Young Drivers and Hotrodding 1950s

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Quote: All of the bad characteristics of young drivers have been lumped together in the mind of the public as “hot rodding.”  It was considered a mania for speed. Police were being swarmed with calls at all hours of the night from irate citizens in neighborhoods fed up with the noise of something called a hotrodder using the public streets for racing and misconduct activities at all hours of the night. This rapid growth of young drivers spread wild among communities across the nation. It was bringing a problem never seen before. As the news media papers described it, burnouts when traffic lights change and the sound of gutted straight pipe mufflers. News papers across the nation published many similar stories during those times of young drivers causing accidents and deaths on public streets. Dualling on the streets.. what they call ( “chicken games,” “pedestrian poker,” “crinkle fender”) and similar dangerous illegal activities with the so called hotrod. The hotrodders of Austin knew this was a negative effect to their sport and during those early years a campaign was created with a number of local clubs to bring a positive image instead. The campaign was to promote safety in a drag racing environment and hold exhibition of speed contest with all willing to join and follow the safety rules. The next step was to locate and purchase land to create a local drag strip. movie: Hotrod scenes

Terrapins Car Club 1951

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.

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