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How bout some more racing stories guys and gals????

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The chassis shop was Straightline Performance. Mikey T was the guy.

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yes, yes I am!!

Mike

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Wonder what ever happened to that M/P Camaro.
I've seen Hwy 2 shields on the take at 150th St. Some one had the right paper to make that happen.

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My guess was my friend had connections as one of his customers was "hooked up" with the City in an area other than police work. A simple call to a "friend-of-a-friend" or "cousin" could've straightened it all out.
This was all comon knowledge so "greasing" someone's palm was just how business was done. This was where the real criminal side of streetracing came into play. Imagine what it took to get the real big money runs to go off without a hitch. But in the end it never really mattered--we never hurt anyone, VERY rarely did a race like this result in violence & your "rep" was at stake, so to not pay-off or anything like that would result in a variety of problems for you. Most guys quit, some went back to running their businesses or the very lucky few turned it into a respectable living. That was the fun of it all. At the time anything seemd possible and you were having fun....

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Wonder what ever happened to that M/P Camaro.
I've seen Hwy 2 shields on the take at 150th St. Some one had the right paper to make that happen.

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My guess was my friend had connections as one of his customers was "hooked up" with the City in an area other than police work. A simple call to a "friend-of-a-friend" or "cousin" could've straightened it all out.
This was all comon knowledge so "greasing" someone's palm was just how business was done. This was where the real criminal side of streetracing came into play. Imagine what it took to get the real big money runs to go off without a hitch. But in the end it never really mattered--we never hurt anyone, VERY rarely did a race like this result in violence & your "rep" was at stake, so to not pay-off or anything like that would result in a variety of problems for you. Most guys quit, some went back to running their businesses or the very lucky few turned it into a respectable living. That was the fun of it all. At the time anything seemd possible and you were having fun....

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That is why the super hot cars "played"
the "one shot deal" (heat 'em up-line 'em up-RUN
then get the HECK out of dodge!). They very rarely hung around after the single run to "dust off" the local runners!! However, I DO take my hat
off to some local runners who BATTLED (repeat runs) long into the wee hours of the morning! Got
to give them their PROPS!!

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There's no pageantry in stopping moving traffic and taking ones time to pull off a run. Like said above, get it on and get it out of there was the real artistry by the Pros.
It can almost be written into law as some sought of kidnapping because even though you may be stuck in traffic and have front row seats to the greatest show on earth, it is still a pain to wait for some stage crashers and their drama. No pun intended.

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100% true fact. Hit the nail RIGHT ON the HEAD, Lee!! Couldn't be any plainer!

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The REAL skill was in the negotiating. Unlike "pinks", there was no yelling, figet-pointing or name calling. It was more like playing Poker. You talked money, location MAYBE owned up to about 5-10% of what you really had & what the car could do & run 'em. Hopefully no data would leak out & you could win. That goes on today I know in every type of racing (just TRY to get specs on a S/S racer's set-up for example) but the serious street-rats had it down to a science which back then was rare.
Of course if you were unlucky your opponent would have access to some guys who actually worked at gathering intel on your opponent & would have car specs, perhaps pictures of your opponent that could tell you just how fast he really was or what latest modifiction he made . He may help you or you'd bribe him for the info and get an edge on negotiating the race. That stuff hasn't changed but I'm sure modern streetracers are even more secretive.

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Yes it is like Poker, in a sense. I often saw it as that old military card game called "pinoncle".
It is where you can trump any ones books or winnings. Same as in street racing, the better combo wins consecutively!!
Those days of having "spies" at the strip or, perhaps the "candy store" where you got your
speed fixin's for your ride, are still around. The
only ways that you can get around the problem is to effectively DO your own engine/drivetrain building (minimal but EFFECTIVE machine work excluded)or go to a 3/4 long block (no intake, exhaust, cam, intake, timing set, water pump etc.) with just heads, machined block and balanced
rotating assembly and STIR in your own RECIPE of
parts!! Then for the HARDCORE, there is the foolproof, warranteed "crate motor/drivetrain" assembilies. They don't really care who does know their combo, they just keep "turning the wick up"
as the competition gets tougher!! Bribes are still in use, but the costs has gone up as our economy has gone DOWN!! Talk about supply and the demand for racing information, H-cop! Good post!!

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Wonder what ever happened to that M/P Camaro.
I've seen Hwy 2 shields on the take at 150th St. Some one had the right paper to make that happen.

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My guess was my friend had connections as one of his customers was "hooked up" with the City in an area other than police work. A simple call to a "friend-of-a-friend" or "cousin" could've straightened it all out.
This was all comon knowledge so "greasing" someone's palm was just how business was done. This was where the real criminal side of streetracing came into play. Imagine what it took to get the real big money runs to go off without a hitch. But in the end it never really mattered--we never hurt anyone, VERY rarely did a race like this result in violence & your "rep" was at stake, so to not pay-off or anything like that would result in a variety of problems for you. Most guys quit, some went back to running their businesses or the very lucky few turned it into a respectable living. That was the fun of it all. At the time anything seemd possible and you were having fun....

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The biggest thing about those "twinight runs" or
'submarine races", they were WELL organized and
nobody got hurt (pro runs, some local action). And speaking of organization, the atomosphere was
ALREADY set up long before the two cars/drivers met on the tarmac. Between the "two pillars" of society in the streets, order was KEPT. Through
this "natural order" some of the best runs ever seen and skilled drivers were born into history. It seem that the "less you knew" and the more you
payed attention to detail, you often would make it back to see more action.

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aNYHOW, anyone have any more stories?

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I don't know the "scenario" but I do know the driver: it was 1980 Stock Eliminator world champ Ray Cook who, unfortunately, is no longer with us.

Here's a picture of Ray doing a burnout and his racing partner--both on and off the track--Artie Leong (near the right rear quarter panel) during happier times:

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aNYHOW, anyone have any more stories?

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ok in 69 at westons on forrest ave on staten island, a bunch of 'brothers' from jersey cruise in looking for action... the car they wish to race against is a 64 lemans (forget the owners name), which is 'built'... the engine was done by a calif. shop, etc/etc... the car was an 'animal'... and the 'jersey boys' car... a 69 camaro pace car... so friday nite back and forth as the jersey boys want a 10car (handicap).. nothing doing, sat nite is down to 8 or 7...nothing doing, sunday nite its done to 5...nothing doing, then maybe at 11pm, when everyone is ready to call it a nite, the jersey boys say... ok we'll race u straight-up with our 69 chevelle... handshakes follow, the staten island crew are high-fivin (or whatever it was back then)each other.. and off we go to south ave... well the cops are there, so its off to arden ave... no cops... cars are jacked up, headers uncapped, slicks put on and ready to race...

now the lemans with uncapped headers woke up the dead, and the slicks could have been used on a funny car.... wide.... meantime the chevelle had small , maybe 10 1/2'' slicks, uncapped the car sounded ok... certainly nothing like the lemans...

they line up, flag goes down, and the chevelle must take close to a telephone pole lead... at the top end, the lemans comes on, but no way can it make up for that holeshot...

not sure how much $$$$ they raced for, but it was a large sum (for 69).. later come to find out the chevelle had a worked (very worked) zl1 alum. 427...

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Now THIS is the kinda stuff I'm talking about! I'd love to know what the Pontiac was runnin, as there weren't too many serious Ponchos around. Anyone want to own up to what their combo was back then?.......
ME FIRST! .before I had my Pinto (don't laugh, see previous posts), I had a '67 big-block 'vette. Forget the original engine, it's replacement was a .060 over 427, rect. port heads, Tarantula manifold (remember those?) with a ZL-1 cam(striaght from the dealership parts dept.)a 780 Holley & Hooker Trans-Am style headers. I had it hooked to an M-21 in front of 4:56 gears. One of those weird single bar traction bars held the rear-end (sort of) & Moroso "trick" springs for a small-block 'vette held up the front-end. It didn't corner worth a damn, got God-awful mileage & speed-bumps gave me fits but when it launched it looked like the whole car was going to jump off the ground. A guy by the name of Vinny Barone did the motor for about $2,500 , which was a fair amount back then. He did an outstanding job & I think he still races in Comp Elim. now.....

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Now THIS is the kinda stuff I'm talking about! I'd love to know what the Pontiac was runnin, as there weren't too many serious Ponchos around..

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the poncho was also running a rat... a serious rat...but it was no match for the jersey boys on that nite.. maybe the poncho was slow off the line , i dunno, but on that nite he got his butt kicked.. i will eventually remember the owners name and post it up...

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Now THIS is the kinda stuff I'm talking about! I'd love to know what the Pontiac was runnin, as there weren't too many serious Ponchos around..

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the poncho was also running a rat... a serious rat...but it was no match for the jersey boys on that nite.. maybe the poncho was slow off the line , i dunno, but on that nite he got his butt kicked.. i will eventually remember the owners name and post it up...

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To get a HARD-RUNNING Poncho back then, you HAD to
go to Nunzi's in Bay Ridge. Or, contact a couple of lesser known-at-the-time builders on the West Coast. Or, as I stand corrected, Royal
Oak Pontiac, Michigan. Locally, a Pontiac Dealer
located on Fresh Pond Road in the vicinity of
Metropolitan Ave, used to sell the goods also.
I forgotten the name of the dealer, someone
out there knows who I'm talking about? Thanks.

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around..

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the poncho was also running a rat...

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A rat,huh? That's kinda disappointing. Seems most guys ran big Chevys or Mopars around NYC. There was a guy in Queens that had a beautiful 69/70 or so black 4-4-2 that ran a rat also. That's what I especially enjoyed about my friends Gremlin---ALL AMC! and he did win more than his fair share. Come to think of it there actually was an old Buick in my neighborhood & a couple of Fords but they were a true minority in my neighborhood---- probably 99% were Chevys

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Where I grew up at, there were A LOT of GM Products (All were represented including Caddy!)
a FEW Fords (but were HARD running) and Mopars
(the underdog) of all sizes!! The Mopars
had fits over Buick, OLDS and the Caddys, BUT the
Rats and Mice were a commom place and easy pickin's back then. Goats were a little TOUGHER, especially
the RAIV's. They were NOTORIOUS for running hard
up top with a 383-440 motor. The Fords were a little more "sneaky" with their engine/body styles
especially when stuffed with Cleveland/FE or Lima
motor. For those not in the KNOW, it converts to
a 351C, 390-427-428 or 429-460 motors. Placed in a lightweight chassis, they will embarass about 90% of "other" makes unsuspectedly!! And you say Fords' can't run! Being a Mopar man you can't win
100% of the time, but you can TRY TO!! And have FUN doing it!!

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I don't know the "scenario" but I do know the driver: it was 1980 Stock Eliminator world champ Ray Cook who, unfortunately, is no longer with us.

Here's a picture of Ray doing a burnout and his racing partner--both on and off the track--Artie Leong (near the right rear quarter panel) during happier times:

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I wonder if Art was any relation to Roland - of "The Hawaiian" fame?

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That thought often crossed my mind, but I haven't
bothered to ask. I was always concerned with who
he ran against and how well his combo worked!!