I'd like to hear about the 512 specs.
I have a 400 std block
First Drag strip visit
- Thread starter Texas Red
- Start date
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I have a 400 std block
Seems I went and watched a couple of times, then when I was 17, I made my first pass ever and went 16.72 in the 1/4 at Cordova Dragway in a worn out, high mileage 318 2bbl single exhaust '73 Dart Swinger. Car had a half dead cylinder and was a wreck 
Unconventional
Well-Known Member
Irwindale Raceway '73 I think, Nitro Match Races. Lieberman was there. One burnout with Jungle Pam and I was hooked 
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JDMopar
Well-Known Member
Greer Dragway in Greer, SC in 1975. Went with my best friend who had a 70 Duster 340. Greer was still running 1/4 mile then, but had to back it down to 1/8 mile a few years later because of lack of room for shut down after a quarter mile pass. I ran pretty regular between 89 and 91. Ran my 74 Swinger, 319/904 in Footbrake and Trophy class. Raggedy old car was slow, but dead nuts consistent! Got a lot of Greer trophy's back then!
Newbomb Turk
Well-Known Member
1968 with my dad and his 1966 F Stock Barracuda.
1980 with my 1972 Demon at the HS drags.
My parents went to the beach that weekend and specifically said no parties and NO DRAG RACING.
I went anyway thinking there was no way my parents would ever know. I’m wrong. A lot.
The local news people were out there and one of the cars they showed making a pass. Wouldn’t you know my parents watched the news that night and busted my dumb ***.
Since the camel already had his nose in the tent I said screw it and started racing regularly.
That was at Portland International Raceway.
1980 with my 1972 Demon at the HS drags.
My parents went to the beach that weekend and specifically said no parties and NO DRAG RACING.
I went anyway thinking there was no way my parents would ever know. I’m wrong. A lot.
The local news people were out there and one of the cars they showed making a pass. Wouldn’t you know my parents watched the news that night and busted my dumb ***.
Since the camel already had his nose in the tent I said screw it and started racing regularly.
That was at Portland International Raceway.
My first trip to the drag strip was about 1975 or so with my asshole brother in his 71 Mach 1 Mustang at Keystone Dragway in Manitoba. Car had a 429 SCJ 4 speed and either 3.91 or 4.11 gears, with a Detroit locker, all factory. I practically begged him to race it but he wouldn't. I knew he raced on the street so I didn't understand why he didn't want to make at least one pass with it.
The feature attraction was a couple of wheelstanders and they were pretty cool. Somewhere I might have a few old Polaroids from there.
My first trip down the track was in 1981 on my 1980 Yamaha XS 1100 motorcycle at Gimli dragway in Manitoba as Keystone had been closed by then due to a natural gas pipeline. Facing a brisk headwind I ran a best of 13.465 in the 1/4 mile at around 105 mph.
Made a few hundred passes down that track in my 70 Dart, from a peg legged 2.94 geared 318/904 4 bbl running mid 15s at 85ish mph a best of 13.78 with the 360/727 combo and a 3.23 geared Tru trac 8.75 on drag radials at just a hair over 100 mph.
The feature attraction was a couple of wheelstanders and they were pretty cool. Somewhere I might have a few old Polaroids from there.
My first trip down the track was in 1981 on my 1980 Yamaha XS 1100 motorcycle at Gimli dragway in Manitoba as Keystone had been closed by then due to a natural gas pipeline. Facing a brisk headwind I ran a best of 13.465 in the 1/4 mile at around 105 mph.
Made a few hundred passes down that track in my 70 Dart, from a peg legged 2.94 geared 318/904 4 bbl running mid 15s at 85ish mph a best of 13.78 with the 360/727 combo and a 3.23 geared Tru trac 8.75 on drag radials at just a hair over 100 mph.
Around 1974 or so, my friends and I used to ride our bikes about a mile and a half to Kansas City International Raceway (KCIR) and watch the races through the chain link fence. We could hear the funny cars running from our houses and it was like the Siren's song calling us. Evel Knievel even jumped there one time.
I raced my first car, a 71 Duster we dubbed The Ruster, there during high school. I took my first born there in the early nineties. Unfortunately, the strip was closed after a land developer with ties to the city council built a subdivision overlooking the track that had been there for 30 years.
I raced my first car, a 71 Duster we dubbed The Ruster, there during high school. I took my first born there in the early nineties. Unfortunately, the strip was closed after a land developer with ties to the city council built a subdivision overlooking the track that had been there for 30 years.
I was 14 years old and went with a friend and his older brother to Houston International Raceway in Dickinson, TX. For years after it was shut down and houses were built, you could still drive by and see the timing tower.
Hyper_pak
Old School Chrysler Fan
What a great thread!
Must have been '74
or so.
First time I went to a track was in south Richmond VA, not the current Dinwiddie/Petersburg track.
My current wife, she was my girlfriend then, had money and I built a decent 340 for her 65 Barracuda.
We rode up to the track from Newport News VA, about an hour, watched the brackets on Friday night.
Raced some fools with motorcycles on Interstate 64 on the way back home.
We had 5 people in the Barracuda and that thing flew!
First time I raced was in my 64 Barracuda at the same track.
225 slant six with a 500 Holley 2 Barrel.
4 Speed, Firestone Cheater Slicks and all the speed parts a broke kid could afford.
That old Barracuda went 15 flat in the quarter, and I was HOOKED!
Must have been '74
First time I went to a track was in south Richmond VA, not the current Dinwiddie/Petersburg track.
My current wife, she was my girlfriend then, had money and I built a decent 340 for her 65 Barracuda.
We rode up to the track from Newport News VA, about an hour, watched the brackets on Friday night.
Raced some fools with motorcycles on Interstate 64 on the way back home.
We had 5 people in the Barracuda and that thing flew!
First time I raced was in my 64 Barracuda at the same track.
225 slant six with a 500 Holley 2 Barrel.
4 Speed, Firestone Cheater Slicks and all the speed parts a broke kid could afford.
That old Barracuda went 15 flat in the quarter, and I was HOOKED!
1972 Cecil County Drag Raceway... THE TRACTION CAPITAL OF THE EAST!!!... SATURDAY SATURDAY SATURDAY!!!
A lot of my friends from Pottstown and Lebanon areas go there.
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
Atco Raceway. pretty sure the first time i was there was for a night of thrills and i was pretty young.
Dan the man
Well-Known Member
My first trip to a dragstrip was to Gateway in Madison Illinois. My brother took me and I don't remember who was racing that day as I was probably 10 years old at the time. But I remember how the benches shook when the cars took off.
Englishtown 1966 when I was 4 years old with my dad and uncle.
We went to a few tracks in the Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
Since that time we've raced Boise, Spokane and Pacific raceways.
Dad and uncle are long gone and I hung it up in 2007.
I may take the fastback up to Spokane once I get over my fishing addiction, call me the traveling fly fisher. lol
We went to a few tracks in the Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
Since that time we've raced Boise, Spokane and Pacific raceways.
Dad and uncle are long gone and I hung it up in 2007.
I may take the fastback up to Spokane once I get over my fishing addiction, call me the traveling fly fisher. lol
Been there.
Unconventional
Well-Known Member
Took my Brat to the Budweiser Warmup at Famoso, they used to do it the week before the Winternationals. Lotsa outa town Pros attended. Winston had a display there, buy some "Winstons get this t-shirt". My work partner smoked Winstons, he got a gift for payin' for my pit pass and the daughter got a t-shirt. During a break in the Pro's practice runs I gave here a Sharpie, " Here, go get yourself signed". She was 6 I think, I escorted her of course. She got that t-shirt signed by most every Pro driver on the property. Garlits, McEwan, Force, you name 'em. She slept in that t-shirt for weeks Refused her pajamas
Refused her pajamas
The traction was so much better there back in the day that the Ramchargers would travel to Cecil County to set records so Dodge could use the publicity to hawk their cars.
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