#darlington outtakes

[aheathen-conceivably]

“When I was young, I would spend hours and hours alone in my room, watching this figurine in a music box my aunt gave me. Maybe it was the heat, or maybe it was the hunger, but if I watched her long enough, I could swear she’d come to life…”

[anotiondeepinside]

Bruce Springsteen’s Most Springsteen-iest Song Ever

Buckle up, kiddos. We’re about to figure out which Springsteen song is the Bruciest of them all. (Thanks to this tweet for the inspiration) 

Right off the bat, I can think of a dozen or more contenders. How can you pick just one? The Springsteet-iest song isn’t necessarily the “best” song, is it? Is Springsteen-iest a synonym of quintessential? Are we looking for the song that a Springsteen caricature would be playing? All good questions. 

Rather than try to single one out, we need to list the criteria that would make up the Springsteen-iest song ever and eliminate songs that don't fit until we're left with one. 

1. The Springsteen-iest song would come from one of his defining albums.

We're eliminating songs from Greetings and everything after Tunnel of Love. The Rising is great, Magic is vastly underrated, and Greetings has some gems. Still, the stretch between The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle and Tunnel of Love is when Springsteen made himself Springsteen. This also means anything from Tracks and other archival releases are out. This puts us at 79 possible songs. 

2. You'd want to roll down your windows and blast the Springsteen-iest song.

We lose everything from Tunnel of Love and Nebraska here. They're both phenomenal albums that showcase the brooding side of Bruce. This side of Bruce plays well because it contrasts with the exuberance of classic Springsteen. The Springsteen-iest song will draw from that classic period, not the subsequent zigs and zags, as great as those are. 57 songs left. (Hey, that's a familiar number...)

3. The Springsteen-iest song would be one of the Top 50 most played songs at Springsteen concerts

This makes sense, right? Does he play them often because they’re so Springsteen-y or have they become Springsteen-y because he plays them so much? The chicken or egg doesn't matter in this case. They’re Springsteen-y either way. The top 50 most played song list was taken from Brucebase. We lose 23 songs here. (To be honest, we're not losing too much firepower. Incident on 57th Street goes, but besides that, we're not sacrificing much else). 34 songs left. 

4. The Springsteen-iest song can't also be the go-to cover song for indie rock bands

Goodbye, I'm on Fire. This article details the phenomenon and gives a plausible reason for it: the song is "recognizable enough to appeal to audiences even if they’re not huge Springsteen fans, but it’s also not overly hallowed ground" We want hallowed ground. 33 songs left.

5. The Springsteen-iest song can't have been misappropriated by famous politicians and still widely misunderstood today. 

See ya later, Born in the USA 32 songs left.

6. The Springsteen-iest song would feature someone driving.

I'll take common Springsteen tropes for $200, Alex. We're gonna eliminate some great contenders on this one, but rules are rules. Springsteen has done as much for car metaphors as Herman Melville did for whale metaphors. There were some judge's rulings for this criteria.

- Adam Raised a Cain: "keys to your daddy's Cadillac"  Verdict: Eliminated

- Out in the Street: Is he walking Out in the Street or driving Out in the Street? Verdict: Eliminated

- You Can Look: He and Dirty Annie are at the Drive-In Verdict: Eliminated - Backstreets: the characters "catch rides" and "huddle in [their] cars"  Verdict: Still alive

We lose 14 songs total, including these heavy hitters: 10th Avenue Freeze-Out, Badlands, Glory Days, and Dancing in the Dark. 18 songs left.

7. The Springsteen-iest song wouldn't be very, very similar to another song on the same album.

We lose 4 total here. Cadillac Ranch and Ramrod. Darlington County and Working on the Highway. Can't be just me who sees those pairs as essentially serving the same purpose, right? 14 songs left. 

8. Clarence Clemons would be prominent on the Springsteen-iest song.

The Big Man's sax is the key ingredient that makes classic Springsteen what it is. It's like the Thousand Island on a reuben. The sax also plays a major role in distinguishing Bruce's sound from other classic rock bands. Try starting a Bruce Springsteen cover band without a sax player and see how far you get. We gotta be tough here. A few of the songs we're cutting have a sax moment, but compared to the one’s we’re keeping, it's just not enough. We lose 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy), Backstreets, Racing in the Street, Darkness on the Edge of Town, The River, and My Hometown. Wow, brutal. That’s a great set of songs. 8 songs left. See them and the winner under the cut

Before we get to the remaining criteria, here's a look at the final 8 songs. One of these is the most Bruce Springsteen-iest song ever. 

1. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) 2. Thunder Road 3. Born To Run 4. Jungleland 5. The Promised Land 6. Prove It All Night 7. Sherry Darling 8. Hungry Heart

Well, well, well. That's a just about a greatest hits collection right there! This criteria is really working, except...

9. Is there any song left that seems out of place?

Sayonara, Sherry Darling. It was a Cinderella run for this enjoyable little ditty, but it's time to let the big boys play. 7 songs left.

10. The Springsteen-iest song wouldn't be a song that was almost given to another band because Springsteen didn't want it

Springsteen wrote Hungry Heart for The Ramones but was later convinced to keep it for himself. 6 songs left. 

11. In concert, the Springsteen-iest song would usually raise itself to another level.

There's two types of people in life. Bruce Springsteen fans and those who haven't seen him in concert. When Springsteen's legacy is discussed, his live performances will be mentioned in the lead paragraph. We need the Springsteen-iest song ever to be one that showcases the passion and fervor of his live performances. Rosalita was the band intro song for many years. It stays. Thunder Road is a thrill to hear, but I'm not so sure Bruce ever found its definitive live arrangement. It's out. Born to Run and the house lights stay on. Jungleland is tough, but I have to eliminate it. Because it's such a precise work of art on record, the live version is somewhat handcuffed. You can't reinvent it. You can't really improve it. You just do your best to recreate it. The Promised Land stays. Not only is the straightforward version kicked up a notch live, but the solemn acoustic arrangement shows the song’s versatility and the power Springsteen has with just a mic and a guitar. And because Prove it All Night is the poster child for a song raising to another level in concert, it stays.   4 songs left. 

12. When Hollywood makes a biopic, it might name the movie after the Springsteen-iest song. 

Born to Run: definitely possibility.  The Promised Land: absolutely. Prove It All Night: and the Oscar goes to... Rosalita (Come out Tonight). Sorry.  3 songs left. 

13. Lets not kid ourselves here, the Bruce Springsteen-iest song is kind of about sex, and not just subliminally if you twist the subtext enough, but there’s some overt sexual tension. 

It's the biggest reason young boys become rock stars, and it's the muse behind some of the greatest songs. Bruce wouldn't tell you any different. Despite a name that horny English majors could have a field day with, I have to eliminate The Promised Land. 2 songs left.

14. The Springsteen-iest song would fit a certain lyrical mode that champions blue collar grit while still romanticizing the notions of faith, hope, and love as catalysts for a better life.

Does it start out with a guy just doing his best to make it in the world?  Born to Run: “In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a Runaway American dream” [check] Prove it All Night: “I've been working real hard trying to get my hands clean” [check]

Does the idea of leaving coincide with improvement? BTR: “We're gonna get to that place where we really want to go / and we'll walk in the sun” PIAN: “We'll drive that dusty road from Monroe to Angeline /  To buy you a gold ring and pretty dress of blue”

Is there a line about dreams? BTR: “I want to guard your dreams and visions” [check] PIAN: “This ain't no dream we're living through tonight” [check]

Is there a line about love? BTR: “I want to know if love is wild, girl, I want to know if love is real” [check] PIAN: “I prove it all night for your love” [check]

Hmmm...Stalemate. Let's try something else. 

15. Does it have Night in the title?

Seems arbitrary, but chew on this. 

There are 64 songs on Springsteen's first 6 albums. Of those, there are 7 whose title contain some form of 'Night' (we're counting Tonight in Rosalita). That's over 10%! And we haven't even included the outtakes. (Restless Nights, Bring on the Night, Because the Night, Night Fire, City of Night). If you write a song and put Night in the title you're more than 10% on your way to recording a classic Springsteen-esque song. 

Want more? There are 18 songs on Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town. 17 of them have ‘night’ in the lyrics! 94%!

So, to recap. The Springsteen-iest song has to be a rocker from one of his defining albums. It has to get played often in concert and the live performance has to add something to the song. It can't be misunderstood, covered too much, or be too similar to another song on the same album. Someone needs to be driving in the song, Clarence needs to be featured, and the lyrics need to hit the basic Springsteen themes. And it needs to include his favorite word: night. 

The Springsteen-iest song: Prove it All Night. 

Post script: I think it's a perfect choice. We're not looking for the best song. Best songs take an established template and do something unique and special. Prove it All Night is the template. It's the archetypal Springsteen story prompt. Thunder Road, Incident on 57th Street, Born to Run, Jungleland, The River, Atlantic City. Insert any number of great Springsteen song. They're all basically the fleshed out short story version of characters trying to "Prove it All Night."

[itsworn]

NASCAR and Indy 500 Deaths Cast Shadow On 1964 Racing Season

1964.

American auto racing exploded this season, both figuratively and, alas, literally. The year was barely two weeks old when Joe Weatherly hit a wall at Riverside, becoming NASCAR’s first reigning Grand National champion to die in competition. Another stock-car superstar, Fireball Roberts, was critically burned at Charlotte in May, developed blood poisoning and pneumonia, and succumbed in July. Jimmy Pardue was killed testing tires at Darlington. On Memorial Day weekend, with thousands in movie theaters watching the first closed-circuit Indianapolis 500 telecast and the whole nation listening on radio, the worst accident in Indy history claimed Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald. Top Fuel’s casualties included Southern California crowd favorites Boyd Pennington and John Wenderski.

Simultaneously, all types of motorized competition were enjoying unprecedented attention from folks besides traditional gearheads. Racing was rapidly expanding from a participant-oriented, niche activity into mainstream entertainment for sports fans who’d previously followed stick-and-ball games exclusively. The challenge presented to exotic European marques by American-made Corvettes, Cobras, and Cheetahs made sports car racing so appealing that one road course, Riverside International Raceway, was able to pull big crowds to meets staged just two weeks apart this October.

Petersen Publishing Company’s newest slick monthly Sports Car Graphic flourished with subscribers and advertisers alike. Established sister publications HOT ROD and Car Craft expanded event coverage and race-car tech on pages previously reserved for street-car features, go-karts, model cars, new-car tests, and basic hop-up how-tos. Chrysler’s second-generation Hemi and Ford’s answer engine, the overhead-camshaft 427, each earned comprehensive technical articles that uncovered every component. Detroit’s handbuilt “factory hot rods” and dragster teams’ obsession with legitimately breaking the 200-mph “barrier” combined to create unprecedented interest in drag racing. This year alone, Robert E. Petersen’s powerful monthlies were joined on news racks nationwide by two independent titles dedicated to drag racing exclusively: Virginia-based Super Stock & Drag Illustrated and Los Angeles–produced Drag Racing magazine. The straight-line sport also continued to support a pair of weekly tabloids, Drag News and Drag Sport Illustrated.

More so than for any season yet revisited in our series, this year’s highlights cannot be adequately covered in the 10 pages allotted to each Power Struggles installment. More than 3,000 rolls of black-and-white film were exposed by staff photographers and writers between January and December, most of which are preserved in the archives maintained by PPC’s corporate successor, The Enthusiast Network. From those tens of thousands of individual images, we’ve prioritized outtakes that, though rejected by our editorial ancestors, tell 1964’s stories as well or better than the photos printed in major Petersen monthlies—or maybe not. Judge for yourself, now that the hundreds of shots published by HRM’s editors are viewable online. The HOT ROD Club gives Platinum members unlimited access to every page of every issue since Volume One, Number One (January 1948), for a modest annual fee. We go there often for research, from wherever we are, using whatever Internet device is handy. Find details at club.hotrod.com.

Back-to-back explosions of two near-full fuel tanks, each containing about 40 gallons of gasoline, consumed the cars of Dave MacDonald and Eddie Sachs on the second lap of the Indianapolis 500. Sachs is believed to have been killed upon impact, while MacDonald was ejected and died hours later in a hospital. Speculation about why MacDonald, a rising sports car star known for fearlessness, lost control of Mickey Thompson’s year-old racer ranged from rookie inexperience to aerodynamic issues resulting from ill-advised body modifications. A half-century later, an entire book was written about Thompson’s two-car team, the several drivers who tested his revolutionary Indy cars, the accident itself, and its immediate aftermath: Black Noon—The Year They Stopped The Indy 500, by Art Garner. (Photo: Bob D’Olivo)

The steel barrier bordering Riverside International Raceway’s notorious Turn Six remained imprinted by Joe Weatherly’s Mercury following his fatal crash midway through January’s Motor Trend 500. Either a stuck throttle or brake failure apparently propelled the two-time-defending NASCAR champion into the barrier at approximately 80 mph. Weatherly, who preferred a loose lap belt to the shoulder harnesses already in use by some competitors, died instantly when his head exited the window opening and hit the wall. (See Apr. ’64 HRM & MT.) Shown passing the eerie reminder is third-place-finisher Fireball Roberts, who himself died this year from injuries suffered in a fiery wreck at Charlotte. (See Aug. & Sept. ’64 MT; Jan. ’65 MT.)

Earlier in that fateful Riverside weekend, Mercury teammates Joe Weatherly (right) and Dave MacDonald chatted in the pits. Four months later, MacDonald died after triggering the Indy 500 crash that also claimed Eddie Sachs.

Riverside’s road course was particularly tricky and treacherous for heavy stock cars. Clem Proctor’s 427ci Galaxie was an early casualty of the Motor Trend 500, crashing on the 15th of 185 laps. Eddie Gray (98) ultimately advanced from 39th (of 44) qualifying position to finish 12th in Ralph Shelton’s year-old Mercury.

Nitromethane officially returned to NHRA at the season-opening Winternationals, ending the seven-year fuel ban. Jack Williams (far lane) emerged victorious in Saturday’s 31-car AA/Fuel Dragster class competition, thereby earning automatic entry into Sunday’s Top Fuel Eliminator final round. His semifinal victim was favored Chris Karamesines (near side). Following a frantic overnight trip to Bakersfield to replace the Crossley, Williams & Swan team’s wounded Chrysler, Jack returned just in time to meet and defeat Tommy Ivo in Sunday’s grand finale, 8.16/193.12 to 8.24/191.48. Williams went on to win June’s inaugural Hot Rod Magazine Championships and Fremont’s summer regionals, finish second at September’s NHRA Nationals (to Don Garlits), and accumulate enough points to become NHRA’s first Top Fuel world champ. Car Craft rewarded the team with a comprehensive technical article in the Mar. ’65 issue. (Also see Pomona event coverage, Apr. ’64 HRM & May ’64 CC.)

Chrysler’s second-generation Hemi (right) was an instant NASCAR success, powering Plymouths to a top-three sweep in its Daytona 500 debut and snapping Ford’s two-year, 10-race undefeated streak in NASCAR races of 500 or more miles. Richard Petty’s first big win was also the first major Grand National victory for Plymouth in 14 years. Teammates Jimmy Pardue and Paul Goldsmith finished second and third, respectively. (See May ’64 MT.)

His son’s breakthrough win followed Lee Petty’s victory in the inaugural 1959 Daytona 500. This was the first major auto race ever won by a both a father and son. Lee, who retired from driving not long after recovering from a spectacular crash in the 1961 500 (see Nov. ’16 HRD), became NASCAR’s only three-time Grand National champion (1954, 1958, 1959) before transitioning to team owner and crewchief.

The end of the domination enjoyed since the late 1950s by the blown Willys of KS Pittman and engine-builder John Edwards was punctuated by this crushing defeat at Bakersfield’s U.S. Gas and Fuel Championships. Bones Balogh (far lane) won the A/Gas Supercharged trophy dash with an unprecedented 9.77-second blast in John Mazmanian’s candy-red Willys (at 146.56 mph). Bones also swept both the 1964 NHRA Winternationals and Hot Rod Championships .

The quickest and fastest “stockers” of early 1964 were a trio of blown, injected exhibition cars built by Dragmaster Co. for Detroit promoter Don Beebe, who hired Jimmy Nix (far lane) and Jim Johnson as fulltime drivers. NHRA created the Supercharged/Factory Experimental category specifically for these cars, with one condition: that they race only against each other. Prior to this April appearance at San Diego Raceway, Johnson had clocked high 10s at 141 mph in testing at Lions Drag Strip, at a time when conventional, carbureted A/FXers were running mid-11s and low 120s. The promising program was plagued from the start by track and towing accidents that ultimately resulted in its early, ugly conclusion (as detailed in HRM’s May ’09 recollections by Johnson), but not before a national tour inspired countless little-guy racers to bolt on blowers and “turn pro.” One of the Chargers survived and has been fully restored. (See July ’64 & May ’09 HRM.)

Imagine Ak Miller’s surprise, drifting through this corner between clueless spectators. The five-time Pikes Peak winner’s new Cobra Kit Special was actually a Devin body adapted to an AC Bristol chassis, all powered by a 289 Ford equipped with Carroll Shelby’s Cobra engine package. He finished second in the Sports Car class to Bobby Unser’s mid-engined Lotus-Climax.

For the second straight year, Parnelli Jones topped the Stock Car category in a Mercury Marauder. His record-setting time of 13:52.2 was the first under 14 minutes for a stocker on the 12.42-mile, all-dirt course.

The five-amber Drag-Tronics electronic system that debuted a year earlier was not well received by open-wheel racers accustomed to flag starters or single-bulb, “instant-green” starts. After John Batto red-lighted during NHRA’s Northern California Regional Championship, his pissed-off push-truck driver intentionally chopped down Fremont Raceway’s Christmas tree. Eventual national-champion Jack Williams added critical NHRA points by taking Top Fuel Eliminator at a meet that saw Denny Milani come oh-so-close to officially breaking the 200-mph barrier, settling for a new national record of 198.66 in Ted Gotelli’s fueler.

In August, puddling water, high winds, and rough salt added up to some of the worst conditions ever seen at Bonneville, shortening the course to 6.5 miles. Nevertheless, Burt Munro had come all the way from New Zealand, determined to hit 200 mph with the Indian Scout he’d purchased brand-new in 1920. He wobbled and weaved his way up to 184 mph on a wild ride that hammered loose a lock nut in the rear wheel and, he later learned, broke his back. Despite the pain from what proved to be a dislocated spine, the 65-year-old repaired the bike, made time for the ladies, and was next in line for a record attempt when 70-mph winds prematurely ended the 16th Bonneville Nationals. (See Nov. ’64 HRM & CC, Dec. ’64 MT.)

Ford Walters spent most of Speed Week trying to work the bugs out of the first steam-powered car ever seen on the salt. He reminded HRM’s Eric Dahlquist that a steamer had set a land speed record of 127 mph in 1906, but never came close to that speed 58 years later.

His youthful pit crew pushed Dick Beith off to multiple attempts at the H/Streamliner record of 144.436 mph, but the swoopy minicar’s 44ci Mercury outboard engine topped out at 141.50.

Despite a rare focus flub by chief PPC photographer Bob D’Olivo, his smoky shot clearly illustrates one reason why race reports credited Jack Chrisman with stealing the show at NHRA’s Nationals. The other was the noise produced by a supercharged, injected Ford 427 Hi-Riser, the first blown-fuel motor ever installed in a new car. Laughingly classified as a B/Fuel Dragster, the world’s original fuel Funny Car clocked low-10-second e.t.’s at 156.31, the quickest and fastest times ever recorded by a late-model “stocker.” Prior to Chrisman’s conversion, the same body had dominated early season A/Factory Experimental competition. With Bill Shrewsberry driving, the carbureted Comet Caliente won class at the NHRA Winternationals, Bakersfield’s March Meet, and Riverside’s Hot Rod meet, running 11.30s at nearly 125 mph. (See Sept. ’64, Nov. ’64 & July ’65 HRM.)

The cab-forward pickup truck that accidentally invented exhibition wheelstanding was intended for land-based A/FX competition. Dodge teammates Dick Branstner and Roger Lindamood, this year’s NHRA Nationals Stock Eliminator champions with their Hemi-powered Color Me Gone (background), took over the project after Jim Schaeffer and John Collier prepared the body and started on the chassis. Moving back the original, 101-hp Slant Six’s location by 20 inches placed fully 52 percent of the weight on the rear wheels—and produced midtrack powerstands that proved uncontrollable until Bill “Maverick” Golden ultimately took the wheel and created a career. (See Dec. ’64 CC.)

After GM shut off sponsorship to road-racing teams in early 1963, then suddenly stopped supplying Corvette parts for Bill Thomas Race Cars’ Cheetah program this year, it was left to a handful of independents to defend Chevrolet’s honor against a fleet of Ford-backed Cobras. The 1,500-pound, 377ci Cheetah ran away from them on straightaways, but was twitchy in the corners. Seattle Chevy dealer Alan Green campaigned this much-modified model extensively in 1964. Allen Grant was driving at Riverside’s Los Angeles Times Grand Prix in early October. (See Sept. ’63 & Mar. ’64 HRM; May ’13 HRD.)

Shown are the same car and driver, at the same Riverside event, demonstrating the Cheetah’s unnerving tendency to suddenly swap ends in turns. Allen Grant managed to keep Alan Green Chevrolet’s entry intact and make it back to Riverside two weeks later for a nonpoints meet sponsored by Petersen’s Sports Car Graphic magazine, but again spun out of contention.

Bob D’Olivo captured 27-year-old Bruce McLaren enroute to winning Riverside’s 200-mile qualifying race for the Los Angeles Times Grand Prix, the first victory of a spectacular career. Powered by a Traco-built, all-aluminum Olds F-85 V8, the prototype McLaren-Elva Mark I started on the pole for the next day’s main event and led two laps before retiring with breakage. (See Jan. ’65 MT.)

This helicopter got the attention of the starter and starting-line photographers by crash landing at Riverside Raceway. Contrary to a banner evidently left over from an SCCA meet two weeks earlier, this late-October event was actually the season-ending American Road Race of Champions. Amateur drivers qualified by finishing among the top four in their respective classes and SCCA regions. Petersen’s Sports Car Graphic magazine sponsored the nonpoints meet that is considered the template for the annual SCCA Championships introduced a year later. (See Feb. ’65 MT.)

In September, Dick Landy converted the ’64 Super Stocker seen at the NHRA Nationals into a prototype for the altered-wheelbase Dodges and Plymouths destined to change the face of drag racing in January 1965. Still sporting primered traces of the bodywork required to relocate its rearend and a straight front axle from an A-100 van, the outlaw combination was a major match-race attraction during a brief Eastern tour at the end of this season. (See Feb. ’65 HRM.)

For multiple reasons, these archive negatives have baffled us for years. Photographer Darryl Norenberg exposed four B&W rolls at a private test session of the earliest SOHC 427-equipped Mustang we’ve found on film. The fact that he rushed that film to PPC’s photo lab on December 31, New Year’s eve, indicates some urgency to get exclusive images processed, printed, and into print ASAP, yet none ever appeared in any magazine that we’ve examined. Externally, the test car looks identical to the fleet of A/FX fastbacks that would debut here a month later for NHRA’s Winternationals. Under the hood, however, sits the only single-carb intake we’ve seen on a Cammer Mustang. Fifty-three years later, FoMoCo expert Rick Kirk reveals that this red 2+2 was the very first SOHC model built. It was hauled from Michigan to Pomona for midwinter testing not possible in the frigid Midwest. Ford racing boss Charlie Gray and drag-team-leader Dick Brannan also made the trip. Because an eight-barrel intake was still being developed by Ford, they made do with a manifold presumably designed—like the cylinder heads—for single-carb NASCAR competition. Both Gas Ronda and Bill Ireland later campaigned this car, which became known as Goldfinger and was ultimately crushed by the factory. The one mystery that Kirk can’t solve is why such a hot scoop of a story never made print. Alas, the photographer and PPC’s editors took that answer to their graves.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s red flag flew for 90-plus minutes while crews removed wrecked cars, cleaned the track, and finally restarted the only 500 ever stopped by something other than rain.

Starting from 14th position in the fifth row, Indy rookie Dave MacDonald passed five cars in the first lap before losing control exiting Turn Four, hitting the wall, exploding in flames, and spinning across the track in front of Eddie Sachs. MacDonald was ejected and survived, badly burned, for a few hours.

A second explosion erupted when Ted Halibrand’s Shrike drove into Mickey Thompson’s flaming Sears-Allstate Special, both of which were loaded with nearly full tanks of gasoline. Veteran driver Eddie Sachs reportedly died on impact.

Eventual winner A.J. Foyt isolated himself for the duration of the cleanup, either unaware of or unwilling to accept reports of any mortally wounded competitors. Event coverage reported that when he finally glanced down and read the headline across a makeshift edition of the Indianapolis Star handed to him by someone from the newspaper, his expression instantly changed from elation to depression—as evidenced by Bob D’Olivo’s chilling sequence.

The post NASCAR and Indy 500 Deaths Cast Shadow On 1964 Racing Season appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/nascar-indy-500-deaths-cast-shadow-1964-racing-season/ via IFTTT

[aheathen-conceivably]

I have a dream of growing old, raising a child, building a home...🎶

[aheathen-conceivably]

Now I sold my soul a long time ago I put it in six strings and a sad melody And yes, I get tired of being alone I miss my daughter and I miss my wife But the devil named Music is taking my life... 🎶

[aheathen-conceivably]

Alright who’s ready to yell cut and let them live like this for eternity? 😩

[aheathen-conceivably]

I don't need no player I already know the game I need more loving in my life To chase away the pain You might be good to me And I might be good to you But tell me do, do, do I need you? 🎶

[aheathen-conceivably]

A Giorgio outtake from yesterday’s post solely for the mental well-being of the dash and also because I put him in a tank top, blacked out and then had a whole photoshoot.

[aheathen-conceivably]

Just an outtake of our littlest heiress because she will definitely destroy us all and at the very least her parent's nerves. Any guesses on baby girl's future talents, weaknesses, or traits? (Other than Hot-Headed which we already know she inherited from her Poppa 😉)

[aheathen-conceivably]

Just an outtake from the last story post because The Darlingtons resume tomorrow and also, well, look at them 🥹

[aheathen-conceivably]

Just an outtake from today’s post because I thought 1920s jazz club Antoine had my heart and could never be beat. I was totally unprepared for 1930s desert Dad Antoine and I positively cannot. Look at this pixel man 🥺

[aheathen-conceivably]

Loaded into the save to find the babes like this and…I have questions guys 👀

[aheathen-conceivably]

Hey Darlings! 🌻

Just popping in to tell y’all that we have a lil Darlington community where I will be posting outtakes, sneak peaks, or other miscellaneous story tidbits that I don’t want to spam the dash with! (Or where you’re welcome to post takes, reacts, and opinions yourself too!)

I’ve sent out some invites but if you’d like to join, please feel free to like/comment on this post or reach out to me via message or ask (if you prefer to lurk in the shadows rather than let me know here 😊). Lots of love to you all ♥️

[aheathen-conceivably]

Florence Darlington, 1873-1929

Florence’s life was categorized by an unwavering amount of care and support, whether it was for her loved ones, her home, or her chickens. Despite this fierce dedication, she was somewhat rebellious for her era. In all of her wild hair, pants wearing glory, she represented a Victorian feminine ideal who also refused to live on anyone else’s terms.

Guided by Zelda’s song, she joins her father Isaiah, substitute mother Adelia, eldest daughter Rosella, and of course the love of her life Oliver in the pixel afterlife. She is survived by her three children and their families, spread throughout Henford, London, and America to continue her legacy.

Florence was always meant to be a soft point in this legacy: the ideal figure of motherhood in an era that valued this trait in women above all else. She was conceived as the ideal legacy founder, where the early matriarch always guides her house and children into a new era, never much growing beyond her own in turn.

While this does ring true for Florence, I wanted her to have chosen this life, to fully embrace it while also setting boundaries and goals for herself that gave her autonomy and strength. She is the one who chose to move her family to Henford, who ensured that her husband could succeed at farm life, and who decided when she no longer wanted to have children. In this way her life was above all hers, lived on her terms and ultimately filled with much happiness and love.

Outtakes of Florence throughout her many happy years below the cut.

[aheathen-conceivably]

For those who can’t or didn’t want to see the full spicy set…please enjoy this little outtake of Zelda and Antoine during Violette’s weekend away.

(Full post now available here over on my sideblog @darlingtons-after-dark *Content Warning: NSFW*).

[aheathen-conceivably]

Hello again darlings,

I’ve got more sim-spice information for you all! When using the mature label on Tuesday’s post, my whole blog was auto flagged as mature content. I think that this can be restrictive to new viewers and I would like to keep this space as open and easy to access as possible.

So I have decided to start a sideblog called @darlingtons-after-dark that will house content restricted posts. As I did yesterday, I will share an outtake from the scene here to the main blog, with a link to the original post on the sideblog if you’re interested in it.

Again, these posts won’t contain pivotal plot information so they won’t be necessary to understand what’s happening in the story; but they will give a better idea of the characters and how they interact with one another or form relationships. Story posts containing “mild” spice will continue to be tagged “sim spice” on the main blog.

You are of course welcome to follow the side blog as well, and yesterday’s post will be there later today as well as another one tomorrow. I’m sorry if this whole process has been confusing and if anyone has questions or concerns please feel free to reach out!