How did you get started in Drag Racing?

[Rich Biebel]

When I was young and living in the city environment, we used to go for Sunday rides out in the countryside. One Sunday we went by Island Dragway and I told my father to pull in there and we parked on the spectator side. Saw drag racing for the first time and was bitten by the bug right there. I was already a car crazed kid by the time I was in high school after we moved out to the burbs....It was the middle of the muscle car era and there wasn't much else I thought about, cars and girls ! LOL....I had both by the time I was able to drive and became friends with other car guys and some drag racers. Myself and a partner took on a project another friend started. A sedan delivery Jr. Stocker and we completed it and started racing it in 1966. Went to many tracks including Indy. I was 18, he was 19. The hook was set the day we drove into Island Dragway to watch around 1962-1963. I raced on and off ever since 1966. Had many cars and a lifetimes worth of enjoyment at the track.

[r.nell54]

In the 1970s watching the best in the day at Deep south LaPlace and State Capital. Then two bracket cars and now the slowest stocker in D-4 Racing is still the best sport to me . But maybe sometime the Saints and LSU are a little better

[Bob Don]

My first trip down the track was in 1974 at a jet car show at New England Dragway. I ran Trophy Class and won with my 6 banger Nova, beating a 318 Fury in the final. Moved to Street Eliminator a year later and was track champ in 1977. In '78 made the Nova into a stocker (U-V/SA) and had a fair amount of success. Walked away in '83 and did the career/family/house thing. Picked it up again in '09 when I retired from the PD. Bought the late Greg Schmutz's N/SA Caprice (with the assistance of old friend Billy Nees) and had fun with that until 2018 when I had open heart surgery. Survived that and got the bug again when Eric Merryfield let me drive his T/SA Gremlin for a couple of races. I then saw Jeff Roell's SS/LA Mustang for sale and struck a deal with him. I've been running SS for a few years now and love it. I'll have a fresh engine and tranny this season and hoping for the best. I'll be 70 in May and I plan on racing for many years to come.

[Doug Hoven]

I've had the car "bug" for most of my 20 year long life. My Father bracket raced on and off throughout my childhood, and my Uncle has been running Stock longer than I've been around. We never really had the extra resources available for me to run Junior Dragsters, so when I found out about the junior street program, I was more than intrigued. My first ever pass was with my dad's 2011 Crown Vic Police Interceptor, with him riding shotgun. 10.67 at just under 70mph in the 1/8 was pretty much all that thing would do. When I turned 17, I had my mind set that I was going racing that weekend, and towed my 83 Mustang 5.0 5spd to the track and ran sportsman with it. Growing up I took every opportunity to go to an NHRA race with my uncle, so the thought of running stock was always in my mind. Unfortunately I didn't think there was any real opportunity for me to run Stock within my budget, until I met Billy.... Throughout the process of helping out with the Cavalier, I really got hooked on class racing. Somehow I convinced him to let me "dig out" the blue nova from the archives. A little bit of work, and off I was running U-V/SA within my budget. I then got the bug to go fast, and ended up asking Billy to "cut up" his 28k mile nova, but that story is all in the "Builds" section.

[sst7250]

Reformed street racer here.....I have zero backround in racing in my family. I moved out very young and had to learn to work on cars to survive, go to work, school etc. That evolved into cruise nights and hanging out to street racing. Eventually I started racing the legal way. That was in 2000. So I am a little late to the game and probable do not have the level of passion that many here do. I enjoy the challenge of going fast as well as trying to hit a number chosen for me(.90 stuff). And I plan to be back on S/ST this year. I did run S/C races in my 64 Plymouth, but only for fun

[Julie Jordan]

Fun thread!

I was one year old when my dad (Harry Holton) started dragging me to the track with him. I didn’t miss many races over the years, wanted to drive since I was little, but I was his baby girl! Finally, in the mid-90’s we bought a car for me to drive (never got to drive a hemi!) Now the 3rd generation is driving (Jared Jordan). He caught the bug when he was just a toddler, shadowed my dad around at the shop and track. Of course, as a boy, his first ride was dad’s ‘65 Hemi Belvedere. I was discrimated against! lol

Drag racing is a wonderful family sport!

[Frank Castros]

A car nut since I was a little boy.
Read every car magazine I could get my hands on.
Was never shy about opening the hood of my parents cars.
Saw the NHRA World Finals on TV on a Thanksgiving Day 1967? and was hooked.
When I turned sixteen my dad was foolish enough to buy a new '69 Plymouth Road Runner.
Oh boy! Now the fun begins!
I got my drivers license and promptly it was suspended within a month.
When it was reinstated I started to casually street race.
It was a stick and I was pretty good pedal kicker.
I eventually re-jetted the Carter AVS, re-curved the distributor added Doug Thorley headers and replaced the 3.23 rear for a 3.91
Ran 13.20s at Dover Drag Strip and New York National Speedway.
Got my feet wet crewing for Jimmy Lovallo and his SS/EA '67 Corvette and Frank Lupo's SS/BA '64 Hemi Dodge.
Bought my first race car from Dave Shepard, a A/SA '64 Plymouth Belvedere and did pretty well with it and the rest is history.

[BTR69]

Been a car/racing nut as long as I can remember. Mom n Pop took us to a bunch of Nascar races, local dirt track races and to our local drag strip as kids. Watched all types of racing on TV. I was always more interested in drag racing over the roundy round stuff. From the time I was 14 throughout early adulthood, my brother and myself were at Coastal Plains Dragway hanging out with friends who raced every weekend. I did a fair bit of street racing as a young knucklehead, which pretty much ended after the first time I went down the drag strip. The rush was so much better, along with the environment of all the racers being friendly and family-like towards us. 1988 was my first time racing, in a 1970 'Cuda. I raced that car and another 70 Barracuda til around 1996, when life/priorities changed. I moved and racing took a back seat to life getting in the way. Fast fwd to more recent times, I've been working towards getting back on track. Managed to race a few times between 2004-2015 and took another break to take care of family needs. Life is pretty much back to normal now, and I'm prepping my brothers, (RIP Mike), 68 Camaro to race again. Should be racing again in the next few months. Y'all have a great week.

[Keith 944]

Originally Posted by Frank Castros

I got my drivers license and promptly it was suspended within a month .

Care to elaborate???

[Curt Rees]

1967, bracket raced Thunder Valley, Marian, SD. Ran a pure stock road runner in 1968 and a A56 'cuda 4 speed in 1969. That car is being restored.Raced brackets for a few years and then bought a '66 Chevy SS/OA in 1988. Had towing accident and wrecked it. Next was a '66 Chevy SS/NA. Sold it. Next a '88 Olds in GT/MA. Ran a lot races in Street trophy with my '96 LT 1 Caprice and '69 'cuda also

Present and most fun ride is my '80 Dodge Diplomat V/SA. Been a fun time over the years and my goal is to be racing at age 80!

#5458

Curt Rees