Drag Week 2011: The Experience

Chapter 1, or Book 1, the beginning?

Drag Week 2012 : The Preparation, or lack of it!

Chapter 2, or Book 2, A six month look into a dysfunctional family? or a bunch of tore apart project pics.

I'm linking this up as I prepare to close down the second thread, and start writing about the actual event. While on Drag Week this year I talked to several people who weren't Moparts members, but had gotten links from other sites, and had only read the first thread and didn't know about the second, and vise-versa.

A bit of editorializing if you will allow. I'm not a great writer, as I'm quite fond of a few authors who's work blows me way every time I pick up a copy of thier latest book. I simply enjoy writing about my experiences, and this is a great forum for my undisciplined ramblings.
I'm not a great drag racer, but quite a few of those who are know me on a first name basis, and for that I'm truly blessed. I simply enjoy racing against the best in a class I can afford, and relishing the process as well as the outcome.
I'm not a great runner, far from it, I've been around those who have amazing accomplishments in this arena, and still are filled with a true love for thier sport. I simply enjoy the competition, and the struggle, for what it is, it's amazing what you can accomplish when you decide to push harder than you believe possible.

All these come into play on Drag Week. As one of my competitors eloquently put it on another site, "It's one of the last 'Attainable Adventures' for the car guy."

Billy,

I really think you should approach HOT ROD and ask them to publish your story; a different spin in their mag would do a lot of good for the event and the mag....win/win. Sometimes its not always about show cars or fast cars. This type of stuff is great for the new/old school car guys. Almost makes a person feel they were there along side you through it all! Great stories man....

ohhhh yeah, and when you do I WANT (2) autographed copies KILLER WEDGE!!!

Wes

I would second that suggestion.

Chris..

Billy you can link it, rationalize it, downplay your talents, or whatever but please DO NOT end the stories. You're giving us the best thread on this board, period. And we thank you for it. And I agree HR is missing a great story.

...still chuckle about the story of you deciding to bop over to Houston for that divisional oh so many years ago! You have a knack of putting yourself into situations that just fall into chapter and verse Billy. That keeps the "fun" in it for you:)

Billy I agree. Your stories are great and give a unique view on the event - a view that makes people want to have an "experience". Get a hold of Freiburger and see if you can get your stories published in HRM.

or at least get Brian to toss them up on the BangShift front page.

Billy IMO you are a very good writer. I always have enjoyed reading about your exploits. Also I believe you are a very good racer, you have helped me more than you know. Simply by me listening to your advice and stories. Not even sure if you are aware of it but when you talked about S/ST listened. I wish you would come back out and race with us there but sounds like you are having way to much fun with your current adventure to bother. Cant say I blame you. Keep up the good work and see ya at the races, hopefully

You guys are great! Thanks for the encouragement, but poor Dave or Brian would have to spend as much time editing and cleaning up my diatribe as it took for me to write it in the first place!

I was wide awake at 6AM Sunday morning, and immediately started sorting through my clothes to determine what was going, and what would stay behind. Darryl called at 6:30 to make sure I was awake. "What about Rachael?", he questioned when I told him I'd been up for awhile.
"Not moving yet.."
"Gates open at..."
"I know, I know!"

When Rachael and I arrived at Dale's, Darryl was packing up the Dart, and we joined into the same routine. We didn't absolutely need everything with us that was going on the trip, but it made for a good practice run, so we were trying to work it out as though this was it.
Darryl fired up the Dart, and it let out a terrible sceetching, tapping racket from under the hood!
"What the heck!" I exclaimed as he crawled out after shutting it off.
"It does this on cold mornings", he had a sheepish, embarrassed look on his face. "The plastic shroud, shrinks or draws up, and gets hit by the fan blades...usually not a problem in Phoenix!" He dove under the hood and started pulling and tweaking on it.
We jumped out on Highway 169 headed towards the track, I was leading with the smallblock at 2800, and my mirror full of 67 Belvedere grille, while my stomach was already in knots. We rolled into the facility around 7:55am..the line was already moving, and the pits looked fairly full! Darryl was glaring at me from behind the wheel of his Dart. Apparently the "Gates open" time was merely a suggestion...

Yeah I thought I would be slick and get there early. I was 1/4 mile back in the tech line at 7:30

Great read. Looking forward to the next installment.

Subscribed.

We actually didn't fair too badly, Rachael and I pitted in the middle row, and we backed in. I kept an eagle eye on the tech area as we unloaded our stuff next to someone's monstrous tag along trailer, and as soon as a line started to form we jumped for it. A big guy in a floppy hat was directing people to the proper lane, and as he came closer, I realized it was Bill Fowler (CDMBill, Bangshift), who owns the big 71 Mustang convertible. It's not odd at all to see veterans of multiple Drag Weeks jump in and help whenever needed with the event. There are many jokes bandied about in regards to "The good ole boys club", or "insiders", but the truth is most guys who've done it a few times just try to make it easier, and better for everyone!
Rachael ran off to get fuel when the tech cards got handed out, so the HOTROD photogs caught me with two, filling mine out while trapping hers on the fender.

This is a good pic of the derringer I brought to fight with in the Modified NA category:

And this is a good pic of the Howitzer that Ray (sixpackgut, Moparts) brought for the Modified N/A class. Yeah...the outcome was never in doubt, because I knew waiting for a BBM to break was not very good odds!

Darryl managed to squeeze in a couple of cars behind us, and began his left handed, contortionist scrawling on his tech card.