Whats racing to you?

[Banker36]

This question was posed in another thread I was reading and it got me interested in what people might have to say. Obviously its a way of life for all of us or we wouldnt be on here but what originally got you involved, where do you like to attend races, and how old were you when you got involved? I need some new reading material so I figured this would be a interesting read.

[nightmoves 99]

Got interested when I was around 6-7 years old, my mother worked with Tracy Trotter and we went to watch him race his Studebaker at Meyer Speedway. Been a fan since, matter of fact the races were the only thing that my parents could threaten me with to get me to do my chores and my school work on time.

[Radical]

I got interested a long time ago when I was a kid growing up in North Carolina in the 50's & 60's. We use to have to go past Hickory Motor Speedway on the way to my Grand Parents house. I always wondered what was on the other side of that wall. Growing up in North Carolina you always see race cars around. I started going to races at Corpus Christi Speedway watching for the love of the sport. A friend had a car for sale. I had finally sobered up and had some money that wasn't going to booze and decided I would give it a try. I raced for several years. Not a whole lot of success. I won some heat races and I won the Late Model Sportsman Rookie title one year. I got divorced and could no longer race. I still attend races when I can and I am a die hard NASCAR fan too. As they say....once it gets in your blood you can't stop.

[HiTech]

WE LIVED SO CLOSE TO CC SPEEDWAY IT SOUNDED LIKE THEY WERE RACING IN OUR BACK YARD ........IN 1961 WE FINALLY BEGGED MOM LONG ENOUGH SHE TOOK US ....SHE DID NOT CARE FOR RACING AFTER HER DAD RAN A TRACK IN THE 40.S IN SA...SHE WATCHED SOMEONE DIE IN A RACECAR WHEN SHE WAS SIX .SO THE REASON FOR LOTS OF BEGGING ..IT WAS NOT TILL 1985 I GOT TO RACE ONE ..THE FEW YEARS MY BROTHER AND I DROVE SHE NEVER CAME OUT TO WATCH ...BUT ASLONG AS DONNA'S VIDEOS DID NOT SHOW US IN A WRECK .SHE WOULD WATCH THOSE .....NEEDLESS TO SAY I HAVE BEEN HOOKED EVER SENSE .......

[jwmbishop]

My Godfather - Eddie Cardoza was a drag racer back when San Diego had no real drag strip. He, my Bio-Dad, and a few others, under the influence (lol) of Herb Sturdyvin Jr staged "drags" on El Cajon Blvd (doing 20 side by side all the way down the length - the lights were timed at 35 so traffic got THICK as no one could roll through...) - rolling protest to the county turning down every proposed track. When that got old they started haunting Balboa Stadium running jalopies on the 1/4 dirt. Eventually that venue was closed and Cajon was opened as a 1/4 dirt then closed for pave. So they ran South Bay 1/2 dirt. When Cajon opened back as 3/8 asphalt they raced both alternately for a while then just stayed at Cajon. I became fully involved by 68 - 6 years old. On crew nights I would get menial tasks - but by 8 I could weld, tear down hammer and dollie etc... But I was at every single Cajon event til 1974 - and from 75-78 I only missed the events that conflicted with tour dates and obligations at other tracks. Before I was 16 and old enough to get in the pits I timed, scored, ran messages etc for not just our team - but others and the track officials. I fell in love at that track, got my first kiss there, and was 16 four years straight!

After that - it was just so ingrained in me that the entire network of friends I had were all racers of one sort or another and spread all across SoCal. That pool of people is where I got my jobs, socialized, and learned my skill sets.

[BobbyJack]

MY DAD WAS A DRAG RACER, PARENTS DIVORCES IN EARLY 80S MOM AND I WATCHED NASCAR ON TV, GOT THE BUG FOR CIRCLE TRACK AND STARTED GOING TO CC SPEEDWAY LATE 80S. BIG FAN OF JOHN AND JOEY H. AND CHUCK BARBER. THEN ROMCO CAME TO TOWN AND WAS HUGE FAN OF JOHN KELLY, MAINLY BECAUSE HE DROVE A FORD AND I HAVE WORKED AT FORD DEALER SINCE 1986. LONG STORY SHORT, BOUGHT RUNNING 79 MALIBU INSTALLED CAGE IN 1999 AND CANT STOP. MET JOHN KELLY ABOUT 2001 AND NOW A GOOD FRIEND, JUST A REGULAR GUY BUT HE WAS MY HERO.

BOBBY JACK

[AMRacer89]

My best friend's dad used to work on a car at San Antonio. Just hanging around them is what got the racing bug to bite me. I wanted to race ever since I was in 5th grade, but we just never had the money. It wasn't until Mike Knotts let me drive his 78 Bug in the Texas Pro Sedans a few years ago that I got the opportunity to get on track. College has kept me busy the past couple years though, so I've been away.

[racingman41]

Both of my grandfathers were car owners/builders. One had stocks, mods, and a sprint car from 1947 - 1973. The other mostly built stocks that my uncle drove, but they had quit by the time I was old enough to know any better so I don't really remember the exact years.

 

My dad started racing asphalt sprint kart's in 1972, and raced through the end of the 1980 season. I had numerous uncle's and cousins that raced during that time period too. My dad mostly quit driving because I was getting more serious about racing myself, and he was more interested in the mechanics side by that time. My first season was actually in 1973 (age 5), but I only ran occasionally until 1981 when I started running the circuit. Both of us had followed the circuit throughout TX, CO, NM, LA, and OK. Other than a 9 year break from 1993 to 2002, I raced until about the middle of the 2010 season when I finally called it quits (maybe).

 

Our daughter raced in 2005 & 2006, making her a 4th generation racer in our family. She soon quit to start a family of her own. We have 2 grandsons, ages 3 and 1. Who knows, they could very well end up as 5th generation racers.

 

Racing has meant more to me than just the sport itself. My parents both grew up around it, as did I, as did our daughter. The point is we did it together as a family. It goes without saying that the people we raced and traveled with became an extension of our family too. Everybody reading this knows that if you've spent any time around racing, it just becomes a part of you. I don't think it really matters what form of racing it is either.

[supertx]

My dad owned midgets when I was born my brother drove midgets and stock cars I was born in racing.when I was around 4 or 5 rode around the block in a stock car that just stuck the needle deeper.All ways loved motors first engine I built was when I was 9 with help of my brother drove my first race car when I was 14.Racing has never been a hobby to me it has been just like breathing it is just something that you do.

[JMcCain8]

I guess you coukd say i was born at a race track or got damn near close to it. My mom was scorekeeping at Cc Speedway while pregnant with me and my dad (HiTech was racing there) she ran from the scoring box to the track 8 1/2 months pregnant with me. Ive been around it ever since then when i wasnt playing baseball on the weekends. Been helping my dad with whoever he is helping at the time. Last year in my forst year won the chpionship in the frontrunners and now moved up to bombers and finished 3rd in points.

[HiTech]

.......LIKE TO KNOW WHAT GOT NICK .BUDMAN . DANO .AND SOME OF THE OTHER ELDERS INTO RACING .

[NickHolt]

Elders? Elders? Hey, I'm only 68 and that's not old. txtom might be old, but not me!

 

Well, it all started at the Colosseum in Rome. I was a pooper scooper for Ben Hur and one thing led to another and soon I was hooked. Ben would shorten the spokes on the left side to get some roll out and I guess that got me thinking about suspension engineering and the rest is history.

 

Nick

[MikeReininger]

Though racing was in my family early on, it wasn't until I sat in a race car at age 17 at HWY 16, that I realized the connection with my father. I still cherish those days. I got back into racing so my daughters could understand the history. Though we did everything together before, being part of racing together has almost completed the circle of racing life in my family. Just one step left to complete it.

[hippyracer00]

I was born in 1972 and my dad,U uncle, and cousin were racing at pan American speedway and also a track that is foggy in my memory off hwy 87. My earliest memories are being stuck in the peewee pits starring through the bleachers and fence to see the races. Oh yea!!! I was born in it!!! At five I busted. My head wide open getting ready to go to the track, ans with a concusion and 12 stitches, I insisted we make it to the track. My dad and uncle won that night. When hwy 16 opened, i remember thinking, holy crap, look at the size of this place. It soon became a second home as i would spend almost ten yrs running around those pits and grandstands. Seen my dad retire there. My cousin Gary win a couple championships and Texas classic!! That was cool. And I also fell in love for the first time at hwy 16. I also never. Thought I would have the opertunity to drive a car. But I did. And I will. Thank u sas for reopening!!

[txtom]

I was born in 1972 and my dad,U uncle, and cousin were racing at pan American speedway and also a track that is foggy in my memory off hwy 87.

 

I'll uncloud your memory a little bit here...

That track off Hwy 87 would have been Highland Speedway, which had 1/4 and 1/2 mile motorcycle tracks. Ran from about 1967 to about 1977. For a few years, it hosted stock cars on the small track.

It was located between Foster Road and Loop 410 on the North side of U.S. 87. Was closer to Foster.

Track layout ran mostly east to west, and it was directly across the highway from the present Foster Meadows Road. The site has some industrial buildings on it now.

[j.j.&s.racing]

let me say ive met some very good poeple in racing thats for sure . ive been going to c.c.speedway almost all my life. my brother and i stated helping eric barton,charley hefflin when i was 14 years old .cutting grandmaws and grampaws yard to get pit pass money.then my brother drove a few years then he crew chiefed for me if you dont know im proud of my brother he ate slept dreamed racing.thanks to god i have gotten to do something i love not everyone can say that.thanks for this thread it brought back some bad ass memories.

 

 

john henry 2009,2010,2011,2012 cc speedway super street champ.

[Crazyhorse]

i can't dance.

[thumper]

I grew up in a car family.My Dad had a garage and used car business.I got my first car at 8 yo.A pontiac,1951 with a straight 8 and std.I drove it around the Firemans park.I never had money but played with cars from a 59 Ford that I put a 55 Lincoln motor in to a 53 Ford dune buggy with a 392 hemi.

 

In 1969 I was a VW mechanic in Houston and went to my first oval race at Almeda Speedway.I was hooked and had a car 2 weeks later.In 71 my groop traveled many Texas tracks including Navasota,Lufkin,China,and others.

 

I moved back to South Texas and gave up racing for a while.Edinburg Speedway opened and I got involved again.Then Rio Grande Speedway opened in 1983 and my brother and I built Volkswagens.Out class was dropped in 85 after I build a brand new wedge VW.Riverside in Corpus was running so we went there.in 87 we tried asphalt but the tire bill was too high so we took turns running our cars.Couldnt afford the 10 inch slicks for both cars.The cars were parked in 88.

 

In 1990 I needed to race again so I bought a roller modified from Greg Spreen and made a modified.I hated this car,it always broke and it always was expensive to fix.I finally put my brother behind the wheel so I could keep the mechaniks of the car working.The week before the first big modified race the car again broke everything,engine,trans and diff.Now the car was fast and had won several races but with a 6.50 gear and 8K rpm when it broke it exploded.We had a team meeting to decide do we go conservative or all out.We decided to go all out,built a new motor,a 355 with 2 bolt block,x rods and TRW pop ups along with camel hump heads.Installed another 3 speed std and a new 6.50 gear.We won that race and $2000.After paying the credit cards we had $97 left.This was Dec 91.

 

Theser announced going to IMCA tires for 92,before that we ran 11 inch dirt tires.With the new tires there was no minimum weight.I gave my brother my modified and built a front engine Chevy cliped air cooled VW powered modified.Still no racing money so there was not much in trick parts.But I was racing a Volkswagen again so I was happy.

 

In 93 politics ended my tenure at RGS so I looked for another venue.My wife and I went to CC Speedway to check it out.That nite we saw one safty worker run over and in another incedent a car drove another into the wall.The wrecked driver jumped out and ran to the wrecking driver who was sitting on his door and jumped OVER the car and closelined that guy to the ground.Thus the beginning of the FLYING CARLUCCI..I told my wife "this track is for me".It was tough but no machine guns like was pulled on my at RGS.BTW the gunman 2 weeks later killed a DEA agent and became FBIs most wanted.He was a Mexican drug lords son.

 

From 1994 to present I raced Corpus.I still had no racing money so I had to win my expenses.That meant I had to have a perfect car and drive very carefully.For 18 years I won enough money to race without taking from my family budget.To date I have 215 feature trophies and lots of memories.

 

What this has done for me is I made many many friends and lots of fond memories.But also I have been branded as a cheater,cradle robber,favorite son and many other undesireable things from competetors and some promoters.I was able to match my idol Richard Petty in wins and that means a lot to me.

 

In summary racing gave me something I could not have gotten anywhere else.Success,friends,a social life.Yes I have a wonderful family but this is mine.Driving is easier than walking for me.The money is the tough part.But I aint dead yet,whats in the future?????

[JamesHigdon]

My father and uncle ran sports cars through the early 80's and a Stock Car at SAS around the time I was born in '85. My first trip to SAS was at 3 weeks old and all of my best early memories are of SASCA auto-crosses, Saturday evenings at SAS and weeknights in my father or uncles garage while they worked on cars they where selling or Spridgets they where building to AutoX. All I've ever wanted to do was wrench on, build and race cars.

[racerjim2]

The guy next door, his first name was Jimmy and the driver was Danny Ritteman, built a 57 chevy #13 orange and black. I was about 8 or 9 years old. I talked my dad into taking me to Pan American Speedway and I was hooked. I started racing go Karts at 10 and started racing stockcars at Highway 16 raceway after a bout with cancer at 24yrs old. The last race I was in was in 2006 and had to stop racing due to having to care for a familly member. I hope it is not my last race.

[PaulReyes]

started watching nascar on tv of course, my father (Paul Reyes Sr.) bought me a quarter midget when i was 9. I raced that till i was 15 then i was given a 1974 Nova by Frank Torres when we visited them at Padgetts Used Cars. We raced pure stocks till 2006. Unfortunately my father passed away in a motor cycle accident Nov. 6, 2006. Its been 6 years but ive been waiting to race again in honor of my father. Dont know nearly as much as he did as far as working and setting up the car but im very excited to get back into the ring. Hoping to compete at SAS or ThunderHill. #24

 

 

http://ruckusracing.4t.com/

[dy97]

My father is a long time hotrodder. Ive been around cars since i was born Ive always loved the sound of a hotrod. A good sounding cam has always sent me running to the window. When i was around 6 years old i would hear my dad coming down the road. We had a long driveway and I would run down it to meet him at the gate. Then he would let me sit on his lap and drive and wed take it sideways down the dirt driveway through the first couple gears. Anytime he would go for a test run I would want to go. The dash was too tall for me to see over but the car had a tunnel ram and i could see the air filters. I loved nothing more than not being able to pull my head off the back of the seat. Also just the smell of an old car Ive just alwayd loved cars. We mostly went to the drag strip in midland and we went to twin cities some.

 

When we moved where we are now around 99 there were no dragstrips near. I started attending the races at Goliad and Edna around then and i went to mostly every race up to around 08. In 08 a guy i worked with had a bomber for sale. I bought it around may 08 and made my first race in september 08. Since then ive been hooked and have done my best to make every race Goliad has hosted. I am now considering building a hot rod instead.

[NickHolt]

James Huff asked me to post this for him:

 

I have raced or tried to since the fall of 1956.

 

Some of the junk we put together in those early years-how we survived Lord only knows. Had there been such a thing as a safety inspection we’d never been allowed in the pits, much less on the track, somehow though most of us did survive.

 

I raced at numerous dirt tracks around the South Texas area, some good-some bad, but all in all it was an exhilarating sport.

 

One track I remember well, had a Promoter/Owner that was somewhat different than most. We would be called to the drivers meeting about 5:30 pm at the pit board. We walked away from cars that had battle scars from previous races, the springs sagging and

globs of mud clinging to every surface.

 

After going over race procedures and safety-all the usual stuff, he then proceeded to tell us that the people in the stands thought we were Heroes-that to many we were bigger than life-the little kids looked up to us because we drove Race Cars. He’d say, “Go out and act like the Heroes that these fans think you are - and most of all, have fun.

 

He convinced us that we were great.

 

As we looked at the cars, the bungees, zip ties and rope holding them together seemed to be a little tighter. The bumps and bruises didn’t seem as bad, the springs had lost the sag and the clumps of mud were worn like badges of Honor. They were like freckles on a pretty girls face.

 

We were as proud of our cars as if they were brand new out of Hendricks Motorsports Trailer. We were Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin, Jimmy Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Sr all rolled into one.

 

We were ready to rumble and felt as if we were 10’ tall!

 

I would like to thank Wayne Brown, Owner of Hot Rod Hill Motorpark for these very wonderful lasting memories and for making us rag-tag bunch of racers as ever was believe we were somebody.

 

James Huff

[gundogC3]

Getaway from real life's dramas. SANITY

[Banker36]

Getaway from real life's dramas. SANITY

 

POW! Thats whats finally got my head on straight.. Tired of chasing women, tired of the brown bottle flu, and tired of throwing money away at both..

 

Sooo therefore, there will be a all black 36B IMCA Modified racing on the dirt tracks around here next year.. Just bought my chasis last weekend. First time since my Dad got us into this sport 14 years ago that we'll both be able to be on the track at the same time.. Im pretty proud, its gunna be fun. Ive always wanted to race against him.

 

There's been some really interesting stories on here, thanks for sharing everyone..