First Car to the Strip

Greg Reimer 7376 · 01-05-2021, 01:38 AM

You can't find better people anywhere, too.

Jon Sarrett · 01-05-2021, 08:35 AM

1974 Cuda in 89 at Firebird Raceway...errr...Wild Horse Pass place or whatever it's called now.

r429469 · 01-05-2021, 09:56 AM

1973 Ford Pinto, Miami-Hollywood Speedway Park, 20: something seconds.

1976 race date.

Al Wilson · 01-05-2021, 10:12 AM

My '64 Plymouth, ex state police car, 383 4 bl. Ran my first run at Onondaga dragway, Michigan circa 1972 in G/SA R/U. Don't remember the times, I believe in the 15's.

Dave Muller · 01-05-2021, 11:27 AM

I was 26 yo in 1979, shortly after I quit stock car racing (oval track). I had a rusted out '65 LeMans with a straight six, 2-speed auto and the ugliest green respray you've ever seen. My older brother called the car "The Green Latrine" and I must admit it deserved the name.

Anyway I couldn't stay away from unmuffled V8s so I grabbed a tired 389 that had been in a stock car, a stock engine plus a decent cam, got a set of headers and a Vega torque converter. Threw that junk together along with a pair of stiff and too-tall coil springs for the rear. The car looked like a bloodhound sniffing the pavement.

I took that out with street tires (flat-towed I think) to the Westhampton Dragstrip on Long Island (not sure what its name was at that point in time) and ran in the 15s with it. Broke out in round one but the hook was set.

Dennis Petras · 01-05-2021, 12:36 PM

It was spring of 1971 and me and two of my high school buddies went to Raceway Park, Englishtown on a Wednesday night to collectively loose our drag racing virginity. I had a 1970 Nova SS 350 / 300 HP, 4-speed (factory stock). My buddy Nick has a 63 split window corvette, 327 (that turned out to be a 283), 4 speed and buddy John had a 60 Falcon, 6 cylinder auto.
I can remember like it was yesterday my left foot shaking as I inched into the beams to stage the car. Smoked off the line like Jungle Jim and powershifted to a mid 15 second run. As I was making my way down the return road to the time slip booth with a big smile on my face, Bobby Doerr, the track announcer, was relentlessly busting on John during his run culminating with him announcing his blistering 24 second ET.
John and I still laugh about it today as he has been my dear friend for 50 plus years. He now has a 60 Falcon gasser, small block Ford with hilborn injection on alcohol that he fields with his son in law. Lost track of Nick. For me, I have never made a pass down a drag strip in anything but a three pedal car.

BRETV · 01-05-2021, 01:03 PM

I was a senior high school 1984, went to Moroso Motorsports Park Palm Beach, FL. We had just restored a 1970 Shelby GT500. I talked my dad into letting me take it to the track, he says to this day he still can't believe he let me do it.LOL. It was an automatic A/C car, completely stock down to the goodyear eagles, fastest run was 13.98 at 101. I thought I ran 200MPH it felt so fast. LOL. Drove it on the the scales and it weighed 3600lbs. Car ran great. Very lucky to have that be the first car to run down the track.

Bret Velde
2003 ??/SA

GTS340 · 01-05-2021, 12:27 PM

in 1974 I took my 1969 Plymouth GTX to Empire Dragway outside of Rochester, NY. I ran best of a 13.22. That was when it was a 5 bulb amber tree. When it changed to 3 bulbs it was a whole different race.

Paul Haszlauer

01-05-2021, 01:38 AM	#1
Greg Reimer 7376 VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Glendora,Calif. Posts: 1,137 Likes: 172 Liked 719 Times in 220 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip You can't find better people anywhere, too.

01-05-2021, 08:35 AM	#2
Jon Sarrett Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Sullivan, OH Posts: 311 Likes: 838 Liked 140 Times in 46 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip 1974 Cuda in 89 at Firebird Raceway...errr...Wild Horse Pass place or whatever it's called now. __________________ Jon Sarrett Stock 3779

01-05-2021, 09:56 AM	#3
r429469 Member Join Date: Aug 2020 Posts: 68 Likes: 84 Liked 40 Times in 26 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip 1973 Ford Pinto, Miami-Hollywood Speedway Park, 20: something seconds. 1976 race date. Last edited by r429469; 01-05-2021 at 12:57 PM.

01-05-2021, 10:12 AM	#4
Al Wilson Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Dunnellon, FL Posts: 75 Likes: 158 Liked 109 Times in 38 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip My '64 Plymouth, ex state police car, 383 4 bl. Ran my first run at Onondaga dragway, Michigan circa 1972 in G/SA R/U. Don't remember the times, I believe in the 15's. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Al Wilson NSS 7160 W201 stock

01-05-2021, 11:27 AM	#5
Dave Muller Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 497 Likes: 162 Liked 223 Times in 73 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip I was 26 yo in 1979, shortly after I quit stock car racing (oval track). I had a rusted out '65 LeMans with a straight six, 2-speed auto and the ugliest green respray you've ever seen. My older brother called the car "The Green Latrine" and I must admit it deserved the name. Anyway I couldn't stay away from unmuffled V8s so I grabbed a tired 389 that had been in a stock car, a stock engine plus a decent cam, got a set of headers and a Vega torque converter. Threw that junk together along with a pair of stiff and too-tall coil springs for the rear. The car looked like a bloodhound sniffing the pavement. I took that out with street tires (flat-towed I think) to the Westhampton Dragstrip on Long Island (not sure what its name was at that point in time) and ran in the 15s with it. Broke out in round one but the hook was set. Last edited by Dave Muller; 01-05-2021 at 05:49 PM.

01-05-2021, 12:36 PM	#6
Dennis Petras Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Bloomsbury, New Jersey Posts: 7 Likes: 0 Liked 15 Times in 3 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip It was spring of 1971 and me and two of my high school buddies went to Raceway Park, Englishtown on a Wednesday night to collectively loose our drag racing virginity. I had a 1970 Nova SS 350 / 300 HP, 4-speed (factory stock). My buddy Nick has a 63 split window corvette, 327 (that turned out to be a 283), 4 speed and buddy John had a 60 Falcon, 6 cylinder auto. I can remember like it was yesterday my left foot shaking as I inched into the beams to stage the car. Smoked off the line like Jungle Jim and powershifted to a mid 15 second run. As I was making my way down the return road to the time slip booth with a big smile on my face, Bobby Doerr, the track announcer, was relentlessly busting on John during his run culminating with him announcing his blistering 24 second ET. John and I still laugh about it today as he has been my dear friend for 50 plus years. He now has a 60 Falcon gasser, small block Ford with hilborn injection on alcohol that he fields with his son in law. Lost track of Nick. For me, I have never made a pass down a drag strip in anything but a three pedal car. __________________ Dennis Petras 1369 G/ Stock

01-05-2021, 01:03 PM	#7
BRETV Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 568 Likes: 4,264 Liked 776 Times in 199 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip I was a senior high school 1984, went to Moroso Motorsports Park Palm Beach, FL. We had just restored a 1970 Shelby GT500. I talked my dad into letting me take it to the track, he says to this day he still can't believe he let me do it.LOL. It was an automatic A/C car, completely stock down to the goodyear eagles, fastest run was 13.98 at 101. I thought I ran 200MPH it felt so fast. LOL. Drove it on the the scales and it weighed 3600lbs. Car ran great. Very lucky to have that be the first car to run down the track. Bret Velde 2003 ??/SA

01-05-2021, 12:27 PM	#8
GTS340 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: Las Vegas, Nv Posts: 876 Likes: 283 Liked 1,354 Times in 413 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip in 1974 I took my 1969 Plymouth GTX to Empire Dragway outside of Rochester, NY. I ran best of a 13.22. That was when it was a 5 bulb amber tree. When it changed to 3 bulbs it was a whole different race. Paul Haszlauer