When was your first time at a dragstrip?

June 1964, Sanford Maine. Don Garlits was supposed to run a best of 3 with Art Malone, but stiff cross winds forced Malone into the top end timing lights and destroyed his front end in round 1. Totally un-advertised, "Sneaky" Pete Robinson had turned up to challange Malone for the #8 spot on Drag News. Instead he ran Garlits using his controversal jack stand starting system. Needless to say, I was hooked for life.

 

I had been obsessed with hot cars and drag racing becuase of my ten year older brother from the time I was 5 years old. By the time I was 6 I was reading his hand me down car magazines and building model cars.
I spent every penny I had with AMT, Yo Han, MPC, Revell, Monogram, Aurora, Lindberg, etc so I was already familiar with the classes and styles by the first time I got to go.

My first trip to the track was in June of 1963.

The place was US 30 Drag Strip in Indiana

I was 9 years old and got to go with my older brother and his pals.

He had just come home from his first year at U of I for summer vacation.

The interstate was not built yet so we had to take Western Ave or Halsted street through Chicago to Rt 30 and then go east to the track

My older brother's car was a 62 Grand Prix 389 tri power which he got for high school graduation the year before. It was eventually stolen the following year at school.
I remember at the track it was classified in E/SA.
All of my brothers buddies that came along with us had some sort or dumps or lakers on their cars and I was the designated un capper.
A couple of tri power 62 Bonnevilles, a 58 Cheiftain, and a 63 409 400 (or 380?)
I was in heaven because for the fist time I was not just the punk kid that my brother was stuck baby sitting. I was needed to un cork all of these cars because I could fit under them without jacking any up.

I know that there was some sort of big time top fuel match race going on but I barely paid attention as I was consumed walking through the pits or at the fence watching all the stock and super stock cars.
I got the infection bad that day and have had it ever since.

My first trip down the track did not come until 6 very long years later.

 

Mine was the 1/8th mile track at Islip Speedway on Long island, NY in 1971 or so. The strip ran through the pits and behind the main straightaway grand stands. I couldn't believe how crowded the pits were and how close the spectators were to the track. Not exactly the safest venue, but it drew tremendous crowds and tons of cars.

Bob

 

My first time at a dragstrip was the 2011 HAMBDRAGS. Had a ball and can't wait for the 2012 HAMBDRAGS. Was kinda nice not to be looking over the shoulder or in the mirror for lights, much more relaxing. 41 yrs old

 

1965 ....Winterport Dragway, Winterport, Maine

 

My Dad took me to my first drag race when I was 6 years old (1958) at
Dragway 42 West Salem Ohio. This became a regular family outing thru
1964,when we moved to SoCal and started going to Fontana Drag City,
Colton Morrow Field, and Pomona thru 1970.
...


...

 

Salinas Drags, 1954 I was 14 years old.

 

I was 13 years old living in Kansas City MO in 1957. I was all into the little books and model cars, and my Cushman scooter. My neighbor who was 16 took me to a drag strip one sat. night in the bottoms in Kansas City KS. Had no idea what was going on, but it was great.

 

Well I did go to Key West a couple of years ago Does that count?

 

My "first time" was in August 1950 when a buddy and I snuck out of town on our mini scooters (Cushman and Whizzer) and rode to Capitol City Airport in Lansing, MI, to watch the Lansing Pan Draggers duke it out with the Genessee Gear Grinders from Flint. Winner that day was a GMC-Horning powered Sprint car in alcohol. Ain't been the same since! <g>

 

Opening day of Beeline Dragway in Scottsdale, AZ October 1963 i was 14. Had many great weekends there. Got my first drag trophy there January 16th 1966 and it still sits on my shelf!
Picture is from opening day!

 

When I was 11 or 12, went with my older cousins to Moran for the first time. One of them had a mean camaro....I was hooked from then on begging them to take me EVERY time they went

 

Around 1968 at Raceway Park in Englishtown. My dad brought us and have been back HUNDREDS of times. Track is about 10 miles away as the crow flies. If you know what to listen for you can hear the fuel cars run.

 

My first time at a real strip was in late 65 or early 66 at Lions in the LA area. Just moved out there from North Dakota. Got settled in & started finding my way around town, figured out where Lions was located & went there a LOT. Saw the Hemi Under Glass run along with many other big name rides of that time. The draft cut that short. Now I go to Bandimere outside of Denver.

 

1997 i was 16 years old 1973 nova ss 305 ho run 10.26 in the 1/8th lol won first place that day . never stopped winterport dragway , maine

 

1955 at Lowry AFB in Denver Colorado when I was six years old. My dad and his partner had a 32 Ford 5 window with a Cad engine with six stromberg 97's that they raced there. Been hooked ever since.

 

1963 at Caddo Mills in North Texas. Old triangular Army Air Corps auxiliary airfield (read that as place for student pilots to land when they got lost). Said by some to be the first sanctioned drag strip east of California. Bobby Langley's Scorpion dragster and I think Marion Owens from OKC. Amazing to a fourteen year old boy. Stock cars lined up six abreast and the flagman looked for the widest gap to stand. I was in heaven and hooked on the spot.

 

Irwindale a few years ago unless 1/8 mile doesn't count.

My first time would have been in about '75, but... My dad and I were on our way to the Paducah, KY dragstrip. About halfway there, my dad pulled off the road and said, "I have a bad feeling about this. Let's go back." I'd never heard my dad say such a thing, so I shrugged, said "OK" and we went back. Next day I was reading the paper and there was a brief story about two guys who lost control of their Dodge Charger along that road that afternoon, crashed and were badly injured.

Guardian angel at work? Premonition? Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo...

 

I think I was 8. I also got a kiss on the cheek from Shirley Muldowney! Later on I fished with Ed Hill, and many other Top fuel racers. Brainerd was a good town to live in.

 

1955 twin city speedway drag strip north of St.Paul MN..............!!

 

It was 1964 @ Connecticut Dragway 11 years old, I haven't been the same since!

 

First time ? Unless my CRS has flaired up, it was a 19.xx at a whopping 79 MPH in a dead stock '51 Merc, sans hub caps and air cleaner of course. 1958 Henderson , Nv. hooked for life !!

 

Don,t really remember how old , But is was in Hobbs N M, One of the best thing I remember was getting to see Big Daddy Don Garlets match race Shirley Maldoney with that Hot pink rail.

 

1996in the 5th grade. Pops took me to the March Meet. Blew my mind...

 

My first trip was in 1961 or '62. I went with my dad to Deer Park near Spokane, WA. Got to see (and HEAR) the Arfons Brothers "Green Moster". What a thrill. Got hooked on the odor of nitromethane at the same time. It was an event that shaped my lifetime!

Mike

 

I first went to the Santa Ana Drag-strip in 1954-55.

My first run at Santa Ana was in 1957.

My first run at El Mirage was in 1959.

My first run at Bonneville was in 1959.

I sure spent a lot of time and money on race cars when I was young

 

Fontana dragstrip , mid 60s. What a blast!

 

Meander Drags in Youngstown Ohio 1969

 

Probably was about 16yo, 1962, Redding, CA airport dragstrip 100 miles south of where I lived. ... and I raced my folk's 1961 Plymouth without telling then.

 

was 1964 milan dragway mi. uncle cal run 35 ford hemi c/alter was hook for life