When was your first time at a dragstrip?

I can't remember when was my first time at the track, I'm guessing around '75. But I can remember the first Drag car that really did it for me. It was Jim Oddy's Blown Hemi powered, 4 port injected Opal GT. This was the car that turned me on to LITTLE CARS with BIG ENGINES. Check out my "About Me" page and you will see what I mean.
Just a little F.Y.I.: Jim Oddy sold the Opal GT in I think the late 70's to someone who wrapped it around a cement "christmas tree" at Beach Bend in Bowling Green, KY. If you look around the H.A.M.B. nation site you can find pictures of the Opal hitting the tree.

 

The first time I went to one the sounds & vibrations triggered a panic attack with my friend. I had to drive his dumb ass home with him flipping out like he was on acid. Even had to hold his ass in the car and threaten him with violence for trying to jump out of the car one time. Haven't went to one since.

 

1963 at Sanford, Maine. Tom Ivo was match racing the A & B Speed Shop injected nitro Chevrolet.

 

Arlington,Washington 1965 the Travel-On's Gas and Fuel Championships

 

Late '59 or '60 at Double Eagle Drag Raceway in San Antonio. I thought I was hot stuff with a '53 Ford with Offy heads and duals. August "Hands" Hartkopf showed me otherwise...
Fearless (that was my nickname then, too).

 

Aquasco 1963, 12 years old, loved it ever since.

Post # 302, love your username LMFAO!

 

Spring of 1970 to Thunder Valley Dragway outside of Marion South Dakota. Rode down from Brookings SD in my college roomies nearly new ram-air Firebird (his old man was a well to do farmer). The big attraction was Larry Fullerton's Trojan Horse Mustang against Sherril Greer's Unchained Lightening. They got in an hour or so of time trials before the whole day rained out.

 

About 1967 - 68 ...Fremont! Bad asssss! I was 10 or 11...depending on year.

 

Most likely around 64,I was 4 years old.My grandfathers tin knockers shop was accross a couple fields from Niagara Dragstrip NF.Used to sit on the roof and watch or walk through fields right to track.Those were the days of Sunday burnouts ,jets from the airforce base flying everyday and Bell Aerospace test firing rocket engines at 7 am.

 

Akron airport ,Akron Ohio 1956-57 Saw Art Arfons green monster,Ed Shartmans and ron Hassels 55 ,56 chevies run gass classes and I was 15 to 16 years old .I went with my brother and his buddy .Also got to see Otie Smith AA/Fuel Altered roadster ,,,that pass set the hook on my fish line and I am still hooked.

 

Around 67 I was 10 years old went with my dad to Tri City Dragway. Went to see my cousin run his 62 vet.

 

George Field, Ill. 1957 Them were the days. Xmas tree

 

Cabaniss Field - Corpus Christi Hot Rod Association, early 90's. There wasn't a local dragstrip nearby when I was a kid, so when they started doing the monthly races at the training air field, I started going when I was a freshman in high school with my dad and with friends. The monthly races were too far apart for my friends and I, so we started taking off after school on Wednesdays and driving our cars to Alamo Dragway in San Antonio (about 125 miles each way) to do the test & tune runs, then back again on Fridays or Saturdays for brackets and T/O runs. I remember Alamo would let us run for free on Wednesdays/Fridays since we traveled so far to race. Luckily our folks didn't mind us dragging in at 2-3am on school nights.

 

mission raceway, not sure when the first time was( about 1966-67) , i used my box brownie camera the first time. here are some misc. old photos from the old days

 

found a few more newer ones of the taylor mcnicol chevy wagon , what a killer car!

 

The 1977 Cajun Nationals ; i was only a few months old . Pretty much grew up at the races.

 

Summer of '71 at DETROIT DRAGWAY...

 

1967 Fremont raceway 9 years old Pete.

 

winternationals in pomona. had to be around 1985. about 10 years old at the time. still love it.

 

.....'8 or 9 years old and probably 1962(?)

Kingdon Drag Strip, Lodi, CA.

Don Garlits, TV Tommy, Connie Swingle, Art Malone, Connie Kalitta in the Bounty Hunter, Masters and Richter, w/Denny Milani, Ted Gotelli and Romeo Palamides in his jet-car as an exhibition. Romeo was way over a second faster than top-fuel and about 80MPH faster. His e.t. and speed was something like 6.50, 260MPH.

Does anyone remember when Big Daddy used to run the 'white-walls' on both rear tires???

Mark Hinds--Romeo was probably the guy you are referring to match racing TV Tommy.

http://cacklefest.com/Barnstormer.shtml

Mr. Jean--Thanks for the pic of the Panella car. As far as I know, Bobby's still running Panella Trucking out in Stockton/Lodi (CA) And Bobby's son, Bob,Jr. was NHRA Truck Series champion 10+ years ago.

 

Dragway 42 - West Salem, OH when I was a teenager. Remember seeing "Fast Eddie" Schartman back then. He was a local hero from my home town of Olmsted Falls, OH (at least that's where his salvage yard was ... almost on the corner of Bagley & Lewis Roads) A source for many old parts to keep'em running. Also went to Norwalk back in the early days. Now go ever year, for the NHRA, Summit Racing Equipment event in June. National Trail, Pacemakers & Magnolia are also close by.

 

Great shovel pic Mr HaneyEarly eightys my neighbor would take us to us 30 it was great. I was around 8.Gaurd your racetrack I can garuntee some one wants to put a church or a bank there.

 

1957, Sanford Maine. Speed Sport roadster, Setto Postonian, and some guy from Florida running carburators.
Art

 

Actually I've never been to one ,

 

September 13, 2010, age 65.

 

WOODPECKER, Try it! You have a nice one right down the road, US 13 in Delmar.

 

Will do when I get a chance to get away from my busy secidual, future stock

 

1975 @ 75-80 dragway in Monrovia Md.

 

I can remember that anytime my dad would drive past Yello Belly, outside Dallas, I would try to watch and look at as much as I could while driving by.

Late 60's early 70's

 

1995 went to pomona dragstrip for a field trip with my autoshop class. One of the few days that i didn't ditch school. Actually, i would ditch my other classes to spend time in shop class. Good ol' Doc. Would let us do just about anything we wanted as long as we got whatever he asked for first.