Stop me if I've told ya this story before, but my first memory of speed comes from the late 70's... I was three, maybe four at the time. My dad had a heavily hot rodd...<P><P>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
That's just the beginning of the story... For me, it was aircraft... Specifically, growing up around top secret experimental aircraft... The fastest 'vehicles' on the planet... I would see them in the sky and kind of try to picture the world flying by at that speed... That developed into a fascination with all military aircraft... Then war in general... Then World War II... Then WWII aircraft... I built models... Lots of models... I colected warbird junk. My favorite plane was the Corsair, but I loved the P-51 mustang and had a fascination with the Messerschmitt 109s... They personified speed to me. (I didn't know/care about the flyability issues)... And revered the SR-71... Then came the airshows... I was the wierd kid that ran to the 'old planes' so I could sit in them and feel the controlls... That was speed to me... every concievable instrament in the right place and limited visibility... Supremely purposefull, powerfull, and sleek.... I sat in jets too but they didn't speak to me like the vintage planes. A piston engine is more earthy and organic sounding...
I always wondered what got you hooked Ryan. You had never given us any info of your roots. All I can say is..God Bless your Dad! His direction provided the experience that effected your passion. And Without him we wouldnt be here. Cool story.
It seems like you don't like to talk about it much, but I think a lot of us would like to read about your racing experiences, in Europe. I bet you have some really interesting insights into the world of speed and racing. Just the same as this blog, you can write it so it will be pertinent to this board and what we are.
It is a great story ryan. Your story really in a way took me back to my childhood. Remembering all the times that me and my dad have shared over the years. Remembering when I learned about "speed". Thanks Ryan.
Almost Great JJ entry. My folks also got me started early, first went to the drags at a few months old.
I appreciate your humilty but for a young dude, you've lived a privileged life. And that is a good thing.
very cool story ryan..my dads 70 amx was parked in 75 when i was 4, and i can still remember layin in the back floor[2 seater] and fallin asleep to dire straits and duals!! thanks for the flashback!
I still have vivid memories of Meyer Speedway in Houston.( i guess that shows my age) My dad would take me there every week to watch the local heros, a few of them went on to the big time
"A car guy"... and a helluva writer. Nicely done, man. Parts of the story are similar to my early memories, and those I'm trying to create for my two boys as well. Early memory for me is being 3 or 4 and being scared of the sound of the big block '67 Chevelle my dad had. Open headers, and LOUD, especially to a little guy.
amazing story, thanks for sharing, wish i could've had a childhood like that...mine was my dad having guys over with there sleds(snowmobiles) so he would tweek the carbs and engines so they could attempt to go as fast and high hillclimbing as my dad...that and taking a 50$ dirtbike that didnt run completly rebuilding it(ie us doing all the dirty cleaning work and him doing most of the hard stuff) and then riding it till we out grew it and selling it for 900$
Riding with my grandpa to the corner store to get cigarettes in his drag Nova or Challenger when I was 6-7
Thanks for the nice words fellas... And yeah, I've been really lucky. It's a combination of working really hard even when I didn't want to and being just straight up blessed with some incredible parents. Spoiled is not a stretch.
Nice blog Ryan. This shows the kind of impact a father can have on a son. I remember when I was young maybe 5 yrs old sitting in my dads lap while driving his 67 GTO. It had a warmed over 455 in it. open headers and slicks. He'd let me take the wheel on a straight road. One time I was sitting between the bucket seats as he got on the throttle and flew thru the gap into the back seat. He really got a laugh outta that. When I was even younger I remember him setting me on the gas tank of his 49 Indian motorcycle. I would strattle the gas tank I'd hold on to the handle bars like I was driving while he had one hand on. Of course he didnt go very fast but what a expierence. We were at a bike run in Hanford Ca. ahh Good Times. Really miss Dad.
My dad did some similar things...like take me to the Detroit Autorama when I was little, have me sit in his lap and steer the 70 Duster he had on those flat straight roads outside of windsor, ontario, and hang out at Riverside garage when I was a little guy and help him rebuild the motor in his AMX.
Nice story Ryan. My story was the opposite I grew up on a farm in the middle of nowere and my folks hated fast cars and racing. Luckly they let me ride my Bicycle 10-12 miles eachway to the old Minnesota Dragways when I was 8 years old untill I got my drivers lisc. I was really into sports cars but drag racing had to make do. In college, I worked in a forign auto salvage and one day an older gentleman ( canadian ) came in looking for volkswagon parts. He talked me into running a road rally the next weekend - and as they say the rest was history. I was very lucky to have a mentor to teach me mechanics, tool making and racing skills. His kids hated cars. In nearly 40 years I was lucky to have crewed on NASCAR, SCCA, IMSA, and MidWestern council cars. I also built and drove VWCA national rally cars, SCCA road race cars in three classes, and Midwestern council cars. I was also an official in SCCA and Midwestern council. In 2000 it was tiime to retire from racing due to my arthritus and slower reaction times. So I renewed my passion for old cars and started to build a Street rod- before I got it done I discovered the HAMB and it is now being finished as a hotrod. But my real thanks go out to Bill the older gentleman ( the machinist who wore a tweed coat and looked like a proper englishman ) who took the time to teach and inspire me to the world of high performance cars, fabrication, and high speed driving He drove a 59 VW beatle with a Porsche super 90 engine and a Jag 4 door hot rod sedan. My 19 year old daughters freinds are alway welcome in my shop and a few rice rockets have been through my doors. I only hope thoose kids keep the passion.
Awesome story. My first taste of speed was as a kid going to the Fresno Drags in the late sixties, and seeing all the great names at that time.
Its a father to son thing. Ryan had the good luck to have a father in that line of work and interest that took the time to show his son what he did and loved to do..Great story..I share Kilroys experience, my Dad was a B-17 pilot and after the war was a lifelong pilot and car enthusiast. He had a 37 Ford convertable and his buddy had a Lincoln Zephyr. They swapped engines and my Dad put the V12 in his 37..later he was a cropduster and survived that. Then became a pilot for Phillips 66 oil Co. flying the "old man" around. Dad would always get a new company car every year. One of my earliest car memories is driving out to the airport in a brand new red 59 Impala, hopping into a Beech Bonanza that my Dad had talked the old man into putting in a bigger faster engine, "so they could get there faster" and zipping around south texas oil leases at 300 mph..taking off and landing on dirt roads..later Dad was LBJs pilot and I played checkers with the "old man" while Dad was flying us to the ranch in the "Pedernales Gold" Lockheed Lodestar that was souped up by Dee Howard..we would get to the ranch and LBJ would want to look at the livestock, we would pile into a 62 Lincoln convertable and drive it cross country out into the pastures..then there was the Confederate Air Force, yakity yak.....
Well that beats the shit out of my story of my first taste of speed. Mine was the ride I took in the family's 56 Country Squire wagon when I knocked it out of gear while playing in it in the driveway. I rolled about 25 feet with me at the wheel until it stopped on a pile of gravel. I didn't know whether to shit or go blind ! ! Looking back I know I wasn't going that fast, but since I was 5 at the time, it felt like I was going 100 MPH ! !
That was a really awesome story Ryan, thanks for sharing it. It gives hope to us young one's that we can keep the hobby going... Its a life style I want to pass on to my kids someday (if I ever have any). Thanks for the inspiration! - Jon
I think the little shit turned out very well. Several college degrees including two masters before he was 30. Knows right from wrong and respects his parents. Believes in respecting women and loves his Country. Understands the four virtues of internal combusion. What else is there? Ryan's Poppa!
Great story Ryan. The most important part of the entire story was "Dad". I worked with Boy Scouts until the local council refused to allow me to start a "hotrod" Venture Crew (17 years) and 75% of the boys in the troop were lucky to see dad on visiting weekend. I still have young men who contact me and tell me how much it meant to them to have an adult man give them time and mentoring. Three of them are writing me from SW Asia regularly, one of them a bronze star awardee and two of the three wear purple hearts. My oldest boy turned 24 last weekend and leaves Vance AFB this summer to transition to the F-16. When he was about three we were watching "Top Gun" and he told his mom he wanted to fly jets when he got big. He graduated under graduate pilot training 10 March and took three of the five awards given to Fighter pilot trainees. Proud Dad