Will drag racing still be fun when I'm 60???
#1531930
11/11/13 12:17 PM
11/11/13 12:17 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,439 Val-haul-ass... eventually
BradH
OP
Taking time off to work on my car
|
OP
Taking time off to work on my car
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,439
Val-haul-ass... eventually
|
Don't laugh, but I'm 54 now and progress on my Challenger moves at a slower-than-Grandma pace due to family commitments w/ the three kids (5, 9 & 12), etc. How many of you people are still (or intend to remain) active in drag racing when the rest of the world classifies you as a "senior citizen?" Oh, please don't bring up people like WJ who do this for a living; I'm looking for Joe Average feedback. Thanks! Brad
|
|
|
Re: Will drag racing still be fun when I'm 60???
[Re: BradH]
#1531934
11/11/13 01:24 PM
11/11/13 01:24 PM
|
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,410 Belpre,Ohio
CHAPPER
master
|
master
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,410
Belpre,Ohio
|
I will be 65 soon. I thought I was done in '05. I sold everything and sort of retired from racing...for awhile. Got the bug again and put another car together and started racing again in '10. Had to buy another trailer, tow vehicle, etc. I still enjoy it, but I don't take it near as serious as I did when I was younger. I will go as often as I can. I do not put the racing ahead of family. I go for the fun and companionship of grandkids, other racers, etc. It is kind of neat to now be like some of the 'older racers' I used to look up to. I will keep at it as long as my health allows me to.
If you like drag racing, support your local track.
|
|
|
Re: Will drag racing still be fun when I'm 60???
[Re: CHAPPER]
#1531936
11/11/13 01:37 PM
11/11/13 01:37 PM
|
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,185 PA.
pittsburghracer
"Little"John
|
"Little"John
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 20,185
PA.
|
Well I'll be 58 (I think) next March And I look at it this way. I bought a house, got married, had kids, got divorced, had a heart attach, shoulder operation, hernia, 3 knee operations, and retired and I never missed a year of racing in almost 39 years so whats gonna stop me, a few aches and pains. HECK NO. I can still climb in and out of the window of the Duster in the car trailer. I would love to drop some weigh and get to the gym as those 90 degree days are killers so I will try once again to do that.
1970 Duster Edelbrock headed 408 5.984@112.52 422 Indy headed small block 5.982@112.56 mph 9.42@138.27
Livin and lovin life one day at a time
|
|
|
Re: Will drag racing still be fun when I'm 60???
[Re: pittsburghracer]
#1531938
11/11/13 02:29 PM
11/11/13 02:29 PM
|
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,751 Graham, WA
Polarapete
top fuel
|
top fuel
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,751
Graham, WA
|
I am 67 now and I have had the bug since I was 14. I rode my bike down the hill and passed by an open carport at an apartment. In the carport was a new Max Wedge Dodge race car. Lettering on the side said "Drag Fast Dodge" "Clark Marshall, Driver" . My family had Phords, but from that moment on I had the Mopar bug and when I was old enough to drive and had the money for a ticket, I was at Pacific Raceways watching the Mopars beat everything else. Now I am building my "last hurrah" and I will drive it, but it is really for the grand kids to drive . So, it has to be a lot safer for them to drive, than the junk I used to race! BTW Drag Fast was a competitor to Hurst back in the day, but Hurst had Linda Vaughn so they faded into history
1986 Dodge Ramcharger 440 2wd, Bracket Racer Under Construction 1998 Ram 2500 QuadCab, new daily driver. 2008 Honda Element 2014 Carry-On 7x14 Cargo Trailer
|
|
|
Re: Will drag racing still be fun when I'm 60???
[Re: BradH]
#1531942
11/11/13 03:48 PM
11/11/13 03:48 PM
|
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,228 Bend,OR USA
Cab_Burge
I Win
|
I Win
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,228
Bend,OR USA
|
When I was 30 yrs. old a older freind of mine wadded up his 1955 T -Bird with a BB Chevy running C gas, I went to see him in the middle of the week at his home and he was in bed(he had been kept in the hospital overnight for observation and released the next morning), he wasn't injured seriuosly, but he was bruised up from the harnesses. He hadn't shave in two or three days, he was wearing a less than clean Isky T shirt on and didn't look real good. I thought to myself at that time I do not want to look like that when I'm his age, mid 40 yr. old ,still drag racing. That was in the mid 1970s, in the late 1980s a older gentlemen started racing a 1969 AMX in Super Pro at LACR that was in his late 60 to early 70s and I thought the same thing, I don't want to be drag racing in my 60 or 70s I'm 68 now and will be 69 in January (if you live long enough you will get old ) As you know I'm switching heads on the Cuda now to step it up to make it run faster for the MATS race in Las Vegas in April I'm not planning on driving it there now due to me not having all the safety gear and license to run the car all out so. I will have a freind who is licensed and has the proper safety gear to drive it in the eights at 150 + MPH drive it thier so it will show better with a for sale sign on it. I'll put the wheelie bars and parachute back on it and let him have some fun in a faster car than his is now,( I may sneak in one pass in it ) I expect my car to be right at a 1/2 second quicker and maybe 8 to 10 MPH faster than his, not much faster I did stop drag racing in 1988 for a couple of years and took up flying, flying is a lot of work to do it properly, flying isn't a lot of fun either, unless your doing aerobatics Flying your own airplane is a excellent way to get where your going in a hurry, especially in SO CA during rush hour. I bought a 4 place retractable gear piper Comanche 250, it would crusie at 180+ MPH comfortably, 4 hrs. from SO CA to cenral OR with no traffic at 11,500 above sea level I did swear to myself when I quit drag racing and sold my stocker and bracket cars that I would not do it(drag race) again unless it was fun, I had made myself beleive that when I raced back then if I didn't win the race I wasn't having any fun A freind and customer bought a used BB Duster bracket car in 1992 and wanted me to test drive it at LACR on a Wednesday T&T session, he was a really good customer that I did a lot of motors for so I did drive test it for him, that ended up with me helping him on that car for a lot of yrs. He was a pilot also but he had eye surgery that ruined his night vision so he would drive the car until sundown and I would make one or two passes in the dark, it ended up being a T&T car so we where trying things on it to make it go faster, that was fun Brad, do what YOU THINK is best for you
Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
|
|
|
Re: Will drag racing still be fun when I'm 60???
[Re: dartman366]
#1531944
11/11/13 03:52 PM
11/11/13 03:52 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 19 N.E. IL. U.S.A.
Rumblefish68
member
|
member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 19
N.E. IL. U.S.A.
|
I 'm guessing, but the average age of racers in the Various Nostalgia Super Stock Series is mid 60's. We've got guys starting after they've retired. I'll be 60 next month, car runs mid 9's, pass the physical, a few aches & pains, Life is good. My wife and I were talking about where we'll retire to, and we agreed to stay in the mid-west, that's where there's the most NSS races. I won't retire for 6 more years, but looking ahead. Takes longer to do things, but so what. As long as your reactions are good , and your not a danger to anyone, have at it.
|
|
|
Re: Will drag racing still be fun when I'm 60???
[Re: 440lebaron]
#1531948
11/11/13 04:50 PM
11/11/13 04:50 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,826 las vegas
70AARcuda
master
|
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,826
las vegas
|
Turned 60 back in April...still having fun,,,got both of my daughters out there racing with me.
Tony
70 AARCuda Vitamin C 71 Dart Swinger 360 10.318 @ 128.22(10-04-14 Bakersfield) 71 Demon 360 10.666 @122.41 (01-29-17 @ Las Vegas) 71 Duster 408 (10.29 @ 127.86 3/16/19 Las Vegas)
|
|
|
Re: Will drag racing still be fun when I'm 60???
[Re: Thumperdart]
#1531949
11/11/13 05:11 PM
11/11/13 05:11 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,002 Joplin, Mo
rt66jim
master
|
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,002
Joplin, Mo
|
I'll be 65 in Feb. I sold my 69 Dart in July. Purchased a Daytona that is certified to 8.50. I always liked the Wayne County car DA drove. I planned on cloning that car. But I recently saw a pic of a sliver one that looked really good. Now I confused. Anyway I am rambling. Brad, as long as it feels good, do it.
Last edited by rt66jim; 11/11/13 05:12 PM.
|
|
|
|
|