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Your first race track experience
- Thread starter Bent77
- Start date
Still got my cherry...
Oh yeah, been to the track here a few times. Once with Dave Zimmer even. Actual track experience is zero though.
My first time at Castrol raceway was mid day on a Saturday. Just test and tune, mostly bracket cars. I think there was seven of us in the stands...
I was fresh to Alberta, wife and kids hadn't moved here yet so I was living by my lonesome in a 17 foot trailer beside a lube shop Deb's cousin owned. Weekends were tough, no work, didn't really know anyone but the track was close.
Second time was the street legal drags with Zimmer. A lot of the cars you see there, just people having fun...but a pair of cars there with some real hp. A LS swapped Fox body that ran an 8.88 pedalling it, and an LS swapped fox Fairmont that had the moon tune loaded. Dude put it on the bumper and that was it for his night. Later I found him on youtube and watched where he ran a 7.77 at mission raceway in BC.
I was fresh to Alberta, wife and kids hadn't moved here yet so I was living by my lonesome in a 17 foot trailer beside a lube shop Deb's cousin owned. Weekends were tough, no work, didn't really know anyone but the track was close.
Second time was the street legal drags with Zimmer. A lot of the cars you see there, just people having fun...but a pair of cars there with some real hp. A LS swapped Fox body that ran an 8.88 pedalling it, and an LS swapped fox Fairmont that had the moon tune loaded. Dude put it on the bumper and that was it for his night. Later I found him on youtube and watched where he ran a 7.77 at mission raceway in BC.
Las Vegas motor speedway.
I’ve been to the drags lots of times but only raced legit once during a test n tune night. Lots of street races though.
I’ve been to the drags lots of times but only raced legit once during a test n tune night. Lots of street races though.
My dad was into carting when I was a kid. I remember going and doing laps with him on Saturdays at the track up by Lafayette. Trophy from that time I remember him winning said 1979, so I was 2 or 3
First drive was at the IMI cart track in Erie CO. 80 hp Yamaha centripetal clutch. That was fun. Probably 12
First drive was at the IMI cart track in Erie CO. 80 hp Yamaha centripetal clutch. That was fun. Probably 12
First time at the drags was the Mile High Nationals when I was in 9th grade
Walked right into Eddie and Ercie Hills pits, got a signature and a chat. Fan for life
Later after we were running up there, came down the return road and hung out with Kurt Johnson while he changed plugs. Got a complete education, hung out for about half an hour, no pressure
Walked right into Eddie and Ercie Hills pits, got a signature and a chat. Fan for life
Later after we were running up there, came down the return road and hung out with Kurt Johnson while he changed plugs. Got a complete education, hung out for about half an hour, no pressure
Riverhead Raceway, Riverhead NY. About a 1/5 mile oval, with a figure eight.
My old man would take us there a bunch of times every summer when I was a kid. Super cheap Saturday night entertainment, he would even bring his cooler in loaded with brewskis.
There were modifieds, midgets, blunderbusts, late model, etc. They would even let local folks bring their own street cars in and have heads up races. The pits were also wide open, so you could walk through to check it all out. Lots of farm boys spending all their harvest money.
Back then it was in the middle of the country, now it's surounded by urban sprawl. I still remember the smell of race gas and rubber, and the way the tire shreds got caught in the chain link fence around the track.
My old man would take us there a bunch of times every summer when I was a kid. Super cheap Saturday night entertainment, he would even bring his cooler in loaded with brewskis.
There were modifieds, midgets, blunderbusts, late model, etc. They would even let local folks bring their own street cars in and have heads up races. The pits were also wide open, so you could walk through to check it all out. Lots of farm boys spending all their harvest money.
Back then it was in the middle of the country, now it's surounded by urban sprawl. I still remember the smell of race gas and rubber, and the way the tire shreds got caught in the chain link fence around the track.
First time at any track was Bandimere in the 80’s before they moved up the hill to make way for C-470. No massive tower or seating cut out of the hillside. I don’t remember what was going on but there were some fast cars and it was loud. I always wanted to go back.
In high school before I got my license me and two buddies got into some explorer’s post deal that was an off shoot of the Boy Scouts. The group was to build and drag race a car at Bandimere.
Long story short the group that signed up was big enough they did two cars. We built a ‘72 Malibu and the other group built a ‘74 Nova. We worked out of the Schomp BMW service department and the other group was out of the Oldsmobile shop.
We built a 383 from scratch with a 400 crank and had to hand clearance the rods and block since no kits were out back then.
Anyway we built the trans and axles and the body shop did a quickly paint job on both.
We each got a pass down the track. I think I pulled a 15.1 with the car. I was hooked. I needed to have my own car to run. Shortly after I found my Nova.
In high school before I got my license me and two buddies got into some explorer’s post deal that was an off shoot of the Boy Scouts. The group was to build and drag race a car at Bandimere.
Long story short the group that signed up was big enough they did two cars. We built a ‘72 Malibu and the other group built a ‘74 Nova. We worked out of the Schomp BMW service department and the other group was out of the Oldsmobile shop.
We built a 383 from scratch with a 400 crank and had to hand clearance the rods and block since no kits were out back then.
Anyway we built the trans and axles and the body shop did a quickly paint job on both.
We each got a pass down the track. I think I pulled a 15.1 with the car. I was hooked. I needed to have my own car to run. Shortly after I found my Nova.
I thought we were talking drag racing...
My first true track experience was at a 1/4 mile paved oval track in South Langley, BC. back in the early 80's. We would go there every Saturday night through summer, and at one point my Dad sponsored a "Hit to pass" car. I got to help out in the pits a few times too. That track got shut down in the mid 80's. My wife and I went and checked it out in '94 with our newborn daughter. The track was still there, a little overgrown. We did a lap with the stroller...lol
My first true track experience was at a 1/4 mile paved oval track in South Langley, BC. back in the early 80's. We would go there every Saturday night through summer, and at one point my Dad sponsored a "Hit to pass" car. I got to help out in the pits a few times too. That track got shut down in the mid 80's. My wife and I went and checked it out in '94 with our newborn daughter. The track was still there, a little overgrown. We did a lap with the stroller...lol
Any of it, so all of it. Racing is good
Because race car spelled backwards is race car!
My first round track experience was at a dirt track east of Denver. My metals shop teacher was a huge fan of the World of Outlaws winged sprint car series. Had me and a buddy all wound up to go check them out. We got tickets and hauled ass out there on a Saturday. I remember the shop teacher being very clear on two points. #1 take our safety glasses from class. #2 we must sit at the end of the straight where the cars come off of turn 4. We had no clue what we were in for or why he told us what to do.
Holy cow what a night. We found out pretty quickly why we needed the safety glasses. Those cars were throwing rooster tails of dirt halfway down the front stretch. We were covered in mud before the heat races were done. It was a riot. Our shop teacher was pretty happy to hear our story when we came back to school.
The same buddy and I got infield and pit passes to the Denver Grand Prix Indy Car race. Completely different scene. Watching Indy cars tear down Colfax and make the final turn onto Broadway to sprint to the start/finish line in front of the state capital building was awesome. Indy cars screaming at 10,000 rpm and sound bouncing off the buildings was nuts. As it was, the track was so tight the only opportunity for passing was on the corner we were sitting at. All of my childhood heroes were racing there as I was a big nerd for Indy cars as a kid. Unser Jr and Sr, Mario and Micheal Andretti, Mears, Fittipaldi, Sullivan, Rahal, and Luyendyk were all there. Little Al won the race.
I still have an awesome souvenir of the race too. Chevrolet was the main engine in Champ car back then against the Cosworths, Judds, and the odd Buick. So to say there was a major presence from Chevy would be an understatement. So we had a plan to help ourselves to one of the many giant Chevrolet banners lining fences and in our case a pedestrian bridge over the track. More specifically, the stairway. Armed with pocket knives we spread out and while I snipped the ties on the way down, my buddy got the ones he could reach. In a matter of seconds we had snipped all the ties free of the railing and quickly rolled the 20 foot banner up and hauled ass into the crowd and to the parking lot blocks away. That banner still hangs in the back of our garage to this day. (though one couldn't get to the wall to take it down without a lot of effort right now!)
Holy cow what a night. We found out pretty quickly why we needed the safety glasses. Those cars were throwing rooster tails of dirt halfway down the front stretch. We were covered in mud before the heat races were done. It was a riot. Our shop teacher was pretty happy to hear our story when we came back to school.
The same buddy and I got infield and pit passes to the Denver Grand Prix Indy Car race. Completely different scene. Watching Indy cars tear down Colfax and make the final turn onto Broadway to sprint to the start/finish line in front of the state capital building was awesome. Indy cars screaming at 10,000 rpm and sound bouncing off the buildings was nuts. As it was, the track was so tight the only opportunity for passing was on the corner we were sitting at. All of my childhood heroes were racing there as I was a big nerd for Indy cars as a kid. Unser Jr and Sr, Mario and Micheal Andretti, Mears, Fittipaldi, Sullivan, Rahal, and Luyendyk were all there. Little Al won the race.
I still have an awesome souvenir of the race too. Chevrolet was the main engine in Champ car back then against the Cosworths, Judds, and the odd Buick. So to say there was a major presence from Chevy would be an understatement. So we had a plan to help ourselves to one of the many giant Chevrolet banners lining fences and in our case a pedestrian bridge over the track. More specifically, the stairway. Armed with pocket knives we spread out and while I snipped the ties on the way down, my buddy got the ones he could reach. In a matter of seconds we had snipped all the ties free of the railing and quickly rolled the 20 foot banner up and hauled ass into the crowd and to the parking lot blocks away. That banner still hangs in the back of our garage to this day. (though one couldn't get to the wall to take it down without a lot of effort right now!)
My dad used to take us to Mission BC 1/4 mile track in the early 70s I’ll never forget that, still have a patch I bought at the concession stand!
They closed that track and rebuild it years later in a different spot. They also had a road course integrated with the strip and I raced on a track day with the Datsun 510 club of BC in my 7O 240z. I passed a few Ferraris and BMWs that where invited that day. what a blast!
They closed that track and rebuild it years later in a different spot. They also had a road course integrated with the strip and I raced on a track day with the Datsun 510 club of BC in my 7O 240z. I passed a few Ferraris and BMWs that where invited that day. what a blast!
My first track experience was when I was 15 at the local drag strip. I couldnt get my dad or anyone to take me, until a buddy of mine‘s dad took us one saturday night for the PopRod championships. I had been reading hotrod, popular hot rodding and car craft for years by that time, so I knew the names. All the bigtime cars were there, and I was truly hooked then. Been watching them nitro cars for 50 years and the still completely amaze me. I fell in love w modified production cars at that time, many of which were midyear Vettes. 3 of them were local racers and I got to know them a bit over the years.
Ill always remember that night Rene’! Thanks again brother!
My first on track experience was in high school.
I had some buddies with a couple 383 Road Runners, a 65 Chevelle 283, and my 66Malibu 327. Best I could muster (in 75) was a 14.18 out of that one legger. Man I thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest doing a burnout, then staging….this was super exciting for me at 17. I wouldn’t race again until I got my Vette in 82… before the complete rebuild, it ran 14.01 in 83.
Ill always remember that night Rene’! Thanks again brother!
My first on track experience was in high school.
I had some buddies with a couple 383 Road Runners, a 65 Chevelle 283, and my 66Malibu 327. Best I could muster (in 75) was a 14.18 out of that one legger. Man I thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest doing a burnout, then staging….this was super exciting for me at 17. I wouldn’t race again until I got my Vette in 82… before the complete rebuild, it ran 14.01 in 83.
Was that at Rocky Mountain?
The track was right in the middle of the old drag strip
Alan Bockla drove off the top end into the corn field there
Old Fart here...The first drag race I ever went to was at Orange County International Speedway in Irvine California in 1977. It was a Coors-64 Funny Car event. Here is some pictures off the internet from the night I was there. Notice all the square bodies in the back ground.
I looked it up and I think it was Rocky Mountain. I think I went to it one more time between my junior and senior years of college. I did an internship at the main CarQuest distribution warehouse in Denver. They sponsored the 4th of July race and gave all us employees free tickets for the race. You bet your ass I went. The highlight of the night was the fireworks show at the end of the night. Not quite the pro setup most are used to seeing at big events. This was a couple of good old boy rednecks in the middle of the infield with a pile of mortar tubes. All was well until the misfire happened. They had a red flare lit on the ground for light to work by and you could see them well enough when they lit a new shell and dropped it into a tube. One snagged on the way out and landed on the ground (fuse still burning). The next thing you could see was three shadowy figures hauling ass from what was going to be ground zero. The shell went off, putting a half sphere of red sparks 30 feet in diameter across the ground. How they didn't light the rest of the shells off at that moment still baffles me.
