First Car to the Strip

[Al Wilson]

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]

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.

[GTS340]

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

[Dennis Petras]

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]

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

[Mike Pearson]

My first car that I owned and also first car I raced was a 1968 mustang coupe. It was a factory 302 4 barrel engine and top loader 4 speed. I think I ran some high14s bone stock with it. That was a fun car to drive on the street. I was 16 years old. Wasn't long after that I bought the Camaro that I still race today.

[Jim Hanig]

My first car was a 62 chevy conv 283 . In Pierre S.D. How time flys

[6130]

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

My first car that I owned and also first car I raced was a 1968 mustang coupe. It was a factory 302 4 barrel engine and top loader 4 speed. I think I ran some high14s bone stock with it. That was a fun car to drive on the street. I was 16 years old.

That must have been a heck of a bone stock 230hp 302. In 1968, Motor Trend was only able to wring a 15.20 at 94 mph out of a manual trans 335hp 390 Mustang. They ran a 14.57 at 99.55 mph in a 428-powered Shelby GT500KR, and a 14.75 at 98 mph out of another 360hp 428-powered Shelby Mustang.

[BRETV]

Originally Posted by 6130

That must have been a heck of a bone stock 230hp 302. In 1968, Motor Trend was only able to wring a 15.20 at 94 mph out of a manual trans 335hp 390 Mustang. They ran a 14.57 at 99.55 mph in a 428-powered Shelby GT500KR, and a 14.75 at 98 mph out of another 360hp 428-powered Shelby Mustang.

You have to remember back in '68 they tested those cars on the 7 inch bias plys tires, terrible tires for quick ET's.



Bret Velde
2003 ??/SA

[6130]

Originally Posted by BRETV

You have to remember back in '68 they tested those cars on the 7 inch bias plys tires, terrible tires for quick ET's.



Bret Velde
2003 ??/SA

Yes, I remember 1968, to include the tires.

He said it was bone stock, and it was back when he was 16- he doesn't sound like he was 16 recently...