Anyone Start Drag Racing After Age 60?

Cdncarnut · 12-16-2018, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwsamuel

Hi everyone,

I am starting on a new project (website and podcast) aimed at people over the age of 60. As part of the project, I am looking to talk with people who made major changes in their life (not caused by illness) or took u new activities.

If you started drag racing after you were older than 60, or know someone who did, please let me know. I'd like to talk with you for website and possibly podcast.

Thanks,

Jim

Not quite 60, but I bought my first Stock Eliminator and started racing it at 55.
I raced a street car in brackets for 3 years before that, while I looked for a car.

FireSale · 12-16-2018, 06:27 PM

I just turned 71 so I qualify for this round.

In my teens in the mid 60s I was the "staff photographer" at Milan back in Michigan, a job picked up by Tom Kasch a few years after I went off to college. After hanging out in Boston, getting a teaching degree and moving to Washington State in the late 70s, I found that I hadn't been to the track in, like 30 years. Shame on me.

In 2013 I was back at Pacific Raceways with my camera for a Lucas Oil event watching my long time co-worker Alan Falcone work through staging with his GT car. I realized that it was time to get on the right side of the ready line.

In 2014 I bought a Craigs List 68 Mustang off some kid with bills to pay. I sold him back the engine and gutted the car, built it into a street legal bracket racer with a teardrop trailer to haul gear and camp in. In 2015-16 I got a lot of looks on the freeway with that rig. For 2017 and 18 I ditched the mufflers and turn signals and put it on a trailer as a full time race car. '17 was fun with aluminum heads and '18 was disappointing with iron ones. Now that I understand the N351 heads better and have sorted out the power gremlins, 2019 should be fun again. I'm trying to get teched for SS/CS to run in the local S/SS races.

I'm one of those people who doesn't sit on the couch very well and having a race car suites me fine. always something to mess with.

This is my first race car and I built everything myself in a two car home garage. Everything was financed from an investment of $4000 in Apple stock in 1986 at $16.50 per share. Literally forgot about it for 20 years. Never even opened a broker statement. Since I still have $17000 in that account I guess this is a free race car. It's nickname is Mad Money and I am Mr. Persistent.

Coleydog · 12-16-2018, 06:52 PM

Not sure if I qualify but,. I've been out of actual racing a car since 2000 (car was fast and to much effort to do by myself) figured I was retired from racing, now at 69+ and still working full time I'm trying to put together a Duster 340 for stock. should have been done last year but I have to make everything and the wife says I'm a perfectionest...Before then I raced off and on since 68 but helped on many other cars thru the years. If I wake up every morning I'm happy.
Mike

NGBosworth · 12-16-2018, 09:54 PM

I was 62 in 2013 when I started drag racing a stock eliminator car. I am still racing today at 67. Let me know if you would like to talk. Nanette Stein. 2098152485

Greg Reimer 7376 · 12-16-2018, 10:12 PM

Just for the record, Nanette raced me first round at Pomona last February, and dropped an .004 light on me. That was the best round I had all year.She deserves a good mention for that one.

Spyphish · 12-17-2018, 08:18 AM

Needed something better than Sudoku so started at 57 with an AH car. DUH!!!

Now I do the Great Race and building a Lemons 24 car. Phisheaux

ALMACK · 12-17-2018, 09:53 AM

I got hooked on class racing @ age 21.
I didn't get to make my first pass in a NHRA Stocker until I was 52.

It was a long wait

richie 2 · 12-17-2018, 10:01 AM

@ 63 im going back to class racing after 33 yrs. off.... I've got new glasses now & cant wait !

Mike Gray · 12-17-2018, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireSale

This is my first race car and I built everything myself in a two car home garage. Everything was financed from an investment of $4000 in Apple stock in 1986 at $16.50 per share. Literally forgot about it for 20 years. Never even opened a broker statement. Since I still have $17000 in that account I guess this is a free race car. It's nickname is Mad Money and I am Mr. Persistent.

I had a super-gas mustang when my broker talked me out of investing 50K in a new IPO for some company called Google. (D'oh) Who knows what I might be driving if he hadn't done that.
I'm struggling to get back into racing building a '67 Shelby from scratch at age 63. Hope to finish it by the time I retire in a few years.

John Kissel · 12-18-2018, 10:15 PM

I bought my'67 FireBird in July 1980. Finished it up and moved to Bradenton and raced it on and off till 2010 when the ekonomee dumped. I've gone up and down I-95 enough and had fun,but with an open trailer it might be hard to stop and sleep at night now. The last couple of years I have bought it new stuff, threatened to go race again, and stuff just happens, and e-town closing didn't help matters any. Since I'm 70 now, I got to get busy, and get to Atco, but the thought of towing down the road with these idiot drivers around here is scary. I guess I'll just have to pass them by with our new Hemi Durango. Merry Christmas to all, John Kissel K242

12-16-2018, 06:27 PM	#2
FireSale VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Lakewood Washington Posts: 1,407 Likes: 29 Liked 237 Times in 126 Posts	Re: Anyone Start Drag Racing After Age 60? I just turned 71 so I qualify for this round. In my teens in the mid 60s I was the "staff photographer" at Milan back in Michigan, a job picked up by Tom Kasch a few years after I went off to college. After hanging out in Boston, getting a teaching degree and moving to Washington State in the late 70s, I found that I hadn't been to the track in, like 30 years. Shame on me. In 2013 I was back at Pacific Raceways with my camera for a Lucas Oil event watching my long time co-worker Alan Falcone work through staging with his GT car. I realized that it was time to get on the right side of the ready line. In 2014 I bought a Craigs List 68 Mustang off some kid with bills to pay. I sold him back the engine and gutted the car, built it into a street legal bracket racer with a teardrop trailer to haul gear and camp in. In 2015-16 I got a lot of looks on the freeway with that rig. For 2017 and 18 I ditched the mufflers and turn signals and put it on a trailer as a full time race car. '17 was fun with aluminum heads and '18 was disappointing with iron ones. Now that I understand the N351 heads better and have sorted out the power gremlins, 2019 should be fun again. I'm trying to get teched for SS/CS to run in the local S/SS races. I'm one of those people who doesn't sit on the couch very well and having a race car suites me fine. always something to mess with. This is my first race car and I built everything myself in a two car home garage. Everything was financed from an investment of $4000 in Apple stock in 1986 at $16.50 per share. Literally forgot about it for 20 years. Never even opened a broker statement. Since I still have $17000 in that account I guess this is a free race car. It's nickname is Mad Money and I am Mr. Persistent. __________________ Dale Shearon 68 Mustang 6394 Last edited by FireSale; 12-16-2018 at 06:30 PM.

12-16-2018, 06:52 PM	#3
Coleydog Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 572 Likes: 39 Liked 53 Times in 38 Posts	Re: Anyone Start Drag Racing After Age 60? Not sure if I qualify but,. I've been out of actual racing a car since 2000 (car was fast and to much effort to do by myself) figured I was retired from racing, now at 69+ and still working full time I'm trying to put together a Duster 340 for stock. should have been done last year but I have to make everything and the wife says I'm a perfectionest...Before then I raced off and on since 68 but helped on many other cars thru the years. If I wake up every morning I'm happy. Mike Last edited by Coleydog; 12-16-2018 at 06:54 PM.

12-16-2018, 09:54 PM	#4
NGBosworth Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 6 Likes: 1 Liked 18 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Anyone Start Drag Racing After Age 60? I was 62 in 2013 when I started drag racing a stock eliminator car. I am still racing today at 67. Let me know if you would like to talk. Nanette Stein. 2098152485

12-16-2018, 10:12 PM	#5
Greg Reimer 7376 VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Glendora,Calif. Posts: 1,136 Likes: 172 Liked 705 Times in 219 Posts	Re: Anyone Start Drag Racing After Age 60? Just for the record, Nanette raced me first round at Pomona last February, and dropped an .004 light on me. That was the best round I had all year.She deserves a good mention for that one.

12-17-2018, 08:18 AM	#6
Spyphish Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 846 Likes: 16 Liked 679 Times in 180 Posts	Re: Anyone Start Drag Racing After Age 60? Needed something better than Sudoku so started at 57 with an AH car. DUH!!! Now I do the Great Race and building a Lemons 24 car. Phisheaux Last edited by Spyphish; 12-17-2018 at 08:26 AM.

12-17-2018, 09:53 AM	#7
ALMACK VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Bardstown, KY Posts: 1,937 Likes: 131 Liked 369 Times in 127 Posts	Re: Anyone Start Drag Racing After Age 60? I got hooked on class racing @ age 21. I didn't get to make my first pass in a NHRA Stocker until I was 52. It was a long wait __________________ Alan Mackin Stock 3777/ SS 3377 P/SA & SS/PA Fox Thunderbird I/PS '95 Mustang GT

12-17-2018, 10:01 AM	#8
richie 2 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 971 Likes: 426 Liked 205 Times in 93 Posts	Re: Anyone Start Drag Racing After Age 60? @ 63 im going back to class racing after 33 yrs. off.... I've got new glasses now & cant wait ! Last edited by richie 2; 12-17-2018 at 10:04 AM.

12-18-2018, 10:15 PM	#10
John Kissel Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Colt's Neck, n.j. Posts: 349 Likes: 766 Liked 230 Times in 94 Posts	Re: Anyone Start Drag Racing After Age 60? I bought my'67 FireBird in July 1980. Finished it up and moved to Bradenton and raced it on and off till 2010 when the ekonomee dumped. I've gone up and down I-95 enough and had fun,but with an open trailer it might be hard to stop and sleep at night now. The last couple of years I have bought it new stuff, threatened to go race again, and stuff just happens, and e-town closing didn't help matters any. Since I'm 70 now, I got to get busy, and get to Atco, but the thought of towing down the road with these idiot drivers around here is scary. I guess I'll just have to pass them by with our new Hemi Durango. Merry Christmas to all, John Kissel K242