Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

Ouch!!

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

Even coming to Arkansas? That must be bad!!

How about this: My first race car was a '57 Chevy. I did not have anything to tow it with nor did any of my friends. I went to the junkyard and bought a thrid member out of a '58 Brookwood SW and would swap it into the race car to drive to the race track. At the track, I would swap in the 4.56s and open the headers and go race! At the end of the day, swap everything back and drive home! (about 50 miles)

Ed, you may remember the dragstrip at Ft. Smith. That is where I got started. A senior in high school with a O/S '57 Chev but walking to school and work!

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

Casey I remember you flat towing to Indy . Remember " Perkins Cake & Shake"

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

Yep, Arkansas too.

I had 4.56 gears in my first Chevy, 1st year out of high school (1962) it was a '56. Drove it everywhere. OKC, MoKan, Fort Smith. 3000 RPM was 50 mph if I remember correctly. Fort Smith and Tulsa (North Air Port. Private air port. Had to stop the races to let planes take off & land), only had flag men then, and 25' per class spot, up to 250'. I got the same spot from a D/S as an A/S. With the tires we had then, no track prep, and dust tracked on the starting line, I could out run most of those higher class cars heads up past 'till about the 1/8th mile. I got to leave on clean pavement with my spot, they were on dust, and used the fastest (early) part of my runs. Won a lot of races there. Lord, I must have broken a train load of Chevy 3 speeds and rear ends. First christmas tree I remember seeing was at the new track here. (same one as now) Think it opened in '64, but seems like we had a flagman here for a while. Don't remember what year the tree showed up. Always loved seeing Jim Hale's Hemi cars at Fort Smith. He had the first one I remember getting to look at up close.

Also, got to visit with one of my long time heros, Don Grotheer, at the Noble race a couple weeks back. He is putting another car together. Nothing sounds like a Hemi! I love 'em.

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

Things have changed a great deal since the eighties. Some good changes and some bad changes. I stood at the top end with my dad when Modified ran and will never forget the experience. My parents let me skip school on Fridays of Rockingham Nationals. My uncle Marshall ran Super Stock at the time. My dad got us all started of course, I have his first trophy. He ran pure stock at Person County N.C. with a new 67 396-350 Chevelle / 4-speed no less. By the way, my fist job on the crew was keeping the choke pushed in on the old ramp truck! Hey a kids gotta start somewhere! Remember the past,embrace the future, and enjoy right now.............and never forget what a Modified Vette sounds like in the traps! I know you all were referring to the sixties and seventies, but think of the change that has occurred since the mid eighties.

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

Brian,

I got my start in the early 70's. Raced into the 80's, parked my car in 1988. We drove to the track,later we towed with tow bars. Eventually I bought a trailer, still have it to this day. I'm just getting my feet wet, slowly trying to get reinviolved in racing.

It was starting when I left racing but seems to be even more intense today. It amazes me how much people are tying up in tow vehicles and trailers.

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

Oh those early days. My uncle Jim bought a 69 Z/28 brand new and of course, the first thing you do is take it to the track. I was 10 at the time, what a blast. Later that year my dad bought a new Chevy P/U and so with 75 miles on it, Jim made tow tabs and a tow bar and off to the races we go in class... towing! Fortunately, I was small enough that I could get under the Z/28 and remove and install the driveshaft without having to jack it up. Probably a year later we really stepped it up with the purchase of those tow hubs! Man we were first class then! Find a good pit spot and back the truck up to the fence at Cecil where Grandmom could sit in the lawn chair and see the races and we were set!

I also remember those funny cars coming to the track on the ramp trucks. I remember Tommy Ivo's enclosed clear sided ramp truck. I like looking back at the pictures from that era and seeing the hair and clothing styles along with the "old" cars and trucks in the background.

Yep, a lot of fun!!!

Safe Trips All!!!

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

Isaac...do you miss your bell-bottom Polyester pants, and platform white shoes too? :) :) :)

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

Hey, those white shoes were cool!!! I don't miss those pants or shirts one bit, but hey, it was the style.
I recently saw some pics from back then... What was I thinking?

I did have a pair of the Coke-a-Cola pants like the ones on NHRA pic page from 2005 of Bob Pickett.

http://www.nhra.com/2005/gallery/pow/photo09.jpg

Re: What everr happened to the good ol' days
 

...here you go Isaac...

https://www.dressthatman.com/pics2/acce/acce375.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n...tfitentire.jpg