[Dwight Southerland]

The first car I bought was a 1957 Chev 150 business coupe that I promptly tore apart to build a Stocker. It took me 2 years of grocery store money before I finally made the first pass. Eventually ran within .25 of the national record (14.42 on a 14.17 record.) 283 2-bbl with a 4-speed. I walked to work and hitched rides to be able to have the race car. I was 15 when I bought the car. Shortly after, college and the NHRA rules changes made the car unreasonable, so I bought a one-owner 55 sedan and transferred a lot of the parts to it to have a transportation car. Built a roller cammed 283 to drive on the street. Somebody stole the 57 body. My parents never understood what I was doing. Looking back, I don't either. My first street car came after my first race car.