43 replies to this topic

[Bob Riebe]

I just found , by accident, that Doug Kalitta went from a successful sprint car driver to a very successful drag racer, his dad helped in both.

 

Danny -- on the gas --, did the reverse onto oval, and road racing.

 

Are there any other drivers who made a serious switch from closed course oval/road racing to drag racing?

[D28]

I just found , by accident, that Doug Kalitta went from a successful sprint car driver to a very successful drag racer, his dad helped in both.

 

Danny -- on the gas --, did the reverse onto oval, and road racing.

 

Are there any other drivers who made a serious switch from closed course oval/road racing to drag racing?

Serious may be the operative qualifier, but Richard Petty did some drag racing for Plymouth when NASCAR banned the Hemi for a short period in 1965.

[DCapps]

Bob,

 

Wow, good question!

 

A few whose efforts did not pan out so well quickly come to mind -- Richard Petty and John Andretti, for instance, but you pose an interesting question that certainly needs to thought about.

 

At one point, NASCAR did have a drag racing division (there is a copy of the 1966 rule book at the NASCAR HALL of FAME Museum in Charlotte), with, for example, drag races being staged at the Charlotte Speedway on the backstretch being advertised in the local/regional press (usually touted as "match races"), with these sorts of events happening elsewhere as well.

 

This is when I really miss my cache of Hot Rod Magazine from the 50s to the 70s....

[Lee Nicolle]

Theree has been a huge number of competitors who have done many forms of motorsport. That includes me with Road Racing, Rallycross, Classic Speedway and street drags as well. All ofcourse at lower levels but with success.

Max Dunmnesny has raced bikes when young, F500s and Sprintcars for decades. And raced V8Supercars as well.Oz champion at 500s and Sprinters.

Garry Rush F Ford, Tourers and midgets and Sprintcars. And trotters as well!

 I know at least 20 others with drag, dirt oval and circuit experience.

John Surtees, World champ on bikes and cars.

Barry Sheene, bikes, trucks and GpA

 

To be honest how many have actually ever only done one form of motorsport or another? probably about the same number

[Bob Riebe]

How many have made a switch and actually won races, or success can also be called repeated finishes in the top six.

Eight hydroplane racers have been to Indianapolis and Gilles Villeneuve was champion in snowmobiles, still running and testing them till Old Man Ferrari found out.

 

Still at that usually the road is from non-oval to oval/road race, not the other direction.

 

There has been quite a number who have driven multiple types of sports but how many were a regular top runner or victor.

Edited by Bob Riebe, 13 June 2018 - 02:29.

[D28]

How many have made a switch and actually won races, or success can also be called repeated finishes in the top six.

Eight hydroplane racers have been to Indianapolis and Jaque Villeneuve was champion in snowmobiles, still running and testing them till Old Man Ferrari found out.

 

Still at that usually the road is from non-oval to oval/road race, not the other direction.

 

There has been quite a number who have driven multiple types of sports but how many were a regular top runner or victor.

I think you are referring to Gilles, though brother Jacques did snowmobiles as well, but not factory Ferraris.

[Eric Dunsdon]

There cant be much that Ken Wharton didn't have a go at from Formula One Grand Prix to mud plugging Trials.

[Charlieman]

Sydney Allard -- raced a Morgan at Brooklands, British Hillclimb Championship winner, Monte Carlo Rally winner, third place at Le Mans and the grandfather of UK drag racing. 

[Tim Murray]

[GeoffR]

In Australia Colin Bond would have to to close to this, ATCC and Bathurst champion, multiple Australian Rally champion, rallycross winner, F5000 open wheeler races. A true all rounder.

[Eric Dunsdon]

I remember seeing Graham Hill at Brands in that bath-tub and assuming it was the latest Colin Chapman Wonder Car .

[ensign14]

Novi recruited Art Malone (best racing name ever?) from the drag racing ranks as they felt they needed someone like that to handle the HP.  For someone so deep-ended he did a very decent job.

[Pat Clarke]

Art Malone (best racing name ever?) 

 

Nah, I think 'Will Power' tops that 

 

Pat

[Vitesse2]

No mention of Barry Lee? Four world (and several more British) titles in short oval hot rods, three runs in the Dakar, won the first two Eurocar V6 titles 1994-95 and raced in other saloon series including the BTCC. Oh, and he's done autocross and rallycross - and raced trucks too.

[Charlieman]

No mention of Barry Lee? Four world (and several more British) titles in short oval hot rods, three runs in the Dakar, won the first two Eurocar V6 titles 1994-95 and raced in other saloon series including the BTCC. Oh, and he's done autocross and rallycross - and raced trucks too.

I thought that too, but no drag racer?

 

As I suggested earlier, Sydney Allard started off at Brooklands in a three-wheeler and ended racing in a bonkers-mobile.

[E1pix]

Eddie Hill went from Unlimited Hydroplane boats to Top Fuel.

John Force went from truck driving to being the best thing to ever happen in drag racing PR -- or perhaps any racing.

[Collombin]

No mention of Barry Lee? Four world (and several more British) titles in short oval hot rods, three runs in the Dakar, won the first two Eurocar V6 titles 1994-95 and raced in other saloon series including the BTCC. Oh, and he's done autocross and rallycross - and raced trucks too.

He raced a tank too, with Anneka Rice as his teammate. No I'm not drunk.

[Myhinpaa]

 

http://www.slotcar-t...erslot-5260.php

 

http://www.motorgrap...66_a155158.aspx

 

http://www.forum-aut...0.htm#t15719716

 

As Jo Bonnier is on the photo his rallying in Sweden might be worth mentioning. (Jim Clark's '66 RAC entry is well covered in other threads)

Bonnier started his rallying in a Simca. In '53 he took part in the Midnight Sun Rally in a Beetle. The next 4 years he was in Alfas, for which

he was a dealer at the time.

 

The rally had the concept of a miniature "Liege" at the time, started in Kristianstad up north to Jokkmokk before turning back towards Stockholm.

Approx. mileage covered  was around 1600 miles.

 

A summary with photos here on a Swedish site, "Searchlights & Sumpguards"

 

http://www.taksokare...ntabonnier.html

Edited by Myhinpaa, 14 June 2018 - 21:01.

[chrisj]

I'm pretty sure Parnelli Jones did some drag racing later in his career.

[E1pix]

Jeff Ward went from being a fabulous motocrosser to a pretty good IndyCar shoe.

Eddie Lawson won MotoGP championships, then raced IndyCars, then set a lap record at Laguna Seca -- in a Superkart:
https://m.youtube.co...h?v=O2o--m0wsu0

Edited by E1pix, 15 June 2018 - 14:44.

[Jim Thurman]

This thread has sort of spiralled away from Bob's original post/query. There are many, many drivers who have raced a wide range of different disciplines (and covered in threads on that), but I didn't read that Bob was asking about that.

 

To get it back to his specific query, I can't think of anyone else, off-hand, that was successful in transitioning from oval/road racing to drag racing aside from Doug Kalitta. It was noted John Andretti dabbled. Doug Kalitta was also successful in USAC midgets. Very much a pavement specialist.

 

As mentioned, I can think of several who did it the other way around, though not necessarily at the highest levels, or those that dabbled briefly (noted drag racer/crew chief Dale Armstrong attempted some short track stock car racing, which he felt he did terribly at).

 

Also, Eddie Hill didn't race unlimited hydroplanes, but drag boats. So, he did drag racing, on water, then on land 

[GazChed]

Tiff Needell , former Top Gear and Fifth Gear presenter , one time Grand Prix driver , last seen in his Formula Ford Lotus at Thruxton two weeks ago , once drove a Top Fuel dragster on Top Gear .

[Myhinpaa]

And he rolled (!) the Ford Museum's ex-Waldegaard Mk2 Escort during the filming a Top Gear feature before the '98 RAC Rally.

(Ford's last WRC event with an Escort)

 

https://youtu.be/xZsqh4ZBXkE?t=10

 

Many people noticed this incident, and hopefully restricted his access to cars of significance for ever after!

Edited by Myhinpaa, 15 June 2018 - 20:16.

[Lee Nicolle]

Eddie Hill went from Unlimited Hydroplane boats to Top Fuel.

John Force went from truck driving to being the best thing to ever happen in drag racing PR -- or perhaps any racing.

It is the most explosive driver this year. He is buying bodies by the six pack now!

[D-Type]

Going back to the original question, Sir Henry Segrave won on the Brooklands oval, won Grands Prix on road circuits, set a World's Land Speed Record (admittedly for a flying mile and not a standing start) and finally set a World Water Speed Record, which is a fair variety.

Edited by D-Type, 16 June 2018 - 22:06.

[ray b]

Eddie Hill went from Unlimited Hydroplane boats to Top Fuel.

John Force went from truck driving to being the best thing to ever happen in drag racing PR -- or perhaps any racing.

he ran drag boats that used topfuel motors mopar hemi's 1/4 strait runs

not Unlimited Hydroplane boats that used aircraft piston motors and later turbines on a course with turns and many laps  

[E1pix]

As noted above. :-)

[DCapps]

Tom Cooper, Barney Oldfield, and Eddie Bald were bicycle racers prior to switching to automobiles.

[Stephen W]

Switching is rather an odd concept when what is really meant is "all rounder".

 

Ken Wharton must be up there as one of the best along with Jim Clark, Graham hill, Denny Hulme and Jack Brabham.

[Michael Ferner]

I never knew Clark, Hill, Brabham, Hulme and Wharton drag raced, to say nothing of Oldfield, Cooper and Bald! You learn something new every day!!

[B Squared]

John Andretti drag raced also.

[DCapps]

I never knew Clark, Hill, Brabham, Hulme and Wharton drag raced, to say nothing of Oldfield, Cooper and Bald! You learn something new every day!!

 

Actually, Oldfield, Cooper, and Bald also participated in sprint races, the bicycling equivalent of drag racing in the day.

[Stephen W]

I never knew Clark, Hill, Brabham, Hulme and Wharton drag raced, to say nothing of Oldfield, Cooper and Bald! You learn something new every day!!

 

Certainly Clark and Wharton sprinted which is probably as close as you could get to having "drag raced" in the UK during the 1950s.

 

Clark, Hill and Wharton all rallied (not necessarily together!)

 

They all ran in Can-Am style sports cars & all did Indy!

 

 

[ed holly]

John Harvey - Speedway to Road Racing. Saw him at both - one of the best ever.

 

See the story here

 

https://en.wikipedia...(racing_driver)

 

.

[dbltop]

Petty quit drag racing after a crash that killed an eight year old boy and injured several other people in 1965. The car is in the Petty museum now.

[ensign14]

Lamberto Leoni seemed to do his career backwards.  Get to F1, and then go back to F2/3000 to get the results that justify an F1 place.

 

Then he took up Offshore Class 1 powerboating (the one with two pilots - one to steer, one to throttle) and nearly became World Champion a few times in the 1990s and 2000s.

 

He wasn't the first to have some success in that class.  Tommy Sopwith was runner-up in the world championship in 1970, Don Shead likewise in 1974,

[Michael Ferner]

I fail to see what that has to do with drag racing.

[Jim Thurman]

I fail to see what that has to do with drag racing.

 

I find most of the entire thread to have little to do with the original question, which was...

 

I just found , by accident, that Doug Kalitta went from a successful sprint car driver to a very successful drag racer, his dad helped in both.

 

Danny -- on the gas --, did the reverse onto oval, and road racing.

 

Are there any other drivers who made a serious switch from closed course oval/road racing to drag racing?

[ensign14]

But the thread title says something else.  Non est exclusio alterius.

[Lee Nicolle]

John Harvey - Speedway to Road Racing. Saw him at both - one of the best ever.

See the story here

https://en.wikipedia...(racing_driver)

The fallacy of car 7 actually winning Bathurst comes in that profile. And misses the bad midget crash John had being the main reason of his quitting speedway. A very good operator. And he did a 'guest' drag meeting in a Bob Jane car in his time with Jane. I feel the Torana Sports Sedan. A one off thing.

[Jim Thurman]

But the thread title says something else.  Non est exclusio alterius.

 

Yes, it does. I was going to mention that the thread title could have been much better 

[heidegger75]

Tom Raley started out on the oval tracks in Maryland, winning the state Modified Stock Car championship in either 1963 or 1964.

 

In 1965, NASCAR began to sanction drag racing, and Raley drove a Top Fuel dragster, winning the championship in the late-starting 1965 season and losing out to Joe Jacono in 1966. In 1967, Raley returned to stock cars, running a part-time schedule on the Grand National Circuit with a best finish of 15th.

 

When NASCAR folded its drag racing division after the 1967 season, Raley began to race with NHRA, driving the Top Fuel dragster of Jim and Allison Lee to the Division 1 (northeast) Top Fuel championship in 1969 and 1970. Although Raley never won a national event, he made it to the semifinals of the U.S. Nationals in 1969, where he lost to Don "the Snake" Prudhomme. He also set a national ET record twice during the 1970 season. Raley also dabbled in Funny Cars during the early 1970s. As an east coast based driver, he occasionally showed up at IHRA events as well.

 

After a severe accident at Maple Grove Raceway, Raley gave up drag racing and returned to the oval tracks, mostly at Beltsville and Old Dominion, though he made the occasional appearance at national Late Model Sportsman events at Daytona and Charlotte.

[Bob Riebe]

Yes, it does. I was going to mention that the thread title could have been much better 

Well, excUUUUUse ME.

[Bob Riebe]

he ran drag boats that used topfuel motors mopar hemi's 1/4 strait runs

not Unlimited Hydroplane boats that used aircraft piston motors and later turbines on a course with turns and many laps  

As a note, drag boats, were one of the places the Arias Hemi did well. (The other was AA/Alcohol)

 

Since Unlimited, now really spec., boats were mentioned; Chip Hanauer, probably the one of the two best boat racers ever, tried to switch from Unlimiteds to autos but found out just how hard it was and went back to boats saying "It is better to be a big fish in a little pond, than a little fish in a big pond."

He was Bernie LIttle's  (MIss Budweiser)  thorn in the side so LIttle hired him. Hanauer found out driving for Little was about like driving for less volatile Wally Meskowski.

You were a piece of meat who had better win or you can be replaced.

 

I was down at Evansville, Ind. when Hanauer set a then qualifying lap record of, if I remember correctly , 172 mph. 

They are still fascinating but back then they were amazing.

Edited by Bob Riebe, 22 June 2018 - 17:17.