Official: Firebird International Raceway closing april 2013

[Jeff Lee]

I started when Mike had control. I can't think of his name right now...dangit! It was In 1978 or 1979. Mike Donnelley! Bob Curly followed Mike.
He had a great bracket program that encouraged new racers by giving a trophy to everybody that won 1st round. He did that because by and large, that was the hardest thing for most newbies to accomplish. Of course if you won the finals, you got a much bigger trophy. I've got a lot of those first round trophies in Dad's attic (I hope).
I used to tack pictures there. I had a 35mm with various lenses and Mike never said nothing if I stood just past the 60' mark and stretched a leg onto the track as far as I could reach to get a front end shot as the car was launching. I need to scan those prints someday and get them on here. A few were pretty good. Now all I can operate is my iPhone camera.
And of course we could do burnouts while holding the car in the water box at the quarter panel or even worse, maybe a finger or two along the lip of the rear quarter wheel opening. Yikes!
But one of my best experiences was he let me and Brian Griffey borrow the track for the day FREE and we had the use of the timers. We did everything we could think of to make better ET's. Today, that's a $1500 minimum, if not $5,000 fee!
I know those were the good old days but I surely don't want to see that track go.
And another...I remember the Freeman's but it was when they had that Camaro. Wasn't it a Modified? I ended up working at Lou Grubb Chevrolet as a line mechanic and one of the guys bought that car as a roller. I remember him putting a tired 307 in the car just to move it around and he reved it to the moon and dumped the clutch. It actually pulled the wheels off the ground!
Remember the Knoblock / Yancer / ? (can't remember the third guys name) white mid-year Modified 'Vette? That car got me wanting to build a class car more than anything else in my life. And about 25 years latter Bud Yancer is my engine builder. I think he's one of the smartest engine builders there is. Just slower than molasses on a cold morning.

[aspen7709]

Just got back from a meeting called by Chuck Sundstrom. Firebird operations WILL CEASE as of April 1 2013. However the Gila River Indian tribe is in talks with NHRA to reopen the facility after making improvements. Charlie Allen and Co. Will NOT be building a different facility and WILL NOT be involved with the possible new venture. Chuck could not speculate as to when or if the tribe will reopen the track or who will be in charge. As far as current staff goes NONE of them will be working with the tribe at this time. Firebird will be running a compressed schedule and will be feilding a Summit Series team for the ET finals in 2013 having all the races before April 1.

Long story short the indians are taking over lets hope them and NHRA see eye to eye and no one gets greedy or cheap.......
Word on the street NHRA wants ALOT OF improvements.......
"We shall neither help nor hinder,but wait and see"

Kenny Newsome ?/sa stock eliminator

[Shadylane]

"Remember the Knoblock / Yancer / ? (can't remember the third guys name) white mid-year Modified 'Vette? That car got me wanting to build a class car more than anything else in my life. And about 25 years latter Bud Yancer is my engine builder. I think he's one of the smartest engine builders there is. Just slower than molasses on a cold morning."

The third person involved in the Corvette was Joe Faulkner (the driver most of the time). The engine was a de-stroked small block around 288 CI if I remember correctly. This picture was taken at Pomona in 83 or 84. After one pass Joe showed me the tattle tale on the tach (pre electronic) and it showed just shy of 10,500. Joe was good friend and previously raced a 66 El Camino in partnership with Bob DeYoung.

Kelly Lane