How long yall been racing?

[Realgone]

I'm the one in the middle, been going to race tracks for about 42 years. My daddy has raced boats, motorcycles, and circle track. Then I had to marry a racer so I have been to drag strips and motorx tracks with him. Just wanted to see how long yall been going. I have allot more old pictures of race car will put some on tomorrow. Vicki from Texas

[RonOwensRacing]

I use to go to the drag strip with my uncle when i was a kid .
Then i started drag racing myself in 1978 and been doing it ever since.
I could have been retired by now instead of mentally unstable

[woodsman]

My first time to go to the track was in 1966. My first time down the track was in 1987 an went 14.40. My fastest time is a 8.34 an my goal now is to go 7.70 1/4 or 4.90 1/8 and I do love the rush. Wesley

[mytmouz]

In 1982, when I was 15. :shock:

[chevguy65]

I started when I was 16, clear back in 1977.
But got away from it when I was in my early twenties.

I Have followed and loved the sport all my life and just recently got back into Hot Rods and racing.

I am having the time of my life and owe a great deal to my friends here on this site.

I remember going to our local track and watching the Snake vs Mongoose, Grumpy Jenkins and John Force when he drove a flopper for Wendy's.

The old front engine dragsters and the way they smoked the tires down the entire 1/4 mile. Also how Force used to do 1/8 mile burnouts.

Talk about fun and exciting days.

[qtrmile2]

Been racing since 1970. My first car that I raced is an exact replica of the Gold Camaro I have now. I couldn't find my first car so I built one like it.
Back then it ran best 12.73 @112mph. Ran Castler slicks or retreads then and it didn't hook. I drove the car to Alton Dragway put a jack in the trunk with some slicks and a few tools. Took off the mufflers and raced all day. Back in 1970 a 12 second street car was quick. Fastest ET 9.00 @148mph. Would have like to run an 8.90 ET. Still banging gears at 55 yrs old.

[cobrajet428]

Started street racing in my first car, a 1967 Mustang fastback back in 1969. Got a few tickets which I really couldn't afford so I started going to the track at National Speedway in Long Island. It was a good hike from Connecticut to Long Island but cheaper than tickets! :lol: Almost 40 years later, I'm still racing a 67 mustang fastback although not the same one and a little faster than my original one. The more things change the more they stay the same. :roll:

[bjuice]

Been around it all my life..made my 1st pass in 1979 in a 69 roadrunner with a 383...the pale yellow color with flat black hood..pistol grip shifter...

i started STREET RACING "seriously" in 1982...with a 70 camaro,,,and i have never stopped...

in my teens i worked at a GAS STATION where you maually pump the gas with orginal CHAIN Wallet and the METAL THUMB COIN CHANGER....

it was a place where everyone hang out...we worked on our cars there and by the time i was 18 rys old i already had over 25 cars that i had traded for and got rid of for another etc.....at that gas station there was some serious "STREET RACES" set up..........

i know have a 63 vette with 632 and a 67 camaro with a 511....

i have had a wild itch about buying another 71 camaro and doing just as Vince did..i am looking in the local 'Trader" newspapers..i saw one for $4500 but i was afraid to call...the car might have been nice and i would have to buy it ..lol.....


Keep it up Vickie..there is nothing better than a woman loving fast cars...my wife also loves them..i traded and built her a 69 camaro 4 years ago...SHE HAS NEVER been on the strip until you got with me..SHE CAN DO A BURNOUT LIKE ANY DUDE that has been racing for years....

HER BEST SOLO RUN....on DOT E.T. street tires, thru the mufflers, FOOTBRAKING, AT 3300 LBS...WITH A very mild PUMP GAS 406 ...was 7.60 et at 90 mph...not too bad for a grocey getter


Brian

[mikeaton]

hhhmmmm whirlll [starting my brain] i guess it was back in the 70s around 74 or 75 while i was still in high school[ yea yea i know im old] with a 68 r/s camaro 4 speed like bjuice i had a bunch of cars before i was 18 knew the lady at the dmv by heart! im glad she liked me! small block chevy 2 carbs dual point dist posi 411 gears man i loved that car. then i went to the dark side a mopar! got a 71 cuda 360 4 speed yellow with a black vinyl top then a ford galaxcy man you could put 5 guys in the trunk[we did at the drive in] and 7 people in the car! o the good ole days! had to stop racing for awhile to raise the family took a couple years off but still went to the races and kept up with the sport by building engines and watching the nashville station[steve evans may he rest in peace] so on a so forth but now i own a top alcohol dragster and a alcohol funny carman what a ride!!! next!!!

[3dracing]

Well, I started in '70 when I was 14 and got a motorcycle license. My girlfriend (which is now my wife) started going with me in '74. 10 years ago my youngest daughter started Jr dragster racing. Then my oldest daughter started Jr racing to and three cars was too much. I quit sold my car and started racing with my daughters. My oldest quit and has just graduated from college and my youngest is a sophmore in college and we have a 235 Mullis dragster she races. Her quickest pass has been 4.78 at 145 in the 1/8th.


Steve

[topsportsman1]

Some info in my profile

I started in 1977 and never looked back :P

http://www.racingjunk.com/profile/40888

[hammertime]

I started racing in 2002 when I was 17 :lol: I've been going to the track my whole life though. My first full pass down the track was in a 8.30 dragster .. I was hooked !!

[raz1056]

My first time at a dragstrip was 1967 and my first trip down the track came in was 1972 at 16 in a stock 69 Roadrunner at 14.50 we thought we were flying. Stayed pretty active until 1982 and recently got back in 2001 and went 7.50 on the first pass and got out with my knees shaking. Now have been 5.80's and 9.17 wanting more. I'm looking forward to racing at least until my grandkids get started and I guess I will take the role of Crewchief for a Jr Dragster!

[etbird]

First time racing was 1975. Like everybody else 69 4speed 383 road runner. First time at the track I don't remember but I have seen family photos. Late 50s early 60s out in california at old airstrips with my dad. I was about three of four years old. We have loads of old snapshots of cars. I bet there are some real gems in there. One day I will go through them all and see who's cars are there. You never know.

[zipper06]

It's been a long,long time ago i started, I won my first trophy in 1956 @ Oswego drag strip in Owsego Il. with a 1939 LaSalle coupe in E/stock @ age 17, 10 yrs. later i set a national record at the same track in A/Modifed sports with a blown s/blk 56 T'bird. I've built,owned and raced everything from a blown Alcohol Rat Corvettes to present day 1980 Malibu, but never an open body car, always door cars. Still building (48 Anglia) and racing at age 68 and hopefully a few more yrs.

Zip.

PS, some of you are very lucky, out of 2 wifes neither cared for racing and almost never went with to the track.

[chevguy65]

It's been a long,long time ago i started, I won my first trophy in 1956 @ Oswego drag strip in Owsego Il. with a 1939 LaSalle coupe in E/stock @ age 17, 10 yrs. later i set a national record at the same strip in A/Modifed sports with a blown s/blk 56 T'bird. I've built,owned and raced everything from a blown Alcohol Rat Corvettes to present day 1980 Malibu, but never an open body car, always door cars. Still building (48 Anglia) and racing at age 68 and hopefully a few more yrs.

Zip.

1956?
That must mean your like 100 or something :P :P :P

[zipper06]

It's been a long,long time ago i started, I won my first trophy in 1956 @ Oswego drag strip in Owsego Il. with a 1939 LaSalle coupe in E/stock @ age 17, 10 yrs. later i set a national record at the same strip in A/Modifed sports with a blown s/blk 56 T'bird. I've built,owned and raced everything from a blown Alcohol Rat Corvettes to present day 1980 Malibu, but never an open body car, always door cars. Still building (48 Anglia) and racing at age 68 and hopefully a few more yrs.

Zip.

1956?
That must mean your like 100 or something :P :P :P

Not yet :? but admittly i sometimes feel like it. especially after being out of town working 14 straight days 8 to 10 hrs. each. i just got back in town wensday afternoon to face grass up to my calves and 94 degrees temp. to mow it in. :cry:

Zip.

[3dracing]

Sounds like you need some goats.

[nofear57]

Hi,my first car was a 1966 Mustang when I was 15 years old in 1977 and you know what.....I still have it!!!

This is in my Profile:
I first started racing in 1982. First drag car was a 67 Camaro then a 57 Chevy. I've always wanted to race an altered and last year I bought this one off Racing Junk. It has an Enderle alcohol injected 434sbc running 8.20's but I bought a Reher-Morrison BBC 555 off "Murrey"(from Racing Junk),great guy to deal with,it should knock a second off my time!
I also race my 69 Camaro grocery getter once in a while.

That 67 Camaro ran 12.6 at 110mph and the next year brought it down to 12.4secs. Then I wanted to race a 57 so I pulled the whole power train out of the Camaro and installed it into a 57 2 door hard top,sold the Camaro body,and brought my times down to 11.2secs at 120mph with the 57. I raced it until 1989 and then couldn't afford it any more but that urge never left. I raced street cars here and there over the years got married had 2 kids. The cash still isn't there but I figured I better get back at her before I'm to fat to fly so...........fast I went. 8.20's with an sbc Altered and enjoying every minute of it :D
Now lets see just how fast I can go 8)

[chevguy65]

Sounds like you need some goats.

He might be able to borrow Tom's Goat.

With those braces he could make quick work of that yard

[zipper06]

Sounds like you need some goats.

HeHe Goats that's an :idea:

Zip.

[mikeaton]

3 words, riding lawn mower

[zipper06]

3 words, riding lawn mower

Got one with a 48" deck, but it still takes a couple hrs. with more than 1 acre when the grass is that tall and thick. After cutting it, and not catching it, i could almost bail the cuttings and sell them for hay.
Biggest problem was that we got a lot of rain and sunshine while i was out of town for 2 weeks. In fact i wasn't able to stop cutting the grass all yr. our winter was so mild and wet.

Zip.

[3dracing]

The goats aren't intended to be a riding lawn mower.


Steve

[mikeaton]

hey zip you got me beat im still in the stone ages. push lawn mower!!! only kind of exercise that i get! ha ha ha i two have over a acre i mow and it really s%&ks with all the rain we have had, im just glad i dont live in texas right now man are they getting hammered with the rain hope every thing will be ok for those folks who had to leave their homes. and for the goats and pigs as well :lol: o yea my crop of tumble weeds are really doing well this year maybe new mexico will reconize the tumbleweed as our native vegetation lol mike in new mexico

[ash]

First time to the track was in `77 when I was 15, got the go-fast-car-bug an' started planning for my future. Bought my `69 Camaro in `84 as a high school ride. Started out as a 14-sec street car an' has now progressed to an 11-sec street car that I also take to car shows and occationally take home a trophy.Have had my Camaro for over 23 years and still counting.My 4 girls will sometimes go with me to the shows, but they are a little leary about "the loud and smelly" drag-strip. :roll:

[tinytimhere]

Dad started racing in 74 and I was born in 76 so ive been around it all my life. learned to crawl in the garage too, lol. First full pass down the track when I was 15 in dads old 23 T roadster. Drove it for a while then went to a 27 street roadster, had it into a guard rail and upside down in the woods against a tree. Next one was a 93 S10 then into my first rear engine dragster. Had another dragster after that, then went to extremes and jumped into a 92" wheelbase Chevette! That was a fun one. Built a 52 Henry J and had it for 5 years. Damn Im getting confused now, lol. Oh yeah, another S10, dragster, vega, 32 bantam, and now going into a 91 Olds Calais! All these and Im only 31 now!!!! I guess I had to try about all the cars I could find to decide if I wanted an open top car or a door slammer.

[shelbykrueger34]

Vicki
Ive beenr acing dirt for 12 years now im in huntsville texas and i do alot of traveling with the IMCa modified assocition been in it this year for the first time i actually got divorced over racing my wife in here mid 40 and me in my mid 30s said she didnt want to see me end up in the ground do to stupidty on the dirt whatcha think aboutn that ive seen some crazy stuff and did crazy stuff but its my life i love it


Shelby Krueger

[Realgone]

Sorry to hear she left because of your racing.I have been around racing for 45 years. From my father to my husband. I guess because of watching me father race for years I always thought it was ok to race. The only time I put my foot down in the 24 years I have been married was when Woodsman broke 11 bones in 4 months dirt bike racing. I really got tired of nursing him back to health. And our doctor told him that he might not live through the next wreck. Mind you he was 44 or 45 years old at the time. So I put my foot down and he traded the dirt bike in for a 4 wheeler so that I could pull his drag car back to the trailer. He told me that it would be allot safer. Well, we will see how that turns out. Good luck in your racing this year on the dirt. Woodswife :D

[bjuice]

i can relate to the injury side of that type of racing..i started out KART racing in 1982 thru 1988....i am talking about the KART racing at over 115mph with nothing around you and no seat belts etc....to make a long story short...we were at one of our local tracks ( mini-Bristol) on a Saturday night labor day weekend race..20 KARTS in the main..i went into turn 2 was bumped from rear.my front end hitched up on the back of another KART ( no steering)..at this time we are almost out of turn #2..i slide up the track hit the steel retaining wall and did a END OVER END FLIP X2...running CLOSE TO 80MPH....I was also struck in the legs by another KART as i lay on the track..( i was in the middle of the pack when the flipping started)

1 week in the Hospital as a result of 3 broken ribs, Blood in urine from a bruised Kidney AND MULTIPLE CONTUSIONS along with A severe Concussion and Cervical Neck sprain..( thought i broke it)

I was single then..I AM SURE if my wife was around then it would have been over for me also...it was anyhow...LOL

i put the KART back together and ran a few races..but never did try to be competitive again..i just drove in the back of the pack......i guess it took it out of me..so i got out of the kart racing in the EARLY 90'S for good..

If anyone is a speed junkie...check out the WKA KARTING...check out the gear box class.....they run the back stretch at Charolette Motor speedway at over 140 mph before going into a type of road course......

Brian

[topfool]

Sorry I cheated and copied this off my web site with a bit of info about me.. Wesley asked me to put something here..

I Work for Prodrive Automotive Technology and I am currently located at Ford Motor Co’s research and engineering centre in Essex as a Calibration Engineer. This involves the calibration of the engine management system or in simple terms the computer that controls the engine.



I have been involved with various forms of motor sport over the last 30 years, not just drag racing. I enjoy most forms of motor sport; basically if it has an engine and wheels then I am in my element! I’m not a very good spectator and prefer to be in the thick of things getting my hands dirty if need be.



I consider myself to be quite lucky to have sampled some of different forms of motor sport in the UK and for that matter across the world. I started in the 1970’s with Drag racing ending up in the late 70’s running a car in top fuel; I was responsible for preparing and maintaining the car and delivering it to the track ready for the driver. Further to this I maintained the car during the meeting. This could involve dismantling the engine after every ¼ mile run. I’ve even rebuilt an engine in a motel bedroom in Sweden. Rebuilding it was not a problem, getting it out after it was assembled was! Taking the doors off the room to enable us to carry it to the van at 4.30am was probably not the way to behave?



After this I did a small amount of circuit racing for a few years, having completely redesigned and rebuilt a car that I had bought. At this time in my life I could not really afford to race, so it was quite a slow process. This car ended its life in the concrete wall at Donington Park circuit, the steering failed and I had no control. Fortunately, although the car was 1.5 metres shorter after it hit the wall, I walked away with nothing more than a fast pulse rate. SEAT BELTS AND SAFETY RULES WORK!!



At this point the company I worked for got involved in building engines for high level circuit racing teams (international F3000, Formula 1 and the like) I worked on these projects and spent a few years travelling with various teams as the “Engine support engineer” . Although this would seem ideal to some, it does involve a great deal of travelling and time away from home. It also does mean that you never get time for your own car or whatever you want to do. I also got to rub shoulders with some very famous people, who I might add, were mostly very pleasant to deal with.



When this work died out I thought my involvement with motorsport was going to come to an end, wrong again! I found my services and skill that I had learnt over the previous 20 years were probably in as much demand as ever. A new class in British motor sport had started. BOSS (British open single seater) this was a class where any single seat racing car with any engine could compete. A lot of cars were old F1 cars that the owners had fitted a slightly less powerful engine to; they had a problem here because not many knew how to make them work. I was regularly called in to advise and make up the cars electrical system and adaptors to allow such engine swaps. Another few years spent helping other people to race their cars.



That really is briefly my involvement in motor sport. There have been some great moments and good times in there. Of note:



Trevor Young 1970’s first sub 7 second run in Sweden

Evan Muller 1992 British Formula 3000 Champion

Oliver Gavin 1995 British Formula 3 champion



Having taken a few years off in early 2005 I decided that I would like to have a proper go myself. A friend who sort of races a drag type car got talking to me and the next thing I knew I was in the USA buying my car that I now race. I took on a slightly different attitude to racing, I wanted this type of car and I wanted some fun! So far it has worked out well and I have had great fun in the process.