Just wondered if anyone has a car they race or goes to the drag strips? I'm going to get my NMRA membership next year and start racing my car. I've been watching Pinks on T.V. and it has me amped up for the spring!

I make it to Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk once a summer for Night Under Fire (or try to at least). It was a lot easier when I lived near there. I enjoy watching drag races and wouldn't mind going more often if I could. Nitro funny cars are by far my favorite but it's all cool.

Love all racing! Ok..well..most of it. I also try to make it to Norwalk and Columbus a couple of times a year.

Been around it all my life, used to travel around the NHRA circuit every weekend, every summer back in the day--when I was younger I used to help them take off the body of John Force's car lol (I have some serious ties to racing). Love it, be careful man. Come on up here to Salem for the Super Nats next summer--or pretty much any weekend in the summer. It's a GREAT little track.

2 suggestions.

Don't race with your daily driver.
Have plenty of spare money and time to repair motor/drivetrain.

I used to street race a lot back in the day.

Do you know how to have a race car and a million dollars?





Start with 10 million!

I've been in all kinds of racing all my life too. I went to the Springnationals at National Trail in the 70's. I still have a pic of Linda Vaughn and myself together. My dad knew Jeg Coughlin Sr. back then, I still have pics of his top fueler after the chute f'd up and he went into the kitty litter and tore the car all to hell. Broke his arm too.
I've also been to the Gatornationals a few times when it didn't interfere with Spring Break, Bike Week, 12 Hours of Sebring, or work. Don Garlits' museum is just south of Ocala on I-75. If you ever get the chance go check it out. Awesome collection, priceless cars.
http://www.garlits.com/index.html

Big Daddy is a great man.

Yeah Big Daddy was in Ormond Beach in '03 for the Centennial of Speed. They raced a bunch of old cars down the beach, and he was in some of them. He was nice and had fun. There were cars from 1903-1948 making passes. It was unbelievable to me that I was able to be there for that. I saw 5 Stanley Steamers side by side go down the beach. You could not see anything after they went by, from all the steam. I've got some really good pics of those cars later that day on display at John D. Rockefeller's house.


1903 Olds Pirate

The Olds Pirate was the first car to make a timed run during Florida's first unofficial speed trials, held in April, 1902, on the hard-packed sand of Ormond Beach. In March, 1903, Ransom E. Olds brought his Pirate back for the first official time trials at Ormond Beach, which historians cite as the first competition to be sanctioned by the American Automobile Association (AAA). In those 1903 trials, Oldsmobile engineer Horace T. Thomas drove the Pirate to a record speed of 54.38 mph in the gasoline-powered 1,000-pound class. The Pirate was essentially a stripped down version of the Olds Curved Dash Runabout, America's best selling car. With long semi-elliptic springs forming the longitudinal frame rails, the fuel and oil tanks were given bullet-nose shapes. The single cylinder engine displaced 95 cubic-inches and developed about 7 horsepower at 500 rpm, and the driver was perched precariously behind the rear axle.

Haha, I've actually seen one of those in action at the Hershey swap meet.

30 years later, the speed was up to 300 mph. (not 1/4 mile, 1 flying mile) notice at :33 the tire tread left. One of the Bluebird cars is on display at Daytona and the tires were like that after every pass on the beach

I'll tell you what--there aren't too many feelings quite like standing right behind the starting line when the fuelers take off. You can feel the power in your bones, I love it and I miss it terribly.

Not so good on the ears though.

ZWICK 4 PREZ wrote: 2 suggestions.

Don't race with your daily driver.
Have plenty of spare money and time to repair motor/drivetrain.

I know what you mean it is a very costly sport at times. It's not my daily driver and bought for the main purpose of racing. I will be doing most the work myself which will save me lots of money, as far as time will have plenty of that since I need a hobby to get my son interested in. He's seven and knows more about cars than you could ever imagine from a boy his age. I took him to National trails this summer and we both had a blast and loved it.

SQ_Crazies wrote: I'll tell you what--there aren't too many feelings quite like standing right behind the starting line when the fuelers take off. You can feel the power in your bones, I love it and I miss it terribly.

Not so good on the ears though.

Never been to a Top-fuel or funny car event yet would like too. I know what you mean about being at the starting line though it's awesome. I was amazed that there are cars mostly dedicated strip cars that run as fast as the funny cars now. I Love being at the line when they take off and you can feel the power in your feet and chest. Gotta love high lobe, ground pounding cams and loud exhaust. (only muscle exhaust though, not them weed eater rice cars) lol
I also love being at the finish line to when they come flying by at over 200 mph in less than seven seconds truly awesome!

Well, go check out a national event ASAP. You can't understand a 4 second quarter until you see it with your own eyes.

Will do this summer hopefully, I would love to drive one someday it's a dream but I got to start somewhere. I can only imagine sitting behind the wheel of one those cars with that much power at your realm. Looks sweet on T.V. can't wait to see it in person!

I've sat in the seat--but I was like 12, all I did was steer it into the pit lol. If I were going to try to do that I'd have to have some Larry Nance like modifications lol.

My cousin races. I stole this pic from his facebook.