Old Farts that don't have enough sense to quit

[Philip Saran]

From the west coast a few more names....

Bob Mazzolini, still races once in a while.
Al Etter, was smart enough to retire.
Don Studley...RIP

[Dave1695]

Started in 68, same car since 71, at Lancaster Dragway and Niagara Drag Strip in NY. Tried to pass it on to my son but he's too smart, he took up golf instead. now lets see if my racing buddies own up! LOL

[Ed Wright]

1960, 1950 Olds 88 2 dr hard top. Wish I had it today, traded it in on my first 1956 Chevy. Raced that one too. LOL

[NewHemi]

Read with excitement on the sports page an article with a picture about the "rail dragsters" exceeding 100 mph at Akron Municipal Airport in the late 50's. It was an amazing feat; over 100 mph in less than 13 seconds from a dead stop in only a quarter mile!!! And in those days, the airport was the only place that this kind of racing could occur.

Took my first car to the track (Dragway 42 in Ohio which, back in the day, even actually hosted NHRA Nationals) I was there in 1961, with a 1961 Ford Falcon (140 cubic inches of "nothing but slow"..but it ran, so I raced it. And I actually beat a corvair once) , followed a year later by a 1956 Chevy hardtop with a 283 carrying 327 350 heads, and dual quads whose powerglide transmission was good for two runs before low range was gone..... and then in 1963 I was back with the falcon and a 260 V8, and ran C/MP.

I continue to laugh at the time that Shirley Muldowney went past the finish line, through the gravel and fence at the end of the track at Dragway 42, across the road, and into corn field on the other side. Her car was stripped of most of it's paint by the corn stalks, and she was mad as hell about the whole thing. If you ever meet her, ask her about it. And then get ready for an explosion.....

Frankly I never enjoyed night racing at Dragway 42, which was slightly uphill at the end, and poorly lighted. So it was like driving into a black hole even with your headlights on. But still.... it was a place to race.

Then life got in the way and I wasn't back at the track until my son Chris got a car that he wanted to run. It was a 1967 Ford Galaxie with built 351 Cleveland. It ran surpisingly well actually hitting 12.99 once.

And I took my 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 there with him also. I got pulled off the track, when Chris had left an ice bag on the motor, and water was dripping out. I just came upon a video of him as he was videoing and narrating that embarrassing event.

Memories are good....

David
The New Hemi Guy

[chevy620]

1967 (I think) DesMoines dragway with my ist car- '52 Olds Super 88 with 3x2s and Hydamatic (not to mention pinstriped dash...man I miss that car). Then 1968 (pretty sure) NEITA with a friends '61 Ford Galaxie with 406, dual quads with tunnel-port heads and 4-speed. We left three rear-ends at the track that summer....brutal torque.

Those were FUN days, flat towing. The biggest thrill was making it there without crahing or having a couple flat tires ;-)

Jok Nicholson

[Eddie Rezac]

Originally Posted by SStockDart

Eddie, my first trip to Flightland, I raced Judy Lilly when when she had the 57 wagon. Oh....she beat me. Later raced her Hemi Cuda (as did you)....way too many times. I talked with Judy a couple of years ago in Denver and told her that was probably the first race she would not beat me....LOL she wasn't racing and I was.

My record against her, must have been better than yours! I even beat her for the Div. 5 championship in 1977, she red lighted in a run off, when we were tied for points, after the last race at Rocky Mountain Dragway. Eddie Rezac

[Tom Goldman]

Originally Posted by Ed Wright

1960, 1950 Olds 88 2 dr hard top. Wish I had it today, traded it in on my first 1956 Chevy. Raced that one too. LOL

My first was a '50 Olds convert with a '57 J2 with an Isky roller in it . thought I was hot stuff running 13's on Atlas bucrons in '69 !
By chance ,I saw the car in back yard with a tree growing thru it about 15 years ago, guy chased me away when I asked about buying it!

[chris3racing]

Okay, I've missed this thread some how. I took my first trek to the drag strip in 1963 Shuffletown Dragway outside of Charlotte. Yes sir Mr. Watson, I took my beatings from those guys when I moved to Raleigh. I moved to Raleigh and my first trip to a drag strip in this area was to Person County Dragway, young folks know it as Roxboro Motorsports Park, my first round loss was to Mr. Ronnie Sox. We remained good friends for many years.

[Ed Wright]

Originally Posted by Tom Goldman

My first was a '50 Olds convert with a '57 J2 with an Isky roller in it . thought I was hot stuff running 13's on Atlas bucrons in '69 !
By chance ,I saw the car in back yard with a tree growing thru it about 15 years ago, guy chased me away when I asked about buying it!

Yours was a lot faster than mine!

I used Atlas Bucrons on my first '56. Forgot about those. We could buy some that had been adjusted under warantee here for $15.00 each. had "ADJ" burned into then in the white wall with a branding iron. Turned the white wall to the inside anyway. Mounted on another pair if stock 15" steel wheels. Had me some "slicks". LOL
Changed them at the track with a bumper jack. Thought I had arrived. Set the track record for my class at 15.05, @ 90 MPH. Dang! Thought I was flying, running 90 MPH in the 1/4.
That was in 1961

[HR9121]

Mr. Bud Rowe, not sure when he started but I am sure it was before I was born 41 years ago but he can still mow it down. Just ask everyone from the CCRA race at Fayetteville last year.