"TWO-LANE BLACKTOP"
I watched DVD sample of "TWO-LANE BLACKTOP" the movie which will be released on DVD soon in Japan and supplier has sent me sample. In 1972 the movie was shown in USA and story goes with 55 Chevy whose owner is the main character of story and he makes money on street races on the way to east coast from west coast. It is not famous in Japan but when the movie was released in USA in early 70's it was a real popular movie. Why now in Japan? It's been 35 years.
The cars on the movie were all American cars. It is rare to see so many American cars in the DVD movie. When I was in Southern California in late 70's, it was like this movie on weekends in some town cruising was held and young and Hot Rod filled Boulevard, every weekend we went to Orange, Whittier, Vannuys, Down Town LA and some Street Race was held in some suburb and had lost on Street Race back then.
The scene that reminded me most was the Drag Race field in suburb. Simple stand and building, nothing there but course and there were many of these Raceway existed in other states. Probably still existing Drag Raceway in suburb is one like on this DVD. In Southern California, Carlsbad was like this as it was an Old School Raceway in San Diego suburb, but it was shutted down.
OCIR in 1977
The cars came in the Raceway were cool. Especially the race scene of this 55 vs. Vette, these moves were not scene these days, the move of the cars are old too. It must be a Mancie M22 Rock Crasher 4 speed Transmission. How Cool!
Here is young Chico worked on his 1969 Nova at OCIR.
Back then we had planed to go on race hopping in Arizona and Raceway in west coast on Chevy van with Nova pulled by a trailer with Chico, but end up as a dream. The DVD from the time when Drag Race was there in every day life. There are Great car scenes to watch.

Shige Suganuma
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