Now that I have hung up my drag racing keys I have one little regret. When I built the Sr dragster as I called it I had hoped there would be a movement of similar cars built to run against. Not identical but similar weight and power plants but different brands. I thought it would be great for the fan interest and good fun beside. Several brands had similar size motors. Mine is out to 246 cubes, Ford has sixes at 223 I think 240 and 250, Chev has 230 and 250, AMC and Jeep share a 258 and it was also built at 232. The thought of three or four six cylinder short wheelbase homebuilt rails dueling it out at every race would have been a lot of fun. It happened but not here. (I believe there is now an actual Senior Dragster group in the south west of USA.) The Big sixes could have their own class as well as in the 300 Fords and 292 Chev and 302 GMCs. (There is or was in 1956 a 413 cubed Dodge Flathead six in firetrucks and severe duty 5 tons.)
Now I see Bill with his VW gasser which is doing a great job for him and recently Mike in the Mad Mazda showing up. I would make sure that at sometime during each event these two cars ran off against each other. The crowd would love it and it would be good for the sport and the competitors.
I hope this happens . We see Covettes running each other , Vipers , recently a group of Hellcats started showing up and the Mustang boys have been doing it for years with Mr De Silva and friends. It is the close heads up comp fans love. Most do not understand bracket racing and it doesnt really interest them but heads up racing of similar reasonably matched cars does. For me it is too late. My dream died in the weeds last Sept but I still had a huge amount of fun for very very little $$. However always having to run a car of similar weight but almost double sized motors was a bit of a burden. Still I won quite a few of those mismatches. However the thought of a have dozen snarling six cyl dragsters or altereds running each other round robin would have been huge fun I think. So consider this just a voice from the bunkers encouraging this sort of similar builds hopefully of several different brands a reasonable possibility. Who knows we may even find another Stude for Doug to run against!
Don
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SR Dragster because old people need to have fun too!
Don, I hope your dream does not die. The concept seems like a pretty good one and as we know from your experience they are pretty quick as well.
I am going to take a wild guess that it is hard for you to hang up the competition helmet especially in the way it happened to you last fall. I appreciate the efforts to help people go a little quicker over the years, I worry that we are losing people of your particular skill set.
don, with the nostalgia cars becoming more and more popular, let's hope we see cars like you are describing. perhaps the fan turnout will increase as well, folks seem to really enjoy it. bill and i had a race at armdrop and i have been hearing from people how they liked seeing those two cars together, i know i sure enjoyed it. don, guys like you are true gentlemen of the sport/hobby.
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don't walk in like you own the place..........walk in like you hold the mortgage.
HI DON : Your take on the " Old Sixes " is absoluely correct . Although I do not go on the strip , but rather more suited to " cruising " , I get some of the wildest comments at events ( like the Armdrop ) when I pop the hood and they see what used to be an old Mercruiser 165 I/O . I had a " little work " done on the 250 to wake it up a bit and I can cruise all day long with the " Big Dogs " , as long as they obey the highways speeds ( or not ) -- The big difference is when we pull up to the pumps -- I only take half a tank --
Keep up the great encouragement , as you always have -- LATER -- DON / Fleet 51
Yes tis true, E/A ! Those were the days. Anyway I guess I misjudged the market (AGAIN!!!!!!!????????) however despite that I had a lot of fun. Much more then I expected and Don you were there from the beginning when I first took her out on the road to go to parade. One of my favourite memories is of the late Bob Gauley. I had built Bobs 6 cyl Ford engines since the git go. He had left his engine hoist here for several months and after tripping over it once too often I told him on the weekend you have to get it outta here. He came over about 10AM . I opened the garage door and said "I will have to move one of these cars to get it out." I went to open the door of my 63 MAX Wedge to hop in and move it but Bob reached down and switched on the power on the rail. He hopped in with the agility of a rabbit fired the slant six and backed it out. Before I could catch my breath he was out the driveway and gone up to the school a few doors away. He warmed it up a bit and then pulled out on the road braked hard , took the converter to full stall (4700) and launched wheels in the air heading back here. I almost passed out! He didn't seem to care and now in the grand scheme of things I am glad he took the oppourtunity to have a moment of fun. Which reminds me I heard via the grape vine someone was recently spreading worty dirds about me and that engine of Bobs. You should know that other then answer as honestly as possible a few questions I was asked by the new owner I have not laid a finger on anything on that since Bob sold it and it was certainly a successful car when he owned it so it is impossible for me to be blamed for anything except its performance when he had it. don
-- Edited by Don on Saturday 27th of June 2015 07:21:34 PM
-- Edited by Don on Saturday 27th of June 2015 07:22:31 PM
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SR Dragster because old people need to have fun too!
It was now about 5 years ago. Bob as some know was a diabetic 100% medicated type. What he accomplished in spite of that is mind blowing. He got up in the early morning quickly, we all know what for, and collapsed before he reached his destination. They rushed him to the hospital. They said he pulled off his oxygen mask at one point and told his wife he guessed this meant they would have to sell the dragster (He had an RED at this point and had sold the famous T bucket). He passed away shortly there after. Heart related but complications of his diabetes I was told. He had no warning. He was doing well. And then he was gone. Actually though Bob was best suited for the T bucket. He just knew how to run it and I don't think was ever out of the top five with it in Shannonville points in 8 years or so and took the big prize once and a few runner ups as well. He represented Cayuga in the Delware classic and gave me a photo of that which is still on my wall. He did a lot of racing and was very successful. He drove the rail well too so we should respect that but the T bucket was the Bob we knew. It just seemed to be made for him.
don
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SR Dragster because old people need to have fun too!
I find my self I have no real interest in watching 250 , 000 dollar or more , pro mods , dragsters funny cars running . I,d rather hang out at nostalgia days .
My drag car is a 72 , my next project is a 59 , my summer daily is a 50
The 72 is an old beat up looking , but legal and safe , amc gremlin .I go to 2 amc events a year , spring time , national trails ohio an fall St Thomas . I have more fun at these 2 events then any other events I usually go to .
What is being said in the posts above , is you have more fun in a like minded group . even if you can get 4 or 6 or more of the same idea , racers to the track , even just for fun runs . Its a great day ..77.
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I,m as cool as Milner , but axeually a bit more like Beckwith
