Street Racing, your best waxing....

1978-79, I was driving home from cruising Fremont Street, long before the "Fremont Street Experience" came into being. I was in my 1955 Chevy Bel-air Hardtop, which was quite the sleeper at the time, running a '65 327, with 2.02 camleback heads and a decent performance cam for those days. As I was sitting at an intersection waiting for the light a 1955 two door post pulled up next to me. It was a ratty looking car and the occupants matched it quite well. When the light changed we rolled through the intersection and as if on que, both romped on it. I easily pulled a commanding car length on him for the first 1/8 mile and it was apparent that he wasn't going to let down, so I didn't either.

Unfortunately for him, he obviously didn't know the area and that his lane ended into graded gravel and dirt at about the 1/2 mile mark from the intersection. As I passed that point I looked into my rear view mirror expecting him to change lanes, what I saw instead was his headlights in a cloud of dust and dirt as he drove into the graded area. Shocked, I slowed down to see what was next, and I guess he was to embarrassed to stick around as he immediately hung a u-trun and drove off. I never did see that '55 around after that incident.

 

1967 was the year. my junior year of high school.
a buddy of mine had a 65 Mustang vert with hi-po 289 and 4 speed. we thought it was pretty hot, until one evening we were sitting at the local burger joint and noticed an old rust bucket 4 door 55 chevy in red primer, sitting there with it's drag class in shoe polish on the window. it seemed pretty funny to us, especially since the driver looked to us to be…. shall I say,… less than genius caliber. later that evening we were cruising the main drag when this guy happens along side of us and my buddy is hounding me to ask him if he "wants to race". I reluctantly asked the guy, and he quickly accepted, to my surprise.
Well we ended up on the I-5 freeway (easy to do back then, with very little traffic), lined up and counted it down. about 5 seconds later, my buddy and I were looking at each other wondering where he went. Now I've been beaten before, but I never lost sight of the guy I was racing. this was just weird.
later, back in town, we pulled along side him again. before I could even ask what he had in that thing, he quipped " first time I've run this car capped up". "runs pretty good".
I later got to know Sid Usher pretty well. he had a room full of trophys at home from the Port Orford dragway (now long gone). the 55 had a 10 over 283 alright. to this day I have no idea what was inside that motor, but I do know he ran 513 gears and, I'm sure we're not the only ones who were taught a lesson by those super quiet mufflers.

Thanks for the memories,

Russ

 

Hahaha! wow, what a waste of money for a tattoo!

 

In high school and just cruisin in my '50 Ford coupe and I pulled up beside a kid in a battered, ugly dark green Hudson at a stop light. The changed and we both nailed it. That's when I found out what twin carb Hornet was!. He left me like I was "nailed the the ground.

 

Since you asked... While we were attending Fresno State, a friend of mine got a good deal on a 1969 Dodge Polara that had been a Glendora, CA police car. You could still just make out the shield on the doors. The trans was smoked, but the car was solid and ran well. He had a bunch of parts left over from a 70 Super Bee that he had wrecked years before, so we decided to have some fun with the old cruiser.

We swapped in the 4 speed from the Bee, which required turning down an old Triumph crank pilot bushing, and "machining" the trans input shaft by putting the trans in gear and me shortening it with a grinder while he turned the driveshaft stuck in the back. The clutch pedal fit the Polara bracket OK, but the linkage wasn't the greatest...you sort of popped the clutch on every shift whether you wanted to or not!

We got it all together and crammed a set of 275 Dunlop GTQs on CHP wheels under it. First drive and the thing really showed some potential. It was a LOT faster than we would have thought. That got us interested, so on went a DP4B intake, a Purple Shaft cam, and a 750 Holley. We also decided to put the old girl on a diet; basically pulled out everything that didn't make it go, but left the plastic back seat in for kicks. The car even got a name "Elwood" (what else...lol) Then we headed out to Blackstone...

The fun we had scaring the shit out of people with the black and white, and the races we suckered people into were kind of legendary back then. Even made a few bucks out by the Aquaduct on several occasions.

We took our share of beatings too, but my best memory was when my 68 Barracuda was down and I had to borrow Elwood for a run to Madera one night. I was rumbling up 99 when a big BMW sedan came flying up and threw out the anchor when he saw the paint job. He soon figured out what was up and punched it again. I threw the shifter down into 3rd and floored it and he could only keep up. Pulled 4th at 90 mph and left it on the wood. The Beemer still isn't going by, and I'm seeing more headlight and less fender every second. Lucky there was no traffic, as I was totally focused on the side mirror and amazed by what was happening. I figured I'd better get back to reality, and the 383 was starting to go flat, so I snuck a peek at the speedo right as I lifted. The "certified" 140 mph speedo was reading 130...ok, enough's enough... I got back down to 70 and the Beemer drifted up the road and out of sight. I pull off into Madera, and there is the BMW at a gas station. Imagine my further surprise when I drove by and saw the "M5" badge on the back!

Sadly, Elwood is no longer with us...but then again I enjoy air conditioning and comfy seats a lot more these days.

 

When I was in high school a buddie of mine was out car shopping and we found a Mustang II behind a dealers lot for $200.oo. My buddy didnt want it but I drug it home cheaper . Some one moved from California to Ohio in it was a real clean car (they all rusted in Ohio ) carpets junk and dash cracked faded yellow western paint smokey V-6. My uncle called he found a good 289 Ford gave it to a local vocational school. Every year they took it apart put it together & fired it up once. Came with a new 3spd that never pulled aload (rare but who cares) . Got a 4spd and put them both in the car . I then found a 4cyl 4 spd Pinto with a 3.55 posi in it got that also . Lots of wheel spin gained to many rpms it was topped out wound tight 3/4 way down the drag strip we had no 1/8th mile tracks . 5spds had just came out but could only be had at bigger junk yards and they wanted 1500.00 for one . But it was perfect for the street.One night a Camaro IROC pulled beside me my buddy was with me & wanted me to run it I wasnt looking to street race this Camao but this guy and his buddy looked over and smirked at my car. I raised my rpms a little when the light crossing us turned yellow . As soon as the light changed he hit it hard smoking the tires we pulled good my car hooked nice and we pulled ahead winding it hard we had my rear bumper about 5 ft in front of his front bumper when we hit 2nd gear we fish tailed a little and pull away like he dropped an anchor . We went about 1/2 mile up the road and pulled in a parking lot to turn around in pulls Mr. Camaro he jumps out and hes ranting and cussing jumping around his buddy pulls him back to thier car he gets back in and they leave . Thats when a saw his temp. tag on the back bumper . He was a rich college kid going to the local university out showing off his new IROC to his pal and they got destoyed by a Mustang II that looked like a piece of shit no wonder he was so pissed . Later on I put a Cobra hood scoop , spoilers new yellow paint with dual black stripes on it but I had the best time as a sleeper I should have left that way.

 

Mid 1975 i,m out b-day shopping for the mrs,and stop in a bar about three towns from home.Across the road are people hanging out and yelling.I finish wetting my whistle and drive my 69 hemi rr across to see what they want. There,s a 69 chevelle with big tires on the rear and they want to race.I say ok but we will have to go from a roll as the F-70 15,s spin like crazy with a stick. The chevelle owner ,we,ll call him [fuel altered] says that ,s not drag racing.I say ok and tap this huge guy on the shoulder and say lets go for a ride[i don,t know anyone there].We drive to my home and swap the plates from the rr to my 67 gtx.Returning FA says whats this you leave with a hemi and return with a bb?We all travel into ct to do the deed,Everytime i click the shifter into high i drive away from FA.He is extremely unhappy after getting beat in front of all his friends 2 outa 3.Later I get invited to a Tyrods meet off of RT 495 so two of my buddys pile into the gtx and we drive out for the big show ,which was great.On the way home we get in a race with a 32 highboy[no fenders],red sbc 4spd and was on the cover of Hot Rod in 1959.The car is beautiful and has a Tony Nancy interior!.We race from 0 mph to 100 mph and everything in between about 15 times.Everytime i put it in high i drive away, 15 times!My gtx had to weigh at least 4400lbs that nite.Fast forward to 1990 i,m in business and building a super stocker and decide a dyno is necessary.I go halfs with a friend and we are running an engine on a sat morn and talking about what to do next.One of his customers pulls in to talk and see what all the noise is about.Lunch is next on the agenda so the customer offers to drive if i buy.We go outside where my same 69rr is parked and he offers to drive.We get into a yellow full fendered 32 ford to get the lunch.After he starts it you can hear the blower whine.He looks the rr and says maybe we should race,i pass.i say nice car and he says thanks and say i,ll bet lunch you don,t know who did the interior[beautiful].I look at the tan leather and say Tony Nancy.He can,t believe i knew and wanted to know how.I told him i raced this car 15 years ago 15 times in a row and kicked its butt.Same car years later different color,engine, plus fenders!The odd part is my partner in the dyno was one of the guys across from the bar 15 years a go! Back to the fall of 1975 i drive the gtx to a car[everything ,4wd,s ,vans hot rods] roundup in nh ,all weekend ,sleeping in tents,coed showers[fun!].On sat afternoon they have truck pulls on a short piece of asphalt.After the trucks get done they tie a couple of t-buckets together .They were looking for more cars and this guy pulls up a 33-34 ford sedan and parks on the tar.I looked in the car and it had a mustang shifter so i fugured a small block ford engine.I approach the head guy running the show and ask if i can bring up my gtx.He finally agrees and i tie this massive rope around the dana and connect to the ford sedan. Well, the pulloff begins and the smoke is way too much--about 2 mins in we are pulling each other inches back and forth.Then i,m in high gear just spinning,all carbs are open and the passenger door opens up!This huge guy [drinking beer from a pitcher]gets in and yells -you need some wieght son! This part of the event is stopped[thank god]and i lose to the sedan.The next day i go over to congradulate the owner ,He,s not around but the hood is open.What i thought or was told was a small block ford was an aluminum head tunnel ram bb chev!Got totally conned there! I want to say that i don,t condone any of these happenings ,but they did happen.

 

Man oh man, my stories all suck. All I got to drive is a O/T saab station wagon. people usually laught till I let them catch up a few stoplight later and I remind them it has 250 hp. nothing special but always funny when I pass a smart ass in a 5.0 mustang whos trying to impress his girlfirend. Its a "sleeper" compared to most of the rice shit thats arround now-a-days

 

Marshalltown,Iowa WoW Got to know who you are. I was from there and grew up in the 70's. Remember white rabbit that 64 white chevy II with a small block. I remember riding with him and grabbing three gears on main street and the headlight s were facing Zeno pizza then Bennys cafe the the music store. Send me a PM later.

 

in 70 I just got my 31 tudor running, 289 with all of the trick stuff that Ford Muscle parts had, pulled up to the lite on Pacific Ave in Stockton, when a 39 Chev coupe pulled up, gasser style jacked up twin carbs out of the hood, fender well headers, and possibly the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, my buddy coerced me into racing this guy. I took him the next 2 lites, by the 3rd lite he was in the turn lane and his lady was on the passenger door sill, havn't seen the car or the girl since

 

The other crazy story, and I've posted this before, is the first time I took my younger brother to the drags. A friend and I took our cars out to the grudge drags, and I lost track of my younger brother. Could'nt find him anywhere, until he crawls out of my friends car trunk. He'd got him to get in there for "weight" over the tires. Why, I don't know, he had a 66 Chevelle Malibu with a 283 2 barrel and a Powerglide: like he needed the weight for traction (?). I still tell the story, of the only time my brother's been down a drag strip, was in the trunk of a car. Butch/56sedandelivery.[/QUOTE]

HAHAHA Holy chit!

 

I Know this is an old post, but I just found it. I worked in a Standard service station just off I25 in Colorado Springs in mid to late 60,s. One day a guy came in off the interstate in a dirty old Lark and asked if he could borrow the rack to check something out on his car. Turned out he had a built 327 Chevy in it.

 

Two years ago I drove my all motor ( heads, cam, intake, basic bolt ons) 1999 Z28 from Midwest City to Noble (Oklahoma). Its about a 40 mile drive from MWC to the Thunder Valley Raceway in Noble.

I had no back seat or rear interior so I tossed my 4-way, rear wheels with slicks, and a jack in the back. The car only had one aluminum seat in it lol.

After a few passes in my little Camaro we got it to run into the high 10's. My best that night 10.91 @ 123.

When it was all said and done I bolted my street tires back on (skinnies in the front, 18's in the rear lol) and made my way back to the city.

Halfway home I ran into a car that was pretty well know around OKC. It was a Nissan 240z with a fully built RB26 and a big single turbo setup. This car had me way out powered. The nissan was tuned on e85 by my friend Andrei on a dyno jet chassis and was making around 870hp on full boost. My poor little camaro was making 439hp thru a 4400 tci converter and 9inch rear end...I was on street tires, and I was doomed.

It was funny how this happend because we were both headed to Abel Racing (local speed shop) back in MWC. We ended up catching a redlight next to each other in a familar section on Sooner Rd. This spot provided no chance of somebody pulling out, no hills, and you can see for a little past a mile. After we crawled past the intersection it was on.

Once we crossed the intersection I could hear that Nissan start bouncing off the two-step.That was loud because I could hear it over my car and my car sounded like a top fuel dragster (jk) with only 3in bullets coming off the collectors, and no carpet or insulation inside the car. As soon as his car built all the boost it needed, or close to it he gave me the good ol 3 honks.

On the second honk My converted flashed 4400 rmps and put my right at the start of my power band. Shift points were set at 7600rpm. As you can imagine that power shocked the hell out of those street tires when it flashed! I stated in it and we were nose to nose thru first. My car shift and his car shift into second pretty close, but he did not carry full boost into second, He droped 1.5 cars instantly. By the top of second he was back at my door. Third gear came and he dropped off again. I got out of it 3/4 into 3rd gear and he was at my rear bumper.

He was the type that paid to have the car built, and I never saw the car make a single pass down the track ever. It was a certified Dyno queen. It recieved a lot of attention because it was a nice car and made power..but my car was the exact opposit, and I got the win.

To this day I give that dude a hard time, and all I get are excuses. "I wasnt on full boost", " The tune was wrong"...etc.

With that being said... I don't street race anymore, there is way to much at risk. Even a 10 second car can get you in to deep trouble very quickly.

Carry on,
-Charlie

 

Driving up highway 400 in my OT daily driver, sleeperish 07 Shelby G500 doing about 110 kms... hear BAAAAAWAAAA and scooting up my driver's side come Gino in his 458 Italia... more blipping of throttle from the Ferrari, and the universal "go?" signal... down from 6th to 4th and let Kenne Bell do the talking

His $350,000 Ferrari was a fading red blur, wouldn't even look at me when I slowed back to 110.

Like Jim Croce says, you don't go messin' with people strange to you.

 

In the early 90's when the 5.0 Mustang was the big craze....I had an all motor 65 Chevelle with a reputation. One night while running around some cat in an 80's RX7 posted some money to run. Figuring it was easy money I didn't even warm up my tires, didn't even think about bumping the timing. Big mistake...took me from the line and I was only able to get by him at the line. While my friends laughed we decided double or nothing. This time I bumped my timing by twisting the distributor and made sure my tires were at least warmed up. Finished up by four cars at the end and fatter pockets. Don't judge a book by its cover I learned.

 

Haha thats great. I remember a few years back it seemed like all of my friends had atleast one DSM. Darrens being the fastest (9.40's this year). That car has never raced on the streets tho.

My good Russian friend Andrei (moboost) had his running in the 10's consistantly. That was about 6 years ago, and I remember pleanty of V8's getting their hearts broken. It got to the point to where he could find a race here and there...but nothing fair for him to compete with!

Dsm = Talon, Mitsu Eclipse,Laser...All the ones we played with were AWD turbo cars. They sure were ugly, esp...the fast ones!

 

Ran my father's VW sand rail against a 70' Chevelle SS w/ a big block and a 4spd. He caught a lot of heat for getting smoked by a bug motor! The sand rail was only about 1600 lbs and we ran a big inch roller motor, 11.5 to 1, and dual webbers with a crap load of head work. He never did figure out why I raced him an 1/8 mile instead of the 1/4!

 

I had a '57 Chevy two door wagon that I put a 425 hp 427 big block in. It ran 12's in 1966. One time I pulled into the curb lane at a stop light so I could pass the "normal" traffic. In the correct lane was a Plymouth, a '66 as I remember. Light changed, I took off quickly so I could merge before I got to the parked cars in front of me. Plymouth didn't like my idea and it was "on". I wasn't gaining as fast as I thought as he was still at my quarter panel when I just had to get over. I swerved into his lane at the last second and had a mirror full of Plymouth grille. I guess he let off so I could get in, but to this day I don't know what he had in that thing. Must have been a street hemi or a good wedge, but I sure was thankful I didn't pay a price for being a stupid arrogant punk to pull a move like that. Would have liked to meet up with him later and settle it though.

 

I had just bought my 50' chevy with a vortec 350. My parents parents were in town and i was taking my Mom for her first ride in it. A 03 s-10 pulled up with his big block just cammin'. I started inching forward. The light turned green and he blew my doors off. My mom then said "well, looks like you got your ass kicked".

 

i became pretty well enamored of straight sixes after getting my ass whipped by a bone-stock looking '51 chev coupe. single exhaust, no lope, stock ride height, poverty caps. we were in a '59 wagon running a 468 bbc (thought we were hot shit) and got beat by at least three lengths after pulling him hard at the line. we caught up with him later in the day and he wouldn't crack the hood, but i could see stovebolt from underneath. i was even more...uh, pleased to see the car still ran a three on the tree. i never took a beating i didn't learn something from.

i also used to have fun with my o/t chrysler with the rb wedge 727 and highway gears. dog off the line but i could smoke tires at speed. put the fear into a lot of civics and integras that wanted to race the barge on the highway.

 

okay not a hamb friendly car, but this is my best street racing story. When I was 17 back in the late 80's. I saved up all summer long to buy my frist car. My parents put there foot down and would not let me buy the neighbors down the road from our farm 1971 Boss mustang. (still crying about that) They made me buy something that was under powered and "safe". So I ended up with a 1979 Buick Regal with the shitty 231 turbo motor. After 2 weeks of having this car a buddy of mine and I pulled the 231 and replaced it with a buick 455, with out my parents knowing this. We couldn't get exhaust on the car so I told my parents that I hit a pot hole and ripped the muffler off. They bought it so, one night on the main drag there was this buick gnx running around with a bunch of shit heads in it buring the tires off at every stop light. So we fly throw traffic and caught up with them on the last light in town. When we pull up to the light they start laughing and pointing at me. So we rev the motor and race in on. Watching the lights and running the motor up to stall speed...... Light turns green the ole 455 pulls hard (we had welded the spider gears up the night before) the car ass slides side ways and the GNX gets about a car length in front of me and then the loudest bang I have ever heard and the black buick GNX blows the largest cloud of smoke I have ever seen to this day. I blow by the boys and come to find out they completely distoryed the motor and I guess from the story I heard there father was very pissed he had just purchased the car new 3 weeks before his boys blew it sky high. Never seen the car again.

If they had not blowen the motor they would have stomped me in the ground there was noway I could have beat that 231 turbo. Wish thats the motor that mine came with-lol

 

Late '70's, Harbor Island Seattle, near the Historic Hat and Boots gas Station. I in my '66 Fairlane GT big block 4spd, He in his '67 Vette roadster big block with a Dream blond riding shotgun. A bud riding shotgun with me and another in the middle of the backseat. Those were the days of underdash casette players(angled for easy loading). We nod and go for it. I made the best 1-2 shift of my life and pull him by a fender. I didn't notice but we no longer had tunes. Hit 3rd and he gave up and turned off. My shotgun is laughing his ass off, I'm bewildered and the guy in the middle in the back seat took the casette tape between the eyes and is dazed and confused, holding his forehead and is sniveling hard. I laugh to this day about the sequence of events.

 

I was taking a summer school class in high school one guy had a sweet 69 camaro that looked and sounded like a million buck, one day I was driving a lifted 79 cj-5. bored and stroked 360, no dyno numbers but 500+hp it sat in front of a four speed and a spooled ford 9 inch. 35 in tall 14.5 in wide super soft mudders. this thing had power enough to wheelie if you dumped it in 1st which was a granny low. there was an intersection that went from two lanes to one. one day he was in the next lane I bumped the throttle a few times we revved and I opened a can of woop ass on him. never stopped pulling n him all of second and all of third gear. My jeep was slow as in top speed 80 or so which is scary in a lifted jeep and with its gearing that 360 would be screaming like a raped ape. but it was one of the quickest to 50mph of any car I have been in. He would wait at the entrance of the parking lot to try and rematch every chance He could, I never lost off the line

 

I was coming home from work one day, in my old 66 chevy longbed with a 350 and 3 2 barrels, with a 3.08 rear. Guy came up behind me in a 308 Ferrarri, just on my ass for a couple miles. we came to a short straightaway, and seeing him dogging me, I shifted down to second, and as he started to come out, i floored it. 1/4 mile straight, more or less. He couldn't even pull my fender. about 5 miles down the road, it turned into a freeway. I just went over to the slow lane at 55, and watched him fly away. I had just beat a Ferarri with my home built truck. Not a chance I was going for a rematch

 

I had a 84 Mustang SVO, was out "toolin" around guy pulls up with an Eagle Talon AWD and turbo "hisses" at me. So next stoplight we line up, it turns green and I got him off the line. Took him 2 lights to catch up. We pulled over to the side and was comparin and he had a twin turbo setup but was an automatic trans. I had the 2.3 turbo from the factory with bigger injectors and a adjustable turbo control. He couldnt believe that I got him so bad. We ran again later that night and I got him again, but this time it whined and then went BOOM. I limped it home at 45 mph tops. Took it to a shop to find out that I had bolwn a chunk off the bottom of the head and cracked between two cylinders.

 

I guess the first time I took a beating was in a '55 Ford ranchwagon in about '69. It was by a fella in a '56 Chevy post car. He claimed he was running a 265 with a 4 bbl.

Within a week or two I was running a 312 out of a wrecked '57 bird, that we put 3 dueces on with a set of fentons and a full sincro 3 speed out of gawd knows what. I found him and handed it back to him. he just smiled and said guess i ruined another one. I was a teener and he would have been in his mid 20s.

Most recent was last week in the wife's OT silverado. I have tweeked the computer as far as I can without upping my injector size. Some ass in a new hemi challenger was bothering me on the interstate. So I pointed up the road and we both nailed it. I pulled him like he was standing still. he followed me down the off ramp and rolled his window down and hollared man what you got in that thing. I just said, " I dunno what ever it came with."

I think the one that I enjoyed the most in my life was back in the '80s. I had a 15 dollar plane jane '68 Torino, that I stuffed a boss 429 in. I left it looking pretty stock, just waxed the original maroon paint and kept the dawg dish hubcaps etc. I was runing a pair of cadillac reverse flow mufflers so it just had a low growl. Didn't sound like a real rod, it just didn't sound like a low dollar Torino.

Anyway this fella in this tricked out late '60s corvette wants to hook 'em up and I kind of made excuses and whined around before we hooked up. Smoked him. He wanted to see under the hood, I told him it was just a stock Ford engine but he could see it. His eyes got as big as saucers and he said, " how in the hell did you get that in there." I just grinned and said "big shoe horn?"

This could actually go on all day. I have been beat by some and I have beat some. These are the most memorable.

 

And then there was my first race. Same 66 chevy longbed. had a 283 and a powerglide, with a 3,000 rpm stall converter. with too much cam, a gear drive, and 350 heads. pulled like a racehorse above 45 in first- it was a total slug otherwise. But i was 18, new everything. Lined up against a farm boy in a 57 chevy truck. rolling start, at 20 we went- and i got my ass , my buddies, and a few others handed to me. not even close. but it sounded good. Decided that sucked, built a mild 350 that took i beat the crap out of, and never lost another race. i also learned to judge what was in my league , and what wasn't.

 

One should shoose his races like he chooses his fights. Never let someone sucker you into a race: IE excuses, shuffling around and whining.

Also never ever let anyone know exactly what you got. I shouldn't have let the corvette guy look under my hood but he didn't know what he was looking at anyway.

A couple of years ago I waxed a fella in a '70s style firebird. Traffic light to traffic light in the pusher. It was just your everyday well worn '65 C-10 shop truck. He follwed me into the speed shop that was doing some machine work for me and said what you got in that thing. I looked into the bed and said well a bare 283 block a crank and a set of pistons. Thanks for asking. The franenstien under the hood was a different story all together.

The guys I like best are the ones that think that small blocks are all just belly button motors. they are the easiest.

 

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Story that comes to mind is my last street race, back in the day, waxed a 57 chev, but the law waxed my butt afterward, Spent the nite in jail, and the Judge in the morning made very clear to me that it was time for a different outlet for my "need for speed". Sold my street drag car and went to dirt circle track racing for 20+ years, went back to Hot Rodding and still playing with cars, Now too old for racing of any kind, BUT the older I get the Faster I was. LOL John