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Post deleted by Defbob [Re: mr2performance] #557595
12/20/09 12:44 AM
12/20/09 12:44 AM

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Re: War Stories and TallTales..... #557596
12/20/09 12:48 AM
12/20/09 12:48 AM
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,101
Yes
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sixpakdodge Offline
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Can anyone here confirm or deny a certain Detroit area Mopar racer's illegal substance funding?

Re: War Stories and TallTales..... [Re: mr2performance] #557597
12/20/09 12:52 AM
12/20/09 12:52 AM
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,379
MD
Kevins493 Offline
top fuel
Kevins493  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,379
MD
Quote:

you mean "mean gene the fort worth queen"????



or, given whats happening on the east coast right now, "snow blower"?
mods if that went too far feel free to delete..

Post deleted by Defbob [Re: sixpakdodge] #557598
12/20/09 12:56 AM
12/20/09 12:56 AM

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Re: War Stories and TallTales..... #557599
12/20/09 02:15 AM
12/20/09 02:15 AM
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,031
Raleigh N.C
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hemiparts Offline OP
"Missile Pilot"
hemiparts  Offline OP
"Missile Pilot"
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,031
Raleigh N.C
I'm not old enough to have a good story of my own but growing up in a family where dad raced ss, gas and modifieds ,one uncle worked for Billy Stepp and the other uncle was a racing photographer, I have a heard a million.. (feel free to correct any errors here Chris3) ) Like the time they blew up a trans and rebuilt it in the bath tub of the Blue Moon Motel outside of Rockingham NC. Or when they met this guy from CA who was racing funny cars and was sleeping in his pick up truck and eating peanut butter sandwichs, and hoping to win anything to be able to buy gas to get to the next race track ( John Force) I have had the pleasure if meeting hundreds of racers over the years and besides Ronnie, Herb McCandless has to be one of the nicest, closley followed by Harold Denton ( first prostocker in the 6's) and Billy West . Anyone of the guys would stop on a dime to talk for as long as you wanted to listen.


Re: War Stories and TallTales..... [Re: hemiparts] #557600
12/20/09 09:30 AM
12/20/09 09:30 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 506
Texas Afghanistan Iraq etc.
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DakFink Offline
mopar
DakFink  Offline
mopar
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 506
Texas Afghanistan Iraq etc.
Stories like this are why I LOVE DRAG RACING!!!

The Nice Guys really do out number the Butt-Heads and from what I have heard a few names mentioned above are actually some nice guys away from the Heat of Competition.

I haven't got any REAL big stories to tell.

Just wanted to let all you Ole Timers know that you have made this the best Motorsport out there for a Family!!

I take my Wife and 3 kids (2 girls, 1 Boy) to the track every chance I get. They all WANT to go. I don't have to worry about bad-attitudes or Nasty Mouths or them getting hurt as long as they keep their distnce from the cars while crews are working.

I really admire the comroderary among the competitors as well. Seen a guy in Pro 5.0 loan a guy and helped him install a transmission. Little did I know the guy that loaned the trans was up against the guy that borrowed it for the Final Round. The Guy that loaned could have easily NOT loaned the trans and made the other guy miss the starting call, but he didn't he was there to race. The guy that loaned the trans did end up winning by a front fender and got his trans back.

You just don't see that kind of stuff in other forms of any Sport.

I'll just be glad when I finally get be on the track again myself!!

Re: War Stories and TallTales..... [Re: sixpakdodge] #557601
12/20/09 10:02 AM
12/20/09 10:02 AM
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 22,873
Chicken coop
dustergirl340 Offline
Chicken Little
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Chicken Little

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Chicken coop
Quote:

Can anyone here confirm or deny a certain Detroit area Mopar racer's illegal substance funding?




I will not confirm nor deny such a thing.

Re: War Stories and TallTales..... [Re: dustergirl340] #557602
12/20/09 10:25 PM
12/20/09 10:25 PM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 6,257
acworth / N. georgia - south e...
cheapstreetdustr Offline
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 6,257
acworth / N. georgia - south e...
My Uncle tells this story..ive heard it many times..i feel like i was there...

Pre-face...My Uncle and Steve Kanuika where good freinds..Kanuika built motors for Jungle Jim Lieberman and claire Sanders in the early yrs..
the story goes...jungle was in a hurry to get to a race in fla..
at some point in the trip ..during a stop .
they realised that fuel had spilled in the trailer..
the fuel had gotten all over Jungles fire suit..
remember those shiney silver suits...they were not cheap either....?
so..they had the suit tied to the outboard mirrors and in the bed of the truck to try to air it out the rest of the the trip.
they get to the race...and the first pass jungle comes back and says..the fuel is BURNING the heck out of his Man parts....
you can image race fuel on that...and the amount of time he will have to be in that suit..
Jungle was well known for long smokey burnouts..
he stated...that "i am gonna have to do short burnouts this weekend..the less time im in the fire suit the better..
Well..the next pass...Jungle still does this Hairy burnout..as usuall...but this time..
he hauls butt in reverse to make it back to the stage.....
My uncle claims he was going 50 mph in reverse.
Jungle became famous for backing up after a burnout and going very fast doing it..
My uncle claims this is how that got started..
cause he had race gas spilled in the crotch of his pants...lol...
cheapst


365" Iron J heads,,3480lbs best 1.39 60ft on SS springs.10.54,124 mph ...6.67 1/8th et.average 60fts 1.46 w/ small cam &.063 no2 pill tagged & insured
[image][/image]
Re: War Stories and TallTales..... [Re: cheapstreetdustr] #557603
12/20/09 11:05 PM
12/20/09 11:05 PM
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,475
SW Ohio
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cgall Offline
top fuel
cgall  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,475
SW Ohio
Every year at holiday time I enjoy telling the story of when my wife and I went to the 5-day bracket races at Moroso in Jupiter, FL in 1985. My wife was only 19 at the time and had never gone camping or been away from home before.

My good friend Jack Balcom had won $10K in '84 down there, footbraking a 10.90 door car. This was unheard of at the time, so the result was that there were 11 teams from the Cincinnati area that made the trip in '85, it seemed like easy pickings down there. The final race in Super Pro in late October at Edgewater was won by Jack, I was runner-up, so we were confident.

I had a 2nd shift job, drove my '78 Dodge Tradesman Van and open trailer with race car and all my junk to work on Thursday. Back then, the races started on Friday and concluded on Tuesday. My wife met me at work at 11:00 pm and we planned to drive all night to make the first race Friday. I got to somewhere south of Orlando and had to pull in to a rest area to take a nap. After a short rest, I hear someone banging on my side door, I open up and it’s some old guy that says he needs a jump. I crawl out and jump the old [Edited by Moparts - Family Friendly Site - Keep it clean] from the race car battery, then look around and realize that it is like 3:00 in the afternoon! We had slept for 5 or 6 hours.

I had never been to South FL before, so I figger we are pretty close to the track. Wrong, the personal computer had not been invented yet, so Mapquest was not even an idea yet. You go down the Beeline Highway over swamps and lakes for about another day before you get to Moroso. Needless to say, we miss the first day of racing. My wife is tired but quite thrilled when we check in to the PGA Holiday Inn.

Saturday we pull into the track, all races are run at night. Coolest thing about this track is that it is 80 degrees all day, sun goes down and it goes down to 75 degrees…and it stays there until the sun comes up again! Put a dial on your windshield and forgetaboutit. I see my buddy Victor Rich loading up his car, blowed up last night. He pulls out and gives me his pit space. One cool thing I’ll never forget was that the Space Shuttle lifted off on a night mission from 75 miles South of us, it lit up the sky like a jet car.

The next three days and nights are the same, go to beach in the morning, go to track, lose first round, drink beer and have fun until late. The final day I get on a roll and win a few rounds. We are looking around and there are 11 or 12 cars left, 3 of them from Cincy. Of course, I have to run good friend Dave Loudon, I win and we are in the quarters. Next round, I lose with a .509 and run right-on at 11.66. I still have the ticket stuck to my toolbox. No clue as to what my opponent ran. My friend Earl Lee wins the race. I ran 9 rounds of eliminations down there and ran 11.66 dead on 6 times, $500 in entry fees and finally won $250 (buy-backs had not been invented yet either).

Now we are armed with cash and there is another race at Bradenton that some of the guys are going to. Somehow we find our way there with a gas station map and go to war once again. I win first round and go back to the lanes, David Rampy is two cars ahead of me with his “High Times” Opel GT. My wife has been a trooper all through this, but she is starting to think I am not right when all I can think of is racing Rampy. I lose, and am distraught at missing the chance to race one of the top bracket racers in the country.

We load up and hit the North road, get to Ocala and decide to see the Garlits museum. Gar is not there, but we talk to his wife and see all the cars. Days Inn hotel right off the highway, I think it was $16 for a room. Heading home the next day, now it is Thanksgiving day. Oh, yes did I say my wife was a kid and had never gone anywhere before, the cell phone had not been invented yet and she had not talked to her family for a week. We see a sign in GA at a Dennys that says “Turkey and Dressing Dinner $2.99”.

We go in and there is no-one there but a few truck drivers, order the turkey and they say it is sold out. I order a burger and my wife orders a French dip. All is well until the food is presented and the waitress says “Happy Thanksgiving”. That’s when my wife lost it and started crying, she finally realized that she was stuck with a racing fool husband.

Re: War Stories and TallTales..... [Re: cgall] #557604
12/21/09 12:37 AM
12/21/09 12:37 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,963
Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
gregsdart Offline
master
gregsdart  Offline
master

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,963
Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
In the early 70s I watched a pinto prostocker at Minnesota Dragways lose it, flip so high he landed upside down on a gorgeous roadrunner parked against the fence. Saw another pro stocker launch in reverse, talk about wheel hop! Ronnie Sox took the time to listen to what I had and give me pointers on how to run it!
Watched Captain Jack McClure go 212 mph in a little rocket powered, standard sized go cart! The guy was nutz!


8..603 156 mph best, 2905 lbs 549, indy 572-13, alky
Re: War Stories and TallTales..... [Re: gregsdart] #557605
12/21/09 10:00 AM
12/21/09 10:00 AM
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 9,366
Lehigh Acres, Florida
rickstershemi Offline
master
rickstershemi  Offline
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 9,366
Lehigh Acres, Florida
One of my fondest racing memories was in the early 70's at New England Dragway where we were pitted next to "Shirley Shahan" and her "Crew Chief" husband with my fist street/strip car, a 1964 Falcon with a Boss 302 drive train out of a friends dads totalled car that I bought from his insurance company for a whopping $300 bucks

It wasn't running all that well and Shirley came over with her husband and asked if they could take a look. Well in a few minutes with some minor tuning they got the 302 running like a top and on that next pass made my very fist wheels up run....I think about this often....just pure racers with an incredible love for the sport and a willingness to step up and help the little guy....true champions



Rickster

Re: War Stories and TallTales..... [Re: rickstershemi] #557606
12/21/09 01:03 PM
12/21/09 01:03 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,002
Joplin, Mo
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rt66jim Offline
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rt66jim  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,002
Joplin, Mo
Back in the early 80's several friends and myslef would go to KC in Sept. AHRA had their fall bracket finals then. My friends lived in T-town and I lived in Miami,OK. I would meet them at the reststop on I44 around 12:30 PM on Fri. They would get to the rest stop and already be pretty well "tuned-up". This was back before it was such a big deal. Anyway we would continue on our way to KC. Usually arriving around 3-4 PM in a good state of tune. We would unhook one of our tow vehicles. The women would go shopping and we went to the bar. The wives usually came looking for us about 6. We would walk across the road to a joint that had fair food and a live band. We would close that joint down at 2 AM. Find our way back across the highway to our rooms. Now my best friend's wife had purchased a new black sleeping garment on the shopping spree. And he had uploaded the Moped and put it in the room. For some reason about 3:30 AM that Moped fired up went VROOM VROOM and crashed in to the door. Next morning Mike was found sound asleep in the floor next to the Moped. The Mrs. was not very happy all day long. Jim

Re: War Stories and TallTales..... [Re: rt66jim] #557607
12/21/09 09:20 PM
12/21/09 09:20 PM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 6,257
acworth / N. georgia - south e...
cheapstreetdustr Offline
master
cheapstreetdustr  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 6,257
acworth / N. georgia - south e...
alright...
my turn again..my cousin used to run smallblock chevy on model A rail.. with a dodge pu style T bucket body..car..
i was 16..and this was at Atco...his car was pretty fast...usually ..but they always seemed to have some major drama..every weekend.he raced it..
my cousin had a 75 amc pacer 3 on the tree..we used it as the pit vehicle...
anyway..this perticular weekend..the rail car was giving them fits again...as usual.
and my buddy Mike's older brother Vince who ran a gto was pitted next to us..his car blew a head gasket ...so he never even got past the first time trial...
so He said to me...use my number and run the pacer...
so i asked my cousin if I could run the pacer in eliminations...he said no, ,at first but after a little convincing..somehow ...i got his approval.
I let Vince take it through tech and explain the change in vehicles....
i didnt have a license..but i knew how to drive..
and had put many of miles on the pacer anyway..
(driving it down kettle run road if you know the area around Atco/marlton)
so first pass in the car..Vince says..just rev it to about 1700 then let go of the clutch when you see the green light..
well...i knew better and dumped it at the last yellow....cut a good light..and shifted the thing to 16 second et...
a little wheel hop..but otherwise it went just fine..
I went 5 rounds in that car..winning every time.
it was cool as....sheet...id seen it done so many times...figured it was easy...and actually it was that day..
every time i would come back to the pits..and with a win....everyone was really surprised...
even my cousin took notice..
they/he only went like 3 rounds or so in the rail..
so late in the day..every one was done....
everyone BUT ME...THAT IS...
i made it all the way and won the money.
the only issue is they announced Vince as the driver and he had to go get the money...
it was great...i must have been charmed...
cause i won my fair share of races at atco as a kid...little did i know it wouldnt be like that forever....lol....

anyway...so now my cousin is all ...jacked up on the pacer..so he tunes it up ,changes the oil..washes it..
the next weekend i say lets enter the pacer..
he doesnt even hesitate and pays its entry..
ONLY this time he tells me that HE is gonna drive it....
he went out first round....HAHAHAHA....
that was a good time....
cheapst


365" Iron J heads,,3480lbs best 1.39 60ft on SS springs.10.54,124 mph ...6.67 1/8th et.average 60fts 1.46 w/ small cam &.063 no2 pill tagged & insured
[image][/image]
Re: War Stories and TallTales..... [Re: cheapstreetdustr] #557608
12/21/09 09:45 PM
12/21/09 09:45 PM
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,617
In the tower
RonTheAnnouncer Offline
master
RonTheAnnouncer  Offline
master

Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,617
In the tower
Back around 1993, Bill Bader Sr. asked myself and a few other racers to work security at the IHRA World Nationals. On Sunday I got to work at the head of staging..."Behind the yellow line, please!"...and had a pretty good view of the races all day. Two things stick out about that day. The first was during Pro Mod, when Bill Kuhlmann was doing a monster burnout. His car disappeared from my view in a massive cloud of smoke. Suddenly I see a small black dot. I then notice the dot is getting larger very quickly. I move out of the way as the dot whistles by my ear and hits the backboard with a resounding SMACK! It was a ball of rubber off of one of Kuhlmann's slicks, about the size of a tennis ball! That thing would probably STILL be stuck to my head. Behind the yellow line, indeed...


Ron H.
"Just when you think you have all of the answers...I change the questions!" "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
Re: War Stories and TallTales..... [Re: RonTheAnnouncer] #557609
12/21/09 09:57 PM
12/21/09 09:57 PM
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,617
In the tower
RonTheAnnouncer Offline
master
RonTheAnnouncer  Offline
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,617
In the tower
The second story happened on the same day. Top Fuel eliminations begin, The crowd is going crazy and ZAP...the power suddendly goes out for the entire track. It's the middle of the day, but no PA for a while, and frantic calls going out to the power company. The crowd kept having fun, I remember a "Tastes great...Less Filling" battle going for a bit. Finally, someone brings a small portable generator large enough to somewhat power the PA. Bill Sr. Keys up the mic and says, "Well folks, that goes to show you...nothing goes right when your underwear's tight!" He tells everyone the power company will be there in 10 minutes for a simple fix, then he plays some music. Anyone familiar with Norwalk will appreciate this...He put on his favorite Frankie Yankovic polka tape. 20,000 people at a national event listening to "Hoop De Doo"! Eddie Hill was waiting patiently in his car, and Fuzzy Carter was standing near me. He looks up at the PA speaker blaring accordian and banjo, looks at me and says with a smile on his face, "Only at Norwalk!"


Ron H.
"Just when you think you have all of the answers...I change the questions!" "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
Re: War Stories and TallTales..... [Re: RonTheAnnouncer] #557610
12/22/09 12:10 AM
12/22/09 12:10 AM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 622
NC
chris3 Offline
mopar
chris3  Offline
mopar

Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 622
NC
Okay, Hemiparts just left and said I haven't put a story on here.

He mentioned Harold Denton. Harold raced Pro Stock and almost anything back years ago. Back in the 60's 70's Harold was racing a mustang. I believe it was a '66. There was a so much fiberglass on that car as it went down the track the fenders flapped so bad you were not sure they would not come off. On Sunday, at Sanford Dragstrip, Sanford, NC, Harold comes in with a brand new truck, hauling the "Bad Thang" mustang on an open trailer. At this track there was a hill behind the pit area. Harold unloads his car and takes his NEW truck up on the hill wants to be sure no one is going to scratch his new red truck. Not sure against who, but during a race Harold blows the clutch. Pieces of the clutch and flywheel are going in all directions. They hook a tractor the the car and tow it back to the pits. Harold works on the car and finally it's time to go home. Harold goes up on the hill where the truck is "safe." Right there in the door of that new truck is a hole that looks like a can opener had been used on it and right there in the front seat was a hole with a 6"x10" piece of a steel flywheel.

Re: War Stories and TallTales..... [Re: RonTheAnnouncer] #557611
12/22/09 12:16 AM
12/22/09 12:16 AM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 266
iowa
R
rook440 Offline
enthusiast
rook440  Offline
enthusiast
R

Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 266
iowa
I guess my best memory of a national event was when Darrel Alderman and Scott Geoffrion were on top in Pro Stock,It was a friday afternoon at Topeka and I really wanted to get a picture with the Dodge Boys ,we finally found their pit and ask one of the guys there if we could maybe get some pictures with Scott and Darrel, he goes into the race trailer and comes back out and waves me in ,sayes to go in the trailer , once inside I see Scott and Darrel setting around talking to a couple of guys ,Darrel was pretty engaged in conversation so I started talking to Scott ,I had a couple of their T shirts so I asked if they would sign them ,and a friend of mine is taking loads of pictures ,Darrel got into the T shirt signing too and was also extremely friendly to ,got to be the 2 most friendly ProStock drivers I've ever met ,after all of this I thought I had used up enough of their time so I tried to excuse myself ,but Scott said ,were really not doing anything for a while hang around if you want ...The Best Experiance Ive ever had in drag racing and those guys were class acts ,,,,the next year I went back and they Signed the Pictures and talked again for a while ....Darrel was Great ,Scott was Awesome ...Rest In Peace brother

Re: War Stories and TallTales..... [Re: hemiparts] #557612
12/22/09 12:45 AM
12/22/09 12:45 AM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 622
NC
chris3 Offline
mopar
chris3  Offline
mopar

Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 622
NC
I'll fill in the blanks in Hemiparts story about the motel at Rockingham. I had a very brief stint with a blown 392 hemi between the rail of a front engine AA/fuel and got to know a lot of those guys to. Rockingham dragway has for ever been on a two lane road. The nearest motels and eatery is 5 to 10 mile in either direction. On the Rockingham side of the town of Aberdeen was a Honey's Restuarnt and Motel. Back near Pine Hurst, the golf capital, was some pretty good food. A group left the motels in aberdeen and went to eat near Southern Pines. As I remember, Don Prudome, Ed Pink, Mike Burkhart and others came back to the motels late Saturday night. Most everyone was standing around waiting for the Ed Pink/Keith Black bar to open (the trunk of a Lincoln Continetal). After a few minutes, a man walked up the group and asked if we knew the man driving the pick-up truck with the funny car on the trailer. Everyone admitted to knowing the car. The man said something is wrong with the guy laying in the front seat. Every one goes over to the truck. It's probably 1:00 am. Don beats on the glass and Force wakes up and opens the door. Don asked him didn't he think he could sleep better in his room. John kinda looked around the group and said I don't have a room. I have ate my last bologna sandwich and I have to win some money tomorrow to get back to home.

I will try to look up a photograph I have of Force's car parked at Rockingham. In a part of the pits which has been flooding ever since the day the gates first opened. There is probably 6" of water around the car, the body is up and the work continued.

Re: War Stories and TallTales..... [Re: Chucklehead] #557613
12/22/09 02:16 AM
12/22/09 02:16 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,448
Phoenix, AZ
M
MoparBilly Offline
master
MoparBilly  Offline
master
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,448
Phoenix, AZ
Quote:

....Same day a guy with a Challenger (I think his name is Billy) took the time to show and explain, demonstrate how the box shifted the car at set RPM to my son and I. He heard my kid ask me what the box was for and called us over to explain....




Chucklehead,
Thank's for remembering me, I've always tried hard to be a good ambassador for the sport...can't remember how many kids have photos taken by thier dads of them sitting in my car...

I've been blessed to meet, race, and enjoy a ton of special people and special moments in this sport..it just kind of sneaks up on you, and suddenly you realize you've been around this sport for 30 years, and seen many of the best!

It started for me at KCIR in the early to mid 70's, when my Dad took me to my first AHRA National event. I was a young kid, but the sights, sounds and cars are still fresh in my memory. Showtime was there, and the Tennesee Bo-weevil. I remember the fuelers were starting on rollers, and I'll never forget how the chassis would flex when the engines would fire. My dad was a street racer, never much for the track, and he was mopar all the way, so all day the mopars were the best, and the chevies stunk, that's what he taught he. Then later in the day a little white chevy did a burnout, and I said "Dad, does that Chevy stink?" With sudden reverence in his voice he said, "No Son, not that one, he's the baddest in the land". I was shocked by my Dad's response, and squinted to read the cursive on the door...it said "grumpy's toy".
That was my first drag racing lesson, and it has served me well over the years...respect the good racers, regardless of thier brand affiliation!

I could go on for page after page, but I'll leave you with one of my favorite stories about a super guy. I moved to Phoenix in 1987, just a young, country, okie with a wife, kid, and a 13 second street car. I was immediately in awe of the Loper's Speed Shops in town, I used to go in and buy a National Dragster just to have an excuse to look around. Of course, all the counter guys wouldn't give me the time of day..until one day, I walked in and they were out of ND's, and just as the counter guy was trying to run me off, John himself walked in and said, "what does he want?"...the counter guy stuttered, and said, "A National Dragster..sir!" John ushered me back to his personal office, took his copy off his desk, and gave it to me! When I walked back by the counter with that ND in my hand, the counter guy's jaw dropped!! Word must've got around because I always got treated like a top customer after that!
Fast forward ten years later to 1997, and I'm racing my first NHRA National in Phoenix, so I fly my youngest brother, and his best High School bud out to be my "Crew"...well, they are major pumped!! While they've been bracket racing for years, they've never even attended a National! To make a Long story short, Saturday was a total rainout, and they are bummed..so I'm trying to think of a way to cheer them up as we are leaving the track, and I off handedly say, "Loper's is still open if you want to swing by...". I'd forgotten that living in Small Town Oklahoma, niether had ever been to a real live speed shop, so both enthusiastically agreed. We arrived at the main store about an hour before closing, walk in, and John Loper himself is behind the counter, and no one else is in the building. I'm a little nervous, because I've played it up to my brother and his buddy that I know John personally, so now I'm on the spot. I walk up and smile, and say, "Hey John, I'm running SST out at the Nationals, and we got rained out..so I brought my brother and his friend over to see what a real live Speed Shop looks like..." He gave a big grin, and said, "You're in Luck, it's been really slow today"...and simply walked from the counter to the front door, locked it, and proceeded to give us the grand tour!! He took them to his office, and showed off NHRA, IHRA, and AHRA trophies, certificates of National records, old photo albums, went to the back, and showed of his COPO Camaro, through the whole shop, back shelves, everything in the place, dazzling us with story after story for 2 hours!!!

Since then my brother's friend has went on to drive some extemely fast door cars, and built quite a reputation as a top racer..but get him around a latenight campfire at a race, when stories are being tossed about, and he'll always say.."Have I ever told you about the time I met John Loper in Phoenix Arizona..."


"Livin' in a powder keg and givin' off sparks" 4 Street cars, 5 Race engines
Re: War Stories and TallTales..... [Re: MoparBilly] #557614
12/22/09 06:18 PM
12/22/09 06:18 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 622
NC
chris3 Offline
mopar
chris3  Offline
mopar

Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 622
NC
Have we ran out of stories?

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