how did you get bit by the racing bug?

[Marty Knox]

Freshman year of high school, we HAD to join a club. Glee club and chess club really didn't apppeal to me. Some of asked if we could have a car club. We could, but had to follow guidelines like raise money to contribute to the school, plan activities and outings, that kind of thing. We raised the money for subscriptions to Hot Rod and Car Craft magazines for the school library. Our outings were to a car dealer, speed shop, a dirt track stock car race,and Englishtown!
Hung out at Central Jersey Speed & Machine in Fords, NJ.
Senior year I took my 63 Chevy Biscayne station wagon to Englishtown. With a 230 and 3 speed they put me in U/Stock. Runner up the first time running about 20 second ET. Went home and put in a Hurst shifter, won class next 4 weeks running 19's.

[Charlie Yannetti]

I started wrenching for the Conserva Brothers on their A/MP and E/MP cars at Englishtown around 1970, and that was that...

Won my first trophy at E-town in 1974 running my 1973 Pontiac LeMans in Q/SA.. me??.. in a stocker??.. IMAGINE THAT!!!

[BKSG1198]

4 months after I was born my parents drove out to Columbus, Ohio with my Dad's F/MP Camaro...not that I remember much of the trip, but I guess you could say I was hooked then. I remember spending "Spring & Summer Vacations" not at the beach, but driving down to Gainsville doing the Gators and Walt Disney World and at E-Town parked right next to the scoreboards with the likes of Johnny Bozarth and current TAFC Racer Dan Pomponio. As a kid I used to put my chair out in the field (where the drift track and spectator parking is now) during tech for the Summernationals and wave to all the Pro Teams as they arrived for the weekend....So I guess I can blame my Dad for getting me into this sport, but I wouldn't have met so many good people and friends over the years...Thanks Dad!

[Greg Reimer 7376]

Since I'm off for six weeks recovering from double hernia surgery, I have time to read and reminisce, and came upon this thread. I grew up in Temple City, Calif, about ten miles from the original Irwindale Raceway. I went there with my brother in spring of '69 or so, it looked like fun, so in the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to race. We read Hot Rod, Car Craft, Popular Hot Rodding, Super Stock, etc. and the muscle car years were in full swing. I never had anything but cheap used cars then, even after I got married, we had good fixers. In 1976, we went to the Irwindale Fox Hunt, the cars, the crowds, the brackets, all that excitement made me decide to try it. My driver then was a '62 Impala SS with a 409 and a 4 speed, so I took it to fun and grudge night, not having any idea what to do. After some embarrasing tire smoking 15 second runs from a 12 second car, I went home and considered what it would take.In went a 12 bolt with 4.88's, an 11 inch Mc Cloud clutch, fenderwell headers, and the like, and the '09 ran a lot better. I bracket raced it after Irwindale was gone at Orange County, and in 1982, Tony Janes and I built a '61 Chevy 283 car for Winternationals. Now, with all our local tracks in So Cal about gone, that was the only show in town, so for the next several years, I raced Stock Eliminator in whatever ride I could line up. I did all my own work, (had to!) Even as a kid, I had Lincoln Logs,Tinkertoys, Erector sets, and the like,and grew up being fairly mechanical. I got an AA degree in automotive tech at Pasadena City College after high school, and went to work at a local Chevy dealer. Not a good job for a young guy starting out, you pick up too many bad habits that way. After a few years there, I left that world for both the county and the City of Los Angeles. Still racing, I've built quite a few stockers, and raced locally, made friends, met fine people,gone places, seen things, and had great experiences that money can't buy. I'm sure most of you could relate.

[Pistol Pete]

It was in 1966, i was 11, my older brothers took me to Englishtown when the orig. pits
were on the other side.
At that time no one under 17 was allowed in the pits.
So i sat by myself and the cars came pass me on the return road.
That's when they just ran class.
They had it all. A/S Corvettes,
427 Biscaynes, All of the 56 Sedan Delivery Jr. Stockers.
Right then n there, HOOKED...

My brother had a 66 Nova just like "The Grump" 327-350 & actually raced him in class
competition.

EVERYONE flat towed there cars.

[austin49]

I was really lucky..my cousin was the anouncer at our track Napierville Dragway in Quebec. Summer of '64 and haven't stopped...crewed on cars in the late 60's and my first trip to INDY was 1970. We had an altered at that time then to modified production. Today I'm still living the dream travelling through Division 1 and 3 with a Super/Stock Camaro.

[G Anderson]

Had been to stock car races in the late 60s and early 70s and I thought they were "neat"-Around 1970-71 my folks my folks took me to Cordova and it was Love at first sight ,I left there that night KNOWING I would be doing that some day!!! Made my 1st. pass down the Cordova blacktop in 1972 driving my 1st car 67 GTO 400 4spd($1100.00-47,000 1 owner miles)wow 41 years later?

[bigdaddy4026]

i really want to thank you guys for sharing your stories my son and i really enjoyed reading them

[Philip Saran]

I guess I have to blame John Langdon for getting me intersted in Stock
Elimenator. I ended up buying his brother Chad's I/SA 340 Duster after
it ended up in the hands of Mike Rice (not of NHRA fame) after he bought
the ex Steve Hanna Volare which went on to be owned by the Loge family
as did my Duster a few years later. I guess I could also blame Mike Loge,
GTX John Irving and Mike Graham for this addiction too.

[ALMACK]

The year: 1976
The event: Sportsnationals
The place: Beech Bend Raceway, Bowling Green, KY

The hook: At age 15, it was loud engines, fast Stockers and Super Stockers with shiny paint, polished aluminum, and the smell of racing fuel.

I was the only one of the 8 kids in our family to get bit by the drag racing bug.