[3tas4me]

Back in about 1987 when I bought my "84 HO T/A, I was driving on East Washington in front of the mall. I pulled up to the stop light in the left lane of the three lane boulevard. On my right was a 1982 Crossfire Vette. The driver looked at me and when the light turned green we both took off. I waited a split second to floor it until I knew his intentions. He was in it hard so I nailed it. After I shifted into second gear, I started pulling him. By third gear it was all over. We had to stop for the next light, he wouldn't even look at me. His Vette had just got beat by a T/A.

Second story is of a 1976 455 4-speed T/A I owned. I had bought this car in 1989 as a project while going to Tech school. I had pulled the heads off it to repair some broken exhaust manifold bolts. While I had them off, I cleaned them up and did a valve job. Did a complete tune up and carb overhaul and then recurved the distributor. Added true duals and then drove it. The car looked bad, it had been hit on the passenger side in the door and quarter not to mention the rust it had. One day while driving it down the 4 lane highway, a string of cars was passing me on the left. The lead car was a 1969 Firebird 350 HO. Don't remember the others. They were all show cars probably coming from or going to a show. As the Firebird passed me I gave the driver a wave to let him know I thought he had a nice car. He must have thought I wanted to race because he took off. We were already going 65 or so on the interstate. As he started to pull away, my right foot reacted by planting the gas pedal to the floor of that T/A. I didn't even bother to downshift. I caught that '69 Bird and passed him in short order. After reaching triple digits and having a comfortable lead, I let off. Every one of those cars passed me then. They had all been racing me at the same time! That low compression 455 really performed well.

[Dr. Eric M. Schiffer]

Race story..Umm It was 1979 and I was towing by 16' ski boat with my '76 T/A 455 4 speed. There were four of us, adults, in my car as we sat at a red light. A new Datsun 260 or 280 Z pulled up on my right. The guy was out to impress, with his gold neck chains and girl friend. He was in a lane that eventually merged into my lane about 100 feet on the other side of the intersection.

The light just bareley went green when I launched. Not only did my weighted down T/A beat him. But so did the prop on my boat. The guy backed way off from us at the next light. LOL

[tonyk]

A few nights before the Woodward Dream Cruise I was out with 3 buddies checking out the cars on the avenue. Some kid rolls up next to my 70 RAIV TA and asks me if I wanna run him. I politely declined, it was nothing special, it looked brandee new, maybe he had a turbo. So he decides he should ride right on my arse down woodward. After several lights I got a little pissed, so we stopped at a light and as soon as it turned green I roasted the tires right in his face and took off in a cloud of smoke. I made the next right and then took another right. This happened to be a dead end street in Pontiac. So I get to the end of the road and hit the gas and spin the car around 180 degrees to go back. Well this genius decided that he was gonna show me just how fast his cooper was, so he nails the gas from about 6 blocks away (now in front of me), runs it up to about 60 or so just leaning on the horn. So he blows past me, into the dead end circle, jumps the curb next to the Dead End sign, goes down an embankment, up the other side, and the car finally stops on top of a chain link fence post. Man we all laughed so hard for days after that. How could somebody do something so stupid! IWe waited fo the driver and passenger to get out, but I didnt ask them if they were OK. Seriously I dont think I could've done it with a straight face.

[wrp]

Me n Ethyl in Mexico sitting at a light Minding My Own Business (MMOB). Along comes a WRX STi. He sat there and watched us watch the light change a couple times and I hear him holler, "what's the camera for?" So I am sitting here thinking, I got this all on tape. I looked back and shrugged and said, "case I run into a wrx STi." He laughed and launched out of the turn lane. We gave him the intersection for a hit. Enjoy the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec8yiEM41jI

Not being one to let a good thing go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZh1VSGUIjs

[FireJudge]

The year was 1980 and we lived in Northern IN. My dad was a truck driver and he would find his boys cars all over the midwest. I turned 16 so after a friday night soccer game my dad takes me and 2 of my older brother for a drive to Su St Marie MI (Sp) to pick up my 1971 Fromula 455 Firebird. It is late when we arrive we pay the $800 for it and start for IN. My dad would not let me drive thru Detroit so my older brother is driving and i am riding shot gun. We are on 275 in Detroit and my brother starts slowing down so i ask him what is wrong. He points to the corvette beside us. Now we are on 275 around 9 O clock at night going 20 mph. The corvette takes off and my brother in my Firebird blows by the Corvette. I was so proud, but my Dad was pissed and let me drive the rest of the way home. I drive the car thru high school and then I decide to rebuild the motor. Remember I am only 18 years old. I sent the block, crank and heads out to be machined. THe next week I get a call from the machine shop telling me my motor was a 350. I first suspect they are trying to get my 455 but realize that I had been driving a good running 350 for 2 years. I did beat a 396 Chevelle with a tunnel ram on it but he could never get it to hook up. I drove that car for 9 years then sold it to get married. 2 years after getting married I was missing the Firebird so i picked up a 68 Firebird 400 convertible. I have owned it for 22 years and last fall i picked up a 1969 Judge. Always been a Pontiac fan.

[wrp]

Can't play much anymore. Car is a low 9 second streetable car. Occasionally, I will get a chance to hammer someone who has no clue. And, yes there are quite a few out there that could beat me n Ethyl.

We've been working on the base tune for a while to get her to the track and see what we can get out of her. Was out logging the other day and some MOPAR guy zig and zags through traffic to catch me. I wave at hime not really intending to do anything but he launched. I thought it was funny so I smoked him. Reason I hate playing on the street is after shutting him down by 4-5 lengths at 60, here he comes with a high speed flyby. Truth probably is he was all the way in it still after I shut off. Anyhow, enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DqJrn_bZlY

Camaro SS pulled up beside me one night. Wasa going to let him go but decided wtf.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4la3N1jRyI

[torqjunki]

Some time around 2004, had a 1969 Firebird with a 462, SD rods and ported 62's. Ported TII with dominator, 1 3/4" headers. It was street legal, but ran on race gas pump mix. Hanging out at popular street racing spot, there is guy there that frequents the hang out with a 70 Chevelle with a 632" motor. He was not the typical boaster, but really confident if you know what I mean. We were both on full slicks. No one ever tried to race him that I seen, and he never hit anyone up. Late that night after most have gone home, he says he's about to leave. I ask him which way he goes and he says down the feeder road. So I say, me too!!(lie). I say heck man, let's play around a little on the feeder. He is hesitant, but finally says ok. He is alone, I have a friend riding with. We run him four or five times from stop, roll and everything in between. On last race I just tell him go when your ready, I'll chase you. I handed him his ass every time, even pulling on him after the peddling for traction. On last run at probably 120 plus mph, I see blue lights come on out of my side view. Since he was several cars back, I stay in it, make a turn, zip up to a Hotel and hide in the parking lot for a while. Never saw the guy again after that. Every time I cruise with my buddy, we talk about that night. BTW, the Bird was running 10.20-10.30's on motor at that time. Good times indeed!

[goatman65]

Not really a racing story. A few days ago my mom was telling me about the night that she and my dad,[he passed away in 1999] bought their 66 GTO. Picked it up at the dealer in November 1965.
Since it was on the showroom floor it had close to zero miles on it. Instead of taking an easy family drive around town or back home he heads for his favorite street racing spot.
Its about a 30 mile drive and my mom said she was crying and yelling at him the whole time to let her out. She said she was really mad at him because he was racing our brand new and only car. She was also upset because she didn't think they would be able to make the $33.00 monthly payments.

Best part of the story is I was 4 yrs old at the time and going street-racing with my parents in a brand new 66 GTO. Too bad I don't remember it.

This is where it sits today,unrestored and still looking good.

[SRR]

Circa. late 70's. I had a 70 GTO 400 ISKY cam, 4 speed, Saf-T-Trac 3.73 geared with Hooker headers, header mufflers, scatter shield, ladder bars, L-60 tires (remember those?) Accel distributor, super coil, Hurst super shifter, driveshaft loop. The car was bad azz and I got pulled up on all the time. Raced a 70 Camaro several times never lost. Raced one of those yellow Olds with the box on the hood and kicked his butt. One night a blue metal flake Road Runner with Cragers on it pulls up next to me. We raced twice and he lost and was visibly upset. I had one friend who was a typical no car MOPAR freak and didn't think my car was fast and says there is a Road Runner who could kick my azz, so I said is it metal flake blue with Cragers on it? He says yeah, how did you know? I says I beat him TWICE last night. He says: NO WAY! that car has a HEMI in it! lol

[shoebox1.1]

I got one. I’ll try to shorten it up. I was in my mid 20’s. My buddy had a 72 camaro with 454. Red/welds/L88 hood. Very cool car. Ported oval ports, comp 306 solid (260-629-110) big HVH intake 850 Holley 11.1. 3500 stall 4.10’s. Stock suspension. No traction bars or connectors yet ( iirc)
We’re at a local hot spot on 29x10 slicks ( I was in his daily driver s10 truck as support vehicle cause combo was new)

So these knuckleheads had a gold 68 camaro big n littles. Big block “396” with a cheater. Fresh from the 1/8 mile track... beers on their breath. Real Hillbilly types ( which is nothing wrong with that) Lol
They run heads up 3-4 times. Slicks to slicks. All steel to all steel. “ motor to motor” ( yeah right...). We lose.. we lose again.. we lose again. We have NO traction on this grooves type pavement!! Our motor made 575hp on an engine dyno and never got nitrous testing. It was a NOS big shot spray bar plumbed into the plenum for low hood clearance.

Pills were set at 200Hp. All forged motor.. LOVED the juice!!
OMG this thing was nasty on the jug. He said SCREW IT... bottle to their “ straight motor” ( you could hear them purging etc). I’m in the support vehicle at the finish line. Not even 660feet. I forget why this was the place but whatever... here they come...... our motor to their bottle. We’re losing AGAIN... and then in 2nd gear something happened. The nitrous was activated and a demonic howl came from the 850 double pumper.. the sound of this engine on juice I cannot put into words. This is why we’re are here on this site for moments like what I’m talking about!!!!!! We’re at 2/3 car deficit until the bottle was hit

As fast as I could turn my head we had 2 BLOCKS on this car!!!!!! They passed my and this red camaro was in another zip code. I will never forget that night!!!

[shoebox1.1]

I found a pic!

[im4darush]

At 16 and having nothing else to do I drove my 64 GTO htp to Beeline Dragway east of Phoenix where I lived as they had open ET classes on some weekends. To my big surprise the place was slammed with race cars, the grand stands were totally full of people, it was Winter Nationals! I entered the class appropriate for a 14 second car as mine had a 70 YS 400 and a 400 turbo, only mods were headers and G 60s. Somehow that snot nosed kid with only one prior trip to the drags won his class. On to racing the other class winners and around race number 10 my 64 was up against a slower classed 69 Cougar, his green came in what seemed a long time before mine and he got off to a great start. I can remember thinking there is no way to make up that much ground. The intensity of that moment was huge but somehow I managed to also get a good start. It was clear, I was going to have to push her to the limit this time to have any chance. At half track the Cougar was no longer pulling away as I was now coming into the higher side of second gear where she would pull hard, the gap was now starting to close but it still didn't seem possible. Third hit and the Cougar was giving up ground. I was screaming inside as my GTO managed to pull a fender ahead right at the finish line. For an instant the insanity of winning what for me was a huge race and moving up in the classes again was truly unbelievable. That instant was as quickly crushed when the red light came on the track sign, I had beaten the Cougar and my best time but had also gone under my 14 second dial in which meant I had broken out and lost the race. As I slowed and rounded the corner where the time ticket shack was, it seemed not worth it to stop for the loosing ticket, as I passed, the ticket guy was waving at me to stop so I backed up to hear him say "you won kid"! Then explain the Cougar had also red lighted but by more than I had which meant back to the staging lanes again. On it went, the odds of a kid with nothing but some street races and a few passes as experience going on to win 13 races in a row against a bunch of guys, some serious is incalculable! I drove my beloved GTO home that night having won the ET classes but for me it's that race against the Cougar that will always be, my best race ever!



Blind crazy luck sometimes rules the day!

[VCho455]

It was early summer of 1988 I was driving my 69 GTO to work Iike always. It was about 6:00 in the morning as I passed through Haden Lake on 95 headed north. Back then there was a stop light on the highway at the edge of town. It was red so I coasted up and stopped alongside a car sitting in the right lane.
That car was a 1966 Chevy II and the moment I came to a stop the light turned green. He obviously had been watching me roll up as the instant the light changed he nailed the gas and side stepped the clutch. Boom! I was caught by surprise but, I'm always up for a race so I punched it too.
That Nova jumped about a car length ahead of me right off the bat. We stayed that way for bit and when he got to the top of second gear I shifted into second and that's when that old 400 really started pulling hard. Now I was gaining on him and by the time the Nova shifted into 3rd I had about 5 mph on him and I pulled past.
As I roared on by he grinned and raised his hand as to wave. But, then his eyes popped wide open and his jaw dropped. I knew then that he had seen the empty car trailer I was pulling. I shifted into 3rd and slowed down to the speed limit and went on in to work with a grin on my face.

But the best was yet to come. At lunch one of the crew says he had pulled up at the same light just before the race started and he saw the whole thing. He then recounted to the whole crew how I smoked that Chevy II while pulling my car trailer.
It still brings a smile to my face today