When was your first time at a dragstrip?

Location: Thompson dragstip, Thompson Ohio. 1976

 

Either 63 or 64 @ Muncie IN, went with my uncle, who was a car salesman @ Ed Martin Ford. Went to see Martin's Galaxie race. I was born in 1950 so I was hooked early.

Wish I had a camera then.

 

My Dad put me in our max wedge super stocker before I had a driver's license.

 

63? 64? I was 14, I'm guessing, and Green Valley was a brand new race track and I had an older friend in school, Vernon Sharp, who took me to see one of the many face offs between Bobby Langely and Vance Hunt.
I was wandering around in the pits looking at all the cars when I noticed the bridge over the staging lanes that connected the pit area to the spectator area was empty.
Usually, they shooed people off the bridge when the pro cars were in the staging area for safety reasons. I snuck up on the bridge and got a bird's eye view of two top fuel cars making a pass. Everyone was so focused on the pass no one noticed I was up there.
That was it, I was hooked! It was like drugs! Wow!
We had come from Indiana where my dad built midgets, and was heavy into dirt track.
When I got home that night and told him of the drag race, it started a playful argument that lasted the rest of his life about how drag racing made no sense. I was lucky enough to live the dream in the early 70's and crew on a Top Fuel car here in div.4.
After all these years, I'm crewing on a sprint car, and back playing in the dirt. My dad would be proud! Thanks, dad! Mike

 

1964 york pa. us 30 . My uncle and dad would always go and once in awhile I was able to go along. I was 6 the first time, but I know those trips and the trips to the dirt tracks to watch the sprints is what helped hook my love affair with cars. We rode to the tracks in a 57 fuel injected Bonneville convertible

 

1963...I went to 75-80 dragstrip...I went with my friend in his mom's 57 Chevy...

 

Vargo Dragway, Perkasie, PA....1965! Dad was runnin' his wicked fast A/Stock 426CI. Hemi Cross Rammed, 4 speed, Dana 60 Plymouth Sport Fury...those were the days...

 

Wednesday night grudge races at Fremont Drag Strip. $5 to race till you lost. I raced cars in my early 20's and motorcycles in my later 20‘s. That was in the late 70's/early 80's.​

 

16 yrs old Santa Ana 1959

 

2000 when i was 16 at Kearney raceway park in my 94 V6 stang.

 

Newport Dragway (Tenn.) when I was about 10 years old?
Mama got DRUNK and took us. 65 Dodge Cornet
While trying to get parked (drunk) she turned right...
(Right Lane... beside a 55' Chevy)
Needless to say, we had to make the pass.
Nobody knew the difference at the time? (we laid down in seat.)

 

1962 at Long Islands Westhampton Raceway 1/4 mile track and was hooked. Remember plenty of new Chevy's, Fords and Pontiacs running stock classes. We also raced at East Islips 1/8 mile track and the Montgomery County NY 1/4 mile track.
I'll never forget my Grampa saying "you kids are crazy spending hundreds of dollars to win a 59 cent trophy".

 

1970 U.S. Nationals, I was born in dec. 69! Try that today an the authorities would take your kid and throw you in jail!

 

Half Moon Bay 1965. One of my Dad's customers took my brother and I. Great memory, always think of it when I smell burning rubber.

 

Late Summer of 1965, Strollers Dragstrip, Sioux City, Iowa!! Fun, Fun, Fun!! I was 16 yrs old with my 1956 Ford Victoria!!!!

 

Sunday !!! Sunday!!! at beautiful Asquaco speedway !!!!! Still remember the radio ad like yesterday !! First time was fall 1964 ..14 at the time . Watched "mr 4 speed"
Ronnie Sox put a hurtin on Bud Faubel's "Honker Dodge" a.w.b. F/Xer with his red white and blue 65 Plymouth A.W.B F/Xer....match racin at it's best !!!watching "mr 4- speed" is what switched me from pontiac to mopar .... ain't never looked back !!!!!!!!the other thing I remember was a "chit pot" full of g.t.o.'s and 442's there along with a sprinkle of Mopars

 

LA County Raceway in Palmdale, CA back in 2000. Was in my O/T Olds on friday night's "Run what ya brung".

Still get the warm & fuzzy's thinking about it!

 

16 or 17 Epping, New Hampshire in the 80's.

 

A little later than most but in 1999 at 19yrs old at the Gainesville Raceway running a 96 Mustang Cobra with warped heads and a bad cooling system (reason for the warped heads). Ran a 13.8

 

1964 Cecil county drag o way, i was 14. The car I remember the most , 1962 Chevy 409 SS car!

 

are you speaking of legal ones

 

1958 at Montgomery N.Y. I was 12 years old. I was watching my brother race his 57 Ford in A/S it was a 245 H.P. 312 C.I. Robert

 

Made some runs at a little private strip out by Smolan Ks. in the early 50's. But the best is Great Bend Ks. first Nat. Hot Rod drags in 55. Will never forget that event. Lot's of the BIG BOYS from Cal. Was a real treat for us flatlanders to see.

 

Cooley Field in San Carlos, ca. in 1952. I was 16 and went with my friend Don who had a 1934 Plymouth with a !946 Hudson engine. Does anyone else remember Cooley Field?

 

Around 61 or 62 Dover dragstrip N.Y. 16 or 17 years old.

 

Must have been 12-14 saw my cousins chopped 49 chevy 348 powered at Montgomery NY Drag strip. Will never forget it. Rest in Peace Joe!

 

14 @ Biloxi, Mississippi...1959

 

Well----I turned 66 on Friday, havent been to a drag strip yet. Maybe this year!

I did race at Mosport last sumer though.

 

The last time I was at a drag strip was two weeks ago. Won the 7.50 index at Bradenton motorsports park. Bradenton FL. Robert

 

I think it was 1973 at Dragway 42 west salem Ohio. I was 14.
By 1979 I was touring with a T/F car. It took a while to start figure it all out, but by 1988 I was on a good team. We were the 3rd car to go into the Cragar 4 second club. Won first T/F race in 1990. First front engine AA/FD to run a 5 second run. First world championship in 1997. Later tuned T/F bikes to 3 world championships. It took half of my life to become a over night sensation! JC