The Terrifying Toronado Part 2: Building The Twin Engine Beast Brian Lohnes 2026-09-17 | The Terrifying Toronado Part 2: Building The Twin Engine Beast
A History Of Nitromethane The Greatest Race Fuel On Earth: Part 1 - 1872-1960 Brian Lohnes 2025-10-07 | Get your copy of The Book: The Ultimate Guide for Rebuilding a Civilization here: mdsh.io/brianlohnes3079 - Save 10% by using promo code BrianLohnes10Nitromethane is the world's most powerful racing fuel but it's history and how it came to be may actually be more fascinating than its chemistry. Nitromethane was first made in a laboratory in Germany back in 1872 and as you'll find out, it's history goes far beyond the race track. In this multiple part series we'll explore the origins of nitromethane, why is it a miraculous chemical compound, how it found its way into race cars, its major uses around the world, and it's history that ranges from awesome to terrifying. We'll explore the myths, confirm some, disprove others, and take you inside this truly unique substance. Where did it come from? How is it used? Why does it work in engines? Who banned it? Who failed it ban it and why it scared people very badly in 1958. It's all here! A history of nitromethane...part one!
Glorious Failure: Mickey Thompsons Wild 1967 Wynns Spitfire Indy 500 Car Brian Lohnes 2025-09-10 | If there is a story in American motorsports history more compelling than Micke Thompson versus the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I am not sure what it is. The man conquered everything in his path over the course of a titanic career, except Indy. His ideas were wild, his concepts extreme, his timelines always stretched. In 1967 he would unveil a car so far out there that the media went crazy, the tech inspectors didn't know where to start, and engineers the country over scratched their heads.Front engine, front wheel drive, four wheel steering, and a driver seated basically between the rear tires, it was incredible. It was also powered by a custom made 3-valve small block Chevy. It was also doomed to fail. This is the story of the 1967 Wynn's Spitfire of Mickey Thompson.
Drag-Waye: The Missile Engineers Wild Record Breaking Drag Bike Brian Lohnes 2025-09-05 | I'd be willing to gamble a large sum you have seen images of this machine before on the internet. I'd also be willing to gamble a large sum that not a single one of those images explained the machine, its creator, its legacy, and its record setting performances. That's what we're here to do today. Clive Waye was a brilliant man who loved motorcycles, engineering, and blending the two, creating more than a couple awesome racing specials in his life. None of them were as visually stunning as this one. Believe it or not, the Drag-Waye had three versions, three different riders, and ran for more than 20 years at sprint event and drag races around England. This is it's story.
Warplane On Wheels: An Allison V-12 Slingshot, Innovation, and More Brian Lohnes 2025-08-24 | This is the story of Lee Pendleton and his famed Spitfire Allison aircraft engine powered slingshot dragster. It includes a deep dive into the details of the car, its inspiration, the engine, the technical specs behind it, and the life of a man who has not gotten enough credit in the sport of drag racing's storied history. This video is a deep dive into the tech of this amazing machine, its origins, and the advancements it created. There's also a look into Spitfire II, the City Slicker pulling tractor and more!
Land Missile: The X-1 Hydrogen Peroxide Rocket Dragster - 60s Insanity Brian Lohnes 2025-08-14 | ► Get PLAUD Today! PLAUD Website:note:bit.ly/4mp7KJV notepin: bit.ly/4oA6HZ8 Use Code“Brian10” for 10% Off! PLAUD on Amazon:note: amzn.to/45LxESa notepin: amzn.to/3JbQBEV Code“BRIAN10YT” for 10% Off! The history of drag racing is largely a collection of small efforts, of ideas that probed what was possible, what could be done, and in so many ways, each of them actually helped to move the sport ahead, incrementally. There have been some quantum leaps along the way, but by and large it has been a creeping linear evolution. Engine families, engine locations, suspension layouts and mechanisms, data gathering, all of these things have added up to machines in the modern world that will accelerate from 0-340 mph in less than four seconds. It’s a seeming mix of engineering, science fiction, and unforgiving explosive fuels pushing it all forward. But what if I were to tell you that the most significant performance creation in drag racing history took place in the 1960s and in its first infantile step, rewrote what was considered possible on the drag strip. A land missile designed not as a machine to change the course of drag racing itself but a machine with a larger purpose that found the drag strip as its temporary test bed with intentions to do far greater things at far greater locations. The birth of the hydrogen peroxide rocket car opened a pandora’s box of acceleration potential that were otherwise unknown to human kind at that point. Is it possible to pinpoint one car and one moment. Oh yes it is. The X-1 is that machine.
Battery Ram: The Autolite Lead Wedge - A High Voltage History Brian Lohnes 2025-07-31 | What if some of the nation's greatest hot rodders were given the job of creating a promotional vehicle to sell car batteries in 1968? What would they do? What would they design? Who would be involved? Well, as it turns out, this actually happened and the result was one of the most unique and largely forgotten projects of the Ford Total Performance Era. It was called the Lead Wedge and this is its history. A team lead by the legendary Danny Eames of Autolite tapped people like Larry Shinoda, Jerry Kugel, Jerry Eisert, and more to build the fastest battery powered vehicle in the world, all to promote a new line of Autolite High Performance batteries. Part overgrown go-kart, part cutting edge design, the whole thing was built in two months from scratch and then it went to Bonneville to set records. Rooted in a history that began in 1902, this is an odd and interesting story in the world of American racing and speed.
The Upset: Beating an F1 Car and Americas Best Sports Cars In A Midget At Lime Rock in 1959 Brian Lohnes 2025-07-16 | Use code 50BRIANLOHNES to get 50% OFF plus free shipping on your first Factor box at bit.ly/4kv9CPD! In late July of 1959 Rodger Ward, who had won the Indy 500 in May took on the best sports cars in America at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut driving a dirt track midget and beat them all, handily. It's considered the greatest upset in American Sports Car racing history. The story is one for the ages and every last detail of it is shared here. This is a tale about revenge, talent, machinery, mechanical brilliance, and raw skill both with wrenches and the steering wheel. You may have heard parts of this tale but now you'll get all of it. The cars, the competitors, and the curious story of how Ward ended up in a lowly midget to do battle with the likes of an F1 car and others. It truly is incredible.
Masters of Disaster: The Men Who Invented and Perfected Oil Well Firefighting Brian Lohnes 2025-07-04 | This is the story of three men. Three men who through their own bravery, creative approach, and lifelong obsessions, created the industry of oil well fire fighting. Tex Thornton, Myron Kinley, and Red Adair all built up each other's knowledge and success to make scads of money while risking their lives on a daily basis to put out burning oil and gas wells, cap blown out wells, and otherwise battle the most intense and wild forces Mother Nature has to offer. You'll learn about the major triumphs in their careers, how they came to find themselves in this wild line of work, and why they all fell so deeply in love with it. These guys traveled the globe to places that are remote in 2025 but were beyond exotic more than 75 years ago. It's all true but it's still unbelievable.
Coventry Climax: The Forklift Company That Dominated F1 - A History Brian Lohnes 2025-06-24 | Happy Independence Day Sale! Up to 65% OFF! You also have the chance to win free orders.Use my exclusive code ''YTE7P50'' to get EXTRA $50 off on the E7 Pro standing desk. FlexiSpot E7 Pro standing desk:bit.ly/4lisQZq (US) bit.ly/44hAtZq (CAN) bit.ly/44qggBMThis is the story of a company that is one of the most incredible in auto racing history. An operation known for making small engines for fire pumps, for manufacturing forklifts, and for creating marine diesel engines would become the most dominating F1 engine builder of the late 1950s and early 1960s. How did this happen? Why did this happen? Who MADE this happen?All those questions are answered here. You'll learn about the genesis of the company's racing program, the successful projects, the failed projects, the triumphs, and the brilliance of the people behind them all. Many people think Coventry Climax was an engine. In fact it was many engines and much, much success. A British company that was driven by passion, sometimes hidden passion, came to dominated the likes of Ferrari and all the others at their peak. This is truly a tale for the gearhead ages.
The Engine That Refused To Die: An Offenhauser History Brian Lohnes 2025-06-07 | Download the FREE Upside App at https://upside.app.link/brianlohnes to get an extra 25 cents back for every gallon on your first tank of gas. The Offenhauser four cylinder engine is one of the most incredible power plants in the history of American motorsports. It's basic design was conceived as a boat engine in the 1920s, making about 125hp. By the time it was all said and done, Offy engines raced into the 1980s and were making 10 times the power they were at first.The story of the Offy is so amazing because of the cast of characters involved in its creation, the fact that it survived so many attacks, direct and otherwise, on it from bankruptcies, to world wars, to racing rules and more, it survived and thrived.This is the history of the Offenhauser, from its origins to its heights of success in American racing and how this small engine crafted by brilliant minds and hands dominated competition in a way that we'll never see in racing again.
War Boost: An Introductory Lesson In WWII Aircraft Engine Supercharging Brian Lohnes 2025-06-02 | 🔥 Play War Thunder for FREE and get a massive bonus pack! PC, PlayStation, and Xbox — https://wtplay.link/brianlohnes 💥 WT Mobile — https://wtm.game/brianlohneswtmThere's nothing like upping the horsepower of an engine with boost. Multiple methods of supercharging exist today and have been brought to an incredible level of efficiency. While these methods were not invented in WWII, their use was vastly studied, tweaked, and tested to their limits back then.This video is the next in a series about the history of centrifugal superchargers and their use on piston engines. Consider this your 101 level course in WWII supercharging. Here we go over the various methods and systems used on aircraft from the USA, Germany, and Great Britain. Which countries did it best? Which country made a mistake in their method? Who ruled the horsepower roost and why?In coming videos we'll go far deeper into the subject. This is lesson one to set the stage for the more thorough explorations in the future.
From Hype To Horror: The 1955 Indianapolis 500 Brian Lohnes 2025-05-22 | This was the Indy 500 that was going to change the course of history. Innovative cars, innovative engines, fresh ideas and enthusiasm were finally coming back to the Brickyard. Believe it or not, by 1955 there was a lot of frustration surrounding the lack of innovation and new technology at the Indy 500. Many of the same arguments that get made today when people "remember" the golden years of the race were being made 70 years ago!In this video we take a trip back to 1955 to see all of the wild ideas from streamliners to Chrysler Hemi engines being used on the Speedway that year. We also tell the tragic tale of Bill Vukovich, a man who was speeding toward Indy immortality when he met a tragic end.
The Novi V8: The Indy 500s Star-Crossed Horsepower Monster - A History Brian Lohnes 2025-05-08 | The famed Novi V8 is one of the most storied engine in American motorsports history and also one of the most star-crossed. Massively power, innovative in its design and capable of making noise like no other engine in the history of the Speedway, it never won a race. But why? How does the most powerful engine for a two decade span not win...anything?This video is a complete history of the Novi both in its developent and in competition. The people that made it, the technology that advanced it, and the issues that sunk it. If you have wondered where this engine came from, how much power it made and what its guts looked like, you'll know now. Built in incredibly limited number, they were gloriously and awesomely lauded by Indy 500 fans, no matter their record on the track.
The Man Who Made Garlits: Setto Postoian and Drag Racings First Top Fuel Rivalry Brian Lohnes 2025-05-01 | He's a man who have likely never heard of, Serop "Setto" Postoian, an early top fuel master who helped to make Don Garlits. Postoian was among the earliest stars in a young sport. Motivated, fearless, and every bit the match for the man who would eventually become known as the greatest drag racer of all time. The rivalry between Garlits and Postoian in the early days of top fuel drag racing was contested across the nation. They were among the earliest match racing stars and battled from California to Maine, from Tacoma to Tampa, Florida. It was a relentless fight waged between 1957 and 1960. This is the story of the man who made Don Garlits. The man who pushed him to be better, to be faster, to be more relentless than he ever knew he could be and who forced him to a lay a foundation that would build into drag racing immortality. You've likely never heard his name...until now.
Designed to Dominate: The Ford DOHC V8 Story - An Indy 500 Legend Brian Lohnes 2025-04-24 | Ford's foray into the Indy 500 in the 1960s is a motorsports story for the ages. In 1963 the company used a pushrod engine derived from their successful 260ci small block V8. After nearly winning the race with that effort, engineers were turned loose to build the ultimate version of the engine. What they designed was dual overhead camshaft, 255ci V8 that made peak power at 8,000 RPM, was tested to within an inch of its life, and arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ready to win. While 1964 didn't go Ford's way, the engine would win 7 Indy 500 races, countless USAC events, and spur the development of a horsepower war that lasted into the 1970s with turbochargers and ever increasing speeds. This is an in-depth exploration, starting in 1962 of the development of this awesome engine.
Fastest Car In The World: The 1906 Stanley Steamer Rocket - A Canoe Bodied Record Smasher Brian Lohnes 2025-04-18 | Download the FREE Upside App at https://upside.app.link/brianlohnesto get an extra 25 cents back for every gallon on your first tank ofgas.This is the story of the fastest car in the world in 1906. The first car to exceed 120mph and a machine that destroyed the most decorated field of automotive competition ever assembled to that point in history...and it ran on steam. The accomplishments of this short lived racing marvel are huge in the history of the automobile. The speed record it set stood as the outright automotive land speed record for four years. It held the steam powered speed record for 103 years. Yes, 103 years. This video is a historical exploration of the history of the Stanley Brothers, their car company, their adventures with steam, and ultimately their conquering of the world's land speed record with a car that used a body and frame made by a canoe company. A story of early automotive history, Yankee ingenuity, and plain guts, there are elements of tragedy and triumph you will never see coming.
Banned At Le Mans: The Ford Calliope V8 - What Could Have Been, What Will Be! Brian Lohnes 2025-04-09 | This is the story of an amazing racing engine developed by Ford in 1967 for the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans. Banned before the race, it was placed into service in a failed attempt to enter the Can-Am Series. One of the most forgotten and unique race engines developed during the Total Performance era of Ford, it was designed to keep their icy grip on the world's most prestigious sports car race, but instead it has all but disappeared into history. What if this engine could live again, though? What if it will live again? The twin in-block camshafts, the odd three valve cylinder heads, all of the amazing 1960s tech packed into a modern rendition of the Calliope? It's happening. The story of what could have been and what will be of the Ford Calliope is right here.
Flying Cinder Block: The 1957 Mercury Mermaid Story - A Brilliant Battle Barge Brian Lohnes 2025-04-05 | Few people in the history of American motorsports have the resume and legacy of Bill Stroppe. A brilliant mechanic and engineer, a talented race driver, and a wonderful organizer and manager of race teams, he could do it all. In the 1940s, along with friend Clay Smith, a trip to Detroit with a racing boat launched his star and he never looked back. In 1957, tasked by Mercury to develop a stock car racing program for NASCAR and USAC, Stroppe designed and built the engines, modified the chassis, hired the drivers, and went one step further. He built a customized 1957 Mercury which was named the Mermaid to break speed records for stock cars on Daytona Beach during NASCAR Speed Weeks. This video is about the story of building that machine, Stroppe's rise to American racing fame, and the unlikely place that the Mermaid found itself racing in 1959 against some of the world's best cars and drivers. A tale of American ingenuity, racing grit, and downright fun, this is one that gearheads of all ages can appreciate.
War For The Woods: The New England Timber Salvage Administration and The Disaster Loggers of 1938 Brian Lohnes 2025-04-04 | When the Hurricane of 1938 struck New England, it was a disaster of proportions unknown to the region at that point. No storm in modern history had wrought more destruction or devastation than that one. Beyond the cities and towns, past the population centers, there was another looming nightmare...the forests. Nearly 1,000 square miles of New England Pine Forest were blown down, placing nearly 2 billion board feet in logs and lumber in jeopardy of not only waste but of becoming a massive fire hazard. No salvage logging operation on the planet before or since has been as large or as robust as that of the New England Timber Salvage Administration of 1938. In this video we tell the story of the hurricane, the aftermath, the plan, and the execution of this most audaciously bold plan. Somehow a Hurricane helped restore the forests, prepare the country for WWII, and in a plot twist has had a very pleasant after-effect on modern life in New England. The story of this amazing and massive collaborative effort has been largely forgotten until now. If you love American history, you'll love this tale of grit, gumption, and communities rising up to take on a problem the likes of which the world had never tried to tackle before.
The 50ft Tall Santa With A Car On His Lap and More Wild Stories From Gearhead History Brian Lohnes 2025-03-19 | This video is collection of images and stories from gearhead history. From the drag strips of America, the railroads of England, the Baja 1000, and a Texas car dealership that constructed a 50ft tall Santa and placed a new 1954 Chevrolet on his lap. Cars, moments, people, and places you may have seen before but know little about, or better yet, have never seen before and know nothing about. This is a romp through history that any gearhead, racing fan, or car enthusiast will love.
Images Of Speed and Power: Odd and Forgotten Gearhead History Explained Brian Lohnes 2025-02-21 | I'm back with another romp through mechanical history using interesting, odd, and sometimes iconic gearhead images to tell the story. I give you the history, context, and background behind scenes you may have seen or heard about but don't really know the details on. From the oceans, to the race tracks, to the skies, there's something in here for everyone. Odd war-fighting vehicles, race cars on roofs, airplanes racing dragsters, and more, it's here.
Drag Racing History: 7 Awesomely Weird Funny Cars 1966-1968 Brian Lohnes 2025-02-15 | A lot of drag racing history fans think that when Mercury showed up with tier flip top funny cars in 1966, everyone else followed suit immediately. Those people are wrong. While the 1966 Mercury entries did change the game, there was a period of a couple years where every crazy idea was tried, good or bad. In this video we look at 7 very different and very distinct funny cars that debuted from 1966 through 1968. These machines defined an era when anything went and the key to making money in drag racing was having a car and an approach different from the guy in the other lane. Some were great, some were bad, all are awesome.
2N/9N/8N Easy Busted Hydraulic System Repair - I Got Lucky! Brian Lohnes 2025-02-13 | If you have a classic Ford 9N/2N/8N tractor and the hydraulics have stopped working, especially in the winter, watch this video before you take your whole tractor apart. My old mongrel tractor lost all the hydraulic function when the winter temperatures got cold in a sustained fashion and the fix was a far less involved project than I originally thought. A tour of my old tractor, how I got the hydraulics working again, and how you can likely do the same thing for virtually free.
More Iconic Gearhead Images Explained: Incredible History, Stories, and Machines Brian Lohnes 2025-02-11 | We're taking another trip through the history of racing, performance, heavy machinery, and automobilia here. As we have done in previous videos, this is a compilation of images that show up with some frequency on the internet but usually have no context. This videos gives you the history of these images, the people and machines in them, and tells you all you need to know about these snap shots in gearhead history. From racers escaping cars to the largest Earth movers and coolest drag racing iron ever, this one has something for everyone.
Blown Into Obscurity: The False Start of Centrifugal Superchargers in Drag Racing Brian Lohnes 2025-02-08 | Today, centrifugal superchargers play a huge roll in the sport of drag racing. They are capable of making huge power efficiently and the technology built into them is of the highest orders of strength and precision. This is a far cry from the early 1960s when four guys, thousands of miles apart thought that drag racing needed a new boost option for the masses. The Dahms brothers in Connecticut came out with their Eliminator centrifugal supercharger and in California Ran Stuber and Bob Chernow created the Stubercharger. Beautifully constructed and seemingly functional they both failed to capture any sales or a market who wanted them. Perhaps a total of two were ever built. And then they disappeared. Why? How? What happened? In this first of several installments on the history of centrifugal superchargers, we look into the curious case of two designs just a couple of decades ahead of their own time.
20 UNBELIEVABLE and Real Photos From Gearhead History Explained Brian Lohnes 2025-02-04 | In this video we're diving into the history of awesome gearhead stuff through 20 photos of iconic machines, moments, and disciplines. From bizarre racing machines that skirted the rule book to military trucks and armor in strange places, to carnage and wreckage supreme, it's all here. You've likely seen many of the photos in this video on the internet somewhere but largely they get posted with no context or explanation as to what they actually represent. That changes now. You'll leave this video with the history and the real story of what's being shown. Yes, even with the image you see above.
Revealed: The True Story Behind 18 Iconic Gearhead Photos You May Not Know Brian Lohnes 2025-01-30 | There's nothing like running across an amazing gearhead photo on the internet, right. Something that stops you in your tracks, makes you share with friends, and has you gawking for minutes. But there's a problem. Lots of times there's no context with the images. Who are the people involved? When did it happen? What actually happened?In this video we're looking at 18 of the most iconic gearhead, racing, or historically awesome mechanical images on the internet and giving you the story behind the story. The simple who, what, when, where, and why of the moment. Let's do it!
War Wagon: The WWI Liberty Truck Story Brian Lohnes 2025-01-28 | This video is sponsored by BetterHelp - Use: https://BetterHelp.com/BrianLohnes for a 10% discount on your first month.While the Liberty V-12 airplane engine of WWI is widely celebrated, there was another Liberty machine that has been all but forgotten. The WWI Liberty truck was designed and manufactured in great haste for an American Army that had all but forgotten to modernize itself before The Great War began. After chasing Pancho Villa around Mexico with a rag-tag fleet of hundreds of different vehicles in 1916 and early 1917, the US Army finally realized the need for standardized vehicles. An incredible national effort of engineering and manufacturing was put out to produce an order of more than 40,000 trucks in 1917 and 1918. But did it come too late? Could the nation answer the call? That's the crux of this story. The story of the WWI Liberty Truck is about the can-do spirit of a country wholly unprepared for war, the chutzpah of it's leadership in industry, and the idea that when the entire might of a country is thrown behind an effort, magic can happen. The lingering question though. Was it worth it?
A Seabee on Nitro: The Wild and Wonderful Funny Cars of Al Vander Woude Brian Lohnes 2025-01-15 | This is the story of an oft forgotten drag racing hero. A man who had a drag racing career that lasted a half-century and one that was comprised of some of the most wacko and awesome funny cars the sport has ever seen. A man who fought with an beat far more funded competition with his own two talented hands and not his wallet, this is the story of a true drag racer. The cars were so unique that they are almost without equal in Funny Car history. Their looks and their performance elevated this relentless match racer into a national star in the sport. Enjoy the story of Al Vander Woude, The Flying Dutchman.
Long Lost Mopar History: A Factory Lightweight Hemi Fire Truck?! Brian Lohnes 2025-01-10 | Go to https://BuyRaycon.com/Lohnes to get up to 15% off sitewide! Automotive history is fascinating on the macro level but when we get down to the small stuff, it's really a gas. This is the story of the strangest use of a rare factory built race car in Mopar history. One of 101 1965 RO51 A990 Hemi powered lightweight Coronets ever built was transformed into a fire truck of sorts when brand new to compete in New York Fire Drill Team competitions. In this video you'll learn the history of the cars, the history of the competitions, and how drag racing, hot rodding, and fire fighting combined into a tradition that still continues to day. The legendary 1965 factory light weight Hemi Dodges and Plymouths are machines that will live forever in drag racing lore, but very few people know that they earned an equally fearsome reputation in the realm of this uniquely American competition!
The Malcontent: Scotty Fenns Self-Destruction In Drag Racing Brian Lohnes 2024-12-24 | There are few stories in the history of drag racing that can compare to that of Alfred Gordon Fenn, known as Scotty. He was a visionary and created the first commercial dragster chassis business in the world circa 1958, but his life story goes far, far beyond that. For the first time ever, learn the back story, learn the success story, his precipitous fall in the sport, and how he managed to continue his career for years after people thought that he had disappeared. One of the sports most off the wall, acerbic, and out-spoken characters, it was Scotty's mouth that no only sunk his business, but dead stopped a career that was on track to be one of the most influential in drag racing history.
A Roaring Mouse: The 500cc V8 Moto Guzzi Story Brian Lohnes 2024-12-16 | Yes, you read that right, a 500cc V8. Built in the 1950s to be a super weapon in motorcycle grand prix racing, the elegant and amazingly powerful engine was star-crossed from the beginning. Loads of horsepower in a tricky chassis on hard, tiny tires, it took out riders as quickly as it took out parts. The engine is a masterpiece of brilliant engineering and miniature construction. It had a few shining moments and propelled motorcycles in the 1950s to speeds that would not be achieved again until nearly into the 1980s.The technical specs, racing history and glorious sounds are all captured here.
A Phony, a Giant, and Peanuts: The Story of Three Insane 1960s California Funny Cars Brian Lohnes 2024-12-10 | When it comes to an era that knew no bounds for creativity and experimentation, the 1960s were it in the sport of drag racing. The most awesome venue for people to get weird in was the funny car category. With no unifying rules, no real road map to success, and only the need to stand out from the crowd to get match race bookings, people did crazy things. This video explores the short and really fun history of three weirdly awesome California funny cars that all existed in the 1966 time frame. Peanuts, the monster Ford LTD of Sheldon Konblett, The Jolly Green GIant of Bob Davis, and the Phony Pony of Junior Brogdon. All three crazy, and all three amazing in their own ways. If you love funny car history, you'll love this.
Speed, Fire, and Salt: The History Of The Bob Herda Streamliner Brian Lohnes 2024-12-08 | There are a select few cars throughout history that transcend time and space. They are machines that not only perform and look amazing, but by their very existence they inspire new ideas and advancements.The streamliner of Bob Herda was one of those cars and in many ways continues to be. It was at times dubbed "Bonneville's Greatest Streamliner" and the car accomplished things with a single engine that many cars failed to do with two or more. It is a story of brilliant people, fruitful partnerships, bravery, engineering, tragedy, and legacy.Bob Herda was not your average hot rodder. He was a genius and an aeronautical engineer that was exceptionally motivated and consumed with building a streamliner for the ages. Boy did he ever. This is his story and the car that will be his legacy forever.
Turbonique: The Raw, Dirty, Total History - Fame, Infamy, and All Brian Lohnes 2024-12-03 | Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this video. Use this link for an exclusive offer that extends your subscription and is risk free with a 30 day money back guarantee - nordvpn.com/BrianLohnes The story of Turbonique is often told in bits and pieces. It's told in flashes and bangs, but it is never told in full. Not the story of the man who founded the enterprise and ran it, the story of the entire product line it made, and the story of the failed enterprises that led Gene Middlebrooks to his place in hot rodding infamy. Turbonique was not Middlebrooks' first company, nor was it his second. Instead it was his third. His conviction for mail fraud in 1968 wasn't his first federal trial based on selling speed parts, either. This is the story of the rise, fall, rise, fall, and rise again of Gene Middlebrooks, a man who lived a life so interesting, so full of risk, reward, innovation, and conflict it ca hardly be believed.
The Cotton Picker: Mythbusting, History, and the specs on a NASCAR greats freakshow drag car Brian Lohnes 2024-11-27 | When NASCAR banned the Hemi in 1965, Chrysler went berserk. They pulled all their factory support from the series and took their most prominent and famous drivers drag racing. Richard Petty hit the strip in a series of Barracudas built at the Petty race shop, but David Pearson? He was on a different program. Pearson and his car owner/crew chief Cotton Owens were handed a Dodge skunkworks built, 1965 Dart station wagon. The car had an injected 426 Hemi in the back and it was built as the sister car to another freaky drag racing machine of the time. In this video we tell the story, explore the history, and debunk the myths about the famed Cotton Picker of David Pearson and Cotton Owens. A short but interesting chapter in drag racing history.
Plastic Fantastic: The AMT Piranha Was A Freaky Fast Oddball 1960s Funny Car Brian Lohnes 2024-11-23 | Drag racing in the 1960s was a huge, nitro powered experiment. Nowhere was this more evident than with funny cars. Long before corporate sponsors, people made loads and loads of weird and wonderful home-built entires into the class. This is the story of a funny car with a truly plastic body, the first and only of its kind ever made. It was the combo of a massive industrial company, a model company, a group of hot rodders, and a failed bid to change the way production cars were made that created this wild machine. Burning 95% nitro, using an open cockpit, a chassis that weighed 68lbs, and some of the best hands and minds in hot rodding, the car wasn't just weird...it was blazing fast. Here's the story of the AMT Piranha.
Ludicrous Speed: The Racing and Land Speed Record Tractors of the 1930s Brian Lohnes 2024-11-22 | This is a look back, 90+ years back into the history of speed to check out the exploits and impact of the amazing racing tractors created by the Allis-Chalmers company in the 1930s that literally changed the world by racing and chasing land speed records. These were the first tractors with rubber inflatable tires and that changed the farming game as well as entertained millions of fans over the course of five years in the 1930s. They raced, they crashed, and they performed as well as many available cars at the time. From the road trips they took to the records they set at Bonnville, these Allis-Chalmers Model U tractors were amazing. Here's their story.
Record Wrecker: A Blown Hemi Powered Dodge Rewrote the NASCAR Books In 1965s Year of Controversy Brian Lohnes 2024-10-24 | 1965 was an incredible year of controversy in NASCAR. Bill France banned the Hemi, Chrysler bailed out, and the sport's biggest stars went racing elsewhere. It truly was a wild scene. So wild in fact that one small enterprising group decided to bolt a 6-71 blower on top of a 426 hemi, put it in a Coronet stock car and attempt to reset the world's closed course speed record at Daytona. They were trying to break a few year old record set by drag racers in an old Indy car with a blown wedge engine. That story can be seen and heard here: youtube.com/watch?v=eLcrxx9aEhk Through the danger, the controversy, and challenges, LeeRoy Yarbrough and Ray Fox had a plan and in February 1965 they put their blown monster on the track and gave it their best shot. How did go? Watch and find out. This is the story of two men, one car, and how it set the courses of their respective and very different lives.
500mph Failure: The Incredible Wingfoot Express 2 and A History of Rocket Cars 1928-1965 Brian Lohnes 2024-10-18 | This is the story of Walter Arfons' incredible Wingfoot Express 2 rocket land speed car. It's also a history of some pretty incredible rocket powered cars from the 1920s through the 1960s. Machines that raced on dirt tracks, performed at fairs, and even ran at the Indianapolis 500. The story of the creation of the Wingfoot Express 2 is one of perseverance, dedication, mechanical skill, and pure guts. It was a giant rolling science experiment designed to not only break the world's land speed record, but also break the sound barrier. To say that this thing was a glorious failure would be an amazing understatement. Imagine building the first ever JATO rocket powered land speed car from scratch at your home shop, having it break 500mph on the salt flats and still being labeled a failure? Rough, but we're here to tell you why.
Beast Builder: The Lost History of Americas First 8-Cylinder Race Car and V-8 Production Car Brian Lohnes 2024-10-11 | He was a man with dozens of patents to his name, the designer of the first four cylinder car in America, the first eight cylinder car, and the first V-8 production car, but have you ever heard of him? The answer is no. H.H. Buffum was a genius engineer of the late 1800s and early 1900s. He made a fortune making equipment for the shoe manufacturing industry and then turned his attention to cars. Take this fascinating ride back into the history of American cars, to the earliest days of the industry when anyone with some money, a machine shop, and a dream could be a car manufacturer. This fast moving history talks patents, inventions, breakthroughs, theft, horsepower, and more. Where did the first V8 come from? How about a small town in Massachusetts. No kidding.
Silent Screams: The Weird And Fast Air Powered Dragsters of 1962/63 Brian Lohnes 2024-10-04 | In late 1961 something weird happened. Engineers from the AiResearch company approached a successful Arizona drag racing team and offered them the chance to make history. What was it? The shot to use compressed air and jet engine turbine starters to power their car. Sounds insane right? Well? It worked! This is the story of two dragsters which were among the fastest of their day and which did not employ a piston engine to do it. They made little noise, but they made huge waves in the sport sometimes for the right, and sometimes for the wrong reasons.
Death Defying Gearhead Fun: The Mechanix Illustrated Highway Kart Brian Lohnes 2024-09-26 | In 1962 Mechanix Illustrated magazine published one of the most recklessly insane do it yourself projects of all time. Called the Highway Kart, it was a street legal go-kart with a 5hp engine, lights, license plates, and a frame of angle iron. This idea was inspired by two guys driving around the world in go-karts and the editors somehow thought that their audience would like to have a shot at doing the same thing on their own. The idea of driving a literal go-kart down the city streets and actual interstate highways is both hilarious and terrifying at the same time. Would you do it?This is the story of the most wacko magazine how-to project ever, the Mechanix Illustrated Highway Kart.
Harnessing Hell: Top Fuel Clutch Development 1950-1970 Brian Lohnes 2024-09-08 | This is the story of how early drag racers developed the clutch technology that has ultimately lead to the engineering wonders in today's 11,000hp top fuel dragsters and nitro funny cars. It is the story of experimentation, of failure, of accidents, and of success. The development of the multi-disc, centrifugally controlled clutch was incremental in all areas. From the materials, the design, and finally the manufacture of these pieces, everyone had their own ideas on how to approach the issue. It was one major revelation by racers. The idea that a slipping clutch as far more efficient than slipping tires that allowed performances to sky rocket while the danger level of the sport did the exact same thing. If you love the history of early drag racing, especially the mechanical side of it, you'll enjoy this deep dive into the clutches that almost stopped the sport and then those that saved it.
Mad Scientist: The Epic Drag Racing Genius of Pete Robinson Brian Lohnes 2024-08-23 | This is the story of one of the greatest minds in the history of the sport of drag racing. Lew Russell Robinson known more widely as "Sneaky Pete" Robinson was an innovator without equal in the 1960s. He approached the sport as a trained engineer from Georgia Tech and took that education to speeds and performance unknown for his time. He was the type of guy they write rules to slow down, to save from themselves and to prevent lesser talented people from trying to venture down avenues they have no business entering. Robinson's 10 year run in the sport both in top gas and top fuel place him among the greatest not just of his generation, but of any generation. His use of simplicity and light weight made him the Colin Chapman of drag racing. His unique and off-the-wall ideas, rooted in aerospace engineering are the stuff of legend and don't seem real until you actually see them. Understand that had Pete Robinson not lost his life in a 1971 crash he would have gone one to likely be an incredible drag racing crew chief, innovator in open wheel racing, and the high performance aftermarket. This is the story of drag racing's mad scientist, "Sneaky Pete" Robinson.
Birth of American Muscle: The Story Of The Liberty V-12 of WWI Brian Lohnes 2024-08-08 | This is the story of an engine. Not just any engine, but the engine that created the idea of "American Muscle". It was the lightest, most powerful airplane engine in the world during WWI and it was designed by two guys in a hotel room during a five day marathon in Washington D.C.in 1917. Making 450hp and being produced by multiple American car companies, this engine was a master class in simplicity, integration of existing ideas, and mass production. While it can't really be said that it solved the war for the allies, what it did do was to introduce the idea of an America that stood as a colossus of industry among its peers in the world. The Liberty V-12 has an awesome story and the engine itself is worthy of your admiration.
Domination: Connie Kalitta and The Only Triple Crown In Top Fuel History Brian Lohnes 2024-07-13 | This is the story of one of the great winning streaks in the history of top fuel drag racing. In 1967, over the span of five weeks, Connie Kalitta won the season opening races for the AHRA, NHRA, and NASCAR Drag Division, a total of four in a row. His car, powered by the exotic for the time 427 Ford Cammer engine set the national records for NHRA and NASCAR top fuel over the span of these races. This video looks at not only the streak itself but Kalitta's early career, his partnership with Ford Motor Company, his mastery of the Cammer engines, that mill's history, and so much more. The details of each race are shared here, elapsed times, speeds, and opponents. This is also the story of how one of the world's most astonishing private business empires began because a 29 year old top fuel racer won back to back events in California. Kalitta Air is a global colossus today and it began with one small plane and a dream. You'll learn that here as well. A look at top fuel history and a whole lot more!
The Patents of Smokey Yunick - Engines, Equipment, and A Racing Series?! Brian Lohnes 2024-05-29 | Smokey Yunick is one of the greatest minds in the history of American auto racing. Few people that he has more than a half dozen patents in his name as well. These are for engines, engine equipment, even a racing series, among other things. In this video we look at the patents of Smokey Yunick, the problems he tried to solve, and some of the more wild ideas he had in his head.
The Weird History of Screw Propelled Land Vehicles: Slant Sixes, Big Blocks, and all! Brian Lohnes 2024-05-14 | The world is filled with vehicles that run on wheels and tracks but what about those oddballs motivated by screws? This is a history of screw propelled land vehicles and it's a wild journey through more than 2,000 years of history. From the invention of the Archimedes screw to the development of ship propellors to the idea that the same principles could be applied on land, there a great collection of odd and interesting vehicles to learn about. Amazingly, the Chrysler Corporation was responsible for the two most well known modern screw propelled vehicles, the small the interesting Marsh Swamp Amphibian and the much larger Riverine Utility Craft. Both were built in the 1960s. Both were built for the military. This is a story about innovation, success, failure, and the interesting lessons learned along the way. Gearhead history!
