What got you started drag racing??

[Bob Lasko]

It was in 1966, and my older brother Joe took me to Dover Drag strip in Wingdale NY. That started it for me; put the disease in my veins. I raced my 67 SS Nova and 69 COPO Chevell at Dover till it closed in 1975.Now at 57 years old it has become an addiction. Presently I run a Camaro in Super Stock.
Bob Lasko
SS/CS

[treessavoy]

Car magazines and model cars, Hell, I even stripped down my bicycle and modified it. Once I got a driver's license and went to Atco I was hooked.

Started out racing a 1964 Valiant, 225 slant six with a 4sp.

JimR

[Paul Precht]

Jim, I think I asked you this before but I'm too tired to search, how fast did the 225 go, Paul.

[chris3racing]

1961, 13 years old, we lived in Charlotte, NC on a street right off of Independence Blvd. Across the street from from us a couple had, what most of the young guys in the neighborhood thought was the "sweetest" car in the country. It was a B/Gas, Injected '40 Ford Coupe. This bad boy had the chrome injector tube out the top of the hood. Those who don't remember, the pumps were mechanical and you had to squirt fuel in the top to crank it. They raced this car a the old Shuffle Town Dragstip in Charlotte.

The man was involve in a bad auto accident and his injuries left him paralized from his waist down. Bud Moore and Curtis Turner, old NASCAR racers, had their shops down the street from us. They took the car to the race shop and rigged the steering column such that all of the controls were on the steering wheel. The guy wanted to keep racing; therefore, on Saturday morning he would get a couple of young guys to help get the car ready and go to the track on Saturday night to work on the car. We changed plugs, sprayed injectors, what ever needed to be done for him to race that car. It is ironic that this post come up here. I met a man at the car show, where we had our race car on display, and we were discussing Shuffletown Dragstrip. He knew the man I have described and told me that he has just passed away within the last couple of years.

My wife and I raced up until 1973 and I can say I owe all of the memories I have of traveling over the country and getting to know and race against so many of the people who are, and were, a big part of drag racing history, to that neighbor and that little B/Gas coupe.

[ssladyracer]

Well lets see I watched for about the first 10 years of my married life and got to where I almost hated drag racing. I kept asking Can we do *something, anything* else this weekend? At our local track they had a powder puff race once every year. I begged my husband TC for about 2 years to just let me make a pass and see what was so fun about going down the track. In 1989 the powder puff race fell on my birthday and that's what I ask for, to get me to the track before anyone else and let me make a pass and he finally agreed.

To say the least he has no patience and he just knew the car would scare me to death and that would be the end of that. I could not get the car to set in the water box at all. We didn't use line locks then and after the 3rd try he pointed to the starting line with a look of "she can't do this" and I rolled up to the line.

We foot braked back then so I hit the pre-stage torqued up and lightly bumped in. The tree came down I had a .019 light and went a 6.94 @ 97mph on the 1/8 mile. That was maybe a few hundreths quicker than he usually ran. Funny thing was, the announcer at our local track said TC just walked off the starting line shaking his head while they were trying to ask him over the PA system who was in the car and he wouldn't even look up at the tower. I got out of the car jumping up and down talking a mile a minute and was hooked. I won the powder puff race that day and the first thing he said was "Your not getting my car"

The next year I had my own car and have been in it ever since. I can remember that first run to this day. So advise to some of you men out there that have wives or g/fs that hate racing, unless you want to loose your ride or build another don't give them the chance to make that first pass. Take it from a woman who got the chance, it is VERY addictive!!!! I am ready on Saturdays to load up hours before he is and the last that wants to leave the track.
Donna Morris

[Chevellewagon]

It was 1978. Got a good deal on a 65 Nova SS street car with a 300 horse 327.....30/30 cam.....M21 4 speed. Wasn't that fast but when it's your first run down the 1/4 you think it's a rocket........LOL !! Been addicted ever since. With good luck and some "extra" money my be out a couple of times this year.

Phil aka Chevellewagon

[Nitro Joe Jackson]

I was borned, most of you know the rest of the story, lol

[Casper68]

dad and his '59 El Camino.....



....and having the fastest Big Wheel on the block.