First Car to the Strip

[Doug Hoven]

First 1/8 mile pass in Jr. Street in 2018 with my dad's 2011 Crown Vic commuter car. First 1/4 Mile pass ever was August 2020 with an 83 Mustang GT 5sp my dad and I work on together. With the help of Billy Nees I got it to go 13.29 @ 105 in November.

[Phil Veldheer Racing]

First pass was in 1967 in a car that a friend and I built together, a 1956 Chevy station wagon with a 265 cubic inch 2-4 barrel-225 hp engine. Raced it at US 131 MSP--then it was called Martin Dragway, Class was H/SA. took it to the US Nationals that year and ran the 1966 class winner in H/SA in the first round and got spanked...all at the age of 18. Sold the car a year later to run a 1965 327-250 hp Impala in L-M / Stock for a few years,,,the wagon was sold to a person in Viginia, then it went back to West Michigan again and then to Ohio. I am still racing today. This photo is right before we flat towed to the US Nationals in 1967, I met my future wife one week before this photo and we have been married for 50 years this past March.

[FireSale]

Originally Posted by Dan 1525

Back 1965 went to Lebanon Valley saw Art Arfons Green Monster jet dragster, to cool. In 1975 or 1976 took my wifes 1969 Chevelle 307 PG down the track at South Glens Falls Dragway loved it . Hook line & sinker done !!!!!!!!!!!!! at blazing 17 sec. Since the late 70s started running my 1969 Camaro 350 AT, H/SA low 11s still love it not ready to retire for a long time! Dan Lynch

Arfons was at the old Toledo Municipal Airport (Glass City Dragway) when I tried to race my MoPed (stalled at the 1/8 mark). They chained a junker to the tail of the Green Monster and burned it to the ground. The real experiance was 60's bikers trying to get my MoPed to run... First taste of drag strip people. That's what really hooked me.

[Shadylane]

First pass was 1967 at BeeLine in Scottsdale Az. I had an all stock 1963 Falcon 2 dr sedan, 144 6 cyl and 3 on the tree, ran mid 18’s.
BeeLine ran AHRA and they had a jillion classes in stock. I was the only one in my class and won a trophy. They ran all the slow single class cars 4 wide in 2 lanes, a little intimidating for a beginner.
Later I did all the normal hop up stuff and a 4 speed. Won a bunch of races with the car over the next two years, eventually ran 15.90’s with the 144.

[Paul Precht]

Sorry for the long post but I think we're all bored right now. In mid May 1971 shortly after getting my license I decided to make a trip out to Montauk Pt with my 63 4 dr 318 Polara. Since I was only 16, I couldn't drive out of Suffolk Co, Nassau Co was 7 miles west and Montauk was 75 miles east it would be a fun drive. 3 of my buddies came along on this nice Saturday morn and one of them had a Yamaha 100 motocycle, we removed the front wheel and it fit in the trunk. We took Sunrise Hwy as far as it went then there was a small road heading down to Old Country Rd so we continued east, a few miles ahead we saw a sign that said Suffolk County Raceway which I had heard of but never seen. It looked abandoned so we drove over the dirt road with tall grass and looked over the wire fence that was not quite upright. With my buddies pulling the fence down and standing on it, I drove over it and we were in. We then put the Yamaha together and raced the bike and car down the track at least 20 times, my buddie had a stopwatch and stood at the end of the quarter and clocked me waving his arms to start, most of the car times were 16.80 to 17.0. We got bored with that and went further back and saw there was a banked go kart track so we raced the bike and car around the track for a couple of hours and finally decided to leave for Montauk. When we got there my older buddy bought a case of Colt 45 and we drank and slept in the car right on the beach. The next morning after some breakfast to help the hangover and lack of sleep we decided to head back to the track for some more fun. When we got there the track was open and there was probably 200 cars, wow. We paid 5 bucks a piece and watched the races before heading home.
A little later in 71 I got my current 63 Sport Fury for 25 dollars with a running but sick 318. A neighbor traded me a banged up 62 Polara 500 for my 4dr 63 and I put the 361/305 in the SF and headed out to Suffolk again on a Sunday. The car ran 15.20s-15.40s at 90-91 mph spinning with vapor lock, I still have the timeslips, it was all stock right back to the tailpipes the way it came out of the 62. I'm hoping to get the Sport Fury out to the track this year for it's 50th anniversary with me.

[MEXJOE]

My 1969 Impala. 325/350 w/auto trans bone stock with dual exhaust. I don’t remember the ET it was 16 something. I do remember going down the track and looking around thinking “this track HAS to be longer than a 1/4 mile. My car was MUCH faster on the street!����! I won the 2nd time I ran it. Then I was hooked! I still own the car today! It’s faster, I am slower!��

[Rick Kolber]

My first trip down the dragstrip was Beeline Dragway in my brand new 73 VW type 1(I hate the term bug). Anyway it ran low 19's and eventually got a best of 18.37 at OCIR. I eventually tore into the motor and trans and by 1975 the car ran a best of 13.99 at like 93mph. This was my daily driver and even made trips to and from CA. The car was not gutted, just looked like any other stock VW. How things have changed!

[Rick Kolber]

[QUOTE=Rick Kolber;631071]My first trip down the dragstrip was Beeline Dragway in my brand new 73 VW type 1(I hate the term bug). Anyway it ran low 19's and eventually got a best of 18.37 at OCIR. I eventually tore into the motor and trans and by 1975 the car ran a best of 13.99 at like 93mph. This was my daily driver and even made trips to and from CA. The car was not gutted, just looked like any other stock VW. I've always been known to do things the hard way...LOL!

[John Winslow Jr]

I-55 speedway in Missouri 1/8th mike, 71 ranchero 351, don’t remember what it ran, but remember it was fun. First trip down the track was OCIR, in a super gas Vega with my dad driving after the track closed on a milk crate 1978, now that was a hoot. Think he ran 11.50, John

[TGould]

Feb 1959,Pensacola Florida. Our 1955 Chev Del Ray Cpe, 235 six with a stick shift. Car was bone stock with the exception of the Corvette floor shift I had just installed...But, since that was not allowed, I had to run F Gas.. Won class (6 inch trophy). still have it. I don't remember the times. Back to Pensacola in August, Now .060 over, shaved .060. and a Corvette cam Again, won F Gas with a 17.78. (12 inch trophy) Still have it. That was the last time the car was run (on a track). Then, in October, It was on a ship to St Johns Newfoundland, our next Air force assignment.

We were supposed to be in Newfoundland 3 years, but in June of 1960, the base was closing and we were on our way to our new assignment, at an Air Force Station just west of Winslow Arizona. After picking up the car in NY we headed west via Columbus Ohio and eventually route 66. While in Columbus, I went by Jegs (just opened) and picked up a 1960 NHRA rule book (50 cents) . Still have it. It,s been on my bucket list to make that route 66 drive to Winslow again.


Tom Gould
2706 Stock