1971 I got my Driver Lic. on Nov. 9th. I had a new Grand Prix with a 400 that I had saved my whole young life for,I had the car since my Birthday in sept. but it only had about 200 mi.s on it cause the only time I drove it was when my dad had time to ride around with me, anyway I decide to run it at Island Dragway the next Sunday,on Saturday I get ready I sneak my brothers Helmet out of the Race Car put a few tools in the trunk and put yet another coat of wax on the Burnt Orange paint.
I tell my Dad me and my buddy Ray are planing to go up to Island to watch some racing and he says you better not be thinking of racing that new car of your`s lol
The weather report on the Sat. night news is calling for a chance of snow late Sunday my dad hear`s this and says you don`t have snow tires on the G/P you better take my Bonneville just in case it snows.
the next morning i get up extra early and swap everything from the trunk of the G/P into his car and pick up my buddy,on the way to the track I get my 1st. speeding ticket about 2 mi.s from the track..now I`m thinking this whole thing was a bad idea. lol
We wait in the tech line took off the hub caps and skirts they look up the car in the guide and paint C/SA on the window ! The car was a `69 428/360 I`m thinking its has to be a mistake!at this point I don`t care just want to make some runs lol
1st pass 15.85 at 91mph but it has a miss at the top of each gear,I pull the plugs and find the gap at about .050 close them all up to .030 and wow 15.39 at 93 and change, my friend was standing under a speaker writing down the times of the other 5 cars in the class and he tells me there is a Chevelle running 15.1s and 2s. we were parked next to a guy running a 64 Catalina with a 4 speed we talk to him for a while he says try bumping the timing up 4 deg and loans us his light and wrench.Now it`s 1st round and I am paired against the Chevelle he`s in the lanes with his girlfriend they look at my dads car and walk away laughing there was 6 cars in the class that day two low compression 340 cuda`s 3 `71 Chevelle`s well I had the last laugh as the smart azz took a major nap and i beat him with a 15.28 to his 15.15 got the bye into the into the final and won my 1st Drag Trophy ever !
I get home and was all proud of myself my brother starts yelling at me for running my dad`s car ,Dad says I thought i told you no Racing yet! I said no you told me not to run the Grand Prix! He smiled and said your right I did, he shook my hand and says congrats good job! Funny how I remember that day like it was yesterday but I can`t remember what I had for breakfast! lol
My Dad was a cool guy he said to put the Class winner decal on the back window because he new it would piss off my brother! LOL