Draglist.com Drag Racing

Great stories, guys. Keep 'em coming. bp

My first time at a Drag Strip was Arlington Washington. Older friends took my down there. My first pass was in my 54 Chev at the original Mission Raceway.

Flash from the past. Cheryl & I in the staging lanes at Humbolt Co. Dragway. This would be circa 1975.

Oh wait, it comes with a story. The car I'm paired with, that red top on the far side of the panel truck is a 1970 Chevelle. Remember the cowl inducted 454? This guy trailered the car to the track. Had the valve covers off setting the lifters & timing, had slicks, etc. He laughed at the ol' panel truck (shades of Zaps VW experience). I drove to the track, parked in the pits & had a pop and hot dog while watching him tune. I put that Chevelle on the trailer (well not really, we were still running time trials when we raced), but he was not too happy gettin' whooped by the big old truck.

It's always so much fun to take it to the 'serious' ego-driven guys! bp

The VW was not my first pass. Just one of the more interesting. My first Pass was in a T-Bird owned by a guy that was dating a girl down the street.
We all were talkin one day and the strip came up. We talked him into going. (None of us had cars yet too young). He said he didn't know anything about racing, the guys said Let Paul drive, he said OK.

I thought he would be watching me like a hawk, but I looked over just before my lane was called, and he was at the fence eating a hotdog and
checking out the girls. I think we were in K/SA about a 17 sec car. (390 4-bbl-auto). Anyway we went a couple rds & TROPHYED. Yes I trophyed
first time out. Probly what hooked me.

Anyway he and the neighbor girl broke up, I never saw him, or the trophy again. But no matter, I was HOOKED big time.

(ps) Oh btw I didn't even have a license yet.......

That is great, Zap! Love it. bp

My first time down a dragstrip, competitively...was in 1976....Fremont Raceway (before they changed the name to Baylands).....my "competition" (my neighbor and friend, Mark Risky) was also on a bicycle....but as part of our agreement...l had to attempt to wheelie for as long as possible....If memory serves at all...l rode that cheater-slick back tire for nearly a thousand feet of the 1/4 mile and managed to stay pretty much even with Mark...when l dropped the front tire back on the tarmac, l basically ran off and hid from Mark...crossing the finishline several bike lengths ahead....