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
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