8/23/07
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HAZARD OF THE JOB
Burk: To coin a phrase from Days of Thunder (Boy, rubbin’ is racin’). I dare ANY racer out there to say they did not have an experience like that, flat towing or towing with a trailer!
Keep them coming!
Harry T. Garland III
Philadelphia, PA
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
Ha! This story reminded me of when I was in the Air Force, and was stationed at Walker AFB in Roswell, New Mexico (yes, THAT Roswell), from 1964-'67. I had a friend who had a 1948 Mercury with a flathead V-8 and no mufflers. We drove it from Roswell to Albuquerque and back one winter weekend. Three of us in the front seat with blankets (what heater) and a hole in the floor board so heat could come in. No problems on the road, just noisy and glad to make the trip.
By the way, we did have a drag strip on base in 1966; was on an old runway that we no longer used. We had the Orange Blossem Special funny car out of Las Cruces run a match race with Eddie Marcek (?), who I think was out of Phoenix. The Orange was a 1965 7/8 sized Mopar with a hemi and injectors. Marcek's car was a Mustang with a blown Ford big block. The Mopar won 3 straight with low 10's (shutting off), as the Ford never could hook it up and just smoked the tires most of the way down. I do believe that was the first funny car match race I ever saw. Most of the cars that ran at our track were door cars, modified and stock. Roswell now has a drag strip that runs NHRA sanction. I'd be curious if someone knew if it is on the same site that our old track was on.
Cliff Morgan
Phoenix, AZ
MORE ROAD STORIES
A great story and funny as Hell. Kind of reminds me of my first drag race in 1958 when I flat towed up to Sanford, Maine, from Hanover, Massachusetts, with the drive shaft out of the ‘55 Chevy, I was going to race. I lost control just like you did on a long icy downhill and spun the tow car and race car into the median. Luck would have it, no damage. I was blessed! Towed on to Sanford Drag Strip and unhooked the tow bar in the pits. As I was taking drive shaft out of the back seat, two of the needle bearing caps fell of and there were needles all over the ground. Borrowed some grease and found all but two needles and used sticks instead to put the caps back on. Put on my set of Atlas Bucron Recap slicks and went to tech. I had a top part on my scattershield, but the bottom was cardboard and they told me they would let me run this one time, but to not bring it back. Made one time trial spinning the tires at 13.00 and thought I needed to lower tire pressure. You guessed it, no tire gauge. Lowered tire pressure as low as I though I could go and pulled to the line in first round. Got my ass handed to me as a ‘57 Chevy ran 12.50 and won by 5 car lengths.
Now got to get the race car home! You guessed it. No air pump to air back up the tires. Hooked up tow bar and took out drive shaft and town it home at 35 miles an hour and it took all night to get back home with work staring me in the face the next day. Some fun this "Drag Racing"!!!
Wayne Buxton
Aiken, SC
