Tell us your best......
 

Merry Christmas everyone. I was thinking to myself its only a few days until end of the year.... what were the best days from my race season?

Being just an average racer, it was not winning that's for sure....ha. For me its the first race I go to. Its cold up here in the northeast and the first race for me is always Florida in late February and March. Its just so nice to feel the warm air and start racing. Indy is also a great week for racing, even if I don't do well, I just love going to the US Nationals. I know this sounds a little corny, but I really like to talk to the fans. Indy is always good for that, when the parents with their kids look at the cars and I get the kids to sit in the drivers seat. The smile on their faces from the kids and the parents are so cool.

Tell us your best days at the races. I would love to here racers and fans stories about what they feel was the best days at the track this season.

Re: Tell us your best......
 

I always love Bristol. My Mum usually comes in from England. I never do any good, but it's always a great weekend.

Re: Tell us your best......
 

This is my first attempt at posting here so .... My best day this season was when I won super stock at the Maple Grove div race in May. It was my second race with my SS/KA firebird that I bought from the Kennedys. It was really special because my wife was with me and we got to go to the winners circle together. While we have bracket raced for many years this was my first season as a class racer. I would like to thank the Kennedys, the Antonettes, Ken Robinson, Mark Osterbye, and the crew from NHRA and others too numerous to list for all their help and patience with all my questions. We met a lot of great people and had fun which is really what its about. Looking forward to 2020. Roy Kinslow

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WOW! Congrats!
Bob

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In Sept., Lebanon Valley holds the Dover Dragstrip Reunion. It has grown into a 3 day event, with a car show and packed grandstands.
I was fortunate enough to go 4 rounds on Sunday in "Dover Vintage", lost in semi-finals.
Mike A114

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COPO reunion race at Norwalk in August-perfect weather, cool cars and I got to Meet our benefactor--YoKen!! Once again it was great to finally meet you Ken!

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Paula's birthday party during the Gatornationals a great time with great friends.

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Every race day is always the best day of the week , but winning the Virginia Nationals was certainly the best Sunday of the year .

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Winning class at the 50th Gators making it to the semis at the Baby Gators and the quarters at the Gators. Being warm in March and hanging with a bunch of D1 racers and friends made it all unforgettable!

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My best race experience in 2019 was a 10 day adventure on the Canadian side of the P.C. Richards Div 1 National Open trail - back to back weekends at Napierville, Quebec and Miramichi, New Brunswick. Went some rounds, posted a PB and sampled some of the best scenery that Eastern Canada can serve up! Just the best of everything that our sport can offer....the thrill of competition, the companionship of some of the finest and most genuine characters a person could hope to meet, and the warm feeling that follows a competitor’s winner’s circle celebration. The coolest part was, it was a repeat of 2018 without an ounce of déjÃ* vu. I expect no less from 2020; can’t wait!! :D

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Racing at an NHRA divisional in Rockingham. Last divisional I had raced at was Lebanon Valley back in ‘95. Have raced stock/ SS combo races for the past 16 yrs. due to budgetary constraints/family/college for my 5 children. Then running .65 under with my oddball combo at the Rock.
Plus, racing with some of the finest folks I know with the CCRA (Carolina Class Racers) and looking forward to our 2020 season.

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My best one, this would have to be the first 1/4 mile pass on the Caprice at the U S Nationals. I had been working feverishly on it since mid-May. I foot braked the thing first hit to be assured I got down track. After picking up my et slip and seeing the 10.902, I thought, well it was worth it.

Ernie Neal
SS 354

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We finally fulfilled a lifelong dream of winning a NHRA national event. Thanks to Daren and Veronica Poole-Adams for putting me behind the wheel of one of their Copo Camaros we won the Southern Nationals

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After failing to meet my personal goal of having the new car ready for Indy, do to my poor attention to detail, doing well in the Cuda was a plus.

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Working with Barry Parker, Lebanon Valley Dragway, the ASRA & the countless number of Racers across the country that $upported and Dontated monies to Successfully organize one of THE BEST Stock/SuperStock races for two Great D-1 Racers that passed this year, Alan Peters and Dave LeBrun.

109 Stock/Superstock racers made the call that day, and we were able to pay out over 15K to those that attended.

It was only fitting that one of Dave Lebrun's 69 Camaro's Won the race Piloted by Anthony Fetch owned by Gary Richards.

Special Thanks to Dave Ley, Russ Wernes, Bill Holms from the East Coast Stock/SuperStock Association for attending and coorinating this event.....

and lastly to post my first "Trip-Zip" ever, qualifying #1 driving Mark & Paula Callanan's Camaro at the Event and collecting the bonu$

(Thanks to R/U Joe Lisa)

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It had been a lifelong childhood dream to run the US Nationals. I grew up watching my grandpa JB and uncle Marion run their stockers all over Division 3 tracks. I finally bought my stocker in 2009 but due to being deployed part of every summer I didn’t have a lot of time to work on it. After switching to the National Guard last year my cousin Chris and I worked on it until we got the time down to where I thought I had a chance of making the cut. My wife and two girls, along with my dad and friend Josh got to be there. Not only did we make the cut, we won a round of class and we went four rounds before losing a close one. Best race ever. Huge thanks to Chris Stephenson and Gary Herche for helping me make my dream a reality!!

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As a fan, everyday at the track is as good as it gets. Being at Indy every year for all 6 days of the U.S. Nationals is always the highlight of my season. This year sitting in Dallas Kelley's SS/B T-bolt in the staging lanes on Sunday during a lengthy rain delay was priceless, as you can tell by my avatar. As the old saying goes "a bad day at the track is still better than a good day anywhere else"!

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For me it was a big year overall. First getting the new engine in for the Atco open and running almost a second under with the trans slipping was a bittersweet start. I planned on running Indy for my first time ever if the new engine looked promising. Indy was a challenging race and thanks to lots of help from my friends Frankie & Frank Aragona Uncle Steven and Wally we got the car to hook a little better and qualified right in the top half of the field, then made it to the class finals! Then following that up with a number 1 qualifying spot at Maple Grove and going 3 rounds there was a great way to finish my season.
Looking forward to an improvement in 2020!

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Always wanted a 10 second time slip for the ol Nomad
A few years ago we went 11.03 at a Dallas points race & took off for Indy points race either next week or two
Air was a little better, we went 11.05, so jacked it up to drain some oil out, here comes the JR1 guys on a golf cart, we yucked it up about our goal, they said try this

We had gone 11.11 in NA, so we had weight out (230), and bingo 10.94

Wife taped it, we got to laughing like of couple of kids skipping school

Lost 2nd rd, drove home with a huge smile, mission accomplished

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Mine has to be winning Stock at the Baby Gators this year!! 107 cars, 7 rounds, it all just fell together! I think I would have enjoyed it better if my back hadn't been so screwed up! Had surgery two weeks later and haven't raced since. I put a swing out bar in the Volare' and hope to make the Orlando points race in a few weeks. My first Lucas win after 52 years of racing! It was a monumental year for me for sure! Jim



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Going several rounds at the end of the season at Galot, ZMAX, and Rockingham divisional and the Moser shootout. Looking forward to 2020.

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Best day would be the National Open at Bandimere in May. Since the Skyhawk hadn`t been off the trailer since October I ran the test day Friday. On Saturday after a dead-0 run in the quarters and a semi final bye, I made the final in the Stock/Super Stock Combo against Don Morris` Classic Mopar. Unfortunately Mother Nature prevented the final from happening in front of 15,000 spectators, but it was still a helluva day!

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Going to Tuscon for the first time with my good friend Ashton Hudson. Really enjoyed our time in Tuscon.

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A couple of races this year for us. Rock Falls Raceway in Wisconsin for the MCR 1st annual Stick Challenge. We had career low 60' times of 1.405 and the best prepped track that weekend. We were allowed to leave the trailer at the track after the race that weekend, and went sight seeing in the Great Lakes area. That was an added bonus for my wife and I.

The final race of the season, Setting the SS/N national record at Kearney Raceway Park, with D-5 tech Wayne Lewis present. Wayne has been a fantastic help in answering my many tech questions over the years. Wayne has had some health issues the last couple of years, so it was truly an honor to have him there during the teardown process. I would be remiss not to mention the other D-5 tech staff of Ron Hawkins, Vince Tosto, Kevin Jonas, Bob Blackwell, and Travis Hilton all present that weekend. We are very fortunate to have these fine people that are as passionate about Stock and SS as we are!

Sean

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Several years ago my beautiful B/SA 69 Camaro got stolen and was never found. I was devastated, and it was years before I made it back to the track. That was hands down the worst day in racing for me. This year in Las Vegas after a casual discussion with another racer I found out he was thinking of selling his 427 A/SA 69 Camaro. It was a bit of an impulse buy - but by that evening I had a new car and was once again going to have the chance to race my first love....a big block 69 Camaro.

It’s out in the garage right now, sitting next to the 69 RS 396/375 streeter Camaro that I got after my baby got stolen. It’s resting comfortably up on jacks as I work through a few of the off season changes I wanted to make. A couple of times I have awakened and thought I heard some laughter coming from the garage. Like my father used to do when we got too rambunctious after bedtime I go down the hall, open the door, and try to sound stern when I say, “You kids keep it down, it’s bedtime and you need to go to sleep.� I close the door and try not to laugh - just like my dad did 50 years ago.

When sleep finally comes on those nights I dream about how much fun it’s going to be this coming year: all the laughter, great meals, exciting round wins, disapointing round losses, quiet moments driving to new tracks, and mostly the camaraderie that makes this crazy sport so addicting. But mostly I dream about how great it will be to be back behind the wheel of a beautiful 69 Camaro again. Thanks John!

Happy New Year to you all - and to all a good night!