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Mid 70's, Rochester, MN and I take young # 1 son out for a ride through town in my 56 Chevy with a hot 331 and 4 speed. He's probably 4 years old at the time. The 331 was out of the front engine dragster I'd run for a couple years so it was healthy enough.

Minding my own business, stopped at a red light and 2 kids in a Camaro pull up next to me and immediately start revving the engine, hollering at me to race. I'm trying to be a responsible parent and ignore them. #1 son yells 'race them Dad!' as the light changes. I unload the 56 and am making short work of beating them as we roar by two city squad cars parked in a 7-11 lot.

Before the cops are even out of the lot I've made a quick right turn, turned off the lights and made another turn into an alley heading back in the direction we'd come from. I managed to make it home driving alleys all the way back. Son kept asking me what I was doing. I kept saying "you can't tell Mom". Of course once we did get home you can imagine what the 1st thing that came out his mouth was. I got 'the look' and 'the lecture'.

Son talked about the experience for many months. I let him drive the same car for his high school prom when he was old enough. When he brought it back it was missing a front baby moon hubcap. Of course he had no idea how that happened.

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I love stories like these. In '76, my daughter was barely a year old in the fall. She rode with her mom - who was a tomboy/gearhead - and me in a carseat strapped to the middle spot of the bench seat in front. There was no back seat in the car - a 1957 Chevy 150 2-door sedan, AKA business coupe. It had an uprated 327, a 4-speed and 4:11 gears.

So, we're all at a light on Brookside, one Saturday night, the light turns green, the guy in the next lane punches his '65 Malibu and the tires chirp. Little girl Jackie says her first complete sentence - "Go, Daddy, go!" First time I ever got "the look" from her mom.

I hopped on the '57, but was laughing so hard at her antics [the child's] that I missed 2nd gear and just let back out of it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Good times.

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if u street raced in the 60's/early 70's in nyc, it started and ended on south ave. in staten island...

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You're forgetting "The Connecting", was the home of N.Y.C.'s premier "street racing" drag strip. And
lot of "old school" class/bracket racers in the NYC/west LI,NJ and CT, got their start at "The Fount" and 150th St (Conduit). Nothing against South Ave, since A LOT of "hard running" cars were
on the scene there!! But "The Fount" and 150th, were a drag racers "haven" a decade before the first Roadrunner was
built.

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if u street raced in the 60's/early 70's in nyc, it started and ended on south ave. in staten island...

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You're forgetting "The Connecting", was the home of N.Y.C.'s premier "street racing" drag strip. And
lot of "old school" class/bracket racers in the NYC/west LI,NJ and CT, got their start at "The Fount" and 150th St (Conduit). Nothing against South Ave, since A LOT of "hard running" cars were
on the scene there!! But "The Fount" and 150th, were a drag racers "haven" a decade before the first Roadrunner was
built.

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By the way, if rumors are begging to be true and Englishtown closes its gates, The economy at its current state, the rebellion in the air and funny money changing hands may just be the perfect storm to bring it all back.
I hope I am wrong, because a functioning facility like Englishtown being closed or the prospects of a new track like Long Island Motorsports raceway being shot down by Red tape will make for a certain songs title to ring true. "Here comes that sound again"

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Englishtown closing down - now there's a rumor set to shake up the East Coast. Personally, I don't see it happening, but the red tape "buero
cracy" on the old Calverton Naval airbase is killing the sport out on the Island. Truly, that site could have been the NEW Long Island National Dragstrip. But unfortunately we have to rely on innovation and old school savvy. Have to be a bit smarter (location wise), and pick runs without the panache and glamour. Sort the run out, line up, safe run, then DISSAPPER! Run smarter to race another day (night)! The days of giving breaks are over and the "gray bar" hotel (unlike Motel 6)does NOT keep the light on for you either!

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if u street raced in the 60's/early 70's in nyc, it started and ended on south ave. in staten island...

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You're forgetting "The Connecting", was the home of N.Y.C.'s premier "street racing" drag strip. And
lot of "old school" class/bracket racers in the NYC/west LI,NJ and CT, got their start at "The Fount" and 150th St (Conduit). Nothing against South Ave, since A LOT of "hard running" cars were
on the scene there!! But "The Fount" and 150th, were a drag racers "haven" a decade before the first Roadrunner was
built.

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well i got my license in dec 68, so 'the fount' mite have been the place earlier, but for sheer volume of cars being driven/towed/flatbedded, nuthin touched south ave.. we used to cruise for big races to bkyln and queens and into bayonne/newark , and no doubt there were lots of em, but none of these spots had em lined up 30/40 cars in 2's awaiting their turn.. it was national speedway/e-town ...only better... and what do we have today... a 2.2L honda doing 8seconds with a fart pipe...

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Not knocking South Ave, since a lot of legendary class racers did run there. It was quite a show. But for the sheer "dragstrip" effect, "The Connecting" beats it hands down. The difference between the two spots is that South Ave had nearly ZERO population back then. The Connecting is a (major now, bypass back then) artery that was "controlled" for staged runs. When was the last time a fuel dragster made a pass on a "limited access public roadway"? So far, only on "The Connecting". The place has so much noteriety now, you can't stand on the streets above the site, ticketing is the norm now.

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What year are you talking when it comes to South Ave? Maybe we passed ships during those nights if it was the 80's.
I used to be the head Flagman/Human Christmas tree over at South during the 80's. Not to boast, but yours truly would get applauded when entering that theater of operations. They all knew that I just wanted to keep it sane, safe movin' and fun. Yes it was crowded then and some times too crowded, but like mentioned above, nothing touched the Connecting and 150th St. for serious races. Nothing short of Pure Pro-stocks laid there rubber signatures on 150th. I saw it and heard it with my very own heart.
A certain Mopar got off on a few last races at Connecting not too long ago.

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What year are you talking when it comes to South Ave? Maybe we passed ships during those nights if it was the 80's.
I used to be the head Flagman/Human Christmas tree over at South during the 80's. Not to boast, but yours truly would get applauded when entering that theater of operations. They all knew that I just wanted to keep it sane, safe movin' and fun. Yes it was crowded then and some times too crowded, but like mentioned above, nothing touched the Connecting and 150th St. for serious races. Nothing short of Pure Pro-stocks laid there rubber signatures on 150th. I saw it and heard it with my very own heart.
A certain Mopar got off on a few last races at Connecting not too long ago.

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south ave was over after 71 (or thereabout)- the accident that killed those young girls at the end of the road (forrest ave) ended racing.. i think if u were there in the 80's, compared to 68/69/70, we are talkin apples and oranges... in 68/69/70... i'd pull up , park, and sit all nite on my beach chair watchin non-stop racing.. it was a glorius time

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FMJ, as I mentioned awhile back, is legendary. Back in the "late sixties/early seventies, South
Ave had NIL population so the police "ignored" the ongoings there due to being away from hi-volume interstate traffic at those times. It, indeed, was FUN times back then to run "freely", and NOT get stopped or hassled. The 80's, things
were a little different, where the "bold and brave" ran with persitence and scrutiny. That's due to the slightly more "serious" runners who put their worth where their mouths are, for bragging rights! And were willing to risk the chance of running on a major artery, for both the sheer enjoyment/bragging rights and for the winners, an "insured purse".