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This page is the camera work of Brian Beattie and its not only superior in quality, but I'm happy to say they were all taken at East Coast tracks. Brian was the track photographer at Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey for a few years so most of the shots he sent me are from there. They are just 50 of the over 60,000 photos on the members pages.

How's this for an opening... Tom Raley - Jim & Alison Lee's "Great Expectations" AA/FD. Englishtown, 1970.
Brian Beattie Photo

Sam Hagen - "A&P Automotive" - AA/FD - Englishtown, 1967
Brian Beattie Photo

Charlie Dodge's "Pacer's Automotive" B/FD. This is the former Car's Magazine Top Fueler which ran a 392 hemi. This was taken at Englishtown in 1968.
Brian Beattie Photo

This car ran out of Don's Speed Shop, Metuchen, N.J. Owned and driven by Roger Mohn. Island Dragway, 1963
Brian Beattie Photo

Frank Lillich's small block Chevy AA/FD launches at Englishtown in 1966.
Brian Beattie Photo

One of the better shots I've seen of John Bateman's "Atlas Oil Tool Special" AA/FD. Because of the wild paint job, this was a hard car to photograph. Here its seen during their one trip back east with Steve Carbone at the wheel. The car returned to SoCal and was destroyed in a clutch explosion with Gerry Glenn in the seat. Englishtown, 1968.
Brian Beattie Photo

All I have on this one is the car was called, "The Back Yard Guys". It's an AA/FD running at Englishtown in 1966.
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How's this for a shot? It's the "Back Yard Guys" again at a really great angle. Note Raceway Park in 1966 before guardrails and all that other nonsense that made spectating more difficult. Just kidding of course.
Brian Beattie Photo

Ed Moses - the east coast Frank Pedregon? Yep, one of those wild and woolly Bantam coupes -- a fuel dragster with a body on it. Englishtown, 1968.
Brian Beattie Photo

Jimmy Messenger - "Messenger,Barbaria & Polchinski "Brewmaster" - AA/FD - Englishtown, 1969. Standing in the background is Ed Polchinski
Brian Beattie Photo

In the far lane is Connie Kalitta's "Bounty Hunter" (the 1968 version) with the SOHC Ford hemi.
Brian Beattie Photo

A leap back to 1962 at Island Dragway in Great Meadows, NJ. This is the A/D "Tuff-A-Nuff" out of the BP Racing stables.
Brian Beattie Photo

The "Golden Greek", Chris Karamesines in his 1968 "ChiZler" AA/FD at Englishtown.
Brian Beattie Photo

Okay, so the Greek's cars weren't always as pretty as the Fuller car above. This is his 1962 "ChiZler" in the pits of Island Dragway in Great Meadows, NJ. Nice tan on the spectator!
Brian Beattie Photo

Still at Great Meadows in 1962, we have the B/D of Clyde Harnish. I'm told this car had a real U-Shift 'em 4-speed in it. As in a Muncie out of a Vette. Why not? Ain't like it's blown on fuel.
Brian Beattie Photo

D.A.Santucci had some of the strongest running AA/GD ever. Here's his 1969 car launching at Englishtown. Too bad Brian couldn't have nailed the shot! LOL
Brian Beattie Photo

Ed Moses got his licks in as an independent fuel racer on the east coast. As owner/driver he won his share of races. Here he is at Englishtown in 1968.
Brian Beattie Photo

Here's a pair that would have been worth the price of admission all by themselves. Ron Rivero in the "Frantic 4" (far lane) against Joe Shubeck. Island Dragway, 1965. According to Dennis Holding, they were using the Chrysler donated wagon (back ground) that Shirley Shahan wore out the previous year. The Top Fuel guys got the hand-me downs....Garlits got a pick-up with no power until he "fixed" it.
Brian Beattie Photo

"A&B Speed Shop" B/FD. If this is the car I think it is, there were many a Chrysler hemi that saw the ass end of this guy. This shot is at Island Dragway in 1965.
Brian Beattie Photo

Reminiscent of the Frantic 4's "streamliner" effort, here's Al Bergler's "Gratiot Auto" entry at Englishtown in 1968. Al went to school on the Weekly-Rivero-Fox-Holding car and this one worked.
Brian Beattie Photo

I think Brian had "a thing" for the "Great Expectations" AA/FD of Jim & Alison Lee as the shots he sent of it are among the best in the batch. Here's Tom Raley at the instant he hit the throttle heading down the Englishtown quarter mile in 1970.
Brian Beattie Photo

Tom Raley - "Great Expectations" - AA/FD - Englishtown, 1970. I suspect this was a burnout.
Brian Beattie Photo

The late Mike Snively nails Roland Leong's "Hawaiian" AA/FD at the 1968 Springnationals at Englishtown. Looks like the Creitz & Greer car in the far lane.
Brian Beattie Photo

Back to 1962 at Island Dragway. The crew of the "Henry's Welding" AA/D pack the chute.
Brian Beattie Photo

Gordon Tatum - I.C.E. AA/FD - Englishtown, 1968

In a nutshell - this is the so-called "Surfers II" car. It was built at RCS by Frank Huszar, Tom Jobe, Bob Skinner and Mike Sorokin. It was going to replace the fabled "Surfers" car that set drag racing on its ear in the mid 1960's. For reasons that don't matter anymore, the car was sold to the Bandel Bros. before it was ever painted ... let alone raced. The "Surfers" disbanded and their individual fates are well known to this day.

By all accounts it was (and maybe still is) one of the finest, trickest most detailed dragsters ever built. It was sold by the Bandel's to Gordon Tatum around 1968. He repainted it this green and ran the car with some success in 1968 including a tie (with John Mulligan) for the #2 spot in the Div. 1 points. To this day it's in Tatum's possession (in the same condition as the photo) and he's chosen to keep it hidden from the world. Damn shame too.
Brian Beattie Photo

To get my mind off Tatum well go back to Island Dragway and 1962 to this sharp injected Olds B/D owned and driven by 'Skeets' Banniger.. Looks like these guys were real handy with a polisher.
Brian Beattie Photo

Okay - I saved this one in case you got bored. My good friend, TV Tommy Ivo in an absolutely classic header flame staging shot at Englishtown in 1970. This Beattie shot has been published but he retained the negs.
Brian Beattie Photo

One of the real heavy hitters on the Right Coast was the "Jade Grenade" car of Fluer & Thomas. Here Ted Thomas starts his burnout at Englishtown in 1970.
Brian Beattie Photo

Nice A/FD of John Burke launching at Englishtown in 1968.
Brian Beattie Photo

The AA/FD of K.J. Hahm marches down the spectators lane of Englishtown in 1970.
Brian Beattie Photo

So - ya thought we only had two poster shots? How about this beauty of Ron Rivero in the "K&G Speed Shop" AA/FD at Englishtown in 1970?
Brian Beattie Photo

"Rapid Red" Lang in the "K&S Speed Shop" AA/FD at Island Dragway in 1965.
Brian Beattie Photo

Billy Lynch - "Lynch Bros." - AA/GD - Englishtown, 1966
Brian Beattie Photo

Billy Lynch - "Lynch Bros." - AA/GD - Englishtown, 1968
Brian Beattie Photo

Billy Lynch in the "Lynch Bros." AA/GD (far lane) looks like he might have this drag race in the bag. NOT. No race is over until the fat Chrysler sings! No ID on the car in the near lane. Englishtown, 1966
Brian Beattie Photo

Here's what I'd call a rare shot of the Mickey Thompson's twin aluminum Pontiac AA/GD that Jack Chrisman drove in 1962. Never even knew they ventured back to New Jersey but here they are at Island Dragway. But here they are and the actual date was July8,1962. From the local paper the next day -- Headline reads: "National Ace Takes Honors In Drags". It states that Chrisman made three runs with a top time of 9.049 @ 174.42 mph.
Brian Beattie Photo

Steve Malise AA/FD at Island Dragway in 1965. Sorry, but this cockpit looks way too shaky for me!
Brian Beattie Photo

Billy Hansen - "Eastwind" - AA/FD at Englishtown in 1968
Brian Beattie Photo

Tony Passalacqua - AA/FD at Englishtown in 1968
Brian Beattie Photo

No ID #4. AA/FD at Englishtown in 1968. You East Coast guys should know these.
Brian Beattie Photo

No ID #5. AA/FD at Island Dragway 1964. Could be the Hirrita-Hobbs-Vodnick Lakewood chassis car from 1963. Phil Hobbs thinks it may be - not positive.
Brian Beattie Photo

No ID #6. Great shot of a Jr. Fuel car on the line at Englishtown in 1970.
Brian Beattie Photo

Richard Tibbetts C/D in 1972 at Englishtown. He built this car himself and raced it for four more years before building another C/D which he held the record for 2 years.

The Brougher and Reese AA/FD out of Pittsburgh Pa. at Englishtown in 1968. It was a 392 Hemi, Garlits chassis, with a Gentleman Joe Schubeck torsion bar front end. That car was red when it was new and went through several blue paint jobs and styles of lettering as time went by.
Brian Beattie Photo

"The Patrician" AA/FD - Island Dragway, 1964
Brian Beattie Photo

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Larry Bucher - "The Poachers" - AA/FD - Englishtown, 1968
Brian Beattie Photo

Ray Marsh - AA/FD - Englishtown, 1968
Brian Beattie Photo

One of the East Coast heavy hitters was the late Ray Marsh. Ray was fatially injured in a fuel car (not sure if it was this one) in the late 60's or early 70's. At this stage of his career he obviously wasn't superstitious as you can't get a car greener than this. Englishtown, 1968
Brian Beattie Photo

Ray Marsh - AA/FD - Englishtown. By 1969 Ray had done away with the green paint job and gone to this candy-cane deal. However, it appears to be the same car. This may also be the car he lost his life in.
Brian Beattie Photo

Dwight Salisbury made the long trip from California to New Jersey with "The Beach Boys" AA/FD.
Brian Beattie Photo

Dwight Salisbury pulls the cute of "The Beach Boys" AA/FD at Englishtown in 1968..
Brian Beattie Photo

Richie Shott - "Shott Bros." - AA/GD - Englishtown, 1969. This is the only big block Chevy car in the bunch. Great leave shot.
Brian Beattie Photo

Joe Shubeck comes to a halt at Island Dragway in 1964.
Brian Beattie Photo

Don Prudhomme and Lou Baney went coast-to-coast with the "Shelby Super Snake" AA/FD for the 1968 Springnationals at Englishtown.
Brian Beattie Photo

Here's the C/FD of Bliss-Weney-Bliss in the pits at Island Dragway in 1962. The car was owned by Ed Bliss and driven by Walt Weney from 1962-63. They won C/Dragster Class @Indy in 1962 . Also was voted outstanding competition car on the East coast by Eastern Drag News. This team was also vote top 10 in the country by Hot Rod Magazine in 1963 .this car also was the record holder for C Dragster from about 1962 -67. Won a number of competition Eliminator titles all around the East coast..
Brian Beattie Photo

Tom McEwen was another West Coast invader for the 1968 Springnationals at Englishtown. He was at this race for a new sponsor - Tirend Activity Booster. Nothing but caffeine in pill form, but it was arguably the first non-automotive sponsorship going into a new era for drag racing.
Brian Beattie Photo

Roger Toth - "Toth & Szabo" - AA/FD - Englishtown, 1970
Brian Beattie Photo

Val LaPorte - AA/FD - Englishtown, 1968. Val is probably best remembered for crashing in Florida and ending up in a lake. Damn near drowned.
Brian Beattie Photo

Pete Van Iderstine in The Van Iderstine Speed Shop car at Englishtown in 1970.
Brian Beattie Photo