Art & Inspiration Street race Memories

The best way to express our feelings while remaining true to the gospel. Post your favorites, and a related story follows...


So back in the 70s going home from a job with dear old Dad, in Detroit on Schoolcraft Rd near Southfield. Badass Chevelle comes out of a side street, "WHAA, WHAA!" with a whisp of tire smoke and then stops next to us. Back then Det Police were using little 175 Honda bikes for tickets and other mundane duties. One of them pulls up to the left of the car, "PULL THAT FUCKIN THING OVER!!" Chevelle guy looks at the bike, "FUCK YOU!" WHAA-AA WHAAAA WHAAA! across Southfield and gone in a haze of premium fuel and tire smoke. Cop got "officer Clark" treatment, looked silly. Next, whatcha got?

 

Early 70’s in Toronto. Three lane one way street with parking spaces on the right . No parked cars for four lights .Dads 1965 Olds Cutlass with a 350 Olds , 4 barrel . Muncie M22 and duals. Guy in a ‘64 Polara pulls up at light. Guy in Polara tries to keep up at full song but has to get on brakes after fourth light as three parked cars on right gave him something else to think about. Mom yelling at Dad us boys laughing in back seat .

 

Late 70s, Fresno California. Our ritual was to meet at Eddy's Speed Shop on Blackstone Ave, Friday and Saturday nights. I'd say that one out three, maybe four times, some street races would be arranged. We did not use heavily trafficked thoroughfares. Once we chose our racing partners there in the Speed Shop parking lot, we would drive, casually and trying not to draw attention, to a variety of different places. These would be industrial areas with virtually no traffic.
On one occasion, we were at this fleet fueling station south of the city. Wide street that had been marked off, with a good spectator area right at the finish line. After about three match-ups had been run, a Fresno PD squad car rolls up just as sedate as you please. The officer says, "We've been watching since you guys first showed up." It got really tense for a minute. He continues, "We'd just as soon leave you alone since you're not in the city causing trouble. But the Highway Patrol is on their way over, and they don't have anywhere near our sense of humor about this stuff. So we'd suggest you depart the area."
"Thank you officer," uttered many. We got into our cars and went to the Denny's about a mile away. It was a memorable night!
Another time, by good buddy and I were lined up after I had done some stuff on my car. I wanted to see how I matched up to him, as we were always really close. It's around 10pm, and we are lined up on a rural street in the midst of fruit orchards on both sides. My lovely wife is between us to flag the start.
All of a sudden, she is lit up like it was daylight! It was a California Highway Patrol chopper!
My buddy takes off like a bat outta hell with the chopper in pursuit. My wife calmly walks over to my car, and we gently motor off.
My buddy was arrested that night and had to pay a huge fine. Had he just stayed put, nothing would have happened because we had not done anything.....yet!

 

street racing is illegal, immoral and just plain wrong. that kid you saw in the GTO in the 70's was NOT me.

 

Yea, no comment. But, if I had memories related to such nonsense, I am sure that they would have been something like the totally made up story below.

There was (and still is) a spot just north of the town I live in where folks have street raced since not sure when. This spot was even used not all that long ago by a group of guys who have a tv show based on this nonsense because it is such a good spot. Anyway, considering this was such a well-known spot, I may or may not have frequented the place in a few cars I have had over the years. However, one of the most memorable made up stories was when just a handful of us were out there when a sheriff's car showed up. It was a night with no spectator's and just a few street cars parked at the starting area. Anyway, the deputies were both new and said they had heard that we raced out there and just wanted to watch. This obviously seemed like a trap, so we were all hesitant to show them anything. Finally, a buddy of mine lined up his blown big block 4-speed 55 Chevy next to another friends big block 4-speed Chevelle and they raced. The two deputies really did just watch and no tickets or harassment happened that night. I can't say the same for other nights in this place, but pretty sure I may always remember this one completely fictional story.

 

Looking back, I marvel that I'm still alive....

 

Back when I did a little unsanctioned street racing they were usually a spur of the moment and there were n cameras around, I raced my 63 1/2 Falcon Sprint & my 67 GTO, I actually won more driving the Falcon.

I am also guilty of racing a Rambler with my mom's 66 Corvair, now that was pathetic. HRP

 

Big Willie did it.

 

From around 1969 to 1971 I did a lot of street drag racing in NE New Jersey.All muscle cars and some 55-57 Chevys.We all gathered at various known locations, looked at each others cars. Agreed to conditions..... " you got fuckin open pipes, gotta spot me two cars" . " whats under the hood?" uh, 318 two barrel..." Bullshit, the car has a Dana 60 and Hemi springs" . " Oh..318 4 barrel?". Then the money, a few spotters at the finish line, the flagman...There was some tense situations if the losers made up a bullshit reason not to pay. But then the word spread and no one would race them.....I did ok , never got busted by the cops....The thrill was worth the risks when I was 22 years old..No regrets.

 

He probably DID do it,but NO ONE would dare say he did it. BIG WILLIE out of south central LA is where he and I and many others took the street races to his BROTHERHOOD race track down around the San Pedro bridge. AHHH good times brings back lots of memories including OCIR... SAN FERNANDO... IRWINDALE... ONTARIO... VAN NUYS BLVD... SEPULVEDA... PEORIA, WENTWORTH and many more key places. Cant share too many stories might be incriminating!

 

The last almost street race I was involved in was about 24 years ago. I had just gotten my 57 T-bird and got it all sorted out so that it ran good and was reliable. I'm on Lindberg Blvd (St. Louis) at a stop light and an SS 396 pulls up next to me and starts revving the engine. When the light changed I nailed the throttle and jumped across the intersection leaving the SS 396 setting in a haze of tire smoke (mostly his). I then realized what I was doing and was way too old for a ticket. I backed off and the Chevelle went flying by, but I did get across the intersection first.

 

In my early racing days, my buddy shows up at my shop and yells at me for not keeping his ass out of trouble. He'd been shootin' his mouth off, and got suckered into a 500.00 'run what ya brought' street race this very night. Now he had a wickedly quick Nova, but when he told me who he'd set the race up with I knew he was in trouble. While they had fast street cars, they used the old 'bait-n-switch' tactic for money races. You thought you were racing one car, then the trailer would show up and you were racing their Pro Stock Camaro. Well he was in luck. I'd just had my Super Mod out the night before because I'd had a serious buyer on the hook, and he wanted a test drive. I asked where this race was going to take place, and he said down by the rendering plant. I knew the spot so we had it covered. I swapped at set of 7 something gears in the QC, bagged up the speedway tires I'd had soaking in softener, loaded up the trailer, and we were off. They were already there with the Camaro and entourage The bitchin' and back pedaling started when they saw the injection, smelled the alky and caught a whiff of the tire softener. But the real deal breaker came when they spotted the QC. Having been beaten at their own game, they coughed up the 300.00 forfeit money and left. Victory, and the car never left the trailer. No muss, their fuss. and best of all, no laws broken so no cops. My buddy was so happy he slipped me a 100.00, and trailered the Super Mod to the track Sat. night to it's new owner so I could concentrate on my Sprint car.

 

Here was my street racer in Phoenix, AZ. Turned 16 in 1964 and started racing in 1965.
This lasted until I was 20 when I had a clutch explode, which came up through the dash,
cut all the wires and the brake lines. Found out for myself why they termed them "explosions".
Just like a big bomb went off. First thing I did was reach down to see if my foot was still there,
and thankfully it was. I did win the race, but sold the car shortly thereafter. Every car I built
since has always had a scatter shield, even if I wasn't planning to use it. I highly recommend them.

 

Here's a funny one from 1964. A couple kids in our hick town ride out to the old cement plant road, 2 lane. They're racing something from the era, probably '55 Chevys or something similar. This slightly off the wall guy who just got a brand new '64 GTO is stopped behind them. They take off and he passes them both in the dirt on the right shoulder. Pretty funny even if not too smart.

 

I had one of those 318 4 bbl! It hung pretty tough up to 4500 rpm, and was really quick leaving the stop light. 1st and 2nd gear was a blast, not much about mid way through 3rd on the 4 speed. I was pretty much undefeated running down town, but I was smart enough to know there would be no long races. Big cam, small ports, big tires with traction bars, leave the line just above idle and mash the gas. Cam started pulling at 2500, you better be shifting fast! 3rd gear at 4500 if anyone was close. Most were still spinning when I hit 2nd. Shut it down, the race was over, the competitor was usually at least 2-3 car lengths behind. Few wanted a rematch. The car grew a pretty big reputation.

The car was big fun for a few years, but pretty expensive. I had a pretty big pile of broken parts. I sold the car to pay the Lawyer bill on closing costs when we bought the house out in the country. Another closed chapter of my life, it was time to grow up. Gene

 

Been There, Done That ! 1964 into 1970 off/on pretty active street racer in Milwaukee Wi. area depending on what I was driving at the time, First car, my avatar 1964 put me on the map as a "Car Guy" in my area. Like most had ticket/insurance licence problems and my last street race 1970 landed me in a holding cell all night, went before Judge in AM and I left the street race scene with an agreement with the Judge which kept me out of jail time.( Huge break was given to me, my family which I appreciated and kept my word, no more street racing) still cruised but drove nice but slow Grandpa type cars for years to avoid temptation. Fast forward 21 years I retired from open wheel racing, I came back to Hot Rods/cruising and did occasionally street raced friends with their Rods or OT cars which I've always had/have OT performance cars, I and most of my friends do/still do. WE all laugh/talk about what dumb asses we were/are, we all know better, but still we did it, luckily I never was caught by the Sheriff street racing since 1970, I have paid some speeding tickets all through the years, now I'm the Old Fart holding up traffic as I only go 5 over which makes me the moving chicane most of the time. The memories, Priceless !

 

I had a really bitchin Boss (cough-cough) 302. Raced a hippy couple in a Mopar on "the church side" of I-96 on the service drive. Locals know where I mean. I won, got in front of em so I could loop back, red lights came up the off ramp (!) so he musta been there doing radar duty. Just as he walked up to the Mopar I took off, light wasn't green just yet and I didn't care. Tore ass down to the freeway and took the 1st exit and weaseled my way back to the cruising spot. I was done racing for the night...

 

I'm a certified "Car Crazy" always was, will be. Here's a few stories about my racing friends after we aged out. I had purchased a Camaro ragtop sbc, 5 speed 3:42 posi, all the bells whistles, still have it today, a very nice survivor. Best friend from racing for years, We go to lunch, blew off his Jaguar, he had several through the years. He calls me 2 weeks later and he has a new Ford Taurus SHO, we lunch/race again, I win, now he's really unhappy, spends time, money with the Ford Gods and again after lunch I win, much to my surprise, he sold the SHO. Another friend and a racer all the way back to High school days, my 57 chevy beat his 56 Plymouth, he's a die hard MOPAR man, with a few exceptions purchased a Challenger 340 tri-carb ragtop ( still has, a very valuable car today) and my HighBoy Roadster smoked him, gave him 3 races, by the third he was close controlling his tire spin. Just recently in conversion he wants a rematch race his 413 63 rag top he just finished a few years ago, I'm thinking on giving it a go with my OT Magnum Hemi car, we'll see. I'm 74, he's 76 so this car thing is a lifetime deal, forgot to mention my 32 beat his 34, both sbc, mine a speed shop crate, his a GM crate. Again memories Priceless.

 

Two stories from about 40, oh my god, years ago...

I had a friend in high school who bought a ‘70 or 71 Challenger R/T 383 four barrel. He did some work on it over the years and liked to brag. We were up at university studying with a few other friends and he was on about his great ride. I got a little fed up and told him that I had my Dad’s ‘69 LTD sedan with a two barrel and that we should see what’s what. Lot of laughter ensued but he agreed and headed to a quiet little spot. I told him that I needed to go to the gas station and I’d be about 15 minutes behind. I got there and someone arm started us. I was a block ahead as he spun his tires away. Now I did go to the gas station but I had 1/4 of a tank of gas. What I got there was 90lbs of air for the gas shocks my Dad had ordered as part of a trailer towing package a dive always had great reactions. My tires bit his spun! He sold the car six weeks later as he couldn’t take the reminders everyone gave him.

I was rinding with a buddy along our city’s nightlife strip and this car pulled up with two girls in front and two guys drinking from a 26er. I told my buddy to rev the engine in his Trans Am. They did the same and when the light turned green they beat us to the next light at the end of the block. Got my buddy to rev again and they beat us from the light and went ripping around the next corner on a red.
What they and my buddy did not notice that there was a cop a couple of cars back. The cops went ripping after the other car. When we turned the corner the cops had everyone out of the car! As we passed I told my friend to give a couple of horn strikes as I waved out the window! LOL

 

Kool story. Back then in Milwaukee Wi. the street racing was big and with the introduction of factory muscle cars, it exploded. A guy could put street slicks on a box stock they were pretty quick in that time frame IMO, my neighbor swears he paid off his 409 425 Hp Impala SS with street race winnings, a friend had a 66 chevy II, 327 4 speed 4:11 street slicks, mildly modified, wicked fast car, very successful $$$ winner on the street. I participated in my class, $10/$20 races and saw many $50/ $100 street races, I was at only one $500 street race between two all out Mopar Hemi drag cars brought on trailers right on Capitol Dr in front of Big Boys, If someone told me the story I'd call BS, but it happened I was there. The thing I always checked for my races I looked for street slicks or legit race slicks on the competition, my kids car junk with street slicks 4:11- 4:88 rear gears would do well in our short races 1/8 mile type as the stock muscle cars would melt their tires off. My mind is racing now big time, have many stories from 58 years ago, I was 16 in 1964 and I can't tell you what I had for lunch yesterday. CRS has it's grip on me. Memories, Priceless ! Miss Garmin, I never leave home without her. LOL

 

Stecker street in Detroit back in the 60's

 

I'm the type that will absolutely bring a gun to a knife fight, so I always checked the competition. Now. following that way of thinking, one of the guys in our loose circle of track rats actually made a few bucks 'renting' his car out for street races. Harry had a little Jr. fueler FED that could be trailered to the location of the race for a price. Sliding scale on price. Base price got you car, trailer, and him. If it had to be slid off the trailer and started with the 'renter' in the seat the price went up. Can't recall if it ever went past that stage, but I highly doubt it. Harry wasn't the type to let somebody else punch the go pedal. Do remember one time where the whole plan went south though. Harry and the 'renter' show up for race and things get a bit heated right away, so car gets slid off the trailer and that's when things turned to shit. 'Renter' was about 6'8 365lbs (think middle linebacker). Harry was 5'2, 120lbs soaking wet with rocks in his pockets and the car had been built around him. Time came for the 'renter' to slide in for the startup and he could barely get his leg in the cockpit, let alone any other body part. Race was cancelled due to 'ass too big' for the seat... LOL.

 

We got trolled by a trailered car 1 night, all we had was a bored out 318 with a Super Power Shot on 150 and 8 X 26 slicks. He had a 468 and a 250 shot.
"You racing this thing?"
"Depends, that's you on the trailer?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Hey you asked us, don't be a dick."
"What's in this thing?"
"Here, take a look. Small block, 150 shot, baby slicks. Nothin like yours but we ain't scared."
"You should be."
"Whatever, how much?"
"It better be worth my while!"
"Damn Mark, he's bein a dick again. Hey, you asked us so make it easy on yourself. What, a hundred?"
"Hundred? C'mon..."
"Ok, 500. I said make it easy on yourself."
Mark was gently panicked but I wasn't worried.

"Show me the motor, I wanna see you didn't change shit."

Same one he hadn't changed since I'd last seen the car.

"Let's get the money right, how much."
He pulls a few bucks out, asks his wife what she had.
"I've only got 38 dollars and..."
"Don't worry, I won't need it for these guys, 50 bucks and I'm dropping my mufflers."
"Wow, John fuckin Force. Whatever dude. You got 30 min. Wow Mark a whole 50 bucks! Chump..."
You see where this is leading right? Getting in his arrogant head? If you've read this far you'll dig the race. I'll post that later. Stay tuned...

 

1962, Petaluma CA. Local hero had a chopped 32 coupe with a small block Chev in it. Some guy from out of town drove in one night looking for him, driving a badass black '55 Chevy two door sedan......

 

Whatever happened to Big Willie?

 

After mustering out of the USN in 1955, I had a $500 to spend on making my '49 Ford Tudor flat head into a 3/4 race "sleeper". My friend also fresh out of the USAF had just purchased a new '55 Chev with power pack goodies.
When we went off the line I got him in first gear, but when I shifted into second he went by me & all I saw was the V/8 emblems under each tailight!!

 

~1971, Up our NE way. the Queen City had freshly paved Industrial Park, couple miles below town, next to the airport. We'd meet at M'Donalds and head down South Willow. Put my 327"w/2 4-bbls, in the '31 A coupe, up against a 34 Chevy coupe. Gary worked at his old man's Manch Engine shop. We became friends & after dusted me good, he later built me a stronger mill.

 

The race;

We meet behind the Mazda plant. Yeah locals, we were there too. This guy shows up, open headers, procedes to do multiple 200 to 300 ft burnouts. So I yell at him about the noise bringing in the cops.

"Is this your 1st time? Line up already!!"

He starts cussin and I won't let him talk. Walk off and talk to my guy Mark. I was the money he was the car, we split the winnings. It was already a good season.

"We own this, watch my elbow, don't be late..."
"Hey I don't wanna jump, I..."
" Just don't wait, go on the drop, watch the elbows."
Mr Pro Stock is twitchy, I yell "PAY ATTENTION!"
I bring em up, Mark 1st, then him. He brake torques, no trans brake, rear wheels spin and Mark is gone.
"WHOA WHOA, STOP!!"
Pro stock is mad. I start in about not being able to race, "Shit man maybe this is your 1st time, WTF!"
I tell Mark to relax
"You already won, get ready do your thing."
Line em up, arm drop, Mark's gone, wheels up a little, 2 cars out while Mr Big is hittin the rev limiter sliding side to side, it was awful, for him. Mark put 8-10 cars on him before he just gave up. We had meet set up not far away to pay off. The race, getting in his head, the screwed up start, what an ass he was at the drive in calling us out, but the big win was after. He showed up. You'll recall "Don't worry, I won't need it for these guys."
The big win was a lot quieter.

"Honey, you got that 30 bucks?"
That was even better than the race and became a joke drop the rest of the summer. "Hey Mark, you got 30 bucks?" "Hey Jocko, you got 30 bucks?" Great nights...

 

Rarely got into a street race. The rare occasions were always spontaneous. Nothing ever planned.
Circa 1961. We closed the club barn to go out of town to Don's Drive Inn for a burger. Guys all wanted to go in my 29 RPU 283. I protested. Too many guys. But five got into the bed and another as copilot and we were on our way out of town. Very light traffic. Caught a light with a new Cadillac already in right lane. I took left lane.. Cad was brand new. Stickers still on windows, plastic covers on seats. Middle-aged guy and wife. He looked over and said something about once owning a Model-A. Light changed and he got on it. So did I. No problem keeping up with him. He was stunned. Couldn't believe his brand new Cadillac was getting beaten by seven guys in a Model-A Ford truck. His wife laughing hysterically. My guys leaning over the side cheering me on. At about 70 mph I decided I was going fast enough with seven of us and backed off. Cad never let up. As we said at the time: "He's probably still going - wide open".
His wife likely told that story more often than he did.