Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

My racing highlights all revolve around a certain old guy:

1. First SS Belvedere in the 8's at Mission in 2004.

2. On the record run in Vegas in '04, he went .006 and thought he was going to leave on me. Too bad I was .000.

3. The last run I ever made in the Belvedere was in the final round of a "Hemi Shootout" at Sonoma in '05 against him. We both blew the tires off, but I looked back in high gear and he was behind me. Only time I ever beat him to the stripe. If that's the last run I ever make in a race car (I hope it isn't...) at least it's one to be remembered.

4. Taking his competition number when he retired. #7503.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

winning Indy in 1988 and then in 1989 almost doubleed up take runner-up in stock against the famouse Mike from kentucky, yu know the quinn
I knew I was in trouble when a went in a little deeper than normal, clutch grab and then yu know what happened, i beat myself harder than mike did his helmet on the steering wheel.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

(1) 2007 "FIRST" class win at the GATORS, then U.S. NATIONALS CLASS and PERFECTLY STRANGE AWARD

(2) 2009 STOCK ELIM. GATORNATIONALS

(3) 2009 CLASS at NoProblem and Houston

(4) 2009 SSSSA PIONTS CHAMP

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Wow!, some great moments here fellas and ladies. It's good to see what can be achieved through dedication and perseverance. Congrats on your special moments and Like Billy said, hope the best is yet to come!

Wade Mahaffey

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

1) Making it to the semis at the 1980 Molson Grandnationals

2) Being named 1981 Stock/Super Stock Competitor of the Year at New England Dragway

3) Taking out Big Daddy Don Garlits in the first round of Stock at the 2011 Supernationals

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

I understand what you are saying Jared. That was very nice. Family is what it's all about! Jim


.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

I suppose I'd have to say it was the first time someone handed me money for doing what I loved to do.
I can't remember when that was specifically, but I DO remember winning Super Stock one night at the Funny Car show @ Lebanon Valley.
I was sitting there in the clubhouse afterwards, having a beer and a sandwich with Don "The Snake" who had just won also.
They pulled back the curtain for the payouts and handed me a stack of 100, one dollar bills! I felt like I robbed a bank that night.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

1. 1968: Denver CO, winning Pure Stock Eliminator, with the Corvair, at the High Altitude Nationals .

2. 1972: Suffolk VA, setting first NHRA Standard Shift ET record (M/S now V/S) with the Corvair. Won Stock Eliminator.

3. 1972: NHRA Div 2 Stock Champion

4. 1972 : Being presented the Div 2 jacket and trophy, at the banquet, by Buster Couch.

5. 1974: Suffolk VA, winning Stock Eliminator, with the Corvair, at the Little Guy Nationals.

6. 2006 : Panama City FL, inducted into the Old Drag Racers Reunion Hall Of Fame.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

#1 and mostly, being able to race and win national events and during the whole time help and race with my parents to this day over 48 years now.

#2 August 1988 3 wins and 1 runner up and made a bunch of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

#3 Helping my father complete his goal of winning the US Nationals in 2005

#4 Every time i leave home to go to a race is a best moment for me in racing anymore, especially if its one of the "Over the Hill Ohio Gang" trips.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

click link http://bluetoad.com/publication/?i=84243 and then go to pages 48-50. The author did a great job and got every quote correct.
Phil

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

1. 2007, winning 2 Wally's on the same weekend, completing a postponed LVD final on fri and winning the Etown D1 race on sunday, with my wife and family there, which in itself is rare.

2. 2007. winning D1 S/St Championship while mowing my lawn.

3. 2008, winning the opportunity to represent D1 at Jegs All Star Race.

4. 2008 Winning 1st and only National Event to date at Atlanta.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

1. Its gotta be my first pass down the drag strip in my jr. dragster. First I did a 60 foot pass, they pushed me back then I went in the high 12s pedaling (they wouldn't let me run it out the first time :P ), then a half throttle run in the low 10s, then we took the throttle stop off and I made a couple passes in the low 9s. I don't think I've ever had as big of a smile on my face as I did that day.

2. A close second is winning the Bowling Green Open last year. It was just my day, managed to have .00 lights the first 3 rounds of eliminations, then it rained a bunch. They decided to run it 1/8th mile because they didn't have time to dry the shutdown completely, which I was very ok with considering I had made probably around 15 quarter mile passes in my life at that point. I won both the 4th and 5th rounds by .008 (went dead on with a 0 against Chad Mahlosky in the 5th) then beat the reigning national champ Edmond Richardson in the final. I think dad might have been even more excited than I was, they said he went crazy when my win light came on lol! It was really cool, it felt like being back at Ohio Valley in the winner's circle because Matt Morris won SS and Ricky Decker was runner up

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

1.Winning the Wally at Medford in '09.
2.Going a second under the C/SA index at Mission in '08.
3.Getting interviewed by Bob Frey at the NW Nats.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Chris Barnes
Wagons of Steel
Stock 6621

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

I actually have 2 best moments... my first race in Aug, '86...got runner up(when we had five amber tree!) in street class... and anytime i got to help my Dad go racing... lost him 5 1/2 years ago... 2005 was an awesome year, we ran NMCA together, he finished 9th in E/NMC and i finished 5th in C/NMC... it was a great year...and closest thing to runnin' a Stocker. Thanks Dad!

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Racing Chris in the finals of the combo race at Union Hill, Chris in the Cuda and me in the Truck.

Having my win light come on in Atlanta against Terry Emmons, on Monday.


Being the number one qualifyer at the 40th and 50th US Nationals.

My red lite in the finals of E/SA to James Perrone at Indy. The red lite stung since I had him covered by at least a tenth. I did have the best seat in the house to see him celebrate his Class win all the way down the track. With his class win he got into the eliminator after Joe Lisa and James pulled a piston.

My loss to Dave Buckner at Indy in the semi of Class, what a race. At the finish line we were both blowing on the windshield to try to make them go quicker.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Have not had it yet....................:(

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

it can only go up from here then!! :)

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

1.Won an SS %500 weekly event at Bluegrass Dragway 1971. My Mom and Dad showed up at the track (they lived in Lexington), were not really thrilled about me racing but decided to come take a look since it was close and I had been doing it for 3 years. Mom was fighting cancer. It was late in the season, had a backup motor and spare trans in the car. Had 2 guys break out, one redlight, and another miss a shift. Won the coin flip for the bye into the final, and cut an unconcious light to win the final. Mom and Dad (especially Mom) were just beaming when I came back to the pits.I can still see the smile on their faces. Only time either came to the track. If I never win another round, never race again, that day was the topper!!!!

2.'Accidentally' won Beech Bend points meet 1971. Barely ran the record, cut 5 unconcious lights, won against Dave Boertman, Bob Burkitt,Larry Nelson. Took each out in the round needed to allow Dan and Dave Kyle to win the division(3). They had really been helpfull to us during the season, and are two of the nicest people I have ever met, first class gentlemen. We had won $20 all season to that point. I told my partners the night before that we were going to win, they told me I was nuts, I had to agree. But it happened!

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Winning the U.S nationals in stock... Oops I was Walter Mitty again. Seriously the best time was with my older brother driving to the US National during the late 60's and 70's with all our fun experiences flat towing his Jr Stocker, sleeping in the back of the 57 Nomad tow car, driving to California to Pomona and not qualifying(didn't matter we were having fun). Him making it back after his third tour in Vietnam as a Helicopter pilot and getting to do it one more time before he was shot down. Those were the best of times. Claude

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Its not often that you get the chance to assist a drag race legend to fulfill a dream. In January of 2001 I was crew chief of the car that Bret Kepner set a national record.
Brian Olsen let me prep a mess of a car and took it over 1200 miles, untested, to attempt to set a record. It wasn't easy, first it was disqualified at tech. After straightening the classification issue and setting the record, the car died on the return road. It looked like no back up, however after a thrash in the pits the piece of dirt in the carb was removed and we set the record lower in each of the next four runs.
Bret treated me like a Top Fuel crewchief, asking me for instructions and providing feedback after every run. The crowd was 3 to 4 people deep around us in the staging lanes! What a class act.
Thank you Bret and Brian, I will never forget that day.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Would be hard to top that.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

britt cummings broke on his bye to the finals this year at atlanta and i had a bye in the final at a national and dedicated it to my mom then britt came and congradulated me true class from that family and would give the shirt off their back for anyone !

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Not 100% racing, but there's something curious about tent camping at the Mopar Nationals in August, and our daughter born the next June?!?!??

1997, I won the semi-final in the Max Wedge Shootout at the Mopar Nats at Indy. Big Daddy was doing ESPN TV coverage, and I was shocked when he waved me over for an interview on the return road! My race aired, but my interview didn't make the cut, probably because Bo Duke showed up and hogged some of the air time...lol!

2003, I watched my cousin win 3 rounds in S/G at his first US Nationals and get into the $$. The next morning I drove to St. Louis and watched my brother win $4K in N/SS at Monster Mopar.

2006, my dad drove a friend's car on PINKS. Absolutely the most exciting thing we have done in racing - and, yes, we really did lose the car!

So many other great times with family and friends - too many to count!

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

A IHRA Divisional win several years ago, a fair amount of success bracket racing but nothing compares to my wife winning our local track championship in just her second year racing. Seeing a family member do something special often beats out anything else!

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

1. Without a doubt winning INDY in 03 with dad watching on the starting line, and joey, tyler, and my mom??? watching from the stands is tops.

2. The year Dad died 08 we didnt race much until at least 2-3 months after. I won the doorslammers and Joey runnerup'd, Tyler also runnerup'd in junior dragster at that race...Dad was with us all the way and I will never forget that weekend.

3. I tried at least 10 times to beat my good friend Ricky (Decker) before I finally got him a couple years ago...Dad got in our GT/DA camaro for the first time he had raced in at least 3-4 years for a combo race at the valley. It was in the late 90's I think and he beat Ricky in the final, I didnt think he would go a round. It probably isnt even thought about by anyone else other than me or my brother...but it was one of my proudest moments ever!!!

4. I was on the starting line with dad when Joey won his IHRA national event in Bristol in 96, I was wound tighter than if I was drivin'

5. And of course, anytime I get to see Tyler win a round little less a race, it means alot....his best days are still to come!

6. Winning D3 championship in 09', It was a goal for a long time before it happened....just wish I could have done it before Dad was gone.

I would probably be a rich man by now if it wasnt for racin.....I would not trade all the money I could spend in a lifetime for one of the things listed in this post. PRICELESS.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

i have two, which i will share. both of these are my 1956 Chevy Nomad with my 265 4V engine [O/S]. i took runner-up at the AHRA Grand American in KC,MO in the fall of 1974. i lost by a big fender to a 1965 Impala.
the second was with the car, still in class legal shape. this was the Bakersfield March meet in 1994. some sort of CA. nostalgia assn. ANDRA i think. anyway i was in street machine II, the class had 104 cars. my Nomad ran like it was computer controlled. to win at Bakersfield was something which happened to racers who got their name in national dragster, not me. yet there i was in the winner circle.
for a kid from a small Kansas town and now an old man from a small Arizona town, i can say 'it was very special'.
i feel sorry that today's racers will never see those kinds of races again.
rod in AZ

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Our first SS/BA class win at Indy in 1990 was great. But, becoming acquainted with the Vignona family was just as good.

Re: What was your best moment in racing
 

Hey Mark, you forgot to add your (to date), being the only national event winner with a fwd stocker, due to your E-town win back in '86...that is both unequalled and unprecedented , plus a history maker!