then!

Please let me know if you got these, I think it looks like they'll get to you.

Now an even bigger fan and NHRA member

Ken Hartsfield

Ray Godman's blown, injected Bo-Weevil.	A close-up of the Bo-Weevil.	1932 5-window coupe powered by a 409 topped with 6 deuces.	An injected Buick powered AA-D dragster from Atlanta being assisted by a '57 Chevy.
Injected Flathead C-Roadster.	Blown, injected Dodge powered dragster called the Crop Duster.	The appropriately named Jinx Willys coupe owned by Howard Hughes.	O.D. Bezell's bored, blown, injected Chrysler powered racer from Little Rock.

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