Average Age

[Rory McNeil]

Keeping with Div. 6 Stock & S/S racers , I don`t know how old he is, but I remember watching Jerry Joslin racing his E/S 71 Z/28 before I was old enough to drive, I`m in my 60s now, and he is still racing that same Camaro still (that he bought new), as well as his SS/GTH 4 speed Monte Carlo. Jim Johnsons S/S 55 Chev has been his race car since he bought it in the mid 60s. Cal Methods been racing for a few years as well! And although he mainly runs ET brackets now, 80 year old Dave Wren still has the aluminum nose 63 Max Wedge Plymouth that he runner upped at the 68 Winternationals, as well as a 68 Hemi Cuda that he bought new.

[Carguy49]

At a race recently Pete Kost and Jim Devine raced each other. There combined age total is a bit over 155. Today is Pete's 85th birthday so you do the math on Jim. Two great guys and tough racers to boot. Jim can still row a 4 speed.

[Shaun Quill]

This is a great thread!! God Bless em’!!!!

[Greenlight]

I think Bill Gibbs (DIv 4 Super Stock) is 88 and has got to be on the short list of oldest drag racers.

[ALMACK]

I hope I can be still racing @ 80

[Milton Gamble]

Originally Posted by Greenlight

I think Bill Gibbs (DIv 4 Super Stock) is 88 and has got to be on the short list of oldest drag racers.

I know Bill, met him when a buddy and I hung around with George Dyer also from Lufkin that raced an A/FD. We were the turned around crew.

I grew up in Shreveport, LA and race mostly at Shreveport, I-20, Hallsville and a few others. My last race was at Hallsville in 1974...I ran F/G or D/MP and the last pass I lost to Glen Self.

I moved to Hendersonville, TN in 1989 and saw my first commercial slot car track in 1990...thought it would be good for my 8 year old son. He lost interest but I've continued.

To put things in perspective a 1/24th drag strip is 55ft long. The official "World Record" is 0.394 seconds at 144mph. I race on a road course that is typically 155ft long and has 6 turns. I witnessed a 1.30 second qualifying lap 2 weeks ago for the Group 7 class. This is the top level class. I don't compete in it.

What racing "Toy Cars" has done for me is keep my reflexes sharp. I attended the Sports Nationals in 2016...first time I had been to a race since 1987. After sitting in the stands for a couple of hours I went back to the pits to visit with Greg and Aaron Stanfield. Greg asked me if I still could do it. All I could say was "everything seems like it is in slow motion.

If I can, I will post a short video on a recent race with the Group 7 cars. You will be amazed.

Also, I have just retired as a Matco Tool Franchisee. I would estimate half of my customers have never used a timing light or installed points...LOL

And thanks for all of the comments. It sounds like Div 6 is "Senior Citizen Friendly".

[Rich Biebel]

The officially oldest man to win a national event eliminator was this year. Ken Bowers won S/G at New England and he is 77. That is what he told me earlier this year that NHRA told him. Doesn’t matter what category it is anymore, we’re all up there in years.

[FireSale]

I neglected to mention Gary Howe Sr. He still drags his '55 or '56 Chevy GT car out now and again and rows the gears with the wheels up. Guess I neglected to mention Sr. because Jr. bracket races at both tracks here and is a royal PIA to stage against.

[Paul Precht]

Originally Posted by Rich Biebel

The officially oldest man to win a national event eliminator was this year. Ken Bowers won S/G at New England and he is 77. That is what he told me earlier this year that NHRA told him. Doesn’t matter what category it is anymore, we’re all up there in years.

I started hanging out in Kenny's barn back in 72 when I was 17, he taught me a lot about engine building and bracket racing back then. Just a few weeks before his Nat win he said I think I should burn this car, congrats to Kenny and Mike Scotto on their win.

[JP Schuster]

I'm 25 and I've been slot car (drag racing) for 18 years, and racing Super Stock for 3 years. I guess you could say I'm probably an anomaly.

On a side note, slot car drag racing - the bracket racing side of things - seems to be doing pretty well. I have a lot of peers that have taken interest in the hobby. We do quite a bit of traveling in the winter to race these toy cars. So much so, that our off-season maintenance of the "big" stuff gets put on hold until spring.

I do agree with the class racing side of things though. There is not nearly as many "younger" guys participating in the sport. I would have to say finances would be one of the contributing factors. I don't think many (if any) younger people class race on their own. I know myself and a few others around my age wouldn't be where we are at without the support of our families.

JP Schuster