Silly Season Has Begun

[Jeff Stout]

Dad had a new 67 Fairlane 390 4 speed. We would go to church then stop at KFC and go to US 30 dragstrip in Indiana. I was 6 years old and thats when the Coca Cola cavalcade of funny cars would run. It was so cool. He traded it for a 69 442 with 400 4 speed and raced it until 71. I got my DL in 1977 and went right to the dragstrip with my 55 Chevy 210 hardtop 327 4 speed and with clutch slipping through all gears it went 14.20. Raced on 5 amber tree for a couple years. Always wanted to run Super Stock and finally did in 1990. Limited experience with motors and could only run 6 under with help. This story feels like yesterday, but sadly its not.

[Hacksaw]

I started in the late 60's. Get dropped off at Niagara Dragstrip Sunday morning and spend the entire day. Loved it and couldn't get enough. In 74 I built my first "race car", a 65 chev wagon with 327 and PG. Next year moved up to a 69 340 dart swinger. In 76 a 70 plymouth duster, In 79 a 23 T Altered, In 89 a 225" Bos red, in 92 a 232" Spitzer red and in 93 another Spitzer, in 99 a tube chassis carbon body Firebird, in 04 a 79 Corvette stocker and in 05 till now a 02 Sonoma SS. Been working on a 69 Corvette SS modified as the next one. So I started legally racing in 74 and never sat out a season. Why? I think the hook is in so deep it will never come out. Why SS? Because normal people can easily relate to a door car and they marvel at their performance and the show they put on. For me it's the satisfaction of the build and the competition. A win in the final puts a huge smile on my face.

[Rod Greene]

1969 my buddy got his dads 64 El Camino and we went to Lions on a Wednesday night. We took turns running it down the track. The next week I went back with my 1960 289 3sp on the floor Ranchero ( the only non mopar I have ever owned). I was at the track at least 3 times a month. Late 1970 I bought a repossessed 1970 340 4 sp Duster and was totally hooked. Raced brackets and then built my first Stock Eliminator engine (did all the machine work my self at Cerritos College). Raced at the Last Drag Race at LIONS in stock eliminator got beat bad by Dave Benisek's Buick. I have raced small block stick shift Mopars ever since. I hope to have my Challenger done soon. The best part of racing is all the people you meet that become friends.

[Everett Vassar]

Sometime in the mid 80,s I took my 71 Charger 360 with a performer intake,650 spread bore holley, headers,and 3:91 gears to texas raceway just to see what it would run. ..and that was it...I bought my first bracket car in 91, A 70 Duster 440. I turned that car over to my son Dustin when he was 15 because he won more money in it than I did. A couple yrs later I bought myself another bracket car a 70 Barracuda 440 and 2 yrs later turned that car over to my youngest son Colton because. ..yep..you guessed it. Through the years we have bought and sold several bracket cars,won a few races and broke a lot of parts. Then around July I hit my head on something, called Dustin and said "I'm going to buy a stocker and your going to drive it" Well after 1 divisional and one national,we pretty much fell on our *** right out of the gate...but we are still super excited about stock and the new people we have met so far and we plan to be ready for Houston in March.

[Jim Hanig]

Originally Posted by Everett Vassar

Sometime in the mid 80,s I took my 71 Charger 360 with a performer intake,650 spread bore holley, headers,and 3:91 gears to texas raceway just to see what it would run. ..and that was it...I bought my first bracket car in 91, A 70 Duster 440. I turned that car over to my son Dustin when he was 15 because he won more money in it than I did. A couple yrs later I bought myself another bracket car a 70 Barracuda 440 and 2 yrs later turned that car over to my youngest son Colton because. ..yep..you guessed it. Through the years we have bought and sold several bracket cars,won a few races and broke a lot of parts. Then around July I hit my head on something, called Dustin and said "I'm going to buy a stocker and your going to drive it" Well after 1 divisional and one national,we pretty much fell on our *** right out of the gate...but we are still super excited about stock and the new people we have met so far and we plan to be ready for Houston in March.

Dont give up Everrt most everyone goes through this when they start. Fined a good machine shop that will take the time to get thing right.