What got you hooked on DRAG RACING??!!!

I love the smell of nitro in the morning !

 

My first trip to Fremont Drag Strip 1960, I was 10 years old! I was lucky to have a Dad that loved racing of all types.

 

I got hooked twice.

My buddy's oldest brother got me started when I was a kid. He had a hot '67 Camaro, tunnel-rammed 396, M-22, spooled 9'', N-50 tire. When he got tired of street racing (and the tickets), he bought an FED and screwed the 396 into it. He used to do burnouts and 100 ft squirts in the back lane. I thought he was nuts, but I was hooked.

Fast-forward to my mid 20's. Most of my friends had quit racing and playing high-performance games, got married, had kids, careers, blah, blah, blah, myself included. One day a bracket racer came into my shop, and we hit it off right away. The next weekend I went racing with him, and the hook was set again.


A few weeks after that, I met one of my idols, and got my first taste of fuel. We went to a big bracket race where Don Prudhomme and Shirley Muldowney were booked in as a feature. After we pitted, I went to the start line to watch some qualifying runs. Some guy comes up next to me and says, "How's the track?" I turn to him, and realise it's Don asking MY opinion. Well, I just shit myself. What can I tell him? Drawing a blank, and trying not to embarrass myself, I stammered, "I don't know, I just got here, too".

Later, he and Shirley warped my mind permanently with their organ shaking blasts. Wow. I've been a nitroholic ever since.

The bracket racer and I became good friends and partners. We raced for 10 more years and had a fueler ourselves for the last couple. (See avatar).


...

 

That's a good question...

I don't think it is inherited as my dad certainly didn't get it from his dad.

I do believe it is contagious.

When I was a little kid my dad had late-60's Chrysler New Yorkers (the 350HP 440 is standard equipment) as the family car and his occasional lead-foot episodes planted the bug with me. Exposure to others who were infected - like hanging out in my friends machine shop (that used to be a speed shop) - well that didn't help either... A full-throttle blast while riding in the back of my dad's 1967 Coronet R/T put me over the edge.

By the time I finally got my drivers license, I was thoroughly hooked. No possibility of turning back. And I had never even been to a dragstrip yet. Acceleration at its maximum that the machine can provide... Keeping the car in a straight line more or less... Attempting to control what does not want to be controlled...

With my drivers license, I was able to finally go to the local dragstrip - and that was a good thing as it reduced the amount of street racing I did with my 440 powered Ford pickup truck.

I once saw a bumper sticker on an enclosed trailer that read:
"CAUTION: this trailer contains an incurable disease"

That pretty much sums it all up. Disease, addiction, whatever you want to call it, I am hooked. Hooked so bad that some like-minded friends of mine got together and we created the Meltdown Drags. Check out www.meltdowndrags.com and see what we are all about. Better yet, come and race with us

 

While a baby, I was nursing and saw a picture of Linda Vaughn...
That's all it took

 

Went out to the track back in high school. Got lucky and went a couple rounds with a 17 second p.o.s. Next thing I know my street car is a 69 Z-28 with a dual quad tunnel ram, 5.38 gears, and a four speed. Been broke and still spending ever since.

 

13 years old

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oARh8wWGD4&feature=related

 

They used to show Drag Racing on TVs "World of Sport" as filler here back in the 70s when the soccer games were cancelled due to bad weather.

It had a profound effect on me as a kid,it also helped that my Uncle John, who worked at Ford back in the day used to send me cool American car stuff relating to Drag racing too.
I've never been the same since.......

 

That looks like fun!

 

My first exposure to drag racing came on a Sunday afternoon in '62 or '63 as a kid of 8 or 9. My Dad kept his airplanes out at Tulsa North Airport and Sundays they used the runway for a dragstrip. We would taxi our airplane over to the runway/dragstrip and get in line with the cars; them to race, us to take off. That was the first time I ever saw a slingshot dragster and was amazed at the speed and tire smoke. When it was our turn, they would clear the strip and everyone would wave as we took off. At least I think they were waving (they may have been shaking their fists at us now that I think about it.) Anyway, we would fly around awhile and when we wanted to land we buzzed the strip to signal our intentions and they would reluctantly clear out.

A few years later Tulsa International Raceway was built and a buddy and I would save up our paper route money and walk the four miles each way to watch "Big Daddy" and "Cha-Cha", among others, go after each other. Now, sadly, after 40 some years of drag racing in Tulsa the end has come. The Tulsa dragstrip has sold out to a stone quarry and the racing is over. This draws to a close the memories of not only watching but also my racing in Tulsa. Such a sad ending to a truly fine facility.

 

My older brother !

 

My Dad and his old dragster. The photo is of he and I in 1971. This car and all his other hot rods sure gave me the bug.

 

1967, 1320' marked off on the blacktop south of town and a loudmouth that thought his '55 Chevy was a match for my '57 Fairlane. Winning is fun!

 

When I was younger a guy that lived oustside of town had a Mercury Comet Cyclone . I could hear his car coming up the street he would stop at a stop sign a short way down the street . My brother and I would come running to the front yard , He would leave the stop sign hard hitting 2nd gear when he got to our house we always smiled and gave him the thumbs up he would let off and rumble the mufflers . His car sat high in the front gold flake paint ,early mag wheels, small block 4-spd, teardrop hood scoop,Dragway 42 class winner decals in the rear windows . I was hooked bad .With all my dads old Fords sitting around I think our approval meant alot to him.

 

I grew up hearing stories of my Dad's racing days. He tried his best to discourage me from hot rodding. A local racer named T-bird took me to the drags for the first time in 1982. I street raced til 86. Been racing on strips ever since. Bad day racin beats a good day at work. peace

 

GRUMPY's TOY

 

I just started hangin around at this cats shop where the local hotrodders hungout.( 1972 I was 12)He said since ya hang around how much ya charge me to mow? I push mowed an acre for 3 bucks! He took me to the drags tho! Welll worth it!He owned a 57 4-door wagon with a 302/4-speed,others had 55 gasser,bigblock chevy/clutchturbo Bantam altered,various hot street cars PLUS I grew up in Morrison Ill. home of Arnie the Farmer Beswick. I would ride my bike out to his shop,check out "The Super Judge" how could ya not love the drags? Lets not forget,I saw what was to become MY D/G car at the original builders sitting in the front yard! I never could have dreamed it would become mine! Actually I DID dream about it being mine! NOW LOOKIT! IT IS!!!!! How freakin cool is that? True story!!! Ask Arnie... R~R

 

Reading Hotrod magazine and watching drag racing on tv when I was a little kid, the Gassers and Fuel Altereds were my favorites. I still remember seeing Willy Borsch driving with one hand and Ohio George's '33 Willys coming off the line. Bought a '70 SS Chevelle in '74 when I was in the Navy and the hook was set. Many years and tickets later I still love it. Just wish we had a track, don't really want to do any more street racing. My ass is too old to be getting busted for that... again.

 

My neighbor when i was in first grade had a hot pink door slammer. Everytime he fired it up I was essentially diving out a window to go see it.

 

I got hooked the first time I lost my stomach from the launch of a 4 speed and hearing the screaming of the tires. I must have been about 9 or 10 with three older brothers with muscle cars, 66 4sp Gran Sport, 67 GT fairlane and a 70 super bee with pistol grip.
I still love the feeling of loosing your stomach just from mashing the gas pedal, it's a freaking high you lust for but just can't get from any old ordinary set of wheels.

 

LOL, hope you weren't on the second floor!

 

A brand new Black 59 chevy impala 348 with 3 2s and 4 speed. Painted on the rear quarters was "Night Train" This was Cedar Creek drag strip in Bullitt county Ky. Gosh were those the days or what !!!!!! LOL

 

My uncle taking my grandfather,My cousin Bobby & Me to Dover dragstripin 1962!( thats me in the white sneakers!!lol)
JimV

PS this should look familiar to you Dino!

 

Remember the commercial for beer were the Guy & the girl are sitting on a couch watching TV ?? here it is!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ6x6iCgobc

JimV

 

I started in the hot rod business as a real young dude, my Dad was in the automotive business with a repair shop, gasstation, car lot. He and I built my first car when I was 13 and a local drag strip opened in Grand Island, Ne. in 1956. I had started a car club, The Geargrinders the sasme year, we cast our plaques in lead, what a blast. We had a 1/4 marked off on the hiway for street racing, Hot Rod magazine was the bible and we loved drag racing coverage. So thats how it went for me. The Drag Race Safari came to our strip and taught us how to do timing, I bought my first N.H.R.A. membership from Wally Parks himself for 25 cents, how I treasure these memories! ~sololobo~

 

Street racing in the 60's got me into drag racing. Just too many close calls on the street, so I decided I'd head to the strip and do it legally. It was much nicer not worrying about police and other drivers, but the need to go faster just didn't sit well with raising a family. Finally had to give up after nearly 20 yrs.

 

I had no choice. My dad started drag racing in 1948. I was around it growing up. We strarted building me a car when I was 12. A falcon gasser complete with staight axle fiberglass front end and B&M hydro w/ injected 354 Hemi. I was on the drag strip when I got my drivers liscence. I was lucky, it kept me from street racing!!!

 

Hey Dave,
Your history in So Cal drag racing scene is well documented. If the quote “Santa Ana in the summer of '57...first car I watched as a spectator was a bright red '29 roadster, smoked off the line and ran around 129...said "Harrell Engines, Los Angeles" on the side…” stands out from the past,

Here is something for your eyes…

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/deuce-grille-shells-0n-32s-model-as.1098479/page-7#post-12790973

The HARRELL ENGINES roadster did make an impression on both my brother and me back at Lions Dragstrip in 1959-60, too. That roadster could fly down the strip like no other. It was impressive to say the least. In the pits, we saw the big motor and tons of carbs. It was a lasting view of what was to happen in early 1960 with our first 6 Stromberg carb, 283 motor build, that eventually got rebuilt into a 292 SBC 671 supercharged motor with those 6 carbs on top.
Junji



This Hemi motor was the power.


But, it is the 8 carbs, 8 hoses, one gas inlet bar and a longer tuning procedure to get it right. And, they got it right !!! This is one fast moving 29 roadster from Harrell Engines. The article from HRM mentions the drivers were Don Reynolds and Willie Borsch (prior to the Winged Express).


Harrell Engines Roadster