What made you a race fan?

[ModJr9]

My first experience with racing was going on a school class field-trip at 10 years old in the '70's to IMS. They just turned us loose. Could you imagine sending your 10 year old to the speedway now, unsupervised?

That is the first time I seen people laying in their own puke, it was not the first time I seen boobies though, I miss the '70's.

I remember walking down Gasoline Alley. I met AJ Foyt, Big Al and Bobby, Janet Gurhrie, Johnry Rutherford, Tom Sneva, that day is a day I will never forget and cherish forever. It had a lasting impression.

If only we could get back to the Indy 500 being a goal and dream to dirt racers everywhere. Those were the days.

I would expect most of you hard-core racing fans probably grew up with real racers who raced in the dirt, but the Indy 500... It is the greatest spectacle in racing, or at least it was. If only we could bring back the glory days.

[LITE-INN]

my first experience was when I was 6 months dad and momm of course tookm and have been going ever since, 57 years this August

[mudslinger47]

I used to get to see the late models of the time (I'm 66) when we would go to the state fair once a year.. Remo Stott and Ernie Derr and the Fliyin' Farmer out of Kansas!!!!! the sounds of the Hemi's and big block Fords and Chevies sent a thrill up my spine for about 60 years....so far...and were racing this weekend at Kings in Ca for a two day show and I still love it..I've been an owner, a driver, an owner driver and a hired driver and now I head up the crew that keeps the heap goin' in the right direction....wouldn't change a thing....

[bite me too]

I used to go to the local weekly track every Friday starting when I was 4- 5. The track, Stafford Speedway, was in town and the place to be on Friday nights. As I got older ( 6, 7, 8 etc.) we stopped going as often until my parents got divorced when I was 11. Then, my Dad and I would not only go to Stafford every Friday, but travel to other tracks within an hour or two on Saturdays and Sundays until I had to be back home for school or the week with Mom. During my years of "racing" with Dad we went to tracks all over the country be it a local track like Mesa Marin (CA) or a Cup track (of which we hit 12 or 13 first of which was Dover in '84 when The King won #199). We went to hundreds and hundreds of races at dozens of tracks to check out what was going on in whatever state we were in. Those are some of the greatest memories I have...Dad and me cruising to a new track...

[huskerdirt]

My dad used to race a late model back in the 70s way before my time. Although he wasn't a top runner, he went every week. He jokes his claim to fame is beating Kent Tucker and Al Humphrey in a heat race, both considered legends in the state of Nebraska. Around the time I came along he got out of it, a few years later he bought a late model and was gonna be an owner. That car sat in my dad's automotive business for an eternity it seemed. It looked exactly like the one out of the performance bodies catalog. Unfortunately the driver had gotten cancer and he died a short time later. My dad starting taking me to the races when I was 3,4 in that area. At that time there were a lot of racers from my town(pop 1500) so everybody knew everybody. So for me, I was floored seeing a guy I knew go around the track as fast as he can. The real fun was actually going down in the pits, actually getting to sit in the car and talking to them. During the summer months my dad didn't wanna pay for daycare, so I always got tag along to the shop everyday. On Mondays, a couple of local street stock drivers would bring there cars to have my dad get the dents out. He had a machine that would press the dent back out against a block wood on the other side. Considering my age, I thought race cars in my dad's shop AND we get to work on them, well for me sort of. THAT WAS THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD!!!! Sometimes we would have to go get a new door, fender, or hood. My dad was just call the junkyard and go get it. He would replace it, match the paint up and finish it up. A lot of times the driver wouldn't even know that stuff was replaced until he went to pick the car up two days later. Of course the driver would offer to pay. My dad would reply..... "Ahh no big deal."

Sorry for the long winded post.

[blackford]

I was still in the womb and remember hearing names like Lee Petty, Jr Johnson, Tiny Lund, Fireball Roberts!! So it's in my jeans!!

[huskerdirt]

I was still in the womb and remember hearing names like Lee Petty, Jr Johnson, Tiny Lund, Fireball Roberts!! So it's in my jeans!!

What kind of jeans???? Levi's or Wranglers?

[ModJr9]

Great post so far! I wish my early experiences were as good as you guy's. I didn't learn what real racing was until about 15 years ago. I will post someday how I got hooked into dirt, but for this weekend I will just smile and try to remember what it was like to walk around the speedway being 10 years old again.

[blackford]

What kind of jeans???? Levi's or Wranglers?

Long as he doesn't ask about my skivies... Everything will be all right.

[i like racing]

My dad used to pit for an IMCA Stockcar driver. I think he started taking me when I was about 5. I always looked forward to going and still do.

[upsidedown]

When I was ten my brother drove a stock at Walsh Stadium in ST. Louis Mo. an let me ride on his lap when running track in. 74 now still hooked. Last nigh drove 100 miles to a home town track in Mo, to see some down home country racing.

[Clayton_Wetter]

My first races were at clay tracks at West Baden and Mitchell Indiana. I was four years old and my Dad and Uncle took me with them to watch the old thirties and forties model Jalopies plus sprint cars also. They just pulled out on the highway and drove the jalopies to the racetrack. One car was called the Gray Ghost and every time it went past the front stretch you could see a ghost figure looking out the back window. Sometimes a car would go into the infield and run into a little pond. The driver would stand on the roof waiting to be pulled out.

Also we went to Salem Speedway in Indiana to the Joe James/ Pat O'conner Memorial USAC sprint race. Where Parnelli Jones, A.J. Foyt, Don Branson and other famous drivers of that time that ran at Indy also were there.

[Clayton_Wetter]

Long as he doesn't ask about my skivies... Everything will be all right.

Hanes????..

[LITE-INN]

more like George

[blackford]

Hanes????..

You ain't talking to Litey now. You boys need to keep that to yourselves!!

[race21j]

My dad drove for many years. Then just crewed on race cars.There was always a race car in the garage being built or repaired.My mother told me I was not going to drive, so I built my car at a friends shop.Some how she found out and said if I was going to do it bring it home.She would NEVER watch me race but always looked at the car first thing in the morning.That was 1982 and have been driving crewing or owning cars ever since.my driver now is my 19 year old Nephew.His dad ( who raced also,along with his mother) and I keep him running.His first win is coming soon.Hope we are all at the track that night so all for of us can be in the picture.I am sure Grand father will be smiling from heaven.I love dirt racing.Have been to Eldora several times.There is something about at the end of the night you take some of the track home with you is a special feeling.

[CarolinaDirt]

I grew up a weekly race fan , spent every Friday at Sugar Creek Raceway in Blue Ridge GA , and the following Saturday at Tri-County Racetrack . I still am a huge Johnny Thomas fan just something about that old T4 and he was the man to beat . I didn't get introduced to traveling until the SAS days and later Hav-A-Tampa and good ole Jimmy Mosteller , he was a great promoter a pioneer . He spent as much time in the stands getting to know everyone with a smile on his face as he did in the booth . Alot of announcers/promoters could learn alot from that man he just had this air about him just a good ole country boy that loved people and a good race . I guess to this day I travel and watch the WOO , NDRL , and Lucas but there is just something about going to your home track on a fri/sat night that I just love and alot of people take for granted .

[ModJr9]

My first races were at clay tracks at West Baden and Mitchell, IN

I'm with some friends in Mitchell right now, where was the track? Nobody here has any idea. I also have been told there was a track close to Springville, IN way back, I think I know where it was but I have never heard it mentioned.

[LITE-INN]

ALLEN BROWN has a book the history of American tracks you be amazed what was around

[LITE-INN]

http://www.amazon.com/History-Americ.../dp/0931105617