MORE THAN CANDID CAMERA – CHRONICLING DRAG RACING’S EARLY YEARS
They traveled out to Cotati Raceway near Santa Rosa, Ca, where the featured race was a match between Sammy Hale and “Sneaky” Pete Robinson.
“The experience just turned me on,” Jackson recalled. “The noise and the cars left me in awe.”
Jackson was only 15 years old and unable to go to the drags until he bought his first car.
How the Jackson Brothers turned a hobby into a treasure for the drag racing world…
Jamie Jackson went to a drag race with his sister and her boyfriend in 1961 and his life hasn’t been the same since.
“The experience just turned me on,” Jackson recalled. “The noise and the cars left me in awe.”
Jackson was only 15 years old and unable to go to the drags until he bought his first car.
“The first place I went to was the drag strip in Fremont and that was in 1964,” Jackson said.
Describing the passion of the race track didn’t have as much value as recording the energy he experienced.
He began taking a still camera to the drags and when the excitement became too much for the drag-stricken teenager, he brought along his older brother Sonny.
“I used to tell him, you just have to see these cars,” Jackson proudly proclaimed. “Sonny is about three years older than me and he was hooked the first time.”
The brothers took their mother’s 8mm Kodak Brownie Hawkeye movie camera and began filming everything they could focus on. They shot Fuelers, Funny Cars and doorslammers and people, they shot plenty of those too.
Forty-five years later, they’re still filming the drags.
We did it for our own personal enjoyment and when we had family parties we’d show the films with music playing behind it. We’d have all the top rock music playing and there would be a gathering of about twenty standing around watching. They’d stay glued to it and they’d love it. Then we did that at the year-end banquet in Fremont. Then we ended up doing some car shows and it got bigger and bigger.
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RECOGNIZE THESE LEGENDS?
The first video came at the inspiration of longtime drag racing journalist Dave Wallace who contributed his ad agency’s efforts to designing a jacket for the videos.
The success of the first video inspired a second focusing on the classic Gassers. The Jackson Brothers’ Gasser Files remains the largest selling video in the history of their company.
“Most of our videos are true collectibles because of the nature of our subjects,” Jackson said. “
Even before today’s current business, the Jackson Brothers peddled copies of their raw films to the public as early as 1973. Then a person could buy 50-feet of the Super8 films of everything from Pro Stock to fuel to crashes. A $20 bill would get you enough vintage footage to make you feel like you were there.
The customers got plenty of good footage, but clearly the brothers couldn’t put everything they had in their films for sale.
The Jackson Brothers films were quite the talk of the neighborhood. They also provided the entertainment at parties.
“We did it for our own personal enjoyment and when we had family parties we’d show the films with music playing behind it,” Jackson said. “We’d have all the top rock music playing and there would be a gathering of about twenty standing around watching. They’d stay glued to it and they’d love it. Then we did that at the year-end banquet in Fremont. Then we ended up doing some car shows and it got bigger and bigger.”
FREMONT 1971, AND A SCHUMACHER CAMEO
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CLASSIC GASSERS BY THE JACKSON BROTHERS
“Nobody shot sound film but the major television stations,” Jackson said. “You can buy stuff with 16 mm sound. That stuff is rare. There is some stuff that has been overdubbed. I’d say 99% of those guys who shot film in the old days did so without sound. I didn’t even start getting sound until 1978.”
The Jacksons took their business on the web at the turn of the century and currently post their video offerings. There are some projects in the hopper including some crash and burn, as well as a few automotive gems.
“I am researching a film on A/FX cars, al and Funnies, and start from 1963 to and go up to about 1970,” Jackson said. “That ought to take up a few volumes.”
Yes, he’s got a lot of footage on the greats like Dick Landy and Butch Leal, just to name a few. This footage comes from a loosely jointed network of other filmographers such as Athur Delillo and Bill Larsen.
“You add in the names such as Phil Bonner, Sox & Martin and the Yankee Peddler and to be honest it wouldn’t surprise me if this one becomes the largest seller,” Jackson added.
Sixteen consecutive years the Jacksons shot California Bay area drag races.
They’ve been there and done that more times than they can express. That’s why the film works out so well for them.
“I was there when Jungle Jim made his first runs at Fremont,” Jackson proudly proclaims. “I have it on film. I have Jungle Jim in the Old Brutus car when it was just in primer.”
FUEL ALTEREDS
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CLASSIC SHIRLEY FOOTAGE
“I’ve got plenty of the old Pro Stockers and there’s been a demand for video of those cars,” Jackson said. “That’s on my list and I’m pretty much a one man show these days.”
Jackson is 63-years old presently and together with his brother spends the lion’s share of his time caring for both of their parents and tending to family issues. The Jackson Brothers video empire is now managed and operated by Jackson’s wife of 41 years Janice. As Jackson puts it, “Without her there would be no Jackson Brothers Video.”
“I’d love to make these videos a lot faster, but it’s pretty slow at the moment,” Jackson said. “I just got a whole bunch of old gasser stuff and maybe a crash and burn, walk away video.”
Sonny, along with his son Jeff, still works with the day-to-day operations of the video company. Jackson’s thirty-something sons Steven and Shane shoot video and do a good job of it. When not racing the family heirloom 1957 Chevy, he supplements the video with his incredible still photography.
“They’re better than us older fellas because they have steadier hands and can compose better pictures than us,” Jackson admits.
Jackson remembers those days very well, he’s got proof on video.
PICK YOUR POISON
We'd be remiss if we didn't provide a listing of some of their videos available.
FUNNY CARS AND FORCE
This two pack series was inspired as a pick-me-up for the injured John Force following his Dallas crash. Jamie personally sent John the first copy before the DVD was ever considered for marketing.
The Jackson Bros captured, on film, many of the greatest Funny Car racers of all time, at Fremont Raceway, in the early to late 1970's. The Jackson Brothers shot with a Nikon Super 8 film camera that had a great Slow Motion feature built in, and they used it on many a burnout and launch of thes nitro burners. Tire shake and body flex were just as bad then as it is now, and is plainly evident in this great, rare glimpse at some of the wildest, greatest Funny Cars that ever traveled the 1320. A partial list of the racers included in this program are classis John Force, Don Prudhomme, Jungle Jim, Ed McCulloch, Tommy Ivo, Don Schumacher, Tom McEwen, Roland Leong, Tom Hoover, Connie Kalitta, Shirley Muldowney, Jungle Pam, Linda Vaughn, Pisano-Matsabura, Lil' John Lombardo, Jim Dunn, Pat Minnick, Gary Densham, John Mazmanian, Steve Leach, Billy Meyer, Kenny Goodell, Jerry Ruth, Danny Ongias, Ron Colson, Dale Pulde, Condit Bros, Jim Terry, Pandemonium, John Hovan, Gene Snow, and Henry Harrison just to name a few.
There's even a cameo appearance by our very own Jon Asher.
GASSER FILES 1 & 2
All color film footage with narration and music, including modern nostalgia live action video. The greatest nostalgia tape on Willys, Anglias and Austins ever made. How about the Stone, Woods & Cook vs. Big John Mazmania rivalry of 1965? You'll see many other famous gasser teams, too: Jack "The Bear" Coonrod, K.S. Pittman, Jr. Thompson, The Kohler Brothers, Ariso Brothers, Hill Brothers, Mallicoat Brothers, Brasher & Cummings, Fred Texiera, Shores & Hess, Mike "The Hippie" Mitchell, Panella Trucking, Souza Brothers, Balough-Dubach & Pisano, The Del Rio Bros., Ron Nunes, and more ! Willys fans will freak out over the vast numbers of '33 and '41 Willys shown. Numerous blown, injected, wheelstanding '49-'51 Anglias and Prefects will thrill even the most discerning English Ford fans, and many of our wildest '48-'51 Austin shots are included. There are other popular makes ranging from '37 Chevy coups, Henry Js, and "shoebox" Chevys. Are there "Wild Shots" on this tape? Of course! A few scary wipe-outs are shown, but no serious injuries were incurred.
FAMOSO MARCH MEET OLDIES
All color original film footage just recently discovered in 2007. Jackson Bros film contributors, Greg Fury and Ned Kelley, from Washington, has allowed the Historical Drag Racing World to view some of the best ever film footage of the first two Bakersfield March Meets. The 1959 race brought Don Garlits in from Florida, for the first time, to challenge the "Best of the West Coast", however, Art Chrisman beat out Tony Waters for the Top Eliminator title that day. Garlits made some major adjustments after that race to become more competitive and the greatest known Drag Racer of all times. Other legendary racers were born out of the first 2 March Meets.
Names on the video includes Jack Chrisman, Cyr & Hopper, Hashim-Hylton-Crossley,Tommy Ivo, Don Prudhomme, Leffler & Loukas, Eddie Hill, Speed Sport Roadster, Bobby Langley, "Jocko" Johnson, Romeo Palamedes, Masters & Richter, Don Jensen, Gary Cagle, Lefty Muddersbach, Hank Vincent, Mickey Thompson, Frank Cannon, Chris Karamesines, Don Hampton, Jim McLennan, Ted Gotelli, Tony Nancy, Jr. Thompson, Bernie Mather, Wayne King, Warren & Coburn, Scottie's, Art Malone, Jim Nelson, Setto Postoian, and many other legendary racers, dragsters, roadsters and coups. This is a partial list! This first edition has music only background. We will research for more ID's and a later edition of this program may be narrated to give everyone their just recognition in the March Meet Oldies archives. This program also includes other 60's March Meet rare cars like, Big John Mazmanian, Stone-Woods & Cook, Dick Landy, Butch Leal, Smirnoff AA/FD, by contributors Jack Miller, Bob Bird, Ted Gotelli, Paul Martini, and other contributors.
BAD BOY ALTEREDS
ALL-color film footage dating to 1964. Dedicated to the AA/Fuel Altereds, this video depicts the typical "wild and crazy" type of action these cars displayed. Their unwillingness to "go straight" will not be a faded remembrance or a dusty photo or even small talk about the good old days...NO! Fuel Altereds are still charging down the 1320 on this Jackson Bros. video. Rare fuel altereds include: (Marcellas & Borsch) "Winged Express," (Rich Guasco) "Pure Hell," (Dave Hough) "Nanook," (Moore-Oates-Bradley) "The Mob," Burkholder Brothers, (Fred Sorensen) "Warlock I," (Leon Fitzgerald) "Pure Heaven," (Nick Otto) "Warlock II," (Rod Hynes) "Coors Light," (Richard Langson) Texas Ranger," "Quality Auto," Thomas & Pritchard, Higley & Hubbard, Trillo Brothers, "The Scrounger," "Savage Jr.," "Blue Max," Mondello's Porting Service, "Instant T" & "Black Magic" plus many more hard charging competition altereds.
THE SHOEBOX DREAM
If you love the classic shoeboxes in the early stages of Pro Modified, then you'll love the Shoebox Dream. This tape features: Charles Carpenter's '55 Chevy, Thunder Craft with Rob Vandergriff, Dave Riolo's Temptation-'55 Chevy, Wayne Torkelson & Son's '55 T-Bird, Bob Bunker, Ron Harding, Jr., John Scialpi's Wappado, Kirk Kuhns, Lamar Walden, Mega Ford and Christine. There is a special appearance by Tom "The Mongoose" McEwen's fabulous '57 Chevy AA/Fuel Funny Car and three wild "Upside Down" segments of Shoeboxes biting the dust (with minor driver injury). This tape has live action sound, narration, music and driver interviews.
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