Just as with music, what’s aurally pleasing to one is all a matter of personal preference, and that’s absolutely the case when it comes to the sound of a race car. While many race fans get their jollies from the earth-shaking cackle of a nitro motor fed by “the whole can,” it’s our personal opinion that there’s just nothing quite like the melody of classic American big block and small block iron backed by an old four-speed. You may have a fancy automatic transmission, a clutchless manual, or an air-shifted manual in your car these days, but your father sure didn’t. And he rowed the gears with a cigar in his mouth like it was a Sunday afternoon drive, to boot.

A classic example of the screaming four-speed cars of yesteryear is on display in this vintage footage from the Cecil County Dragway – known at the time as Cecil County Drag-O-Way – in Rising Sun, Md., site of some of the great door cars races of the 1960’s and 70’s.

This promotional clip, part of a full length film from a production company known as Bee On Video, has been stripped of the commentary found in the feature film, leaving only the sound of clutch-dumping dry hops and screaming side-by-side launches off the starting line. and that’s perfectly fine with us – they can keep the narration.

This clip features a seemingly who’s-who of old-timers from every class that mattered, from Stockers and Super Stockers, to Junior Stockers, A/FX machines, and the very earliest of the Funny Cars.

Malcolm Durham? “The Grump” Bill Jenkins (with a cigar, naturally)? Butch Leal and his California Flash? “Dandy” Dick Landy? Sox and Martin? Yep, they’re all here. This is one you’ll want to check out; with the volume cranked, of course.

Oh, and if we were in charge, WOT dry hops would be mandatory or you take it home.