I had been running it through my head for awhile now....A while ago I thought I had a deal to trade my T bucket..... didn't happen.... couldn't understand it at the time but it looks as though there was a reason.......I was trying to figure out what to do with my little roadster and my friends Jeff and Jimmie convinced me that I should finally just go to the fucking HAMB drags...... I love drag racing and older, vintage go fast machines, but as far as actually participating I always figured I was on the other end of the spectrum of the car scene.....Kustoms is where I come from...... So I called my buddies back and I think they were a little skeptical when I told them I was planning on going.... and they were a little more than skeptical when I told them I actually wanted to run the T..... I think a few calls were made and they knew I wasn't kidding. My friends, who knew that I have absolutely no drag experience, took it upon themselves to make sure I lived to draw another day. Jim Dale took it upon himself to find time in his schedule to start fabricating some safety in my car. long story shorter here, My friends got together and within a month my T had a roll bar, seatbelts, slicks and the carburetor situation figured out......Jeff Myers took even more time off to squirt an experimental and supersecret new shade of blue metallic, that might just be a preview of a 56 Chevy's color, on the body and grill shell..... So we caravan out to Joplin, Friday is kool, kind of a lowkey day for me.... but all day I have Saturday at MOKAN on the brain......I hang with my wife and friends and try to relax...... I keep thinking, I don't HAVE to do this.....nerves get the better of me and I sleep like crap...... Saturday morning is here finally......I'm up early, for me, and I drive over to the Ramada to see what the other fellas are doing...... take a trip to the parts store, get some 303 sparkplugs and some octane boost......Jeff and I split a can to make sure we're even up on the starting line.....we hang out and after lunch we hang some more, waiting till it's time to go to the track.... my stomach is all kindsa knotted up......I do believe that I was the ONLY person there with butterflies.....everyone else was, having fun and talking, visiting......like nothing life changing or somewhat eventful was about to happen.......I felt alone, like a man on a mission, Was I ?, or was I not going to run the quarter?.........another emotion screwing with me was shyness..... Now I know it might sound damned silly to a bunch of y'all, but I guess I'm a bit of the sensitive artist type sometimes. But I still, to this day, get the nerves when I'm driving my car through a crowded carshow, or similar situations, it's almost the same as being late to a meeting or a class and everyone just stares at you. know what I mean?..... so I knew that I would be, if only for a moment, at least one of the two cars that EVERYONE would have their eyes on for at least a quarter miles time...... after the drive to the strip, which was hot as hell in a roadster by the way, we find a place to park and I am greeted at the registration table by the lovely and talented Mrs. Marci.... I asked her if her and Ryan needed any help, actually, on the inside, I was desperately seeking a way to put off my feelings of impending doom, .....she told me to not be silly, they had it all handled, and that I should go and have fun.....easy for her to say..... after a while of getting the 'camp' settled, I decided to go over to the sidelines and see how things were actually done......I settled on a seat by the water box area. I knew that I had to stage twice, then the lights came down and if you waited til you saw green you were too late but don't go too soon or you'll redlight and avoid the water or maybe you actually should go through the water or run light tire pressure in the slicks or half a million other details and bits of advice and information were going through my head. I know I talked to several people there in the stands, but I don't remember who.... I apologize if I seemed distant... my mind was elsewhere..... About all I remember was the distinct feeling of intimidation that swept over me. I thought there was going to be a million people who were 'first timers' , but it looked all business to me at the starting line.....these folks were serious about going fast and I would surely be called out of the lineup if I dared to try and run down a real track...... Jeff Myers , a fellow Kansas Beatnik and HAMB drags veteran, finally showed up at the track and as casually as only Jeff could, asked me if I was ready......So after two Dr.Peppers and a half pack of smokes, I climbed in, put my googles and helmet on, and we headed towards the lanes.... I was really nervous at this time..... I think Denise wished me luck, and I remember people taking pictures...... I thought that if I lost control of the T, they might be the last ones taken.......Finally, It is our turn........... the Mokan guy signals me to turn into the lane. I start, and almost forget to do a burnout. I don't think it was real impressive when i did remember to do one....and then I watch the other guy motioning me forward. I pull up, and the first stage light comes on, shit!!! here we go!!!....the second light comes on and the guy wants me to back up, I've come to far forward, DAMN!!!!!!, My worst dreams are realized, I srewed it all up and showed everyone I was an amateur......so I back up and get to where I need to be, Jeff stages and the lights come down. I see the last yellow and start to let up on the brake, but I'm not launching. SHIT!!!!!I'm in neutral, not drive..... slap the shifter, here we fucking go man!.......I see Jeff is already ahead of me by what seems like miles.......all I'm seeing is the strip ahead of me......I'm hearing the motor rv a little higher than normal and it isn't shifting, I realize that in my haste, I had gone down to second, ..... a quick tap and I hit third..... here we go, but there are some cones or something so I start to let off......Jeff is still going and I realize we have another eighth to go.......hit the gas again and still trail behind Jeff..... after we hit the end and i realize that I actually did it, jeff says he could hear me laughing and hootin from inside HIS car....... what a rush that was......end result, my reaction time, 1.1573......et 14.0293......mph 99.40.... we decide to let the cars cool a bit and run again...... the weather was looming and we thought we had better do it now or never....... got in line with Jeff again.... but ended up going against a bitchin' 40 Ford coupe.....it sounded pretty good........I went through the water, did a still not too impressive but better than the first one, burnout..... got to the line. ride that brake easy, don't cross over.... first light, good..... second light, good, one two three, damn, I waited too long again.... this reaction time was still slow, a .9074, but much improved....... car was in Drive this time......... hit the gas, no swerve, must be somewhat hooking up, feels good......I see the other guy in the 40, he's there by my side, but I think I'm pulling harder than he is.... don't think about him, keep looking down the straightaway... and this time don't let up on the pedal.... there actually IS enough room to stop after it's all over....... I can feel the engine wanting to give me more.....I haven't topped out yet, there are still more RPM's to be eaten...... but I've reached the end already....... I knew right then my car had outperformed me.....I look back and see the 40 behind me, 6.34 behind me to be exact......I feel almost guilty for outrunning such a cool car......I knew I had done better but not how much, I got my slip but didn't have a chance to look at it before I caught sight of my wife, also my biggest fan, mouthing the words, one o four......I had made my goal..... to break 100........final results of my second ever drag race with lights on a track......13.1447.......104.02 mph........ and that, my friends , ......is my story of taking my T down the track......
Wow, I had no idea you felt like that man. Thats how I felt last year. Last year was my first time goin down the strip. It sure is a rush, isn't it? It was nice to meet you McPhail, hope the dash in that T serves you well. haha.
Great story- you did it and a low-13 second aint shabby! Anybody have a picture? I'm gonna try to get my mobile on the strip this year and I'm sure I'll have similar feelings. Thanks, Kurt
Cool story Dennis! I'm glad you got to run the T, it sounded like it was a blast. I wish I could have been there to see it! I hope somebody posts some shots of you at the line, I want to see how this "super secret blue" turned out. I won't be back in Kansas for awhile, but I hope you could come to the Denver Live Fast in October! Later Holmes, Devin
Cool discription! Just like my first time...only I was slower...and I broke an axle....Welcome to the Drags, You will always be afflicted with this "disease" It only gets better!!. Great times also, very respectable quarter!!! Sparky
Damn Dennis! 104!? Ive been workin my T all year to get my 100 mph patch this year at the Day of the Drags. I gotta say goin down the 1/4 mile in a T is about as good as it gets for us drag racin newbies! If you are like me you are probably already thinkin about next year. Congrats on the ET and the MPH! Now if you can make it to Temple in Oct you have officially been challenged! Bring it on Kansas boy! Ed
I actually have a picture of part of your head when my step dad ran down the track. It was funny because when we showed up on Friday I was walking around looking at who it might be fun to line up against, I am glad it wasn't you even thought had there been the class shoot out I think you would have ate our lunch. I just remeber asking you "Why aren't you out there?' and you saying "Shit I 've never done this before" and then to break 100? The pin I got from Voodoo Jim 3 years ago is absolutely right on and I now know why Jim made it... McPhail does suck, second run 100 MPH SOB. It was awesome man!!!
Nice to see ya again Dennis. I was gonna chat with ya later but everyone was hooked up.......you'll be hooked now.
Thanks for waking me up this morning. That....my friends....is what hot rods are all about. The excitement of kicking the crap out of something you built....it's a part of you. Drag racing is now a part of Mr. McPhail.
Congrats bud! I'm so happy for ya. You looked bitchen in those goggles. I've got some photos of you in your roadster in the staging lanes and at the start line. I will post them for you after work tonight. Once again CONGRATS!!
I can't believe you ran faster than me right out of the box! Wish I could have seen it run, but we were trying to get the coupe dialed in. I realize now that all of my/ our advice and comforting comments were probably all adding up to the pressure instead of soothing it. Like I said, I was feeling nervous on Friday as well. I usually do until after the first pass. Not like I have a ton of experience either, but I think it's good to have a little nervous respect for the cars when you are going to flog on them. I did the same thing at about the 1000 ft line. Doesn't look like there is any room down there when the guardrail ends. But there is plenty. I can almost just coast to the end. Much nicer than Little River. Anyhow, congrats on the runs. If you're not hooked on going faster, you can at least mark it off the "things to do before I die" list.
see, it was like I said. go real fast, don't crash, and if you see a green light, you are late. fun,right?
Great story man! I really dug the T! It sucks I didnt get a chance to meet you this weekend. Maybe next year or I'll just come up and get some work done!
Great story. If that doesn't draw me out there next year nothing will. I hope I've got the 38 to run. I think they may need to make a rule that everyone that has their first run at MOKAN needs to wear those goggles and that lid.
dennis, sounds like a very cool experience It's always a good thing to find new ways to have fun with cars. hope to see you at Starbird's. are you going? duke
I think a lot of the description is still in the for sale ad on this board......The car IS still for sale, you can see in that picture what it does to my knees....but it is hands down the funnest and fastest car I've ever owned.....here's the skinny on the car...... I had my friend Ed at Wellington auto and machine here do the engine, it's a 327 block and heads with god knows what all done to it......I just told him to make it as fast as he could while still being streetable.....it has new everything inside of it with some real expensive pistons and really cool looking roller rockers.......a rebuilt 350 tranny with all the kits and stuff...... a Ford 8" rear with3.30 something gears.....with the tall bias plys it would run 75 at about 2300 rpm......what else ya wanna know?..... And Ryan, got those times for the classes yet?..... I'd like to know where I might've stood as far as class goes.........not that it mattered......just curious .......Dennis
pic Mr pontiac: ya it was me, i missed second gear all three runs, that was the second time and i was pissed so i just hit 3 and crawled in with my head between my legs. The best time i could get out of the stock forty drivetrain was 15.5 and 91 so you still would spanked the coupe. i think its time to get rid of the collumn shift and 70's wheather rotted white walls. im still real impressed with the forty rearend and gearbox it takes alot of abuse every day, and other than worn syncros i think its still holding up, granted im not droping the clutch. the olds has got a lot more potential with a good chasis. cory nothing like spinning one tire all through first!!!!
I saw the TERROR in your eyes but didn't want to make it any worse That story was the best read on the HAMB in a long time, it had my heart pounding hahaha You did good man, and hell, that little car probably has potential to get into the 12's easy. Thanks for adding to the best weekend of the summer
The Jalopy Journal
