Your very first time

Rttoys

insurance poor
Mar 6, 2008
52
0
0
48
Houston, TX
I didn't want to hi-jak someone elses thread on my first time at the track, so I thought I'd start this one.

I know many of us have been on the track with our D-max's, but what's the story behind your 'first time' ever??


I remember mine like it was yesterday. The year was 1995, I was 1 year into my GM training, 19 years old, my car was a '79 Camaro that was junk (bought it for $800 and made payments on it:eek:), but over the years I gave it some life. Good 'ol 350/350/3.42 setup (all that I rebuilt, installed and setup myself in school), nice little car once I was done with it.

Me and my buddy are going to Houston Raceway Park on Thurs for for 'street race' night. My instructor said don't be supprised when you run a 16:(. Buddies car ('74 Camaro, same basic setup) has run a best of 15.2 previously. He gives me a few pointers on the tree and it's time.

I'm up against a 80ish Malibu........I do a Jonh Force burnout from hell. Stage first light, then second, tack up to 1500rpm. All set......amber, amber, amber, launch......I am off like a prom dress. Hooked up hard off the line (wow different than the street), 1-2 shift....bark.:driving:....2-3 to the finish line, my light turns on.:eek: I win!!!!:banana:

Time 14.51 I think at 98mph, cut a .510 light:rofl:

:)
 

McRat

Diesel Hotrodder
Aug 2, 2006
11,249
26
38
64
Norco CA
www.mcratracing.com
Mine was back in 1977, and I had a H1 Kawasaki 500cc that I was fond of street racing with.
Timeslips were hand written, and just the ET and MPH. I went 14.04 and was mighty disappointed. They did it with a transponding plotter. If anyone is curious, I can scan a slip. I have one left.
I was somewhat of a paradox back then. Straight A student with a cigarette hanging from my lip, and riding a beat up motorcycle.

The fastest that Kaw ever went was 12.85. But not until many visits to the track.
 

Rttoys

insurance poor
Mar 6, 2008
52
0
0
48
Houston, TX
Street bikes are hard to drag race, too much gas and you are on one wheel and ready to flip backwards, to little and you loose time. I've run my Triumph Daytona 955i a few times for fun. The best I could ever do was 11.2 where as the published times in the magazines are in the low 10s.:eek:
 

Pondsy

New member
Jan 4, 2008
641
0
0
53
Plymouth, MA
Maybe I'll be lucky and I can post my "first time" :rofl:this year (and hope the tranny lives - haha). Need to get a lift pump and spend some time learning how to tune - and of course - tap into the resources on this site. ;)

That's why I like this site - all you have to do is ask. :cool2:
 
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Pondsy

New member
Jan 4, 2008
641
0
0
53
Plymouth, MA
Sorry about the double post. Don't know how I did that. OH well - helps the post count.:postwhore:

Never mind - admin is faster than I am. haha Thanks!
 

Kat

Wicked Witch of the West
Aug 2, 2006
17,899
13
38
60
Norco, CA
I got a sitter and was going to the track for some quality time with McRat at Carlsbad raceway. Since he was always gone either to the race track or a auto-x event, I thought I would be the good wife and go take some pictures and video's.

He would make a pass and then come back around and ask me if I wanted to run the car. The answer was no, I'm just here to take pictures. This happened 3 times with him asking me the same thing after each pass.

Finally after the third pass it went like this.

Pat- Make a pass in the car
Kat- Alright just to shut you up, just to shut you up I will make one pass

I make a pass and do everything wrong. You name it I did it wrong. I run 15 second 1/4 mile in a 2000 SS Camaro, I think Pat was either running low 13's or high 12's at time

Pat thinking to himself oh boy she is going to be pissed off at me.

Pat-Opens the door and was going to help me out
Kat-What are you doing?
Pat-Helping you get of the car.
Kat-Wait you had 3 passes and I only had 1

The rest is history and I live my life 1/4 mile at a time:rofl:
 

paint94979

Beer Nazi
Sep 18, 2006
11,715
8
38
37
I got a sitter and was going to the track for some quality time with McRat at Carlsbad raceway. Since he was always gone either to the race track or a auto-x event, I thought I would be the good wife and go take some pictures and video's.

He would make a pass and then come back around and ask me if I wanted to run the car. The answer was no, I'm just here to take pictures. This happened 3 times with him asking me the same thing after each pass.

Finally after the third pass it went like this.

Pat- Make a pass in the car
Kat- Alright just to shut you up, just to shut you up I will make one pass

I make a pass and do everything wrong. You name it I did it wrong. I run 15 second 1/4 mile in a 2000 SS Camaro, I think Pat was either running low 13's or high 12's at time

Pat thinking to himself oh boy she is going to be pissed off at me.

Pat-Opens the door and was going to help me out
Kat-What are you doing?
Pat-Helping you get of the car.
Kat-Wait you had 3 passes and I only had 1

The rest is history and I live my life 1/4 mile at a time:rofl:

That's funny :rofl:
 

dmax tim

just wanta have fun
Aug 16, 2006
215
0
0
35
Freddyville, Ohio
I started in 1981 driving dad's 1968 Camaro w/ a LS-6 454. it was tubbed and had ladder bars. my first run was 7.05 1/8 mile. times went down and speeds went up from there.
I was like Pat, I worked for the drag strip and could race for free when not busy, so I raced everything on 2,3,4 or 6 wheels, even a duece and a half. back then I worked for a print shop so we made the et tickets in duplicate so we didn't have to write the times twice on card stock. we only had 1/8 mile and reaction times to write and win/lose. busy nights we'd have over 200 cars and hand out a lot of slips.
used to run a deputy's XR 600 w/ knobbies, low 9's and ride a wheelie for a few gears. bought my own car a few years later, 23 T altered, stuck a stock 325hp 396 in it and run 9.5 @100mph 1/4 mile not enough rpms. fixed up the 454 w/ a .780 lift roller and 1 dominator and it started to go a lot faster.1.0x 60' times, 5.38 1/8 mile and 8.55 1/4 mile. had a couple of top alcohol drivers sign my comp license so I was all set. most of my pics where lost in dad's garage fire a few years ago, we had most of a wall covered w/ them.

yes, I'd love to still have that chassis w/ a dmax in it. I'd show these cummins dragsters what a V-8 can do.
 

draftee

New member
Nov 23, 2006
185
0
0
Maryland
It was 1969 . I had a stock 1965 chevy II SS 327/300 4 speed 3.08 rear.

It turned 14.51/ 98.6 MPH

I miss that car!!!:(
 

Mike

hmmm....
Feb 17, 2007
2,184
0
36
San Angelo, TX
Street bikes are hard to drag race, too much gas and you are on one wheel and ready to flip backwards, to little and you loose time. I've run my Triumph Daytona 955i a few times for fun. The best I could ever do was 11.2 where as the published times in the magazines are in the low 10s.:eek:



I sat on the fuel tank of my 1100 tscc E model Suzuki on one wheel and didn't get that kinda time. Well, that was my first street bike. 80 model it was and that was in '89. :eek:
 

Rttoys

insurance poor
Mar 6, 2008
52
0
0
48
Houston, TX
Kind of like with any vehicle on the track, the more you pratice the better you get. My first time on the bike, my 4 passes went from mid 12s to low 12s. A couple of track days later, I was just progressively got faster and faster, ending up in the 11s only a few times.