First Divisional or National event stories

[Randall Klein]

This is a little different, hope it is ok
1968 my cousin and I took off for Tulsa (Finals?) with no clue about anything
We drove a 57 2 door and slept behind a gas station in the car
Next morning at Denny's we asked someone if they knew where the drag strip was....he pointed to the sky and said follow the planes!

We got to the track: watched Jenkins, Strickler (?), Smothers Brothers, I think George Cureton among others, a great trip and memory

[Dragrac419]

I bracket raced when in high school and college and then sold everything to raise a family. Forward to August 2018 I buy my first stocker. I run some test and tunes and Orlando and Bradenton races to get some seat time as it has been over 30 years since I have been in a race car. The car is not fast but it runs under the index so I’m happy. Come February I’m ready for my first divisional race in Orlando. Take the car off the trailer and hear a funny sound but thought it might have just been a heim joint changing position. Go up to make my first qualifying run and the car spins at the leave. The car never spins so thought that was strange. I’m by myself so trying to figure out what happened. Check the car out can’t see anything wrong. Go up to make the next time shot and the same thing happens. This time when I get to the finish line the car pulls and I realize it is a broken axel. Try and find one so I could race on Saturday with no luck. Fix the car and go to SGMP for the next race and get to the semifinals. Really excited at this point. Go three rounds at Gainesville. So, I figure I will try my luck at a national event. Get into Atlanta and the car won’t run the number. Mess with fuel injection and take fuel out as I thought it was rich when it was really lean. (first time messing with EFI) Come to find out one of the injectors has a broken wire that drove me nuts for 5 months.

[Ryan Horensky]

The Pennzoil Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park when I was 18. I believe it rained Wednesday and Thursday. We had (1) qualifying run on Friday. I think the quickest run per class was designated the class winner. I wasn't the quickest run. I got my time slip and was invited to the tear down barn along with the (2) other youngest racers running stock at the event (Bryan Sorce and Gary Simpers Jr). In the lanes before first round, the security guard tried to throw me out of the lanes because he thought I was a spectator even though I had my credentials. I lost brake pressure and pushed through the staging beam 1st round for the loss. Definitely had the full National Event experience during that race.

[Hacksaw]

I'd already been mostly bracket racing since 73 and in Aug. of 81 a friend ends up with the x Bobby Warren Gumout Camaro. The previous owner had already entered the Indy Nats. and the new owner talks me into going and driving the car. So before I think much of any of this through were on our way, 5 guys in a 69 Chev wagon and an open trailer. We made it to the Speedway where it was all day to pass tech. Over to the strip, back then you had to go through Scrutinering ( or something like that ) to show your entry and ...... can you say nervous....? but I fluffed my way in. Every pass I had trouble and we couldn't figure it out. There was about 24 cars in SS/JA and back then we ran off the record that was 11.33. Boburka lines up with me, 5 yellow tree, no rt's, I jump out a car on him and of course the engine misfires and he drives by me, I go 11.31. Jim wins class and I think he won the elim. as well. Congrats. Drive thru the night to Cayuga Dragway, take the single point distributor out of the wagon, short shift it and it goes 11.08.

[1matcoman]

Great story, Joe. Lloyd was a great guy, indeed.

[rboyle]

After years of staying home as family demands were necessary I brought my oldest daughter to watch her Uncle race when her softball tournament got rained out nearby. He had a fleet of cars at that race and out of all of them she said she'd like to drive the Stocker he had there.
I told him if one becomes a available for a reasonable price to let me know.
When one did it was in Florida, I'm in NY so my best friend made some concessions and arrangements and next thing I knew I was flying to Gainesville to buy it. He hauled it to the Sportsnationals in Belle Rose and I was going to race it there.
What a great experience. I flew in and we did the test and tune. I made 10 runs. First run I did everything wrong, lifted my foot off the gas twice and shifted early. I got better every round and we picked it up a little each run. Fixed a few gremlins and changed plugs and timing, adjusted the valves etc. My last run of TnT I ran a 12.31 on the 12.30 index. Next morning was first qualifying shot andI don't think I slept at all.
Well I was the first pair down the track figuring we might need all the time between rounds possible. I left on the last yellow and it auto shifted then as it got to 5200 rpm started to vibrate a little, I shifted into 3rd hoping to clear it up and wham bang bam, silence. We t down the middle of the track all the way to the first turnoff since I thought I might run over the oil and spin or not be able to stop.
I shut the track down for an hour at least. Kicked a rod, cracked the trans in 3 spots, spit the driveshaft out and broke the yoke!
Thank God for ALL the help from my best friend and family!
Overall though it was an amazing experience! Got to eat Cajun food every day, ride in the Thrilla, a personal tour of the bayou, a pig roast! I think they put on such a great race and experience.

[HR9121]

Great stories by all and a great way to kill some time since I know everyone is about to go crazy. My first national was Charlotte, I don't remember what year it was but it was the year they changed it to March for one year. North Carolina can be a little unpredictable weather wise in March and I thought this might be a mistake by NHRA when I saw the schedule for the year the first time.
A week or so before the race the weather forecast looked terrible, cold and rainy Thursday and Friday and then just plain cold the rest of the weekend. Quite a few dropped out but I was determined and for the most part I think it was close to a full field for quota. We got there and parked late Thursday and by luck we got parked behind the grandstands where the Pro Mods normally park even though we got there late. If I remember correctly Friday was a complete wash but they had started drying the track several times even though it was only about 42 degrees. None of the usual "Live" reporters were there that weekend so my buddies Greg and Steven Rowe talked me into starting a "Live" from thread so I did and that was how I got started in the Reporter business.
It was determined late Friday that we would get one hit on Saturday morning and then into eliminations. This is where it gets good, the week before I had put new disc brake conversion on the rear of the car. One and only qualifier the car didn't feel like it wanted to leave initially and I had like a .120 light even though I felt like I nailed it. Car runs about .90 under in -200 of DA but wasn't that concerned because I was trying to slow it down. Get back to the trailer, jack it up and pull the rear wheels. After inspection can't really find anything and someone gets in the car pumps up the brake and releases them but for a split second you can't turn the axle then it finally frees up. Must be air in the system so we decide to bleed them and this is when we find out how smart I am. I had installed the breeders on the bottom of the caliper. Genius, pure genius! Get it straightened out and ready for first round.
First round I'm running like a Q/SA can't remember who it was but neither one of us is particularly great on the tree and he wanted the stripe awful bad so I dumped hard and win the round going like a 11.43 which is 1.02 under the index.
I didn't really understand the AHFS at the time and thought I need to slow this thing down some more but one of my friends says well you already flagged it one time so it really doesn't matter now and it was flagged earlier in the year. So I thought he's right and it will be hard to dial it if I change anything.
I had some good rounds and was able to make it to the quarters before finally losing a good race to Jeff Strickland.
So at my first national I became Live reporter for Classracer, won 3 rounds and got to race on Sunday and looked like an idiot making 4 passes more than a second under the index.

[Dave Casey]

1st National event , Summernationals around 1975. Pull in for tech, no idea who the tech inspector was. Looks at my car (66 nova) promptly turns tech card over and writes down these infractions

wrong glove box emblem

It's a nova not and SS, need door edge molding down both sides

There are holes in the bottom of the doors(for the SS trim which I removed)

laying under the dash he can see light thru a couple of holes in the firewall

"Fix it and come back he says"

off to the local bone yard, we find some impalas and buy the edge trim, and cut it down , glue or screw it on. Also find a NOVA emblem and attach that to the glove box

buy some red silicone(car is red) and fill the holes in the bottom edge of the doors

buy some black silicone and fill the firewall holes

Back to the track and we pass, whew , how times have changed