First Car to the Strip - Page 3

FireSale · 01-03-2021, 12:35 PM

I was the "staff photographer" at Milan in '66 and took my parents 64 1/2 2bbl 3 speed stick Mustang through the other gate one Sunday. Ran K/PS. Kept missing gears during TT but hit them all and treed a guy big time in round one. He was pissed and accused me of sandbagging to set him up. Got a Fastback 4 speed next round and that was that. 15s at 80 something. Exciting.

EDIT: Washed it really good before I got home...

Randy Wells · 01-03-2021, 12:42 PM

1981 Pueblo Dragstrip, my Brothers 1968 F/S Camaro. I staged ok but left in 3rd gear.

Randy Wells
I/S 5628

Chuck Gallagher · 01-03-2021, 01:03 PM

1967 took my '64 GTO to the old Concord (NC) drag-a-way and won the C/S class trophy, which I still have displayed in my garage.
Still racing a Pontiac, sort of.
Flagman, quarter mile. I was about 3 months out of the service.
The place (race track) was sold to a developer and became a nice sub-division known as, "Old South".

jjn38d · 01-03-2021, 01:29 PM

1967 Fairlane GT 390 car - running down the strip is one of those things I knew what it felt like even though I never did it before I had a drivers license,14.32 90 mph something, still have the time slip somewhere

Bob Lasko · 01-03-2021, 01:30 PM

Flat towed my 67 Nova SS to Dover Drag strip in Dover NY, in 1973. Used 1969 COPO Chevelle as a tow car. Car had a warmed over 327. Think ran 13"s

picture is what it looked like when i sold it, not from the 70's
Bob Lasko

MikeMoller · 01-03-2021, 01:34 PM

1968 Saginaw dragstrip, took my 1966 Impala SS 327/275 hp 4 speed there and ran Pure Stock. Won class, my first race and first trophy. Still have the trophy, car was black with white interior, went with a buddy from school (GMI in Flint)l, we had 'The Buzzard' and an outline of the state of Ohio in shoe polish on the side. Got to the semi finals in eliminator. Met Al Provost at that race, he came over and wanted to know what some Ohio boys were doing up there. He was running a 58 Biscayne I think at the time in Stock.

Carguy49 · 01-03-2021, 01:37 PM

First time down a legal drag strip was in 1970 at Seattle International Raceway. The car was a 1970 Plymouth 340 Duster. It ran low 15's and the disease stared then. I have had multiple cars that I have raced including one in Stock for awhile. I'm better at helping other people with their cars and have been on the crew of an Alcohol Dragster for a summer. Lots of work, but fun at the same time.

Superfan1 · 01-03-2021, 01:43 PM

1967 Mustang GT with a 390 and a 4 speed at Englishtown in 1967. Bone stock with the 3.25 rear gears and street tires; it ran a best of 13.87@101 in B/PS.

Dan Bennett · 01-03-2021, 01:50 PM

If you love racing enough, you make do with what you have.

1966, Pacific Dragway, 1959 Nash Metropolitan running in AHRA (I think) XF/G class.

The car? Two reasons. It was all I could afford, and all my parents would allow me to buy. I'd been a car nut for a long time and I guess they thought I wouldn't hurt myself too bad with such a lack of horsepower.

Interesting sideline - they were still using a flag starter but also doing handicaps between classes with a spot system. I never had another car in my class. I remember running against a new SS Chevelle. The starter kept pulling me farther and farther down the track from the starting line.

Of course, he had to be in front of me. I suspect the guy in the Chevelle was wishing he had brought binoculars since the flagman was so far away from him. But my car was snail slow and my huge head start was gone just after I shifted to 2nd gear.

And even with that awful beginning, I was hooked.

Craig Dawson · 01-03-2021, 01:59 PM

July of 1975, 66 Biscayne originally a 283 2 bbl. 3 on the tree. Put a 350 and 4 speed in it but still had the 3.08 open 10 bolt. National Trail Raceway Friday night grudge racing. Hot, sticky, sweating, knees knocking etc. 15.90 can't remember the speed.

01-03-2021, 12:35 PM	#21
FireSale VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Lakewood Washington Posts: 1,407 Likes: 29 Liked 237 Times in 126 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip I was the "staff photographer" at Milan in '66 and took my parents 64 1/2 2bbl 3 speed stick Mustang through the other gate one Sunday. Ran K/PS. Kept missing gears during TT but hit them all and treed a guy big time in round one. He was pissed and accused me of sandbagging to set him up. Got a Fastback 4 speed next round and that was that. 15s at 80 something. Exciting. EDIT: Washed it really good before I got home... __________________ Dale Shearon 68 Mustang 6394

01-03-2021, 12:42 PM	#22
Randy Wells Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Warsaw, Mo Posts: 719 Likes: 637 Liked 1,144 Times in 354 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip 1981 Pueblo Dragstrip, my Brothers 1968 F/S Camaro. I staged ok but left in 3rd gear. Randy Wells I/S 5628

01-03-2021, 01:03 PM	#23
Chuck Gallagher Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: NC (nothing compares) Posts: 48 Likes: 33 Liked 134 Times in 28 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip 1967 took my '64 GTO to the old Concord (NC) drag-a-way and won the C/S class trophy, which I still have displayed in my garage. Still racing a Pontiac, sort of. Flagman, quarter mile. I was about 3 months out of the service. The place (race track) was sold to a developer and became a nice sub-division known as, "Old South".

01-03-2021, 01:29 PM	#24
jjn38d Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Western PA Posts: 6 Likes: 88 Liked 9 Times in 4 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip 1967 Fairlane GT 390 car - running down the strip is one of those things I knew what it felt like even though I never did it before I had a drivers license,14.32 90 mph something, still have the time slip somewhere Last edited by jjn38d; 01-03-2021 at 01:31 PM. Reason: Added to

01-03-2021, 01:30 PM	#25
Bob Lasko Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Wilton,CT Posts: 628 Likes: 0 Liked 185 Times in 54 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip Flat towed my 67 Nova SS to Dover Drag strip in Dover NY, in 1973. Used 1969 COPO Chevelle as a tow car. Car had a warmed over 327. Think ran 13"s picture is what it looked like when i sold it, not from the 70's Bob Lasko Attached Thumbnails

01-03-2021, 01:34 PM	#26
MikeMoller Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Raleigh NC Posts: 637 Likes: 27 Liked 254 Times in 78 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip 1968 Saginaw dragstrip, took my 1966 Impala SS 327/275 hp 4 speed there and ran Pure Stock. Won class, my first race and first trophy. Still have the trophy, car was black with white interior, went with a buddy from school (GMI in Flint)l, we had 'The Buzzard' and an outline of the state of Ohio in shoe polish on the side. Got to the semi finals in eliminator. Met Al Provost at that race, he came over and wanted to know what some Ohio boys were doing up there. He was running a 58 Biscayne I think at the time in Stock. __________________ Mike Moller NHRA 203 Q-R-T/SA

01-03-2021, 01:37 PM	#27
Carguy49 VIP Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Fife, Washington Posts: 1,972 Likes: 2,455 Liked 2,927 Times in 703 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip First time down a legal drag strip was in 1970 at Seattle International Raceway. The car was a 1970 Plymouth 340 Duster. It ran low 15's and the disease stared then. I have had multiple cars that I have raced including one in Stock for awhile. I'm better at helping other people with their cars and have been on the crew of an Alcohol Dragster for a summer. Lots of work, but fun at the same time. __________________ Ron McDowell - Did Race Every day is a Gift - Enjoy with family and friends.

01-03-2021, 01:43 PM	#28
Superfan1 VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bridgeport,CT. Posts: 1,991 Likes: 1,664 Liked 2,632 Times in 438 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip 1967 Mustang GT with a 390 and a 4 speed at Englishtown in 1967. Bone stock with the 3.25 rear gears and street tires; it ran a best of 13.87@101 in B/PS. __________________ Bill Seabrooks - superfan1 Bridgeport, CT

01-03-2021, 01:50 PM	#29
Dan Bennett Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 437 Likes: 840 Liked 591 Times in 134 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip If you love racing enough, you make do with what you have. 1966, Pacific Dragway, 1959 Nash Metropolitan running in AHRA (I think) XF/G class. The car? Two reasons. It was all I could afford, and all my parents would allow me to buy. I'd been a car nut for a long time and I guess they thought I wouldn't hurt myself too bad with such a lack of horsepower. Interesting sideline - they were still using a flag starter but also doing handicaps between classes with a spot system. I never had another car in my class. I remember running against a new SS Chevelle. The starter kept pulling me farther and farther down the track from the starting line. Of course, he had to be in front of me. I suspect the guy in the Chevelle was wishing he had brought binoculars since the flagman was so far away from him. But my car was snail slow and my huge head start was gone just after I shifted to 2nd gear. And even with that awful beginning, I was hooked.

01-03-2021, 01:59 PM	#30
Craig Dawson Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Mahomet Illinois Posts: 101 Likes: 1,091 Liked 78 Times in 19 Posts	Re: First Car to the Strip July of 1975, 66 Biscayne originally a 283 2 bbl. 3 on the tree. Put a 350 and 4 speed in it but still had the 3.08 open 10 bolt. National Trail Raceway Friday night grudge racing. Hot, sticky, sweating, knees knocking etc. 15.90 can't remember the speed.