John Bradley

John Bradley (29 October 1925, San Bernardino, California-29 November 2012, Dolan Springs, Arizona), nicknamed "Mr. Flathead", was a pioneering American drag racer and land speed racer. He was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 1994. Early life Bradley was a veteran of the United States Navy during World War II. He was a member of National Hot Rod Association for sixty years. Racing career Bradley started racing in Southern California in 1946, competing on dirt tracks and in illegal street races, with a Deuce roadster. His first dragster used Ford Model T frame rails and a Ford flathead V8; built in 1952, it hit a speed of . He set records beginning in 1956 and was still doing so until a few years ago. He recorded twenty-eight wins in Top Eliminator in 1956 alone.