When was your first time at a dragstrip?

Connecticut Dragway-Colchester Connecticut. Years include 1968-1974. My friends were running in the Gas, Superstock, & Modified Production classes.

Sopherdog

 

Steamboat Mountain, outside of Abilene Texas, 1974. Still remember it like it was yesterday.

 

1967 Union Grove, I was 5.

 

I was about 12 years old. Early 60's and the venue was Woodburn Dragstrip. I've been into hotrods and cars since I was old enough to walk and talk, but since my family wasn't a "car family" I was kinda odd man out as a kid.
Next door neighbor was my age and his dad was really into cars, so my first trip was with him and his dad. It was everything I dreamed of, and I sure didn't want that day to end! After that day there was no hope for me! I began saving my money and bought my first project from my uncle by the end of the summer in 1963 at almost 13 yrs. old. A '47 International panel truck.

 

St. Thomas Dragway just south of London, Ontario in 1963 or 64. It was a NHRA points meet and my friend (Basic on the HAMB) and I went with his brother in law, Brooke DeShaw (RIP). He was racing a 23T B/A car that for its time was state of the art. Lots of fun for a couple of 13 year olds.

Loved the sounds, smell (well maybe not the outhouse so much) and the cars. Color everywhere. Great memories.

 

First time I was 16 . 1969 ATCO Dragway Atco NJ . 20 Pro Stocks Final between Grumpy jenkens and Ronnie Sox - Wheels up Ronnie Sox won been addicted since -- Those were the day's ........

 

1966 Minnesota Dragways watched Tom Hoover in his AA/FD. Meet him personally in the 70's when I pitted for Vern Moats. Those were fun times I'll never forget.

 

Nationals - Oklahoma City about 1957 - Green Monster with the Allison was most memorable - that is if my memory is still any good.

 

My first time was 1975 Mission Raceway, BC Canada. I was 16
1976 I started Crewing on this C/ED.
1978 I built a Drag Bike.
I Still have the Dragster and Retired at the end of 2008 with alot of great memories!




The Bike




And The Dragster when we Retired.

 

May 10, 1964 opening day at Pittsburgh International Dragway. I was 17 years old.

 

My story is a little bit fun, my first ever contact with this sport was when I was something like 7 years old. My dad throw me down in the seat of a dragster on a local fair, it was scary and I renember that I cried like shit.
10 years later I did find interest in building hot rods and 20 years later I somehow ended up running my own tafc in the
European championship

 

August 1960 McMinnville Dragstrip here in Oregon. I was almost 12, the car I remember most was a turquoise 36 Ford roadster with a big Pontiac engine. It was hazing the tires all the way to the finish line. What an exciting day that cemented my future as a racer and builder.

 

1956 in Knoxville, TN I was 7 and the Corvette's beat the Thunderbird's!

 

I was 16, and went to Puyallup Dragway with a friend. While walking through the pits, my friend pulls me out of the way of a Ford P.U. truck that was being driven too fast by some guy named Jerry Ruth; he thought he was a "King" or something. A few years later I took my younger brother to his first drag race at Seattle International Raceway; a friend and I both took our cars to the Grudge Drags. My younger brother disappears at one point, and I can't find him anywhere. My friend comes back into the pits after making a run, and I ask him if he's seen my brother. He pops the truck, and my brother crawls out; friend put him in the truck for weight to get traction. To this day I tell the story of the only time my brother's been down a drag strip, he was in the trunk of a car. And to "fedman" on the pics he posted; my street car at the time is in the background of the Bremerton Raceway shot, that's Quinonis (sp) in the starter box, and his son Ernie (#22 on the shirt), and my NHRA number was 6999. Had a Pro Bracket 56 Chevrolet Business Coupe at the time. Later, I was member of the Handler's Racing Association for 4 years; operators of Bremerton Raceway since 1959. Small world is'nt it? Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

BC Custom Car Association drags at Abbotsford Airport, Abbotsford, B.C.
1955................

 

Around 10 years old sometime in the early 1980's at the Super Chevy Show held at Brownsburg, Indiana.

 

1963, Detroit Dragway. Was 14 and on vacation with the family. Just happened to stay at a motel that Tommy Ivo was staying at with his dragster on a two wheel trailer. Begged, pleaded, and probably cried to get my dad to take us to the strip that night. He was a stick and ball guy and could have cared less about cars. I remember he was in shock at what the tickets cost for me, my three younger brothers and he and my mother.
Saw Ivo run Garlits in a two out of three match race. Don't remember who won but I was hooked after that.

 

Probably in diapers
Thanks Dad!!

 

Probably about 9 or 10. Went to LACR Dragstrip in Lancaster.

 

Early fifties in Livonia MI. saw Art Arfons and Frank Macks T roadster, after that I was hooked.

 

1953, I was 13. Dad kept his airplane at an airport in Lake Wales, FL, where they drag-raced on Sundays. I was supposed to be helping him wax under the wings and fuselage, but couldn't keep my eyes off the cars racing. Three years later, I was working part time in a garage and racing my 2-dr '51 Ford six! Man, wish I still had that Ford!

 

first time was 1963 atco raceway flag starter, kool cars i was hooked. race there, now work there ,cannot wait for next season.

 

They tell me it was Colton, sometime in '51. I have no memory of it as I was born in March of '50. My Dad said when I first heard a fuel flathead fire up that I twisted my head/ears like a puppy hearing a new sound for the first time. He said he knew I was lost to this disease that we share.

(edit) This is my post 404 on here how appropriate for a flathead comment.

 

'61 or '62 at ATCO Dragway. Through my teens, I used to just about "live there" every weekend,,,,or whenever I could scrape up $2.00. The rich kids used to pay $5.00 !!! to get into the pits.

 

I was probably 7 or 8, my older brother took me to Ramona Dragstrip, and I remember Tommy Ivo's "Showboat" making a pass...the rest of the cars have faded in my memory now, but that dragster making a 4 wheel tire smokin' pass did something to me... 8)

 

'63 or '64, Tulsa North Airport, I was about 10 years old. Racers used to race Sundays on the runway. I remember sitting with my Dad in our airplane waiting to take off when I saw my first "slingshot dragster". Man was that thing fast, or so it seemed, to a wide eyed kid. Been hooked ever since.

 

I think it was 1956 at Grand Island, Ne. I was there in my 33 Chevy at age 14, small town driving underage was usual. What great memories of a real treat watching 55 Chevy's and a few Studes with bad ass blown 289's tearing it up in a/stock class. Wow man, third gear rubber!! ~sololobo~

 

1965 Woodburn OR, I was 17, it fucking rained, what a surprise. However there was a couple 57 chevies trying to make partial passes, turning 'em up to 8 grand, that was amazing.

 

1972, Lebanon Valley Dragway N.Y.. Coca -Cola Calvacade of Stars. 12 years old. Jungle Jim, Frank Federici, Ramchargers, Eastern Raider, Trojan Horse and more.