Things you were bounced for in the olden days when there wer

[Dan Lattimore]

Trust me those old boys from Farmer's era were no dummies and no where near naieve. They chose to turn a blind eye for lots of different reasons on things like creative places to hide weight because they new we had no other choice within the rules that were in place. Like Buster once told me " Son I don't care if you put in your pockets as long as it's in the gee dee car while it's going down the track"----- 1975 Div.II points race Warner Robbins Ga. It was about 1:00 am I had set the record in the old Delta 88 and just sat down at a picknick table after teardown. Along came Buster and sat across from me, to say Buster had consumed a drink or two would be a gross understatement. He asked me how I was doing and I told him fine except nobody has the time of day for me cause they all think I'm a Yankee. He gave out a big laugh and asked me where I was from. I told him born in Charlotte N.C. and live just above Richmond, Va. He said unless things had changed from when he was in school that was still a part of the south and as long as I had a Div 2 number on my window and a Buster's rebels decal on my car I was one of his. Well buddy let me tell you, he was in rare form and started telling me stories about all the things he had seen racers do over the years. Talk about getting an education on the creativity of drag racers and each story ended with a little laugh and a shake of his head. One of the things he said and I'm quoting here, was " Son--There is the caught and the uncaught and that makes for winners and losers" Buster was a master at running his Div.and dealing with people. He was a very smart man and knew how to fairly temper his decisions. Needless to say he became one of my new favorite people.

[race watcher]

This is a story about a comp eliminator driver that got bounced intentionally. He made a qualifying pass and ran very fast #1 qualifier. Faster than he wanted to run. I think back then there was some type of penalty for going fast even during qualifying. On the return road his crew told him how fast he had run. He drained the water from radiator and engine. Hit the scale and was light.

[Mike Walter]

Originally Posted by Bobby Brannon

Gators in the mid 80'. Chuck Nelson working the scale. After 1st round pulled up and weight ok. Other NHRA worker (Dave Danis spelling maybe off.. )with Chuck said we haven't took a Div. 4 car yet. Chuck said take me,he's will past. LOL valve spring tester was off. Got kicked out. Thanks to Red Anderson who fixed the valve spring tester. After 3rd teared down. Gary Russel was sitting in at a pizza restaurant in (Ohio) when I went to tear down. Before he finished eating I came back by, Gary said ( I think Mike Walters) who he was eating with, Bobby got kicked again. Well not true Dave came over and said I just need a valve spring if you can get it off without taking the head off. Hell I will give it a try. LOL Back in the day will digitnal spring tester. Stories an memories. That is all we have..

I remember that Bobby...at 1984/85 Springnationals. Me, Gary & Nicki, Bobby & Janine Griffith, and Jim Griffith. We passed you on I-70 on your way back. I think Bobby actually said "He had to pass this time?" LOL......Your car was red and you had the ramp truck.

My first teardown experience was at the same place (Mayo's AAmco transmission in Reynoldsburg) with Gary Russell. It was us, Matt Rover, and Howard & Greg Stanfield. Upon dis-assembling Gary's Q-jet, Dave Danish noticed a small baffle on the floor of the float bowl made out of the top of a Sucrets box. (Leroy Hoaglin did the carb) All Dave told Gary is to take it out.

We all ate pizza that night too.

[mtkawboy]

A friend who shall remain nameless was tossed for class at Indy for having 1 TRW pushrod that somehow got mixed in with the 15 Ford pushrods. Dempsy Hardy got tossed for class at Indy because he didnt know to put the Pontiac head in the ice cooler before CCing the combustion chamber & came up 1/2 short. In the Junior Stock days cars would have so many vacuum leaks that the motors would hardly run. We once painted a steel Doug Nash Muncie 4 speed case silver after grinding all the Doug Nash letters off then wiping it with aluminum filings while the paint was wet. I love this post, it could go on forever

[FED 387]

I remember a guy who also will remain nameless Div 3 racer was about to get pumped and the tech guy asked the racer which hole he wanted to do. He said I dunno # 3 or whatever it was so he goes thru the whole thing pulls the plug, screws the P&G adapter in and removes the rockers and turns the engine over pumps up to whatever it is supposed to be and the tech guy said you are good to go--- only one problem the other 7 cylinders were .060 larger than the one they pumped---he always pumped that same cylinder till somebody protested him and he had to pull the head and they measured both the bores and stroke!!!!!!! How do you say OOOPS?

[Jim Wahl]

I remember in the early 80's getting tossed for having a sponsor decal that was "too many square inches big". Yup that's correct, a decal that was TOO BIG! Jim


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[Bench Racer]

I remember back in the early 80's my brother was running a 1958 Chevy wagon in IHRA Super Stock. It was a 283 econo modified piece with a 650 CFM Holly 2 bbl. Back then the head rules allowed only a port match with no polishing of the ports. The car always qualified well due to the soft index of the 2 bbl. (formula3) classes, that TRC prepped 650 Holleybflowed 730 CFM and was as quick as a 4bbl on the 283. We got pulled into tech at Darlington and was told to pull the intake, a header and two rockers and a plug. My brother and I were no engine builders and back then didn't have a clue but I mentioned to him that the exhaust ports didn't look legal. The floor of the ports on them 292 turbo heads looked pretty wide and flat from the casting line down and I was worried. The tech man (not Robert Leonard) done a visual of the heads and P&Ged the motor, and said looks good button it up. I told my brother "I hope that guy don't call little league ball games cause he can't see crap!. Don Jackson