How did you get started in Drag Racing?

goinbroke2 · 02-08-2024, 02:58 PM

I'll try to be short...

I grew up in a whole family (cousins etc) that all raced stock cars at a local track about 3 miles from my uncles. I started driving stock cars at 14. After building a car (for 3 months) that was quicker than anything in my class by almost 2 seconds, first evening running it it was destroyed by someone else's mistake. (Car in front checked up, I slowed and the guy behind me tapped me and spun me sideways where another car ran over my nose destroying the car) I was so mad I decided then and there I will never run or even watch another stock car race. Then in grade 11 I had an automotive teacher (Mel Moir) who had us build two cars for the "school boy competition" where schools all over the province built and drag raced their car against other students. I was hooked and have been drag racing since.

(this is still a thing and when my youngest got out of juniors he went and was the only NS car competing against all the NB cars. He got 3rd)

My kids story is, I bought him a junior for his 10th birthday and he drove it until 17 where he went on to sportsman but has since been too involved in the military to race much.(an excuse as far as I'm concerned, lol) We ran against each other in the Miramichi last year and I had a .018 light to his .030 and dumped him at the stripe, lol.

Travis Buth · 02-08-2024, 04:52 PM

My first time I remember going to the track was in 1997 when I was 5. My brother started racing his Jr. Dragster that year. I was instantly hooked and have been racing since 2000 when I turned 8 and was able to run Jrs. Starting my 25th season in about a month down in Gainesville!

427FE · 02-09-2024, 07:45 AM

My cousin would take me to Englishtown when i was 12-13 during the 5.0 mustang craze. It was fun reading about all the fast Mustangs in the magazines and then being able to see them all at Englishtown. Reading about Project Stocker by Evan Smith made me fall in love with Stock.

340Cuda · 02-09-2024, 02:33 PM

A friend I had in high school's (Steve Christian) father (Weldon Christian) had a 63 Plymouth Max Wedge race car. I went to the old Tulsa North Dragstrip to watch it run and was hooked. I ended up racing my 1957 Plymouth once or twice at that track.

They later had a 64 Plymouth Max Wedge lightweight and had several other cars ending with a Pro Stock Duster. Steve and I along with other friends traveled all over Division 4 and 5 racing in the summer.

After they quit racing and I got out of the Army and friend and I build a 67 Dodge Dart then later a 69 Barracuda that still have.

I certainly have acquired lots of great friends I would have never known otherwise.

Bill Lamb

02-08-2024, 02:58 PM	#1
goinbroke2 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: NS CANADA Posts: 902 Likes: 1,722 Liked 405 Times in 158 Posts	Re: How did you get started in Drag Racing? I'll try to be short... I grew up in a whole family (cousins etc) that all raced stock cars at a local track about 3 miles from my uncles. I started driving stock cars at 14. After building a car (for 3 months) that was quicker than anything in my class by almost 2 seconds, first evening running it it was destroyed by someone else's mistake. (Car in front checked up, I slowed and the guy behind me tapped me and spun me sideways where another car ran over my nose destroying the car) I was so mad I decided then and there I will never run or even watch another stock car race. Then in grade 11 I had an automotive teacher (Mel Moir) who had us build two cars for the "school boy competition" where schools all over the province built and drag raced their car against other students. I was hooked and have been drag racing since. (this is still a thing and when my youngest got out of juniors he went and was the only NS car competing against all the NB cars. He got 3rd) My kids story is, I bought him a junior for his 10th birthday and he drove it until 17 where he went on to sportsman but has since been too involved in the military to race much.(an excuse as far as I'm concerned, lol) We ran against each other in the Miramichi last year and I had a .018 light to his .030 and dumped him at the stripe, lol.

02-08-2024, 04:52 PM	#2
Travis Buth Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Trafalgar, IN Posts: 51 Likes: 256 Liked 63 Times in 27 Posts	Re: How did you get started in Drag Racing? My first time I remember going to the track was in 1997 when I was 5. My brother started racing his Jr. Dragster that year. I was instantly hooked and have been racing since 2000 when I turned 8 and was able to run Jrs. Starting my 25th season in about a month down in Gainesville! __________________ Spts/Pro-302P Stock-3653

02-09-2024, 07:45 AM	#3
427FE Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Monroe Twsp, NJ Posts: 193 Likes: 261 Liked 348 Times in 79 Posts	Re: How did you get started in Drag Racing? My cousin would take me to Englishtown when i was 12-13 during the 5.0 mustang craze. It was fun reading about all the fast Mustangs in the magazines and then being able to see them all at Englishtown. Reading about Project Stocker by Evan Smith made me fall in love with Stock. __________________ Pat Clemente #1427 B/S

02-09-2024, 02:33 PM	#4
340Cuda VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Posts: 1,679 Likes: 3,924 Liked 805 Times in 341 Posts	Re: How did you get started in Drag Racing? A friend I had in high school's (Steve Christian) father (Weldon Christian) had a 63 Plymouth Max Wedge race car. I went to the old Tulsa North Dragstrip to watch it run and was hooked. I ended up racing my 1957 Plymouth once or twice at that track. They later had a 64 Plymouth Max Wedge lightweight and had several other cars ending with a Pro Stock Duster. Steve and I along with other friends traveled all over Division 4 and 5 racing in the summer. After they quit racing and I got out of the Army and friend and I build a 67 Dodge Dart then later a 69 Barracuda that still have. I certainly have acquired lots of great friends I would have never known otherwise. Bill Lamb