REMEMBER ‘YOUR FIRST WIN" ?

[dinoKeymaster]

Billy Casey does….not a class win, but a real Eliminator Victory. ! The “Super Pumpkin” had a bad habit of breaking in elim. rounds….axles ,rear ends ….whatever. He did get a few Runner-ups ,But the big day came when he got to ‘square off” against the” Prussian” Corvette of Chip Zellner. His plan was this …if it stays in 4th gear and it’s still rolling …he has a chance ! He was still in the lead and going by the trophy stand….he even saw everybody cheering along the fence ! It was in 4th gear AND “it was Still Rolling” ! The win light came on in his lane. Joe Tanner was so happy for him…he drove all the way to the shut down area to congratulate him. “The Pumpkins” FIRST Big win….Billy will never forget it.

How About YOU?…Remember your first win ?… lets hear about it……………………..

[masracingtd1167Participant]

I can’t remember my first win but I do remember my first runner up. It was against an orange 57 chevy Guess who that was ! I was racing my orange dragster c/d 287 small block with a 2 speed standard trans ! We were running around 10.50 et’sif I could get it to shift which was usually one out of 3 times ! Boy did we think we were hot stuff that day I think we got about 40 dollar’s and spent it all and more at Sam’s! Great times and even better memory’s

[masoParticipant]

quote masracingtd1167:

I can’t remember my first win but I do remember my first runner up. It was against an orange 57 chevy Guess who that was ! I was racing my orange dragster c/d 287 small block with a 2 speed standard trans ! We were running around 10.50 et’sif I could get it to shift which was usually one out of 3 times ! Boy did we think we were hot stuff that day I think we got about 40 dollar’s and spent it all and more at Sam’s! Great times and even better memory’s

Got a picture of it…? 💡

[masracingtd1167Participant]

Here ya go ….

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[dinoKeymaster]

How does a Gasser run a Rail ?…He must have been running Altered to be in Comp. elim in 1970 (date in pic)…huh?

[masoParticipant]

quote masracingtd1167:

Here ya go ….

It’s a good looking rig… nice long wheelbase. The roll cage looks very large… was the driver a big guy…??? Those mag wheels are very hard to find these days.

[masracingtd1167Participant]

That car was very tight tall cage low shoulder hoop . I wish I still had those wheels The car was an old junior fuel car that we bought with no motor. Being the dumb kids that we were we tried to run c/d with the direct drive that came with the car I would bring the motor up as high as it would go and dump the clutch . the motor would just about stall! someone gave me a 40 lb flywheel to try. the car would smoke the tires for 10 feet and then bog ! We put a 2 speed standard trans in it and finally got it to go down the track at mid tens . Look at c/d today still the same weight break but the cars are going 6.80’s We sure have come a long way!

[vbobParticipant]

HEY

my 1st BIG WIN with my ole red 57 Chevy,racing with N.E.T.O. at Englishtown Nostalgia meet went a bunch of rounds and went all the way to take NETO nostalgia class oh,with a 4 speed!

‘V’

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[tomatoheadParticipant]

Very Nice ❗ I must say that I can only Wish that I won with a stick shift car ❗ not yet ❗ all my wins have been “automatic” 😆 …………..tomato

[thekidd312]

it was one of the best day of my life it was in my 68 mustang coupe 6 banger 3 speed in p/pure stock at pocono drag lodge in 1969. still have that trophy. went on to build it in to a gasser with weber carb 6 banger 4 speed called it RUBY DUBY DOO. also owed part of a pacer race house of same name that ran monticello race track in monticello ny. boy where have the years gone.

[tomblakeParticipant]

The first win, always will remember that one and that may be what kept me coming back over and over. The first time out with the E/G 1955 Chevy at Dover, I was so proud to have won that trophy. That trophy ended up in the front room at my folks home. Never gave up the sport even thou it has changed so much over the last 50 years.
It will never be like the good old days when Dover opened. So much innovation, everyone had a different idea on what it took and how to build a race car back than. Looking over the pictures that have been gathered on the Dover site has brought back so many good memories.
The attached picture was recently sent to me by Brian. It was in the package of pictures that just showed up at the reunion. I don’t even know who took that picture and it is one of the best pictures I have of that car.

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[babycakesParticipant]

My first trophy win was back in ’61’ at Island Dragway,Great Meadows,N.J.I had a 58 Chevy Impala convertable,348 tri power (mechanical linkage),3 on the tree,3:73 rear.Pop off the hub caps,take out the spare and air cleaner,kick up the timing 2 degrees,ready to go! I went through a set of rear tires,once a month,and 3 clutches (mostly street racing back then).Thinking about it now ‘kinda’ dumb I guess,but back then it was what you would call,’daring-fun’. A friend put me on to Vintage Drag Races ’62’ at Island Dragway which has a quick shot of my ‘black’ 58 coming off the line on You Tube.It was a ‘nice’ surprise! I too,still have that trophy,thank goodness!!!

[masoParticipant]

There is only one thing in Drag Racing that has not changed in all these years…

Dzus Fasteners:

[babycakesParticipant]

Maso,ask V Bob how much he ‘loves’ these Dzus hood locks on the hood of his Vega (time for a ‘few’ new ones I think) Perhaps a ‘stocking-stuffer’ item for Xmas!

[mikey]

I remember it like it was yesterday, all except the year. I think it was 1966 or 67. I had purchased Pat Hennebery’s old ’53 Chevy Business Coupe, the “Tall Man” from a guy in Beacon, N.Y.. He had bought the car, and never did anything with it. The second time my Dad towed me to the track(Dover), I won my class,U/Stock. I only won once in that class, and eventually converted to a bigger 6 cyl, 3 carbs and open drive, and ran in J and K gas. If I can find a pic, I’ll post it here. …..Mikey 😆

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