First Divisional or National event stories

[Spyphish]

In 2009 I attended my first D4 divisional at Dallas to get a grade point. Brand new John Holt hemi car (7.50 cert was done at his shop), new license, rookie driver and only knew the Tuetons at that time. Filled out the tech card, EVERY item. SN of each wheel yata etc. Lil' Joe said "follow me to tech" to help me if needed. NHRA guy with Wesley on his shirt starts checking my papers then took a quick look at the car. "Pull over here to the right." out of the tech line. Lil' Joe shrugged his shoulders, completed his tech and returned to his trailer. MAN, Wes was in the car, under the car, engine room, trunk, had a magnet. Saying nothing to me he took off on a scooter and came back with 3 guys and a ring binder. OH %*&#. Then they really went over it....By that time Big Joe was with me running the starter motor on that old orange cart all the time. "Son, what they doin'?" I was freaking out.
FINALLY after what seemed like hours, Wes came over and said that is the most correct build of a hemi car he has seen and used it as an example to show the new guys. Correct inner fenders, interior, trick hidden cage bars, 11 weight bars correctly located at key points, fire suppression, mounted collectors (before tethers were even required). A perfect build. BUT I must put an NHRA and a Lucas sticker on it somewhere. Phish
PS Then made a run and was #2 qualifier in all of SS, heck of a grade point.

[nwebber]

My first divisional was pretty cool. It was 2001 at Boise when all the fast A cars were going for the first in the nines. On my way to the track Thursday evening my old Suburban diesel throws a fan belt going up a pass in the snow and I limp it in to the first town with a motel and an auto parts store. I make it to the track about noon on Friday and Jerry Valentine techs me in, checks a lot of stuff but not the carb. I did not know you needed to run a choke plate but had an air cleaner on so it was not noticed. As I walked around I could see everyone had a choke plate so I figured I would just see If it would continue to go unnoticed. I get to race the Tiger car in time trials and am so excited I shake his hand in the scales. First round I get Robert Pond and was just excited to race another super fast A car. It was only about 45 degrees out and he spun. I get lucky and keep going rounds I was pitted down in the hole and noticed Steve Wann moved up closer to the lanes as the eliminations went on. I ended up racing Steve in the finals and he said to me as we are in the staging lanes "you need to get more of those". I had to ask him what he was talking about. It was contingency stickers. I thought it was just cool to see the Wally's up on the guard. I ended up winning the race. Took 17 years to win another.

[Steve Polhill]

My first NHRA race was the National open in Milan Michigan. I won that race with a perfect .500 light in the final. My second race was the Divisional in Martin Michigan US 131. That race I set the National record. So my first few races were pretty memorable. nearly 30 years later still looking for that second win LOL. Been close but not quite.

[Larry Hill]

My first Indy 1990 ran C/SA with 71 Cuda, white with 383 blue billboard. All the Union Hill, Tn. folks were parked in the "Triangle". We were squeezed in with our truck and off color camper shell complements of Jerry Bennett. Open trailer with shade provided by the umbrella borrowed from our lawn furniture. Across the road and down a couple of spots, but well within viewing distance, was the the C/SA of Dale Shannon. I think Dale won Class and the race at the Gators. His car had the all the "Good Stuff".

In Tech was a long hot day, heck it could have been cool, but I was sweating it. Made it through Tech no problem. The cool thing was the weight sticker 440 ci. 385 hp, not the 440 ci 390 hp that the 70 Cuda's and Challenger"s had to run with.

We had a four round race for class, man that was so cool. I can't remember everyone that was in the class, but here is who I remember. Darrell Stiger, John Foxbower, Manning from Michigan, Dale Shannon and others.

Being new to racing I received several pieces of advice, some good, some bad. It was all said to try to help me be a better racer. Richard Carter long time stick racer from "The Hill", advice: Hold a little bit and don't show'em what you got. Then when you need it, use it, and it will be like you hit them in the head with a hammer". The other piece of advice is from Ronnie Veatch, "There is a lot a ways to win a race without having the faster car, get in their heads."

So it was with that advice I approached Indy. We kept an eye out for Dale and crew. When they were out I would have Chris bring me some tools and go through the motions of adding or removing weight. Making sure that they noticed. Even if we just adjusted 5 pounds I would carry the weight in front of me like it was 50 pounds. You know walking stiff legged like the guy on the "Munster's" TV show. Then change shift points to slow down or speed up accordingly.

I knew I had one chance to surprise the racers for class. Talking to John Foxbower a few years later he said people were curious as to who the tall guy was with the straw hat. I get by Darrel in his Super Bee round one, he was runner up that year. Don't remember the second round race. I raced 1989 Class champ, John Foxbower, in the semi's. We had just enough time to put the weight adjusting show on one last time, This time I made two trips to the truck to make it look like we removed a hundred pounds or so. Dale and company took notice because they were in the finals also.

We had one more trick in the bag. Greg Luneack earlier in the year told me about this new thing called a 2 Step. It was faster but it made the #9 'Stones spin badly in the hot. Also another drawback I was Red or Dead Late, but it was 2-3 quicker.

With the sun going down, car at minimum weight, and the bleachers shading the track, maybe this 2 step thing will work. It worked and I got by Dale's 428 CJ Mustang to get my first class win at Indy.

Over the years we would talk and laugh about that Indy race. At that race Dale a made statement that to this day holds true.
During the first part of the week at Indy before anyone went down the track, the Ladies that used a pole in their dance routine would hand out free admission tickets to the clubs. Well Dale, not married, and crew used their tickets one evening. He said a good time was had by all. Dale said that the girls had so much cheap perfume on that if you were married "You would have to burn your shirt to keep from getting a divorce for it smelled real bad"

I wonder what happened to all the cars in class that year. Greg Gay has Darrell's car, John Foxbower has his 68 CJ, and I have mine. It would be cool to find out what happened to the other cars

[MEXJOE]

My first Div. race was 1992 Dallas. I purchased the1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 from Tony Goodman in MI. K /SA In the fall of 1991. It was a super clean, beautiful car with 17 original miles on it. Ya 17 ! Any way, We went down to Lloyd Bray’s shop
in Bartlesville OK. We went on to Dallas with him and D.G..
My transmission burned up on the 2nd pass. I ripped it out went in to town, bought a rebuild kit, some place, and went back to the track.
I had the trans. apart on my open trailer when out of nowhere, A man came up and said,
“ Do you need some help son?” That man was John LeMoine, from LA. He slapped that 350 turbo together like nothing I have ever seen! I still owe him! I don’t know how I would ever repay him!

I managed to Qualify in the top 5 at that race.( did I forget to mention the car was also quite fast?) then, made it 3 rounds.

Then came a time I will never forget.
I had to go up in the tower to meet with Jay H.The Div. 4 Director. To see if he would let me attend the Huston National Event.
I did not have a points race until the Dallas event we were at.
He could have told me to go home.
Lloyd Bray and my friend, went with me. He was my attorney at charge, I plead my case. Jay sad I, “don’t know.”...
Just then Lloyd said in his “Okie Drawl”, Now, Jay you need to understand the young men, you see here are the Future Of NHRA. You have an obligation to let this young man who came all the way, from Minnesota, to race in Houston. He has a beautiful legal car, and wants to race. Jay said... Is that right, Lloyd?Jay, looked at me and my friend, then at Lloyd,..a long silence ensued. Jay looked up and said, “Well, Lloyd, I suppose you are correct, I will allow it this time. Never again! I paid the entry fee, and we were off to Huston TX! (Thank you,Lloyd, RIP my friend)

Arriving in Huston, we were in a mall parking lot. It had rained hard for days. The track was closed. We sat in the parking lot for 2 days. A nice Mexican Restaurant became home,.
Then another storm was coming. Big hail We had open trailers NOW WHAT?!

By luck, Mr. Mcelroy offered us a spot to park in his huge building! Thank goodness!
Holy Cow! ,
how much more luck could a guy have!

After days in the rain, the race was on!

I got to know many people who instantly felt like old friends.

We pitted next to Jerry Bennett.

I won class! I will never forget it!

1st round I had to race my friend, we traveled from MN. to Huston now we had to run each other in round one.(did I mention, my friend is JASON LINE?)

Well, I did win that round, made it to the semifinals then went on to red light.

We drove back to MN, going through a snow storm and other adventures.

If you think that’s a story to remember, I’ll tell you the story about the kick off to Jason Line’s Stock Eliminator World Championship!

This has been one Heck of a ride!

Wonderful People thank you all!


Thanks for the Memories!

[Jack Matyas]

So it wasn't my first Divisional or National - I can't remember what year it was but the second Divisional in D1 that year and we went to Cayuga , Ontario , Canada on a Friday and after sitting in the tech line for over an hour I was getting PO'D 'cause the line was barely moving so I went up to the front to see what was up and there was Greg Xakillis .I approached carefully and asked him if he would mind getting me done so I could head to the motel.He asked if I was sick or something.I said no but i didn't want to miss that week's episode of 'Dallas'.It surely was something he didn't have words for but he did it and sent us on our way.Greg and I are still friends today ...........

[Bob Don]

1978 Sportsnationals at Bowling Green, after a godawful tow through the night, I teched in. I had put brand new pair of bright yellow Lakewood slapper bars on my U/SA Nova. The tech guy said the traction bars were too low. I got out tools and cranked the U-bolts as far as I could - nope, still too low. I ended up taking the front snubbers off and then cranking the U-bolts all the way - finally I was passed. After that race, I painted the traction bars flat black and never got a second look after that.

1979 Summernationals at E-Town. I was at a motel on Rte 18 (I think it's gone now). There were a ton of racers there. Back then, most guys took their cars back to the motel overnight. The motel was a total zoo. Guys were drinking, bench racing, partying, and wrenching their cars. There were several race cars in the parking lot in various states of disassembly. I remember everyone used motel towels as shop rags, which really pissed off the manager. I was in my room on the second floor and I heard a loud argument a few doors down. It was Dave LeBrun yelling at his brother Bob about what to watch on TV. Things got pretty heated and the next thing you know, Dave wheeled out the TV on it's cart and tossed it over the balcony and into the pool! Everyone who saw it was in total shock. Dave went back in his room in a huff and slammed the door. Fun times.

[MEXJOE]

Originally Posted by Bob Don

1978 Sportsnationals at Bowling Green, after a godawful tow through the night, I teched in. I had put brand new pair of bright yellow Lakewood slapper bars on my U/SA Nova. The tech guy said the traction bars were too low. I got out tools and cranked the U-bolts as far as I could - nope, still too low. I ended up taking the front snubbers off and then cranking the U-bolts all the way - finally I was passed. After that race, I painted the traction bars flat black and never got a second look after that.

1979 Summernationals at E-Town. I was at a motel on Rte 18 (I think it's gone now). There were a ton of racers there. Back then, most guys took their cars back to the motel overnight. The motel was a total zoo. Guys were drinking, bench racing, partying, and wrenching their cars. There were several race cars in the parking in various states of disassembly. I remember everyone used motel towels as shop rags, which really pissed off the manager. I was in my room on the second floor and I heard a loud argument a few doors down. It was Dave LeBrun yelling at his brother Bob about what to watch on TV. Things got pretty heated and the next thing you know, Dave wheeled out the TV on it's cart and tossed it over the balcony and into the pool! Everyone who saw it was in total shock. Dave went back in his room in a huff and slammed the door. Fun times.

That is a good one!🤣