Racing the Family Car

[Dennis P Chapman]

Originally Posted by Paul Ceasrine

1969...

1963 Ford Fairlane
260 cubed, 164 horsepower, 2-barrel,,,

My friend took his mothers car to the track one Sunday.
On the way to the track, the muffler fell off.
He stopped, and threw it in the woods off the side of the road, figuring he'd pick it up on the way back home.

At tech inspection, he was told he had to have a muffler attached to the exhaust system to run stock,,(P/Stock)

He found a guy with a used Thrush Muffler at the track,
and bought the muffler for a pack of Marlboro cigarette's.

Rigged the muffler up with wire, and it made it through one time-trial.

Ran somewhere north of 18.00.

For class, he was an Only Car Trophy, so he ran alone...

In the Trophy Run,,,,,,
the muffler fell off just as he got near the traps, and he ran over it with the back tire, flattening it like a pancake..

He got DQ'd,,,,,,

Some days you can't get a break Lol. Happy New Year Paul.

[Dennis Banach]

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

[Hemi Moose]

DB, that was a pretty cool story...so did you ever take the Grand Prix out there.

[Dennis P Chapman]

Originally Posted by Hemi Moose

DB, that was a pretty cool story...so did you ever take the Grand Prix out there.

Knowing Dennis like I do if he didn't I be shocked Lol.

[SCOTT SST2871]

I honestly dont have a good story yet but my 16 year old daughter is graduating from jr dragster into my daily driver 08 pontiac g5 gt and shes going to bracket race in january and hopefully run some stk this year (it runs under the index)and shes killer on the tree
scott fifield

[Paul Ceasrine]

Dennis,

1969 Pontiac Bonneville,,,,,,,,,,,,

Our neighbor had one,,,,,,,big ole' 428 'gas-guzzler'

We called him 'Major Anthony Nelson',,

His car was the same one that was on 'I Dream of Jeannie'

Light blue, with the white convertible top,,

He even raced it, a couple of times every year,,,

1970 & 1971,,,,, = I/SA
1972,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, = C/SA...(Pure/Stock days)

[Dennis Banach]

Originally Posted by Hemi Moose

DB, that was a pretty cool story...so did you ever take the Grand Prix out there.

No ! I got rear ended while waiting to make a left turn in Jan. of `72 by a f-350 pick up! I got pushed into on coming traffic, car was a declared a total by ins.
One thing I did learn is never turn your wheels while waiting to make a turn!

[Dennis Banach]

Originally Posted by Dennis P Chapman

Knowing Dennis like I do if he didn't I be shocked Lol.

That was one of the very few that never made it to the track!...LOL

[Dennis P Chapman]

Originally Posted by Dennis Banach

That was one of the very few that never made it to the track!...LOL

Now thats hard to believe Lol.

[Hemi Moose]

Hey where did all of those hubcaps go, be sure to put them back on before you head back to work tomorrow, lol.