What got you started drag racing??

[George Fitzpatrick]

In 1968 bought my first real car 1963 Pontiac Catalina factory 4 speed, the guy I bought it from suggested lets see what it can run in 1/4. Sooooo went to New York National speedway and luck would have it my first race was against Sam biondo, in a bracket race (image that’s your first race). Lost but got hooked forever. And by the way I have never beaten a biondo yet. I can still remember Sam looking over and pacing me as we race.

[Dick Butler]

I was given a copy of HOT ROD 1956. I liked some of the cars. Had friends who had 56 chevies and built their own motors and tuned while working Gas Stations evenings and Week ends. My High School lunch class had a view of the racing on the boulevard outside the school and I almost failed Latin watching. Helped dad do a few rebuilds of family car in the garage and saw my first race at STOUT AIR FIELD in Indy. Ohio George ran his 34 ford and his Chevy Cameo pickup.
Got into a local Car club with the guys and decided watching them always come up short on money to continue racing or buy the next parts I would go to College so I could afford to race and afford it.
It was a great stimulus to keep going. Then the Jr. Stock Articles from Car Craft ? and the infection was total and the rest just got better...

[SCOTT SST2871]

When i was in high school i had a friend that had a 65 chevy short bed p/up with a 283 4speed with a cam ,headers,4 barrel and posi rear..we went every where in that truck and i thought it was fast.i had a 74 gto 350 auto and i just knew it wasnt fast!! We raced down a side street one day and i beat him badly..we went to the track the next weekend and ive been there ever since..by the way that friend still lives in town and has an auto repair shop and buys parts from me at the pontiac/buick/gmc dealership that ive worked at for 19 years
scott fifield

[Isaac Zane]

I'm blaming this addiction on my uncle Jim Zane. He got out of the service in 1968 and he and his buddies took a little 9 year old to Cecil with them. Man it was a fun time with the sights, sounds and smells! Next thing, he brings home a brand new 69 Z/28 and off to the track we go. It's been a whirlwind of fun and excitement ever since! From Nat'l records and class wins and many round wins with Jim to S/SS, Div. and Nat'l event wins with Lee along with a World Championship. It's been fantastic! I have even managed to win a few rounds myself. Three semifinals, one with the Opel at Maguire AFB, one S/SS race in 2004 (lost to Mark Faul on a R/L) and late this past year at a bracket race at Atco, both with the Apollo. Gotta thank Barry Johnson for the Apollo!

Safe Trips All!

[will prater]

I have to blame Ed Wright. When I was a kid growing up in Tulsa I used to see his SS/MA Chevelle outside his shop on a ramp truck. I wondered what it was and stopped to investigate. His wife Jeannie let me look at the car and explained what it was. The next stop was to see it run at the track and I have been hooked ever since. I went from cars to drag boats but finally back to cars.

[Pvt Parts]

The locals, Donnie Schanz and his brother Del. I remember seeing Donnie pull their senior float in the homecoming parade with his brand new 1964 Stage 3 Ramcharger with the factory headers open. What a sound!! I was 13 then. The local track, Indianapolis Raceway Park was 15 minutes away and I used to go to the track with then and watch. I was hooked. I remember Donnie filling up his car with Sunoco 260 and writing FUJIMO on the back window. Anyone remember that one????

[rx dealer]

Being from the Flint, Michigan area, all my high school friends had 1 or both parents working for G.M. It was after all where all the Small Block chevy's and Buick V-6 and V-8's were built. we tried to race anything ( my dad's mercury monterey 4 dr. with snow tires at Lapeer Dragway). my brother and I used to go to Gratiot Auto Supply and dream about what we would buy and do if we had a race car ( we couldn"t afford anything back then) we would read about Paul Mercure, mike keener,wally booth, Ronnie Mancini, Andy manarino,mark yamarino(RIP), It's ironic they became friends years later... Luke SS 311

[Curt Rees]

One of my Uncles was a mechanic. He got me interested in cars.

I remember drooling over the ads for the '64 GTO. That got me started, 1st pass down the track was in 1967 at Thunder Valley, Marion, SD.

I don't have many passes left, but plan on enjoying a few over the next year or two. Hopefully, the next several years.

#5457

Curt Rees

[Todd Bailey]

Someone should start a poll on WHO got you hooked. Like many here, it seems like the older brothers got us interested in this sport. For me, it was when we moved from New Orleans to a place Southeast of Houston, where my father took a job with NASA. We were all living in a motel and one day I walked out and right in front of our room was Huston(sp) Platt's Altered, injected Chevy II sitting on his ramp truck. He was in town to match race someone at the old Houston International Speedway in Dickinson. I had never even seen a race car in my life other than pictures in magazines. That dragstrip would be where I later first raced a street car and then a racecar. I was there the last (freezing) night they ever ran. Home Depot is the starting line and Best Buy is the top end now.

[Gary Smith]

First trip to Lions in 1966 as a pre-schooler planted the seed. Was surrounded by it my entire youth (coming from Long Beach it was hard to avoid). Dad, uncles, school teachers, and many neighbors were drag racers. Richard Bays, Gene Conway, Randy Humphrey, George Schreiber, and a host of other sportsman racers all within walking distance from where I grew up. Dad went to high school with Doug Cook. Next door neighbor bought one of Gary Hansen's old Camaros, restoring it back to a street car. When Lions closed several racers would test at Veterans Stadium or in McDonnell Douglas parking lots, only 1/2 mile from home. Weekends I would tag along with dad to Clark Cagle's shop, Reath Automotive and various other cool places.