What was your best moment in racing
 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. On this day most folks give thanks for special things or times in their lives. We all know that the greatest gifts are health, family and friends. But somewhere down the list are cars and racing. If you could, share with us your best moment or moments in racing (on track, in the pits, awards etc). Toot your own horn a little bit and share some great times and memories (photos and/or comments), the ones you give thanks for! I'm sure reflecting on your success can provide some motivation and happy thoughts. You can help develope and/or re-enforce a positive attitude as we begin to prepare for next season!


Wade Mahaffey

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

I can say without a doubt.......

I had to run my son in the finals in H/R at a IHRA div at our home track.
Both cars (68 Camaros ) were painted with the exact same scheme with every decal in the same places, only diff was my car was a 9"tire slapper bar and small block.
His was a 4-link back-half big block...
He won that race and went on to win the 1998 IHRA world championship back when you chased points at nats and div races... He was also inducted in the Carcraft Magazines 1999 All-Star drag racing team...Another one was when i won two IHRA iron men in 1991 and finished 5th in the world....VERY PROUD DAD HERE !!!!!

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Most of you know that my deal in drag racing has been mostly as an announcer in Md. and Pa. though I still occasionally race my street / strip '68 Firebird in the footbrake classes. This spring when I grab the mike in the first event of 2012 it will be my 50th year as announcer or drag racer. I guess the first biggest thrill was sending Ronnie Sox in his '63 Z-11 427 down the track at 75-80 Dragway. He was a local Carolina / Va. racer til Bill Wilcom brought him north for the first time, his career shot upward big time and became a nationally known racer after the '63 season. Here I was, 17 yrs old sending Ronnie down the track in front of a big crowd several times that year. Other cool stuff has been the 4 years I worked at Maple Grove, 2004 to 2007 working the opens and divisionals there, usually with Lewis Bloom, what great racing. The chance to meet so many of you that visit this site has been the best. In 2008 George Case had me come down to Palm Beach International Raceway to announce the Nostagia race on their newly renovated track, what a place! Don Garlits was the grand marshall, I got to spend a good bit of time with him that weekend and give him an award on the starting line in front of several thousand people, that gives me goose bumps just recalling that day. There's lots more but I'll bore everyone if this keeps going. Let me leave it with this. A couple years ago at a dinner out with a group of NHRA tech guys and Stk / Super Stock racers Dave Ley kind of said it all for us drag racers, quote " You know for us this isn't just a hobby, it's not even a passion, it's a lifestyle we live 24 / 7 and we embrace it!" I believe that's us! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Mike Bassin

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

For me it was my son Bryan winning the Div. race at Orlando in 2002. I was home following the race on DRC, He said I wish you could have been here. Then later that season he won the div. race at E-town and I was there. Special moment for a proud Dad.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Two things come to mind for me. First was winning the 2003 Summit National Championship in Super Pro. After winning the race and driving back in front of the crowd was pretty thrilling for me.
Second was winning the 1996 Division 5 Stock Championship in my old V/SA Skylark. During the season I went to only 5 races and had a win,two runner ups,a semi and a first rounder. I beat out Kevin Helms by 4 points,376 to 372.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

I have only won two races; the US Class Nationals in Byron IL, and Indy this year: Take your pick.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

winning class D/S at the summernationals in1973 and winning stock elim. at charlotte this year

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

A lot like Lee mine was being present when Bryan won @ Charlotte being the first ever champ @ that track. Also when I ran dead on with an egg against Billy Leber @ Norwalk finals. Have yet to be present when Byron wins a big one.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

1) When Brian , Melissa and I all won Class at Indy the same year.
2) Winning the Indy Points meet without making a time trial.(Used my daughters run to dial)
3)Winning Class at Indy GT/AA over MANY top racers 1996. My last Nationals.
4) Any time I won a Class trophy. ( 30+)
5) Working with Ralph Truppi as a friend and engine builder.
6)Organizing TOP/SS and TOP/Stk in Div 3 and running the events.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

I have quite a few but I would guess that there are 2 that stick out in my mind. The first is a lot more than a moment because it consisted of about 5 weeks but it was 5 weeks that changed my life forever. In 2001 I decided to, all by myself, drive across the country and do the western swing. I drove to the Dallas National, then to the Las Vegas National, Divisional, and then to the Finals at Pomona. Along the way I made some great friends, had some great experiences, and ended up starting a relationship with a friend who would eventually be my wife, Kati. So many key things happened along that trip that changed my life, not just for me but for everyone in my family. It is so hard to believe how one decision can change so many peoples lives.

The second thing was the next year when I won the Cecil Points race. I had won other races before but this was a race that is 35 minutes from my house and everyone was there. For the first time, I won a race that my father was able to stay til the end, my wife, my best friend. It was a great day.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

With over 40 years of drag racing and going from crew chief for my dad to racing my own stuff to racing my kids in jr dragsters and eventualy big cars there have been some great moments and some not so great moments. But the best for me was at Englishtown founders day race (In memory of Vinny Knapp) and on fathers day where my son(Ray III)
and daughter (Stephanie) Both won there classes and we took home the king of the hill.
To watch both of you kids do so well on the same day was awsome to say the least.
Must be kinda how Sam Biondo feels all the time.LOL
Ray Fordyce Jr

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

It's really good to hear these stories of the good stuff. We need more of this, hopefully the CR members will reply.

Wade Mahaffey

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

My best moment is every time I get the opportunity to go. Some of the best people you will ever meet in this sport and willing to help you in anyway they can, I feel blessed to be able to do this and I am thankful everyday.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

First one was being Pro ET champion at Englishtown in 1884,opps I mean 1984.Long time ago.
Second winning Atco LODRS race #2 in 2006.
Third getting two runners up at my first IHRA race.That was at MIR.Sat. r/u to Robbie Hudlow and Sun to Anthony Bertozzi.I still kick myself about the fact of missing out on one of their Ironman trophies.
Last but surely not least is the great people I've met in the past 12 years.Nicest people in the world.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

MIR , 2006 in the finials of the 8th Top Stock race of the season against Joe Alluise Jr . Did the burn out started pulling foward and Joe would not stage. We sat there for 3 minutes then the starter made us stag . I had a .020 light and ran a 9.19@146mph for the win

This race meant the most to me out of any race I have ever raced , the year before Joe Sr told me I should quit racing as I would never win and that the LS1 could never out run any of the other combo's that race Top Stock

P.S. I sure wish Joe Sr was still racing


Bo Kenney
Happy Thanksgiving

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

1997, FMDRS race at Renegade Raceway in Yakima, WA.

I drilled 5 .5-oh lights in a row in qualifying. Went on to win the race, in only my 2nd Divisional race ever. My lights in eliminations were poor, as I was worried about it getting dark. .520, .540, .560, and .560-but the old Wagon was dead on (within .01) every pass.

I have not even come close since (haven't raced a lot), but was good-even if for only one day.

That's what drives me to want to race again. Great memory!

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

So far, I'd say St Louis 2010. Kevin Cradduck beat Dan Fletcher for class, and was runner up to Bobby Brannon in the finals in Stock Eliminator. Then Jerry Duke won Super Gas over our friend Scott Vanderwalker. So I was crewing two cars in final rounds at a National Event, with a win and a runner up.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

You forgot one Lane, the Div. 5 points race where you rained on Scotty Richardson's otherwise national championship season that year, by beating him in rnd 1 @ the Douglas, Wy. divisional!!!

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Winning my first round in comp this year!

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

In early 1993, a young kid needed a ride to State Capitol Raceway. Since I had my brand new '93 Corvette with the top down, I decided to bring the kid to the track. I had not been to a drag strip since my oldest daughter was born in 1972. Back then, I had to buy diapers and couldn't afford entry fees.

As fate would have it, SCR was running a huge street-legal race. I asked the teenager, "Is it still three yellow bulbs, then green?". So I entered the race with a borrowed helmet, and lost in the finals (8th round) to Jarod Granier.

The rest is history... BTW, still have the Vette, and because of Boo Boo Russo (the kid needing a ride), we all have No Problem Raceway to play with our toys.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

1. Winning the King of the Hill Memorial Day drag race (an unofficial state championship), at Bandimere Speedway in '77 as a Senior at Denver's South High School, with a (bought brand new by my Union Local 7 wages at a Safeway grocery store), 1976 Chevy Vega (which was so special to me that I remember it's vin # to this day 1V77B6U220942). Unless someone knows something I don't, that's the last state-worthy championship that the school has earned by any of it's classmates to date!

2. Winning five races out of six final rounds in the '79 season (also with my 20+ second Vega), and finishing 3rd in the Div. 5 et finals (Street Eliminator),as an add-on to team Bandimere (I finished 14th in their points standings that year).

3. Going back to Marion, Sd. in '81 and winning the Div. 5 Street Eliminator Championship, driving 1260 miles round trip to participate in it with a dented & scratched '73 Pontiac Ventura, with 100k+ miles on the odometer...special thanks to the Div 5 racers who allowed me to find out they (racers from other tracks) were saying "what's he doing out there in that car"? I knew good and well what they meant by that, and used it to keep me amped up to make my presence felt in a Championship way!!!

4. Winning Bandimere's only (known to me that is), highschool reunion race in 1990, with an '85 Chevy Celebrity (4cyl., fwd). I not only won my bracket, but the overall championship afterwards.

5. Winning the King of the Track in a 2002 race at Pueblo Motorsports Park, with my current car.

6. The .006 package I put on Tony Hernandez in my rnd 3 win at the '06 Mile High's, in route to a quarter-final finish at the same race...Ryan McClanahan best be glad I got light headed (due to dehydration, and my pit space was way up there in Bandimere's dreaded "North 40" prior to our race"), because he was only .014 over his dial, and got out of it quite a bit against me (since I ran my car with a too warm intake plenum), and ran .13 over my 16.66 index, for the loss...if I would've run just .06 quicker, I believe I would've broke him out, and would've been Mike Loge's semi-final round opponent...thus as long as my light would've been clean & green (in that potential race), I would've been the final round opponent to Scott Burton (Mike's car stumbled to run nearly 1sec over his dial), that was televised on ESPN's "Inside Drag Racing" show a week later!

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

1) 2010 I won the IHRA Summit Box et World Championship at VMP. Was on TV, ran with the pros,Came down the return road in front of the crowd with my wife,Rachel, and Beard there. Way Cool.

2) 1988 IHRA Pro-AM Nationals first National event win

3) 2011 IHRA Hot Rod World Championship race at VMP

Thats Top 3 but have so many memories hard to narrow it down to just 3.
Chip Johnson

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

I've had a bunch of good moments and a couple of great moments but I haven't had my BEST moment yet! (I hope)

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Now THAT is a cool story

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

in 1976 and 77 we towed from seattle to indy to race in mod. elem. lost in class and towed home the greatest moment i have had, it still beats wining class in today's racing

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

My best moment was when my mom would get on her three wheeler and drive down to the end of the track to tell me good job after winning a race. Then going to dinner with her later at the Outback.

Miss you mom.


-Toby

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

1 Winning the IHRA Spring Nats in 1985 for my first Natl Event.

2 Going home and putting Ray Heads camaro back together and going back to Darlington and winning the Stock shootout in October 1996, Ray had a career ending stroke in Feburary, never had drove the car before.

Hate to say worst moment was when my friend Wayne Shaw died.

But can't replace the people and places I have met along the way, as they say priceless.

I have even met the famous Lang brothers.
Mark Lewis

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Almost brought a tear to my eye....

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

When I oiled down the track at the US Nationals right behind Big Daddy this year?

A round win here or there in my dads super street car... I think my first one was against a 4.80 sbc dragster (hauling for a small block 10 yrs ago) that I had done some machine work on and installed the motor the week before. Nick the destroyer we called him. Not to be trusted with Titanium rods that guy lol.


Ive helped a lot of friends and family over the years brackets to alcohol funny car and even hung out in the pro stock pits a bit. So ive been a part of some neat stuff. But Id say being at the Division 3 banquet while my dad was on stage for tying 2nd place in Super Street with rudy Matthews I was pretty proud of him.

Id say my neatest story was in 99. My friend and I that I had met in college that got me in to imports, set off to Pomona from Cincinnati for the IDRC (import drag racign circuit) World Finals. Neither one of us had been further west then Indy at the time. 18 years old, hadnt really towed anything before. Trailered all the way out there by ourselves, qualified third and made it to the finals of street class. We were running high 10s on street tires thru the mufflers in a 4 cylinder. Pretty slick for a cpl 18 year olds from Ohio in those days. Made the magazines and got on ESPN2 (or maybe speed?) for the first time. It was a major point in my life.


I hope there are many more. Im tired of being a brides made. I love seeing my motors that I worked on or tuned go down the track.. But im ready to add some driving to my resume!

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

26 NHRA & IHRA combined National Records, 14 NHRA National Event Class Wins. I have only had One National Event Win, the IHRA Winter Nationals held in Miami, FL in 1976 in SS with my 1972 340 Dodge Demon. (I still own the car). But my Stock win at the 2009 Southeastern Sports Nationals with my H/SA 1978 Volare Road Runner was my favorite win! Thanks George Widuch! Jim:D:D

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

The greatest moment, sitting in the water box looking out over the hood as dad guides me forward. No matter the stats, better to be a racer than a spectator, living the dream.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Lots of moments, like everyone has, to name just one. My favorites:

1) Time spent with friends at the track, having the chance to travel around and meet so many great folks.
2) Announcing for the Tri-State S/SS Association in 1997, and taking it over in 1998.
3) Getting my first ever round win and race win in 2000 in my beat-up old street car.
4) Driving Stockers for Alex Denysenko, Jack McCarthy and Billy Nees.
5) Setting IHRA Nat'l Records three times in 2004.
6) Finishing eighth in IHRA Division 1 Stock points in 2003 and '04.
7) Being #1 in my Class in NitroJoe's Stats a few times.
8) Winning Class at Indy three years in a row (2002-03-04).

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Way too many good memories to list, but the the one that stands alone is the summer of 1967. My Dad went to the races every weekend with me. He passed away that fall and I still dearly miss him....

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Las Vegas this year...

Finally getting the car to accomplish all of the things that Drooze and I planned, dreamed, and knew the car could do: National Performer in Stock Automatic (Not exactly what I thought, but close enough..) and the next week a National Record.

David
The New Hemi Guy

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

In 1997 I won Stock Eliminator at the U.S Nationals and I won Stock Eliminator at the 2003 Gatornationals. The 1997 win, I beat the reigning world champ (Scotty Richardson) in the final and the 2003 win, I beat the would be world champ (Lee Zane) in the final. I feel very fortunate to have accomplished what I have and to have met so many wonderful people along the way. Dave Walther

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

I have taken the last two years off from drag racing and helped my oldest son race dirt track. We raced 57 nites with him gettting 15 wins 22 seconds and a total of 53 top fives. He ended up with three track titles, 5th place in IMCA points 2nd in rookie points,and was SD state champion. I have won my share of races, records and titles, but seeing your kids do suff that makes you proud. Not racing but watching your son help win two state football titles rates right up to the top also. He was starting center his senior year. Happy holidays Tom.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

My highlight is when me and my brother got to race each other on Pinks. That was definatley cool!

Another great weekend for me was in South Carolina I won 1/8th mile Super pro in my stickshift no electronics 70 camaro and had to run a dragster in the final. Very cool night.

Watching my Dad win S/ST at the KCIR open in his 67 camaro stick car also one more awesome moment!

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

I forgot the one when i won IHRA hot rod at Empire Nationals @ New York International against our very own D J Raiser.(both of us footbraking and no throttle-stops and a 4tenths pro tree ) Between D J and me we knocked out some of the best in the bussiness that day

Then i got on ESPN with an interview from the famous Bret Kepner and boy did he make me look good......still got the tape and watch it from time to time.....Thanks Bret..

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

I've had some moments( just not enough of them), but in Fontana a few years ago,I was pitted next to Chuck Rayburn, former world champ in Stock, etc. and he told us of his travels around the country that year, and we both had to ask each other," When you think of all the places we've been, people we've met, rounds we've won, rounds we DIDN'T win, etc, good times we've had, how in the world could you put a price on all that?"I especially treasure the friends I've made, the local racers that helped get me up and running, the people you meet going rounds, the people you meet that travel a lot, that's what this whole extended racing family is all about.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

I don't get to race much, am mediocre at best, but I have fun. My motto is "better to have raced and lost than never to have raced at all". I count my drag racing friends as my best friends. The highlights of my racing life are (in no particular order):

1. Runner-up at 1996 Winternationals.

2. Jared & Dad setting the national record at Vegas in 2004, in a side-by-side run. I don't think a grandfather-grandson has ever done that.

3. Winning the Hemi Challenge in 2003 & 2004. All the years my Dad spent with Hemi's came to fruition in those two races. It was wonderful to watch and be a part of.

4. Don Little winning the World Championship in 1999, to have been there with him for some of the wins and when he clinched it in Pomona, the banquet, all the hoopla. I was (still am) so proud.

5. My one and only "world tour". Don & I went to Houston, Phoenix & Pomona in a three-week span at the end of 1998. I towed my little stocker all by myself, following Don down the freeway. We had a blast and met some amazing people, some of whom I still consider very special friends.

6. Dad winning the Bakersfield March Meet in 1968 with his 1968 Hemi Dart. That was a big event, for the time, and he took out some of the factory cars that day. I was 10 and vividly remember calling Mom to tell her the news.