We all got our start somewhere. For me, it was probably around 1975. Miami-Hollywood Speedway was the place. My dad took my brother, sister and myself. Funny thing is, the only thing that I remember was there were no lights in the bathroom, so everyone was using their cigarette lighters to see. The actual races must of made an impression on me, 33 years later, I’m still obsessed by it.
As a driver (I use that term carefully), 1997, at Lanier Speedway in Georgia. I started in the rear of the ministock feature. I was pretty confident that this was to be the beginning of my journey to Winston Cup. The flagman dropped the green flag and the entire field quickly dissappeared from my windshield. About 2 laps later, I found the field, in my rear view mirror.
My first race was 1953. As spectator that is. A guy in my neighbor hood was always working on his stock car. Several of us snotty nosed kids hung around and made pests of ourselves. Finally our day came. Harold loaded a bunch of us up in his truck and off to the track we went. We heard the cars practiceing a long ways off and the excitement built. We got closer and we smelled the fuel, oil and exaust and fans yelling. After 50 some years those same smells and sounds still are magic to me. I got hooked that night on racing. Its been a life time love affair. The most memorable race I can remember was on a motorcycle not a car. A buddy and I had another friend that had a truck and we had arranged for him to haul us to a race in Tampa. We had already entered it and payed our entry fee. The race was on a Sunday. We were ready with all our junk, waiting for our friend. He didn’t show when he was supposed to. We tried to call him, this was before cell phones were even thought of. When we couldn’t get ahold of him we talked it over and at our young age, probably 15 we made the decision to ride to the race. We loaded all we could in our pockets and down our pants, and set off for north Tampa. We got there and raced. I lost 1st gear while we were there, so I rode home with 2nd and 3rd. It was a long day. I busted my kiester and was covered with dirt and grease. We got some stares coming home. Bob…
Geez you guys are old…Just kidding! My 1st race was OSW in 1982, i was 16 and drove all my buddies up with me.
I was hooked, i even worked for the track i believe in 84 doing cleanup after crashes, blown engines and so on. I got in for free and got to eat for free as pay and i had no problem with that. I always thought the racing looked better from the infield anyhow.
My 1st race in a car was OSW in 1991 in a 4cyl enduro where i got wrecked on lap 1 in turn 2. It began an addiction i didn’t stop until 2004 where i’m hoping to get back in it soon.
I’ve always raced asphalt and even as much crap i gave Mike about changing Ocala to dirt i DO enjoy watching dirt racing and the way it is up here in NC there are limited asphalt tracks and an abundance of dirt tracks where i will probably run limited sportsman. It is the only class other than LM or MS that the rules allow you to run multiple tracks with little to no changes on your car.
They are fast and affordable…BIG ENGINE…STOCK CHASSIS…and about 3 different tires you can run at ALL the tracks.
Great post!! Something positive. and geez you guys are old… just kidding
My first race was in 1978 or 1979 at Toledo Speedway. I was 4 and the big semi trucks were racing. Dont remember much except for one was painted pink.
Where I really got addicted was in Chico California at the Silver Dollar Speedway(dirt) and Anderson Speedway in Anderson California at the ages of 8-13. Every Fri and Sat night. I was allowed to mud the track in and thats all I would talk about for days.
After getting my licence at 16 and moving to Deltona Fl I used to go to New Symrna every sat night by myself up untill I went into the Marines. GREAT racing back then.
After I got out in 1997 I would go a little here and there then in 2000 I decided to build my own car. Its been like crack(from what I have heard) ever since.
Sometime in the early 60’s, Jacksonville Speedway. My family had moved back to the states from Orleans, France, where my dad was in the service. Everett Moran and his son, Jerry had a garage in our town and had a race car (B29). We would go every Saturday with Wally Ferry, Dickie’s dad. Rod Eulenfield drove their car. On cold nights we would bring stumps and burn them. A lot of nights we got home with smutty faces and you could only see the white of our eyes.
My parents took me in 1968 to Spencer Speedway, near Rochester NY. I thought it was the absolute coolest thing I’d seen in my first 5 years of life. I couldn’t wait to tell my cousin Denny, who lived near Buffalo, about this great new thing I saw. He floored me when I found out that he and his Dad also went to the races at nearby Lancaster Speedway. I had NO CLUE that there was more than one place on earth that races cars other than Spencer Speedway. So now, I had TWO places to go, and never missed a chance to BEG my parents to take me there. There was no bigger punishment to me than having the races taken away. I preferred an ass-whooping, to a night at home while Spencer was running that night.
After 40 years, over 80 tracks, in 12 states and Canada, witnessing probably over 1000 shows… I’m still just as hooked as I was in 1968.
I remember the first time it really hit me. I had been to a few tracks as a young child, but I probably fell asleep. However, I went to Florida City Speedway at age 11 and that did it. The racing needle has been stuck in my arm ever since that night in 1972.
There were TQ midgets that ran that track with their left-front tire high off ground. They ran alchohol, so the air was filled with that extoxicating smell. It was also back when you could see the drivers: elbows up and sawing on the wheel. In those days before full face helmets, a bunch of guys would wrap a bandana around thier mouth. I thought that looked so cool: it made the drivers look like big heroes.
Modified and stock mini stocks ran there too. The stock ones were almost comical looking: so many of them were short, boxy Anglias. I recall many of them being painted crazy colors like orange and purple. I am sure that helped attract my young eye, and I suggest that too many cars today are painted black or white.
For a while, the track ran “push car races” during intermission. This was a one lap race for kids in home-made cars. One kid drove and two kids pushed ( we had a perilous, full-speed engine change after half a lap ). My car was made from an orange crate, and my dad put on a steering wheel on it for me. Whoa! I was the big deal with that steering wheel.
My brother had a push car, and eventually, so did all the kids in the neighborhood. We raced them all week, and my folks would haul a bunch of push cars and kids to the track on Saturday.
Later, I got to visit Hialeah Speedway. Wow! Certainly this was a biggest, brightest coolest place on earth!
[QUOTE=Boneman;12266] I suggest that too many cars today are painted black or white.
[/QUOTE]
pot calling the kettle black here!
first race i ever went to
i can’t believe i am even telling any body i’m not 29 years old
if my memory serves me right my uncle jimmy the coolest man that ever lived he was 18 years old and i was nine and my brother donald was eight and he told my mom and dad we were going fishing and the year was 1953 god that was hard to say i am almost positive it was hollywood speed way i think off of 441 and griffin rd or some were by ole cement plant
they ran super modifieds the real super modifieds this guy rod perry won 52 features that year .i can remember my uncle is gone now but ever saturday night he would come get us with them cane poles stuck out back windows we would go palm beach medley all over south florida ft pierce
then he would make us get out and walk out in canal some were dowm on red road get wet like we had been fishing because mom and dad did not think racing was safe
Remember your first race
I went to a one room schoolhouse, around 1950. Across the road was a 1/4 mile dirt track. At lunch time we would go to the track and play around. Run around or ride my bike around. Sunset Speedway, Port Huron, Michigan.
Someone should start a post about your first race car. Show a picture, and what track, and what year.
Ft. wayne (IN) Speedway - 1957 - I was 5 years old… USAC “Big” Cars and Late Model Convertibles…
I am glad to see someone is as old as me. Ron Abmey, of the sunshine Figure eight abneys?
I am glad to see someone is as old as me. Ron Abmey, of the sunshine Figure eight abneys? I had’t heard your name for a bunch of years. Dennis comes to mind for some reason. Is he kin to you? I used to shoot video at Sunshine some and mostly Desoto when the pro Figure eights ran Sunshine early and Desoto late. Those were the days. Bob…
Eriez speedway 1972 at age 4
my First race was at Motordrome Speedway in Smithton, PA it was dirt then.My first first asphalt race was the Nascar Modifieds at Jennerstown Speedway in Jennerstown, PA. Man that was awsome I was about 10 and feling like crap, but I did not tell my dad or Grandfather. Man I loved gowning to the races in Western Pa with my father I grew up in the inner city of Pittsburh and most of the kids would make fun of me for going the races and the truck pulls st the Pittsburgh Mellon Areana. Racing was one thing I had to look forward to doring the summer.
Ronabney, I love old stories like that man, keep em comin.
Now your Talkin…typing!
I was knee high to a grass hopper when my father took a P/T job on Saturdays @ Islip Speedway (RIP) in Long Island. He worked every saturday and i could not wait until sunday morning to hear the news of who, what, where and when. He would occasionally bring me home some little plastic racecar coupes that varied in colors. I’ll get back to those though.
At least once a month we would go to the speedway. It seemed like forever to get there but the anticipation was worth it.(30 minute drive felt like 3 hours) I knew them all (Jarzombek, Hendrickson, Himes, Kempster, Tappen, DeAngelo, Wagner, Winters, Park, Tyler, etc) Those were my heroes:D The cardboard pizza, the smell of exhaust, the squealing of tires and the hard pounding noise of an open header modified. Man, i was in heaven on earth.
Although only 2 classes for many years (Mods and F-8’s), the place had a mystique to it. The traveling shows were fun too. ARDC midgets were a blast. As i grew older the fire continued to burn. My dad took me to numerous shows throughout the NE (Spring Sizzler, Langhorne(still have my t-shirt…doesn’t fit though) Trenton, Thompson, Oswego) and then we ventured into dirt (Nazerath, Flemington, Middletown, Lebanon Valley, Devils Bowl, The grove, etc). Now i had a whole new world of heroes to appreciate.
Moving to FL. in mid 1979 i now found dirt LM racing and southern stockcar racing. What a world of difference. We travelled all over florida, Georgia, alabama and even into the carolinas checking out big an little shows. If there was a show…we were there.
To this day i still get as excited as much as i did when i was 6 years old. I recently had that feeling while standing outside the pit gate at Citrus awaiting a friend. Watching trucks with cars in tow. If you can picture the seen at the end of the movie, “Field of Dreams” when all the cars are driving up the road to the ball park Costner built. That is what it is like for me.
I will probably never be able to fufill my dream but i will always hold this sport dear to my heart. Outside of my family (and lately my job), this is my love in life. I don’t care what track, where at or when. If i could be there i would. I just love racing.
Back to those plastic cars…does anyone know what i am talking about? They were 2pc molded cars with white plastic wheels. They had a pre-molded number on them but a little paint could cover that up. My mom would use my dad’s race pix and paint them up with her liquid embroidery kit. They weren’t perfect but heck, i was a kid. I didn’t care. Funny thing is…I still have all of them. 35 years and many moves later…i still have all my childhood racing memories. Lost a few girlfriends, luggage, posters, 8 trax, albums, clothes…you know the list. But sure as hell…i still have all my racing stuff:huepfen024:
To end my message, i will give myself a prop and say
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME…44 on the 19th.
Happy Birthday Racingmovie man! Bob…
Great stories! Keep them coming!
It does seem that most of the posts are from people in their forties. Anyone in their teens or twenties? Are today’s tracks not afflicting young folks with the racing disease? One interesting observation, most of us were taken to our first race by an adult, when we were a child. (track operators take note!)
First Race?
I am guessing it was around 1965. Golden Gate speedway, Tampa Florida. I was so enthralled by the whole thing that I couldn’t get enough! I begged my dad to take me every Sat. night. There was nothing and I mean nothing more dissapointing than going down there and getting rained out! As a six or seven year old kid you think you will never get to see another one!
There was Gordon Solie announcing. There were the Reutimanns, and many more but to me only the Reutimanns mattered! There seemed like a fight at least once a night.
As a side note there were two different bathrooms. One for whites and one for “coloreds”. Times sure have changed over the years. The bathroom situation changed for the better. But not having The Gate still hurts!
And by the way this is a cool thread, Good Idea!:ernaehrung004: