Terrapins Plan Race Track Talk
The beginnings of coordinating hotrodders in Austin, TX.
Nov. 29, 1951 -The Terrapins as a temporary name for the Austin hotrodders held a 1st. meet at Austin Zilker Parks club hut to talk over race track problems and as a last chance for local hotrodders to join the club as charter members. W.L. Anderson, spokesman for the group said the organization for the Terrapins meet was almost complete except for the location of a local drag strip.
In the beginnings of the drag racing sport a group of teenagers from the local high schools create a car club in Austin, Texas. The plan was to help organize hot rodders from the local area and begin talks to plan a drag strip. The idea was to secure a safe place outside of town to test and compete against each other under drag racing conditions. A young teenager August “Hands” Hartkopf, president of the hot rodders group is seen here in the pics along with Larry Chiappino, Treasurer of the club campaigning for the cause Mar. 8th 1953.