When was your first time at a dragstrip?

Only a couple of times, when I was about 20 or 21 years old. I went to the Connecticut International Raceway, since it was (sort of) in my town. I only went maybe three times (one I remember since I went there after dropping my fiance off at her bridal shower.) I think they were only running once a month at that point (early 80's.) Spent more time at the Waterford Speed Bowl.

 

13 years old...got to see "64 Funny Cars" at SIR (Seattle). Can you imagine? I don't think they could scrounge 25 F/C in the whole country today. IIRC Raymond Beedle took it all...

 

Umm Steve - Which of those exactly has changed ?

 

Sorry guys, I just learned how the quote thing works but- I wanted to ensure the dodge boys caught my joke from a few months ago

 

Well, you got me on that part fourspeedwagon.

Somethings at drag strips will NEVER change.

--- Steve ---

 

1959 at Grand Island, NE. Hooked for life.

 

First time attending: OCIR in about 1976 for Saturday bracket racing. I was 15-ish. My older cousin (and God Father) took me to watch his buddy race his 1970 'Cuda. One of my favorite race cars was a bitchin' little late-50's or early-60's Hillman (?) pickup name "Cap'n Crunch". It was white with blue and yellow stripes with a graphic of....you guessed it...Cap'n Crunch!!
First time down the track as a passenger: OCIR in about 1980 for Wednesday Grudge Racing. My friends 1970½ Trans Am.
Second time down the track as a passenger: OCIR in about 1983 for Working Truck Drags in my ex-friends 1975-ish Peterbilt Cabover. I believe the Cruz and Tony Pedergon raced their families Freightliners in that race..
First time down the track as a driver: Brotherhood Raceway in 1994 driving my 1967 Impala SS convertible. Many times since then.
Ditto on the "hooked for life" thing, even before I ever attended.

 

I was 16 or 17 . . . puts that around 2001.

Southeastern Dragway in Dallas, GA

Friend of mine invited me to go see alcohol funny cars. Very first drag race and I was hooked walking around in the pits. To hear/see them run was icing on the cake.

 

1964/5 winter (I was 19) at Lions Drag strip in LA. Saw match race between Sach's(sp) and Sons blown Comet FX and Stone-Wood's & Cooks Willys AA/G.

On the way there, saw a number of fuel cars on open trailers pulled by station wagons.

 

Me too. Guess we missed each other.

 

my first: 1962, age 14, my dad took me to mid america raceway ("M-A-R WHERE THE BIG ONES ARE!") in wentzville, missouri. lots of tri-fives, rail jobs, 409s, 413s and 406s. but the main attraction was a mind-blower: art arfons' jet-engine "green monster" dragster. think it ran the quarter in about 4 seconds!

 

First time was with my dad in 1967 @ Niagara Drag Strip. I was 8 yrs. old at the time and still at it today.

 

First time I ever went to a dragstrip as a spectator was 1969 or 70 at Mission Raceway in BC Canada. I remember the front engine Top Fuel dragsters being push started with the drivers in their silver "space suits". I was 12 or 13 years old.
First time that I ran a car down the track was also at Mission, in 1974, age 16,with my 1957 Ford Sedan Delivery , 272 Y block, 3 speed standard, ran a blistering 17.50 at 78.80 MPH. I still have the ET slip in my photo album.Been racing steadily ever since, recently turned 56 years old. Always in my Fords, usually with a stick trans. No sign of "growing out of this phase" anytime soon.

 

14 years old summer 1956, Oswego Draway, IL. Went with some older, 19 & 20, guys with A roadtser and 32 Coupe both Rocket Olda powered.

 

atco dragway,1975,my dad took me and some friends there for my 7th birthday

 

I was 16, she was 15... Oh wait what do you mean be first time?

 

How about Indy Nationals in 1961. I was stationed at Great Lakes Naval Base going to radar school. I hitchhiked down to Indy and got a ride from a older guy (I was 18) and he gave me a Press Pass. I packed up my uniform and walked around in civies like I owned the place. I have old black & white pics and still have press pass. Mickey Thompson was racing big Pontiacs in Super Stock and TV Tommy was there with his 4 Buick engine "Showboat". Cool times with sidewinders and two engine cars. Still plenty of hot rod innovation going on. I see what's happening in drag racing on TV today, and ask myself "Who goes to this crap - how does it survive?"

 

Baylands Fremont CA 1984. I have a few pics somewhere - see if I can find to post. I will never forget this 34 Roadster - smoked them almost all the way down the track. Awesome. Now office space - mostly vacant. That's Silicon Valley for you. Right across from the great solar company scam Solyndra. No comment.

 

1974, 12 years old, OCIR. The girls were using the men's room and the guys were going all wild over it, peeking over the stalls and under the stalls. I remember that more than the race itself.

 

1972 I was 13 years old. Went to Meander Drags aka Youngstowns Drag City. The addiction had begun!

 

My first race is when I was about 6-7 years old at Little River in Texas. Not long after that my Dad tried to bring back to life the Old Mustang Dragstrip in West, Tx. It was fun while it lasted!

 

As a spectator, I went to see my older cousin race his new Plymouth. That was July, 1958 at the drags run by the ESTA (Empire State Timing Association) at the Syracuse Fairgrounds, Syracuse, NY.

 

In 65 or 66, I was in the Boy Scouts and our scoutmaster worked across the street from Edelbrock. He got us tickets to Lions Drag Strip. I remember seeing alot of altered wheel base cars. I remember taking alot of pictures. Wish I still had them.

 

1967, Freemont. I was 10 years old

 

York US 30 Dragway in 1974, I was 16. What a great place to have only about 40 minutes from home. Track itself was the runway at Thomasville airport west of York, PA which still operates today. Race tower with big Cragar signs is now long gone and you can now just barely see the entrance to the access road that led to the pits. The only memory of a specific car that day was a 427 Cobra a guy brought in on a flatbed. Pretty nice piece for sure. I think it may have been gold in color but can't say for certain. I don't think it had any exterior markings like it was a full time race car. Perhaps he just took it to the track for a day. Unfortunatley, we just took the drags for granted and didn't go as muich as we should have. Before you know it, one day in 1978 or 1979 it was just gone . . .

 

I was 10 or so and my grandpa took my to Glyndon, MN (now called Top End Dragways). There was only a chainlink fence that was really close to the track, the fumes hurt your eyes, you could feel the lope and acceleration of the motors in your chest and taste the burning rubber. It was one of the best days ever.

 

Comming from a small town back in the early seventys i never made it till i was old enough to drive 2 hrs to Winnipeg's Keystone Dragways see a drag strip way outside the city. Blew my mind when i did. Even saw Don THE SNAKE in one occasion.
My ride at the time was a 67 Mustang convertable. Great memorys.

 

1956, Pacemakers Drag Strip, Mount Vernon, Ohio, 9 years old. Went on to be Club President in late 60's

 

Irwindale raceway!! The year was 1965 I was 10 years old. My oldest brother took took his girlfriend, me and my friend Wyatt Radke to an 8 car fuel altered and 8 car aa/gs show. Wyatt and I were hooked........the rest is history

 

First time watching: Summer 1960 ~ Talked my mother into going with me to Detroit Dragway. (I was 15 and couldn't drive with my permit without a parent in the car, she also became my biggest fan later on!)

First time Racing: Opening day in June of 1961 at Onondaga Dragway. (Ran K/S with a 1955 Chevy 6 cylinder stick)

Last time Racing: Late summer 1972. (Not enough money to be competitive in Pro Stock with a 1969 Camaro)

Last time at a drag strip: A couple of years ago I went to a Detroit Dragway reunion at Milan Dragway. (Met a lot of old friends and had a good time catching up ~ took a look at the law suit inspired concrete canyon they call a drag strip and watched a few car go down it with what passes for drag racing today and it just reinforced my feelings that I had gotten out of at the right time!)

Bill
No Hot Rods Allowed