What got you started drag racing??

[cicero819]

I have to say that my brother got me involve(my drag pusher as he was know for influencing such feeble minds to drag racing) we always had a car around the house and when he got involve with a Jr Stocker 57,56 sedan and we travel allover the U.S but mostly in Div.1 from race to race we had such adventures. After three tours in Vietnam as a Helicopter pilot, he use to say to me that it was the only thing that meant anything in life. The friendship we made always was an incredible experience in our lives. He's past on but I still love racing. My favorite quote of his was " a day drag racing beat's a year of working".

[John Leichtamer Jr]

I was 9 years old and they built a dragstrip outside of town.plus my parents eloped at the Indy 500 so racing in my blood.

Hammer

[Pat Cook]

1969 AHRA Winternational's @ Beeline Dragway, Scottsdale Az.

Was there the next year with a 62 Ford Falcon 6 cylinder with Dagenham 4 speed, ran as formula 4 H/S. Car was fun, but tore up a lot of transmissions and clutches.

[Tom Goldman]

Having two Uncles who were racers got me started, ... One running Middle eliminator in the late '50's and early '60's., and another from the mid '60's thru the '70's who was a major player in Stock and Super Stock...........My first cars were always something that I could get hand me down parts for. .......'50 Old's and '62' Dodges galore!! .........I wish I had taken more pictures back then,but I was like a kid in the candy shop when I went to the track........I was more interested in looking at stuff up close and learning what I could from talking to the racers, [who were very free with information to a kid who was interested , untill they found out who I was there with ! ] .......Tom

[Walker4108]

1978 Cajun Nationals!!!!! I had never seen anything like it!!! From that moment on I was hooked!!!!

TF Kelly Brown def Mike Tarter
FC Bob Pickett def Tom Anderson
PS Bob Glidden def Lee Shepherd
COMP Wayne Clapp def Joe Williamson
MOD Cotton Perry def Paul Mercure
SS Steve Bagwell def Cotten Perry
STK Jeff Powers def Gary Long


P.S. I was born later that year in November....Talk about prenatal care!!!

[BRIAN SEATE]

My dad and uncles got me hooked. They ran stick cars, Fulton did a couple of motors for them. If you have ever been in a full stick small block car at 8,500-9,000 rpm you can understand. When I heard those Modified cars come through at Rockingham that was music to my ears. Racing has changed but it is still good, got a motor in the shop now. Bottom line.... racing is just plain fun, not to mention the competition and friends we make.

[Dean3870]

Im like a crack baby, thats born addicted. My grandfather ran pontiacs in stock passed away in his race car. My great uncle ran super stock for years. My dad still running stock when he can. my earliest recollections of anything is being at the drag strip, and around class racing. Nothing better in the world!!!!!

[danny waters sr]

My dad ,my brother , me , and now my son (and not too long off ,my grandson)

When I was in junior high and high school I got in good with the librarian every year to get me out of a study hall once a day to work in the library as a student aide. The only reason I wanted to do this was to be the first one to read the new Hot Rod Magazines when they came in. I don't know exactly why but I was always drawn to muscle and high-performance cars. Around my 10th grade year in high school (1986) I was working in the evenings after school and basketball practice at a local grocery store carrying out groceries and stocking shelves. One night, a local Stock Eliminator racer named Clarence Leyda (Eastern Ohio - divisional champ one year) came in with his '78 Camaro on the trailer. We got to talking and he asked me if I wanted to come up and work on it. I'll never forget the first thing he had me do; clean all the rubber from under the fenders and on the quarter panel. Fun!!! He taught me everything I knew about working on cars as I traveled up and down the eastern part of the country with him racing. He introduced me to some great people: Gary Russell, Woodro Josey, Jeff Potts, ... I did this through high school and college until I was on my car and began to bracket race and even class race a little.

[Michael Kilduff]

I always had an interest in hot rods..born in 1967 and knew every year and make of muscle cars when i was 9 years old. I remember drawing images of front engine TF cars in first grade.

The first race I went to was at the Highway 258 Dragstrip( now Coastal Plains) in Jacksonville NC in 1976 or 78. There was a skinny guy with a long beard running a 69 AMX with 2 carbs and a tunnel ram sticking out of the hood, I thought was the coolest car ever.

When I was in high school circa 1982 my best friend dated Gene Garrett's daughter....Gene was the record holder in C/SA with a 396/375 Nova called 'Strike Force' back then, I used to go to local races with them whenever I could. Record was an 11.44 back then.