Scott Shafiroff was the first person I heard about who was going pretty fast on spray back in the mid-'70s. This was either 1976 or 1977, but I was there for the night The Unknown Street Racer came to MIR.

There was a magazine article shortly before the event, but I can't figure out in what magazine. The pic shown in the link above came from it, but I can't tell anything other than it was written by Al Kirschenbaum, who I know was based out of NY.

I don't think Scott was I the '7s that night like Tod Mack inferred, but he gapped The Whoopee Car enough that I'm pretty sure he was well into the 8s... it wasn't even close.