BVoelzke
Well-Known Member
Cool story !! Island is still there I have been racing there for over 40 years !
Post your best racing related memory!
- Thread starter gregsdart
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Reddart 1966gt
Member
Probably the shortest shut down on earth!
Reddart 1966gt
Member
I just remembered TTI used to be called CPPA ( I think ).
33IMP
Well-Known Member
I was trying to get my small block 4sp 57 chevy into the twelves, a best of 13.01, at the OLD Irwindale, many years ago. It just wouldn't do it thru the mufflers. So I finally decided to uncork it, for the first time. Ended up running against an Earl Wade tuned Boss 429 mustang in the other lane.
I got to the finish line first, ran 12.96, and beat a tuned Boss mustang. Win/win. (The Boss blew by me AFTER the finish line like I was tied to a tree)
Even after winning a few races, going three seconds faster, that is still my most cherished memory (so far).
I got to the finish line first, ran 12.96, and beat a tuned Boss mustang. Win/win. (The Boss blew by me AFTER the finish line like I was tied to a tree)
Even after winning a few races, going three seconds faster, that is still my most cherished memory (so far).
abdywgn
dismantler
Oswego IL had that reputation. farmer sold lots of corn...
I took a rich kid with a corvette for about 8K one night and his dad showed up to bring more cash. He kept doubling down and I kept putting him out a little further, beat him by a fender every time. How can that primered pos 68 camaro run down my car like that... So funny. Last race he was 10 cars out.
Had money, not much for brains. Dad wasn't sharp about cars either.
Yes, I raced Chevies back then on the street. Use the chevies like a work mule to buy the thoroughbreds (mopars)
Had money, not much for brains. Dad wasn't sharp about cars either.
Yes, I raced Chevies back then on the street. Use the chevies like a work mule to buy the thoroughbreds (mopars)
Dustu
Dustu
Well this happened early 80's on the way home from this drag strip in Sikeston Missouri {in picture} I raced at on a Sunday afternoon I think I left my car number on the frt window but not my time I think . I was in my 76' Volare R.R. it was a really nice car{ first car I had that the a.c. worked }drove it everywhere, I swapped out the factory 318 ,904,7 1/4 rear , and installed a very mild 340 ,.060 over ,268 C.C. ,thermoquad headers ,turbo mufflers,727 with a shift kit ,8 3/4 3.23 sure grip and it ran and handled great for a heavy car appox.3600 lbs and good MPG too. On the way i would be on the interstate for about 10-12 miles and I went through part of town to get to my on ramp ,way out of town by then ,so I cross over the interstate bridge to my on ramp . So there sits a 69' Torino and a 68-9' Gto off to the side I did not pay much attention as I head down the ramp as I cruising along I notice in my mirror the two cars were slowly (they are ganging up on me and my little R.R. Oh Yeah !) coming up on me ,Ok what are they thinking ,Ha! ? So the Torino is holding back a good ways the GTO comes up and passes me not speeding and then he just settles in ahead of me just a little ,no sign language ,anything just stays there .So I get the hint of what's about to take place yeah well lets find out,so I move to the passing lane ,get beside the GTO (no traffic anywhere ) don 't remember I think he punched about 60 mph first so my thermoquad is opening and is wasn't very far I was leaving the Little GTO behind ,as I was leaving I waved BYE BYE( I think and laugh about that sometime ), I ran on out a ways 90 maybe race over . GTO slows way back . So what would you figure now ? Torino thinks, my buddy just got his doors BLEW OFF ,so I want to get some of that action TOO (thinking Torino must be faster ) ! Next ! Torino slowly comes up same exact same plan . I pull in the passing lane and line up the punch happens I start just pulling away easily (and I am waving BYE BYE )again just like the first instigator . So they had a plan to put the old Mopar to shame ,but it did not happen ,they tucked their tails ,picked up theirs doos and went home .My car was not a real fast car (9.11 in 1/8th theirs was probaly in the 10.00's.) When I got home my dad asked something about the trip I guess it was , I told I sucked up a GTO and a Torino up my tailpipe on the way home . You did ?Think that's all he said . My friends get a laugh too when I told them I was waving BYE BYE as I blew by them. You did that ? Yeah I did "HE HE" ! That was the best it was SOOO funny ,it made my day and still way up on my action list . A lot more excitement if you could have witnessed it than typed out here. Some of my other battle memories are not as happy with blue lights chasing after me and my Cuda .Oh boy !
Jeff Seighman
aka jeffnmo
All the times my dad took me to Great Lakes (Union Grove) drag strip.
About 5 years ago, I lined up against my good friend's Coronet on the way home from a cruise night. He had his wife in the car and I SPANKED him twice in a row. Since then, he's spent thousands of dollars trying to make his car faster than a car that I don't even own anymore.
These racing memories that stand out from the 80's and the last story from the mid 90's. My best races,all on the street. My car for the first three was my 70 Charger R/T 440 4speed 4.10 Dana.
1) My motor was freshly rebuilt and I added a six pack and it had headers but still running a small/stock Cam. Friend had a 74 super duty Trans Am automatic car that ran strong. We are out on the highway and slow to a roll in first gear. We both hit it and stay in it till we run well over a 100. I pulled a fender on the hit and we stayed the same all the way out. I wouldn't let out in fear of him coming around me.
After that I put the infamous .509 purple cam in there and with the gears and six pack it became a monster.
2) I was cruising in town (45mph) zone when a black fox bodied Mercury Capri showed some interest so we went from a low roll in first.His was a stick too.FRom the hit in first I got half a fender on him and held it till he backed out.I was in fourth gear so we were moving. That thing was fast. I found out later from a friend who knew him that it had been swapped to a 351 Windsor which explains why it was as quick as it was.
3) I was riding along minding my business when a yellow 70ss Chevelle pulled out in front of me and then stopped. He wanted me to pull in the opposite lane but I declined so he nailed it and off I went in chase. We did that through several traffic lights down a long stretch of road. He was fast. He couldn't pull me and I couldn't get any closer to his bumper. A deputy sheriff about a 1/4 behind us with blue lights on ended our fun. We scattered in opposite directions and both ran. Never saw the car again.
A friend had a 73 Camaro with an LS5 454 that was a torque monster,even with the peg leg 3.08 gears out back. We were riding on the interstate running around 70 and a Buick Grand National came along and started antagonizing. They were new and nobody knew much about them other than they were quick. After a couple of short hits by the GN My buddy lined up and lit it off. Well into third gear and we are 1.5 cars ahead and GN boy is losing his mind. Priceless.
Last one from the mid 90's, I am in my 73 Charger with a built 440 with ported heads,cam,etc and 4.10 gears when a very nice SS Chevelle 396 comes flying past me in traffic. Too many cars to have a clean go so I start tailgating him and he hits it. I hit it and routinely had to let off to keep from smacking his rear bumper. We do our own bullit chase scene weaving in and out of traffic (stupid I know) for quite a few miles. When we were bogged in traffic I kept noticing a little Geo frantically trying to keep up. Didn't think anything of it till he got beside me in slow traffic and flashed a badge to his window. I promptly made a little space and put bus lengths on him. We get two miles up the road and a state trooper has the whole road blocked off and motions for me and the Chevy to pull over(which we did). Hadf us both sitting in the grass on the side of the road and wrote us big tickets. I never spoke to him nor him to me. The cop was surprisingly nice in court and didn't say a word when my lawyer got it reduced to a nonsense violation. My attorney and his family ate free for a year in the restaurant that I managed at the time.
1) My motor was freshly rebuilt and I added a six pack and it had headers but still running a small/stock Cam. Friend had a 74 super duty Trans Am automatic car that ran strong. We are out on the highway and slow to a roll in first gear. We both hit it and stay in it till we run well over a 100. I pulled a fender on the hit and we stayed the same all the way out. I wouldn't let out in fear of him coming around me.
After that I put the infamous .509 purple cam in there and with the gears and six pack it became a monster.
2) I was cruising in town (45mph) zone when a black fox bodied Mercury Capri showed some interest so we went from a low roll in first.His was a stick too.FRom the hit in first I got half a fender on him and held it till he backed out.I was in fourth gear so we were moving. That thing was fast. I found out later from a friend who knew him that it had been swapped to a 351 Windsor which explains why it was as quick as it was.
3) I was riding along minding my business when a yellow 70ss Chevelle pulled out in front of me and then stopped. He wanted me to pull in the opposite lane but I declined so he nailed it and off I went in chase. We did that through several traffic lights down a long stretch of road. He was fast. He couldn't pull me and I couldn't get any closer to his bumper. A deputy sheriff about a 1/4 behind us with blue lights on ended our fun. We scattered in opposite directions and both ran. Never saw the car again.
A friend had a 73 Camaro with an LS5 454 that was a torque monster,even with the peg leg 3.08 gears out back. We were riding on the interstate running around 70 and a Buick Grand National came along and started antagonizing. They were new and nobody knew much about them other than they were quick. After a couple of short hits by the GN My buddy lined up and lit it off. Well into third gear and we are 1.5 cars ahead and GN boy is losing his mind. Priceless.
Last one from the mid 90's, I am in my 73 Charger with a built 440 with ported heads,cam,etc and 4.10 gears when a very nice SS Chevelle 396 comes flying past me in traffic. Too many cars to have a clean go so I start tailgating him and he hits it. I hit it and routinely had to let off to keep from smacking his rear bumper. We do our own bullit chase scene weaving in and out of traffic (stupid I know) for quite a few miles. When we were bogged in traffic I kept noticing a little Geo frantically trying to keep up. Didn't think anything of it till he got beside me in slow traffic and flashed a badge to his window. I promptly made a little space and put bus lengths on him. We get two miles up the road and a state trooper has the whole road blocked off and motions for me and the Chevy to pull over(which we did). Hadf us both sitting in the grass on the side of the road and wrote us big tickets. I never spoke to him nor him to me. The cop was surprisingly nice in court and didn't say a word when my lawyer got it reduced to a nonsense violation. My attorney and his family ate free for a year in the restaurant that I managed at the time.
mayhem
Well-Known Member
That's one sweet Dart!
It WAS a pretty sweet Dart. It was stolen and recovered after a meth induced joy ride.
Chevys can run when built right.I took a rich kid with a corvette for about 8K one night and his dad showed up to bring more cash. He kept doubling down and I kept putting him out a little further, beat him by a fender every time. How can that primered pos 68 camaro run down my car like that... So funny. Last race he was 10 cars out.
Had money, not much for brains. Dad wasn't sharp about cars either.
Yes, I raced Chevies back then on the street. Use the chevies like a work mule to buy the thoroughbreds (mopars)
68dodge
Well-Known Member
Mine is racing with my Son at Keystone Raceway in PA.
Mistabreeze
Well-Known Member
Back in the 80's me and some buddies went to English Town drag strip for night races. One of the events was a semi with 3 jet turbines mounted on it. When they fired up that bad boy you could roast hot dogs it was so hot. That thing was insane, don't have any pictures unfortunately. I don't think they run them anymore, at least not with 3 turbine engines.
When I worked at Neil's Champion Auto in Minnetonka (this was in '84 or so), a co-worker traded his '69 Camaro for a '72 Stingray with some sort of "built" 327 w/a "rock crusher" tranny. We didn't know what was in that 327, but it was faster than my SB-powered '71 Vega, so that's we used to cruise with.
Back then we used to cruise Hopkins every weekend (for gas money only), as Hwy 169 is easily accessible on the edge of town. (169 south of Hopkins is an elevated piece of highway, built above a swamp, with a concrete divider separating the north and south lanes.) Well, one night a BB Chevelle we'd never seen before was making some noise, so we agreed to take it out to 169 for a few bucks. Heading south, we were in the left lane, and we gave them the hit, and they got the jump, but that 327 drove around the Chevelle, and gained a couple lengths on them. Just when we thought we were in the clear we spotted a Hopkins cop going the other way, in the northbound side of the highway, so I (in the passenger seat) rolled down the window, my intent being to show the Chevelle that we were going to get in his lane so we could get off the highway at the next exit and duck into the Industrial Park on Bren Road.....
Word to the wise: Never shove your arm out the window at 140 MPH, as the wind will slam it against the side of the car! (I was bruised for weeks.)
We didn't head back to Hopkins that night, and we didn't collect our "gas money" from the Chevelle either, as both of us got the Hell Outta Dodge for the rest of the night.
Good times!
Back then we used to cruise Hopkins every weekend (for gas money only), as Hwy 169 is easily accessible on the edge of town. (169 south of Hopkins is an elevated piece of highway, built above a swamp, with a concrete divider separating the north and south lanes.) Well, one night a BB Chevelle we'd never seen before was making some noise, so we agreed to take it out to 169 for a few bucks. Heading south, we were in the left lane, and we gave them the hit, and they got the jump, but that 327 drove around the Chevelle, and gained a couple lengths on them. Just when we thought we were in the clear we spotted a Hopkins cop going the other way, in the northbound side of the highway, so I (in the passenger seat) rolled down the window, my intent being to show the Chevelle that we were going to get in his lane so we could get off the highway at the next exit and duck into the Industrial Park on Bren Road.....
Word to the wise: Never shove your arm out the window at 140 MPH, as the wind will slam it against the side of the car! (I was bruised for weeks.)
We didn't head back to Hopkins that night, and we didn't collect our "gas money" from the Chevelle either, as both of us got the Hell Outta Dodge for the rest of the night.
Good times!
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Back 25 years ago a local hot shoe had a 25 round win streak going. He had made some insulting remarks (publicly) to me, then figured out a way to end up against me in round one , thinking it would be an easy win. As you can guess, i took offense to all this. I dropped an additional.005 out of my delay, determined to put a number on him. I won! Take that, mr arrogance!
BVoelzke
Well-Known Member
Yea happened to me a few years ago at a pro dial ( .500 pro tree any dial ) race a guy I never saw before pulled over ( not allowed ) out of the staging line as if to wait for me .. we ran and he beat me by a little .. next pro dial race day I won first round running low 11.40s he was dialed 11.50 I have to run him second round I dialed up to 11.50 , treed him , stayed slightly ahead all the way down the track to beat him he wasn’t happy and made sure to avoid me after that ! I went a few more rounds that day !
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This is a great thread guys.....So many cool stories!!
I bracket raced my Demon from 1983 - 1995. Had some decent success, was track champion in 1988 at Great Lakes - won a $1000 to win Sunday special and some points weekends once in a while.
Looking back now (Hard to believe its 40 frickin years) The one that means the most to me now was the 1985 High School Drag race Championship.
Broadway Bob used to go to all the schools in the area to promote the High School Drag races.
Almost every Friday night there would be around 200 cars entered.
They kept track of points and the final weekend I won the race and the points championship for the year.
My Dad was so happy - jumping up and down, came over and gave me a big hug....Of course I was a dumb 17 year old, I didn't realize how much it meant to him.
I'm glad I have this picture - I'd give just about anything to go back.
I bracket raced my Demon from 1983 - 1995. Had some decent success, was track champion in 1988 at Great Lakes - won a $1000 to win Sunday special and some points weekends once in a while.
Looking back now (Hard to believe its 40 frickin years) The one that means the most to me now was the 1985 High School Drag race Championship.
Broadway Bob used to go to all the schools in the area to promote the High School Drag races.
Almost every Friday night there would be around 200 cars entered.
They kept track of points and the final weekend I won the race and the points championship for the year.
My Dad was so happy - jumping up and down, came over and gave me a big hug....Of course I was a dumb 17 year old, I didn't realize how much it meant to him.
I'm glad I have this picture - I'd give just about anything to go back.
I went to a Canadian dragstrip memories show today and met a friend who gave me these two black and white photos of my old cuda. I believe they were taken in 1986.
Car hadn’t ran in months due to swapping on 302 heads and headers. The night I got it running, two buddies helped me wrap it up (one being the owner of that 454 4 speed Chevelle). Car finally starts and running open headers. Man I’m pumped. Roll up to the cruise night uncapped as people watching. Car sounds way tougher than it is. Wife out of town so take my sons out racing after and challenge my buddy’s Chevelle which was way faster than mine. Sons on side watching and make a video (screenshot from the video is the pic) cheering me on. I TOTALLY hammered down before the flagger waved his arms. When I started getting sideways buddy let off and then back on when I straightened up. But, friend never passed me. But hard to see in the video so everyone thinks I won. Buddy and I race again on way back to spot. He misses a gear so I stay ahead again. His car is legitimately way faster than mine, but he’s never beaten me. So it’s fun telling a big block Chevy that he can’t beat the lowly 318 Mopar lol. Btw all this happened in Mexico.
famous bob
mopar misfit
my best ones, outside of winning (not enough of those tho) , was the front wheels hitting the ground when I pulled second ...
One of my favorite memories was from 1993. My wife was due with our 1st child 1 week later but there we were at the now defunct Detroit Dragway that late July night.
I was racing my mid-12 sec 69 Charger. Not the fastest car but extremely consistent and had a pretty good record. That car always ran on the warm side and I would cool it down by spraying water on the radiator between rounds. The track had a midnight curfew so if you were winning, they would often run you with little time between rounds. Such was the case that night.
So we're deep into eliminations, and the car is getting hotter and hotter. My wife is diligently hauling 2 one-gallon jugs of water as fast as she can while her belly is in "full bloom" of pregnancy. I can still see her hobbling along carrying all of that while I'm spraying away! Long story, we won it all that night in Heavy ET. Drove the car up on the trailer and shut it off, drug it home, put it in the garage...., and it hasn't been started since! Oh, and she gave birth 2 weeks later.
I gave it all up that night in 1993 while we raised our 2 kids until 2019 when I bought the avatar as a roller and built it. Started racing again in 2021 with the avatar. Something ironic: 2 weeks before our daughter (the child born in 1993) gave birth to her first child this past January, we won the Sportsman bracket class at Orlando Speedworld with the avatar!
The Charger? It just made it to the front of the line and is on my lift now. Stripping all the undercoating off the bottom then will put new exterior sheet metal on it and paint it. It is destined to be just a cruiser as we want a car somewhere between the show pony 71 Demon and the street/strip 72 Demon. Pic of it in my shop right after we moved in and hadn't begun setting things up.
I was racing my mid-12 sec 69 Charger. Not the fastest car but extremely consistent and had a pretty good record. That car always ran on the warm side and I would cool it down by spraying water on the radiator between rounds. The track had a midnight curfew so if you were winning, they would often run you with little time between rounds. Such was the case that night.
So we're deep into eliminations, and the car is getting hotter and hotter. My wife is diligently hauling 2 one-gallon jugs of water as fast as she can while her belly is in "full bloom" of pregnancy. I can still see her hobbling along carrying all of that while I'm spraying away! Long story, we won it all that night in Heavy ET. Drove the car up on the trailer and shut it off, drug it home, put it in the garage...., and it hasn't been started since! Oh, and she gave birth 2 weeks later.
I gave it all up that night in 1993 while we raised our 2 kids until 2019 when I bought the avatar as a roller and built it. Started racing again in 2021 with the avatar. Something ironic: 2 weeks before our daughter (the child born in 1993) gave birth to her first child this past January, we won the Sportsman bracket class at Orlando Speedworld with the avatar!
The Charger? It just made it to the front of the line and is on my lift now. Stripping all the undercoating off the bottom then will put new exterior sheet metal on it and paint it. It is destined to be just a cruiser as we want a car somewhere between the show pony 71 Demon and the street/strip 72 Demon. Pic of it in my shop right after we moved in and hadn't begun setting things up.
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You didn't say it had to be a car~ I've never drag raced a car nor a car on a race track, but I did go through a period of getting my race license via the CMRA, I was #298. I only raced twice as per the CMRA qualifications~ and not crash! lol I had so much fun, very exciting time of my life. I had this Suzuki TL1000R (V-twin) and also an Aprilia RS250) Those days are long passed, but pictures and memories remain. I went through quite a few motorcycles, but don't have a desire these days, got it out of my system, plus want to be around in decent shape for my grand kids.
dne' ;)
dne' ;)
Awesome story, and good luck with the Charger!
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