First Divisional or National event stories

[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

[Glenn Briglio]

My first national event 1983 Summernationals at Englishtown,NJ. I freshen up engine two weeks before race. I assemble complete engine and install into my 67 Camaro F/SA.Start engine up in my garage on Long Island, NY. It precedes to run for 10 seconds and shuts off and doesn't want to turn over by starter or by hand. Pull engine out and disassemble. Come to find a hole in cylinder wall were a broken valve punched a hole in it.The person who degreed in camshaft screwed up. Yes only myself to blame.I called Pierre Mansur who was doing my machine work and sheepishly asked what could we do. Pierre said no problem bring complete engine into Brooklyn with new block and heads.We got all the machine work done in 4 or 5 days. I assembled complete engine again at Pierre's shop in Brooklyn.Got it done on the Tuesday before the summers and asked Pierre how are we going to get it home and to the race? No problem Pierre says bring car into Brooklyn. Next day get car on an open trailer into Brooklyn and car onto sidewalk outside of his shop.Get engine out of his shop and it starts to rain. OK no problem until lightening storm and wind whip up. So Ken Lazzeri of Indy Cylinder fame and myself are putting engine in race car in a major storm on the sidewalk in Brooklyn.Get it installed but nothing hooked up because of storm. No problem Pierre says bring it over to my cousins Farid's shop.It's now 8pm and we go to Farid's shop Fark's supercars in Brooklyn. Get it all done and running at 12pm.Ok time to get to Etown. Next day pretty wiped out but car is running well. I run class eliminations but lose to Bill Quinn in class final. Bill gets torn down and gets bounced for something I can't remember and I get my first class win!!!!! Can't thank all the people involved enough for all that I put them through including my family.

[Dennis Petras]

First Divisional, late 1980's Englishtown when they had the 1st Divisional in May. 1st time through tech and I fail due to the mounting plate for my shoulder harnesses on my cross bar is to high with respect to where the belts pass over the seat. Tech guy says you need to find someone to cut and reweld lower. Totally dejected, I relegated myself to the fact that I have to pack it in and rework at home. Frank Johnson (aka "Deer Slayer") who ran a 70's Mustang in the same class (H/Stick) comes over and asked what's the problem. I explained and he looks in and says, why don't you reposition so the belts run under the cross bar to get the required distance? Called the tech guy over who rejected me and explained "Plan B" and he says "That will work...call me over when its repositioned and I will validate your tech card". Got to race the week end and made my 1st drag racing friend.