How did you become interested in drag racing?
Discussion
l've been interested in drag racing since 1965, while serving as a Medic with the R.A.F in Libya. l was looking for something to read and on the front of a magazine titled "Hot Rod," which l had never seen before was a funny looking car with skinny pram wheels on the front and big fat tyres on the back, which was a typical front-engined dragster, after reading the mag l was hooked. In 1971 l began working as a track official for the National Drag Racing Club (the NDRC didn't have a permanent drag-strip), at Blackbushe airport, R.A.F. North Luffenham & Elvington when Dennis Priddle & Clive Skilton were the big names in drag racing.
On leaving the R.A.F. in 1971 l joined the North East Hot Rod Association (NEHRA) in Newcastle Upon Tyne, we held monthly eighth mile drag races at Felton, Northumberland. They were Run What Ya Brung events for cars and motorcycles.
Then l started going to events at Santa Pod (can't remember the year - Priddle ran the first 6) , when it was owned/run by Roy Phelps. ln the days of the smelly toilets, no showers and no guardrails. When Shakey opened l also started going there as well.
l've been friends with an American family since 1977, they live in Youngstown, Ohio. l've stayed with them several times on my holidays to America. Buddy qualified his AA/D dragster for the 1960 Detroit Nationals. He designed his car on Ivo's single-engined car. He's a member of the Road Knights Of Ohio, there 50th Anniversary was in 2005, according to the NSRA they're one of Top Ten oldest street rod clubs in America. There club garage is in a predominantly black area of town, but they've never been burgled in 50 years. l'm still very enthusiastic about drag racing, last year l only managed to attend one British meeting as l spent approx. £2000 on an American holiday (my fourteenth since 1978) in May to visit my American friends in Youngstown, Ohio. l also attended the Pontiac Performance NHRA Nationals at National Trail Raceway, near Columbus where Tony Schumacher driving the U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster set a new national speed record of 336.15 mph.
On leaving the R.A.F. in 1971 l joined the North East Hot Rod Association (NEHRA) in Newcastle Upon Tyne, we held monthly eighth mile drag races at Felton, Northumberland. They were Run What Ya Brung events for cars and motorcycles.
Then l started going to events at Santa Pod (can't remember the year - Priddle ran the first 6) , when it was owned/run by Roy Phelps. ln the days of the smelly toilets, no showers and no guardrails. When Shakey opened l also started going there as well.
l've been friends with an American family since 1977, they live in Youngstown, Ohio. l've stayed with them several times on my holidays to America. Buddy qualified his AA/D dragster for the 1960 Detroit Nationals. He designed his car on Ivo's single-engined car. He's a member of the Road Knights Of Ohio, there 50th Anniversary was in 2005, according to the NSRA they're one of Top Ten oldest street rod clubs in America. There club garage is in a predominantly black area of town, but they've never been burgled in 50 years. l'm still very enthusiastic about drag racing, last year l only managed to attend one British meeting as l spent approx. £2000 on an American holiday (my fourteenth since 1978) in May to visit my American friends in Youngstown, Ohio. l also attended the Pontiac Performance NHRA Nationals at National Trail Raceway, near Columbus where Tony Schumacher driving the U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster set a new national speed record of 336.15 mph.
In the 70s we had a weekly show called "ABC Wide World of Sports." We didn't have a whole channel for each sport, LOL. Had to wait all week to see if it was good that week (motorsports) or if it sucked (golf--you then had to go outside and find something else to do).
Probably around 1970 (I would have been five) I walked into the living room and saw two funny cars on TV being fired up. I stood there in absolute awe of what I was seeing as they lowered the bodies, did their burnouts, and made their runs. Weird how you can look at something and somehow just know that's what you're all about. I've had no choice in the matter. Something reached into my chest, grabbed ahold of my heart, and it's never letting go. I love every aspect of those things. What they look like from every angle, what they sound like, what the view is like from the inside (and hopefully what the ride will be like).
Everything's just wrong about them (LOL). Engine sticking through the hood, four open headers at each side, one piece body. Tires too big. Like a car possessed and gone bad. Wouldn't be so "bad" if they didn't somewhat resemble a street car. What a drug!
Probably around 1970 (I would have been five) I walked into the living room and saw two funny cars on TV being fired up. I stood there in absolute awe of what I was seeing as they lowered the bodies, did their burnouts, and made their runs. Weird how you can look at something and somehow just know that's what you're all about. I've had no choice in the matter. Something reached into my chest, grabbed ahold of my heart, and it's never letting go. I love every aspect of those things. What they look like from every angle, what they sound like, what the view is like from the inside (and hopefully what the ride will be like).
Everything's just wrong about them (LOL). Engine sticking through the hood, four open headers at each side, one piece body. Tires too big. Like a car possessed and gone bad. Wouldn't be so "bad" if they didn't somewhat resemble a street car. What a drug!
It was Leeds cruise, as in the one under the fly over by the Yorkshire Post building, where acceleration tests were conducted away from the traffic lights (OK, it was drag racing). This then led to doing it legally at York and as a 17 year old it was the easiest form of motor sport to get involved in, just turn up and run. I didnt have to worry about a license or meeting class rules.
Also drag racing has always been closely linked with the hot rod, Street Machine and custom car scene.
John
Also drag racing has always been closely linked with the hot rod, Street Machine and custom car scene.
John
Lets be honest mate, can anyone afford to run around in big spirit engined cars nowadays! If I was just starting out as a young rodder I would consider Diesel power now! Chip fat is cheep just now so cruising would become possible agine. I can see it now, events being organised, cafe to cafe meets etc, Regular convoy runs to the Pod etc. All would be possible if the young ones could just come to terms with running oil burners!
I got into it when bought a 66 Morris Minor as my first car way back ’92 and a couple of months later Street Machine had a feature on an incredible Pro Street Minor.
The same year I made a trip to Beetle Bash in a convoy of VWs and the European Finals in a mates Capri, thus ensuring I would never have any spare money again!
The same year I made a trip to Beetle Bash in a convoy of VWs and the European Finals in a mates Capri, thus ensuring I would never have any spare money again!
Blackbushe, May 1983 was the first time for me. A leaflet dropped through our door, as I lived in Camberley at the time, I just had to go, and pestered my old man to take me. I went to a futher two (incl DragFest 84) until Blackbushe ceased hosting drag racing. Went to Long Marston a couple of times but didn't get to the Pod til Sep '92.
Dom
Dom
drags06 said:
Lets be honest mate, can anyone afford to run around in big spirit engined cars nowadays! If I was just starting out as a young rodder I would consider Diesel power now! Chip fat is cheep just now so cruising would become possible agine. I can see it now, events being organised, cafe to cafe meets etc, Regular convoy runs to the Pod etc. All would be possible if the young ones could just come to terms with running oil burners!
Too right, I was putting in £50 a day of titty this summer!! I have plans in my mind for a turbo deisel, front drive rod! It will have go with economy, the FWD will give a low floor and it will upset the establishment!
Edited by Jwb on Monday 4th December 18:50
We have to move with the times. Diesel is the only fuel now that will give a good mpg return. I do not see anything wrong with a diesel rod, it all depends on ones attitude and if one feels shown up by having a diesel rod! In the late 70s I built a rod based on a ford transit pick up with a perkins 108 diesel in it. Anyone who knows of this engine knows it is just about as low as you can go for power! I did not hold back on it, chrome, paint, jag back end, interior, engine, wheels, stacks, you name it it had it done, No turbo tho! never showed it but boy did it turn heads. Ended up doing a swop for a 69 cobra jet mach 1 351 clevland stang. Did the req mods on that, ran it a while, redundancy, ended up scint, sold it (which did make me cry). Then got a mk1 granada, put a diesel in and customised that too. Ran that for 9 years then cut it up! Fun days back then when you could build and afford to run what you wanted.
I went up to the workshop to see what Hodgy587 was working on, ended up holding something to keep it steady whilst someone was working on it.. went back the next week and did the same, and the next week etc etc..
And here we are, about three years down the line... and me a nitro junkie!
slinky
587racing.com
And here we are, about three years down the line... and me a nitro junkie!
slinky
587racing.com
speaking of performance diesels
http://cars.uk.msn.com/News/car_news_
www.trident-vehicles.co.uk/
personally I've been around drag racing forever, ever since I was but a wee child my dad has taken me to the pod/shakey with whatever car we've had at the time
http://cars.uk.msn.com/News/car_news_
www.trident-vehicles.co.uk/
personally I've been around drag racing forever, ever since I was but a wee child my dad has taken me to the pod/shakey with whatever car we've had at the time
My dad got interested after seeing a ad in the local paper about a meeting at Santa Pod or blackbushe or something. It was inevitable i'd get interested after being involved for the entirety of my life, and here i am with my dad passing the torch to me.
Gotta keep the family name going and all that
Gotta keep the family name going and all that
Rather than write it all up here, have a read of www.timemachine.co.uk/?page=history :-)
Got talked into going to santa pod by my neighbour one Sunday in the early 80's to get away from the wives; he said his brothers had a quick car. Turns out that Clive was one of the Page brothers and the 'quick car' was the Monza bodied Panic funny car. It was the first funny car I'd ever seen or heard fired up - when the fire up lane ran in front of the grandstand - we were leaning over the barrier to take pictures when they started it. I wondered why Clive quickly stepped back.
Totally bitten
Totally bitten
I had been interested in motor sport for years, marshalled at Brands, competed in virtually every form of "grassroots" club events and if I'm honest was always a bit sceptical about that straight line lot. In 1980 circumstances dictated that we moved from Kent to Rushden, and being on The Pods doorstep it would have been rude not to take a look, and that was it, I was hooked. Since then I've done RWYB's, run the car parking and now I'm going to have a go at some sanctioned VW events before old age finally steps in. Oh I nearly forgot, the bonus bit is that Pam, my wife likes it as well, and having been dragged around/left dumped at all sorts of venues over the past 30 years feel well qualified to have an opinion!!!
it started after i watched mad max when i was eight, the sound of them v8 xb falcon police cars and the black car with the blower was just ureaal. i then found a copy of custom car in the shops which was full of pictures of drag cars with massive blowers and v8 engines, it was then i knew drag racing was the way forward with me, so i begged my dad to take me to santa pod which he did in 1993 and i remeber the first car i ever saw go down the strip was john sleaths alfa 75 with the rover v8 in it. the rover v8 challenge ended up being my favourite race class watching the likes of steve green and his mental cortina and the snitter beast escort van and many others. i passed my test in 1999 and ended up driving about in rattly novas which was fun for a bit, then one day i just decided this wasnt me, i wanted a v8, so i sold my nova, got a small bank loan and went looking for the right car. i happened to come across this website called beardmore bros which had on it this reliant kitten with a rover v8 in it which i remembered from an old street machine mag.i had to have it, so i emailed the guy asking about it and he seemed unsure about selling it as it had sentimental value, but after about another 10 emails, i managed to get him to let me view it, i can remember driving up the guys street and seeing it for the first time there was just no way i wasnt having it so i made him an offer and 1 week later i was the proudest owner of a little green pro street kitten. i raced it for a year in 2004 and couldnt get enough of the acceleration and the noise. i missed out on 05 and 06 due to work commitments but next year ill be out with more power and living the dream
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