The weather God’s smiled down on Armdrop Drags at Picton’s Historic Airport with a record crowd in attendance.
Nearly 4000 spectators enjoyed the wide variety of cars and trucks that came to old school drag race. In it’s 5th year at the Historic Airport the competitors included front engine dragsters, vintage and new muscle cars, a Ferrari FF V12, and one extremely fast silver Audi owned by Darren Bryer. Not only were the fans and racers having fun, but all the vendors had a very busy day, a few even had to close out early.
Hot cars and beautiful ladies have gone together since the dawn of the automobile. Armdrop Drag Racing is no exception. Wives and girlfriends could be seen everywhere you looked . Like many racing events often there are glamorous ladies involved. Armdrop Drag Racing has their own official Pin Up girl, Miss Mandy Mae Pin-up. She is often seen dropping arms to start races with her own style and flourish.
Pin up girls have been around since the early days of photography. Many were vaudeville actress’ and early movie stars. By WWII they adorned bombers and fighter planes and posters of various pin up girls were hung by fighting men all over the world. Not only photographs were used, but paintings with Vargas and his now famous Varga Girls were often common place.
In 2013 Miss Mandy Mae began to be a regular fixture dropping arms at the starting line for Armdrop Drags. She sponsors her own trophy and gladly poses with car owners and their cars as well as any one who asks for a photo.
“The louder the car the better, I love feeling the rumble when I am caught between 2 cars tearing at the track, said Miss Mandy.” ” And I love the smell of the fuel and burning rubber. I take to it like other women take to the scent of a rose.”
Miss Mandy has always felt out of both time and place. In high school, when other girls were taking Home Economics she was taking auto shop. Her style as a pin-up is drawn from the late 40’s and 50’s, a a simpler era when women were Ladies and men were Gentlemen. Recently Miss Mandy acquired a 1955 Buick nailhead, so when Joe Verwey, Lindsay Ont. rolled in with his “Rat Infested” Chevy with a Buick Nailhead engine, Miss Mandy immediately fell in love and picked it to win the Miss Many Mae Pin-up trophy.
As well as continuing to appear at Armdrop Drag Racing, she is headed to the Syracuse Nationals, going to compete at Wheels on the Bay pin-up competition sponsored by Kimberly’s DeJa Vu Boutique, she is working on getting her own Buick Nailhead on the road, and maybe even take it to the strip.
photos and story by bill samuel
Additional photographs by