Street Racing Confession(s)

[biomedtechguy]

humidity was like maybe like as high (?) 'maybe' it was 45%

I have to wait for spring, fall, and dry cold fronts in winter to get that low!
I will say, dry cold fronts in October make for some of the BEST weather here, and was "the norm" for Cruisin the Coast for years it seemed. Then we got 2 hurricanes that shut it down 2 out of 3 years.
One of the days the Big Easy Mopar Club rented Gulfport Dragway was one of those beautiful post cold front days, and the Roadrunner was loving it!

 

[Darter6]

PID. Pittsburgh International Dragway. I remember it well.

 

[Budnicks]

I have to add 5 now (maybe more still) as I remembered them
can't forget the Pontiac gang

#10)
Dan B. (& Marsha) an old roomate/renter of mine
67 Firebird 421 w/RamAir IV ported head, TH400/5,000 converter
all the normal bells & whistles, ladder-bar coilover car 4.11:1 12-Bolt
Firestone (?) 31x10.5w's he normally on slicks everywhere,
those are his street tires
He's always at
Fremont, Sears Point & Sac. Raceway most all Wed. Thurs. & Fri.s
sort of a POS ("bailing wire Firebird") car to look at,
but mechanically sound, & FAST
heavily N2O'd, 2 + kits fogger & plate
(he was org. from Benicia, and rented from me in Pleasant Hill/Concord)

#11)
Felisha (fine lady, tall, long blonde hair, voluptuous figure & total car gal)
really nice 70 Formula Firebird, nice real Ram Air IV 400/4 speed
good clutch/flywheel & scatter shield, 12 bolt/4.11:1
mainly a street car, nice car really, power windows brakes steering etc.
all the creature comforts w/a few bolt-ons, a bigger cam, headers & exhaust,
a hot coil & Ignition, sticky street tires M/Ts sportsmans, lots of N2O,
her old BF/Husband was deep into the N2O world too
"we got Felisha in the divorce"
(Concord gal)

#12)
Ron C. (Lori his wife) he was sort of the local self-proclaimed "N2O guru"
(he had originally an old 63 Tempest that looked like Arnie the Farmer Beswicks, a diehard Pontic guy)
his 69 GTO Judge 455+ with RamAir parts, ported heads, tunnel ram 2x4bbls
TH400 man. V/B lose converter, lots of begged & borrowed parts 'from everyone'
& mega N2O, 2-3 kits at any one time, always more power from N2O 'than motor'
he was a really good mechanic, just never had much $$$
willing to get dirty, a bit of an excentric type...
(from Concord too, my clutch guy for a while on my T/S race team)

#13)
Jeff E. Nice 68 Firebird Conv. 6:71 10% under Blown 'Pontiac 350'/TH400
sort of the typical show Pro-street car of the day, nice Marron metallic paint
black guts & top, not really a racer 'but honorable mention, very cool car',
a great family man, still part of the gang...
(Built custom alum. wings & Nissan Parts Mngr guys, he had moved to Fairfield,
formerly a Concord guy)

edited added, I forgot
#14
Mike M. Nice red 39 Pontiac with a 632 (?) early Big Cheif Headed,
2 BIG-dominators on a fabricated sheet metal tunnel-ram
full Chromemoly F/C & 12 pt. cage full mandrel bent 2x3" CAC chassis,
second 2x 1-3/4" 0.120" wall additional frame-rails down the center
huge 15x33" (at the time) Pro-mod slicks, fully trussed up 9" floater axles
4 link coilovers, real racecar, with a big flat wing out the back (Jeff E. built for him) etc.
this thing was impressive to say the least, badass racecar with plates
could be a high 7 second car, I **** you not...
(his gang from Oroville)

sorry;
my memory was kicking in while typing on another thread

almost all these people were reg.s at my
every Monday Night Football/Pool - BarBQ parties,
whether there was football on or not
many of them were working at the local Concord/Walnut Creek
the area car dealerships too, it's how many of Us met...

to be continued

amendment to the list a couple more I remembered

#15
Jim B. 72 Vega medium blue
8.50/160 'track car' 12pt cage, FI gas BBC/PG, 9", slicks/big tires
he was an old foreman of CACW in Sacramento on Sunrise Blvd.,
had some health issues, I've lost track of him now
(local Sacramento guy, we knew him well, lots of work on peoples cars
part of our group, more than the locals)

#16
Jerry N. 68 Corvette was a real L78 427 435hp tri-power car,
another guy who ran the 'worlds fastest streetcar' SCS/Goodguys stuff too
he made it into a racecar/occasionally a streetcar
475"-477cid 0.100" over 454, rect. port roller 2x4bbl/PG Dana-60
4 link/coil over, wheelie bars, big tire car beautiful purple & magenta graphics
fast track car, didn't do a lot on the street "usually" high 8's capable
Snap-On dealer
(he's a lifelong Concord guy too)

#17
Jerry S. 75-77 (?) Monza SBC/th350 good converter,
normal bolt-on stuff, good engines, mostly garage-built car...
He was an electrician, his dad was a local Electrical contractor
I knew well too... Great lil' street car...
Really good guy, had a really nice fast BB MoPar jet boat/drag boat
"Viola" after his wife's middle name too...
The Monza was sort of mini tubed, frame connectors, it had a 6 pt cage
a Narrowed 12 bolt 4.56:1 (? maybe 4.88:1) gears,
ladder bars, coil overs, 28x10.5"s
He had many different combos in it, engine &/or transmission or converter wise...
We swapped intakes cams rockers you name it we tried it on his Monza
stuff I'd take off my cars or stuff from swapmeets etc.
My old neighbor across the street, when I had a place in Antioch briefly
(owned my 1st house at 18 y/o, He's from Antioch Ca., east of Pittsburg & Concord)

#18
My cousin Stanley E.
his Green/Black 68 Firebird 400 (Ram Air III) 4 speed 12 bolt,
good camshaft 300*-ish/0.550"-ish gvl, headers thru Flowmasters,
good clutch/lighter flywheel & good gears (4.11:1)
fast real, pure street car
nice rims tires, Cragers, Pro-Trac tires maybe high-12 second, good MPH
(he's from ElCerrito SF east bay area)

I think I'm up to date now... all the people at that time frame

 

[Budnicks]

I'll tell one that was years prior... maybe 1979-ish
A HS long time friend of mine (so as to not embarrass him)
we'll call him 'Tiger' (did you poop boy),
that's what his dad's nickname for him was

"tiger" had a 69 RR 383 RM23 post coupe,
it way over carb'd, Offy tunnel-ram 2x4bbs
& a 23 spine 4 speed, 8-3/4" rear, nice slot wheels, wider rear tires
(that was a borrowed manifold & carbs, of course, he was always broke as ****
I don't remember now who he borrowed it from)
I was always paying for everything wherever we went, food drinks etc.
or loaning/giving him ****/parts...
&
I just loaned him a set of gears
(4.30:1 (?) IIRC, they whined pretty bad, but still fine),
we changed the gears in the street, laying in the damn gutter
with a bumper jack & firewood cribbing holding the car up
in front of his sister's house, in Concord

I gave him a Norris Camshaft/Rhoads anti-pump-up Variable dur. Lifters
right out of my motor
the org. 440 that was recently in my 68 Charger R/T...
It was pulled out to rebuild, it was 298*/0.488" FTH (IIRC)
I had 1.6: rockers (for 0.537" gvl) I didn't lend him...
I'd have never got them back...
& Anyhoo
I put a lil' 318cid (out of a 68 Satellite I had sitting there)
with a bunch of bolt-ons, on/in it...
An alum. Edelbrock 340 intake, Holley carb 600cfm dbl pumper,
cheap headers, hot ignition, stock cam & stock 727tf, stock converter,
with a set of 5.13:1 gears/N50x15 tires on Cragers in my Charger
temporarily, it's my daily driver...
That (440) I spun a rod bearing, racing a guy with a
535cid "STROKER" RB/727tf/4,000 stall combo in a 68-69 GTX
out on Ignacio Valley Rd.
Anyhoo...
after we finished his RR literally it took like 30 min.s, to install, fast
made sure to get the lifters in the same order (we didn't know any better) etc.
to R&R the camshaft install... broke it in again just in case, 15 min.s

Bolted up the tunnel-ram & carbs, took another like 45 min.s maybe
the carb linkage took us longer than everything else combined...
I ask him you want to run em',
he says;
lets go check it out...
We 1st go out to the softball park in only his car/69RR
we do a couple of burnouts, see how it's doing, it was fat as **** IIRC
making our eyes water 'fat' , didn't matter...
We were still going to drive it to the WC cruise & pose/show off...

He's all pumped up, he thinks it's fast now...
NOT !!, it needs tuning...
He doesn't listen at all, never did...
We go back to his sister's house, I get my 68 Charger...
We go somewhere to eat...
And then went out to a sideroad, I don't remember where...
It was in Concord off Willow Pass rd. somewhere
it's a tad bit downhill IIRC
anyhooo;
"tiger' he gets the rpms up, in the 69 RR & dumps the clutch
& I footbrake my lil' teen motor, off we go, I'm pulling on him bad,
like bus lengths bad...
His lights go off...
We turn around & go again, I know he can do better,
it's a BB MoPar !!!
That cam always ran hard in my engine...
We/or I launch hard again,
I'm getting way out on him again,
his headlights go off & he now claims the car died for no reason,
Again...
So I say;
lets go again...
We line up for a 3rd time, I say or he said;
'you (meaning him) honk & we'll both leave'

So just in case he has any more excuses,
it was comical at this point...
Why my lil' 'teen & near stock motor/trans/converter'
is kicking his 2x4bbl tunnel ram, new cam, gears & a BB 4 speed
cars butt
Off we go, we launch again I'm so far out on him, he has no shot,
the lights 'go off again'...

3 & 0 in my favor

Funny thing is, driving around all night it never did that again
We went to the cruise in Walnut Creek and spent hrs in Encino Grande after
he never did race anyone...
I don't remember racing anyone else that night either...
I think we were drinking beer too...

Now about 10+ years go by, I come to find out & he finally confesses to me
he was just shutting it off & turning the lights out,
because;
he knew/he was embarrased he couldn't beat that lil' teen motor
with a couple of bolt-ons, in that the big *** 4,000# Charger
with the 5.13:1 gears
so he faked having troubles...

as I remember it

 

[Budnicks]

Part 11
Ranch Secco Saturday/night 2 into early am Sun.

#14
Mike M. 39 Pontiac with a killer Big Cheif combo
it would beat most T/S cars of the day, it was freaky fast
he also had a gen 3 Camaro, 84-85-ish Pro-Mod car at his place too
this guy is no slouch, probably the fastest guy I knew
'for a door-slammer car' at the time
the 39' is on big slicks 15x33", has N2O but not hooked up

#15
Jim B. 72-ish Vega, professional build, FI BBC big-tires/slick
the guy is a foreman at CACW in Sac.
his car runs 8.50s in Pro-Gas all the time, more in it too
Jim has just swapped his system over to methanol
new nozzles & barrel valve, it now runs really good & stays cool

they negotiate a race
(don't exactly remember how much, I think it was a best of 3 for $500)
heads up, IMO that's not good for Jim's Vega
but, he ain't scared, he thinks that Mikes 39' will overpower the street
he could be right, but no-one knew yet
Jim B. can't really afford to lose...

a bit of background;
Jim B. is a great chassis guy, he knows his ****, the road is pretty damn good too
sort of a course asphalt, but a bit of a crown & wide emergency lanes/shoulders
Jim B. he was also part of our Calif. Outlaw Pro-stock Org.
(like a small outlaw, mainly all tube chassis cars, N2O & Blown door slammer group)
& he also ran Pro-Gas 8.50 with me (my 49 Ford) & a few others from our group...
We (Me & Jim C.) booked events in/bought in, all up & down the western US
for smaller events/races the big guys wouldn't run/attend...
Like $10k for 8-12 cars, Chicago style round-robin
everyone ran everyone once, then 2 fastest ET & MPH after,
went head to head in finals, at the end of the evenings...
It was a decent show, for what it was...
Jim's a hardworking stiff, blue collar guy, hourly guy
& he doesn't make a bunch of $$$, doing fab work 40+ hrs a week
(Sac. area didn't pay very well back then either)

Mike owns a 'well-drilling co.', he does pretty damn well for himself
& he buys & sells racecars all the time, as a supplemental income
has his **** together for a young guy & a proficient 10-12 years street racer
(we were almost all in our mid to late 20's)
Mike didn't have his tuner there that night, he's pretty competent himself thou...

Ok to the races
Jim C.
will flag the races

Mike does a huge FC style smoky burnout,
that thing sounds 'bad to the bone'
gets up on the tires like you can't imagine, truly has impressive power
like 1,500hp on the motor alone, it's no slouch
'for a mild low compression 632'

Jim does a line lock burnout just outside the water, in VHT
nice smoke, he gets out about 10' and he does a couple of dry hops,
to check out the grip
(that was commonplace, for most 9.90 & fasters cars at the time, after burnouts)
the car is hooking hard, pulling the front wheels ever so slightly
but moving forward, really good/bite

They both get into stage, up hard on converters 6,000+
Jim gets ready to drop his arms,
bam, Mike jumps out bad, really early bad
Mike's car is, it's freaken' loud as hell,
(I'm thinking we're gonna' get busted, 2nd night & all)
Jim follows him thou, they both make decent passes
Mike's Pontiac hazes the tires at about 800-1,000ft, peddles it
still wins by a car & 1/2 maybe 2 cars
they come back,
we tell Jim, that Mike jumped, he left way early
& Jim wins race #1

Mike wants to go right away again, he's sort of pissed at himself
that he red-lit, jumped early
they both need to let the cars cool some,
let the trans/converters cool mainly

so they go off to the side & let them cool off for a 1/2 an hr
to 45 min.s maybe or so

a bunch of races, a few locals go down in the meantime
not of much help mostly all on street-tires, 13-14 second type cars
there was a nice
yellow 70 Charger R/T 440 six pack 4 speed Dana-60 car
(Mark W. a guy from HS, from up in the Georgetown area
younger bros of one of my best friends)
& raced a dark green 70 RR/GTX (?) 440-6bbl car TF/727
(I don't know the guy)
raced Mark W./Charger won, maybe a low 13 second pass,
mostly stock, w/headers & exhaust & some tuning,
he got rid of the fugly *** poverty caps & steelies, it came with
for better bigger wider 15" tires/wheels, like 15x10's in the rear
Cragers IIRC
&
Me in my 69 RR 440-6bbl 4 speed
& a Torino GT/BB C6 went at it,
I smoked his ***, it's hardly worth talking about...
I had a great weekend in the "ol' bird"

continued;
Race #2
same deal smoky *** burnouts & Jim does dry hops
they get staged
Jim C. drops his arms, off they go
Mike pulls out after a pretty much even start, not early this time
maybe the Vega was out a tad. Mikes reels him in & passes him by 1/2 track
peddles it a couple time on the big end, Jim closes the gap
to about a car...
1-1 now Mike won that one...
It was a fast pass too, even peddling it...

I asked Jim B. how his felt
He said;
"it felt great he's making more power on methanol,
he thinks he can fatten it up, 'even more, to get more power"
Jim, goes back & changes a couple of pills, 1 at the barrel valve
& 2 highspeed bypasses springs/pills
to give it a bit more on top, where Mike has him covered by a bunch...

I was the one that convinced him to convert to methanol, for at the track
hard to find methanol on the streets
I ran my stuff on methanol 'except when on the street', I'd go back to gas
just a nozzle & pill changes/highspeed bypasses/springs & pills
it's no big deal
unless it was really close to home & an ample supply of methanol...

He had plenty, in his truck his wife drove out, for the night,
'so he was good' for that aspect...

Race #3
we're 1 & 1 now
Jim B. Vega starts his burnout, it's shooting big blue flames now,
it's happy, it's liking the pill change (more fuel),
sounds really really crisp now too
Mike M. Pontiac does his FC burnout out like 120-150ft at least
still sound loud as hell & impressive as hell too...
Jim C. gets them lined up
drops his arm off they go Vega gets him out of the hole by a car easily
carrying the wheels out to 100'-ish, 39' get out good too wheels up
like maybe 6" & rolling hard
it's pretty even at 1/2 track Mike is pulling him slightly, a puff of smoke
down track Mike hazed the tires again
they both cross the finish line, Mike & the Pontiac gets him by a fender at most
Jim's Vega really woke up, it's faster now...

3 really good passes on the street, I was impressed
but;
Mike won the bet 2-1
I sort fo felt sorrry for Jim we all knew he was outgunned,
but gave it a valent effort
& he made Mike earn it

I wish I had brought my 49 Ford P/G car now,
but I was having fun driving the RR everywhere

to be continued
as I remember it...

 

[Budnicks]

Part 12
Rancho Secco
July 6th very early am

I have to race the loser of Carl's race
78-79 Z28 BBC/PG big fogger kit on 28x9" slicks
my 69 RR 440-6 w/1 center 2bbl N2O (added jets to get 300 shot)
4 speed 29x9" slicks
it's all I think it can handle now, be on par with him on
his 350+hp (maybe ? 500 shot) fogger
or I should say I picked him, because we are pretty evenly matched
with & without N2O, both on 9" slicks
I think he has me covered without N2O, maybe a car
I think I'm better with N2O, from the races I saw, maybe a car
all heads up
I'm confident in my car, been working really well too

again these guys like to do rounds
best of 3,
bets (have a couple $20 side bets ($100 worth) with a few guys, each race
this **** could add up quick & my standing $20 bet with Mike M., of course)
$50 1st race N2O, heads up race all you got, run what ya' brung,
your decision
$100 2nd N/A no N2O
$100 3rd race if it 'is to get that far',
we'll negotiate lengths, N2O or the leave

Jim C. isn't flagging US
he's prepping his car for another race with the other 67 Chevelle,
sort of another heavy hitter, guy on 2 kits of N2O
& a 'big cid' (540?), tube chassis car both on 14x32" slicks too

a guy from Oroville is flagging
I don't really know him, but
Mike M. says he's a stand up guy, he'll be fair

Race #1
we both do VHT burnouts,
I just put fresh plugs in
after all the cruising & putzing around figured it wouldn't hurt
my car has a miss, I sort of ignore it, as much as I can
we get up to the line the drops his arms
My RR dead hooks & bogs, it never does that ****
& I was leaving at like 3,000rpm
It sort of comes back ok, and starts to run relatively well
I think I'm only on 7 cylinders now, 'all this **** is going thru my mind'
probably hurt it
I still left on him, but he made it up immediately,
because I bogged/dead hooked
we are neck & neck to 400ft, I'm shooting ducks, something is wrong
but he's still right next to me, I let off the N2O button maybe 1,000ft
so not to burn up my engine, just in case
he's walking on me like a car, maybe even a gap...
We cross he won, no doubt about it...
crap... I'm down $170 in one fail swoop...

My car's running like total **** now,
I pull off to the side open the hood
I see my #7 plug-wire laying off to the side, arching like a sob
'luckily it has a DEI sock on it'
or the headers would have burned it bad...
I shut the engine down burn the **** out myself
trying to get the wire back on #7 plug,
I find a twig/stick to push it back on better, yeah something stupid...
I fire it back up, all 8 are firing now...
I can relax a lil'
I f--ked up when I changed the plugs... Oh well

I drive back, I'm bummed
I hear all the crap from everyone
I told them what happened
I paid my bets, (I only have $500 in my wallet, to begin the evening)
we went over & let the cars cool down a bit
his Camaro needed the converter to cool off...
Mine was OK, it was like 185*-ish IIRC, I'm good
but I think I blew it, that was my race,
I had him 'almost' on only 7 & off the N2O at maybe 1,000ft
I might have him N/A after all...

a few races go down a few of our crew
#17 Jerry S., the SB Monza races the 66-67 GS guy
Jerry wins easily, it's quicker than we thought...

#11 Felisha 70 Ram Air Formula races a local new guy,
who wasn't there the 1st night, don't know much about the car
a nice black/black 68-70-ish Nova, nice looking car
She waxes his ***...
She's a ringer, a great underdog & a lady...
We'll make future $$$ with her...

our 'true street guys' are cleaning up

Race #2
N/A no N2O
I do a bit of a longer burnout, still in VHT
roll out & do a dry hop, it's running back to normal
feels great, feels strong/crisp
Camaro guy;
He does his smoky burnout in VHT too
I can smell antifreeze, must be from his car, mines at like 180*
we get to the line they pull him in too
The guy drops his arms,
I dump the clutch, maybe 3,500rpm
a tad higher than my normal, but it's hooking good
we are pretty even I may have got him barely 'out of the hole'
we're even at 1/2 track, I get about a fender on him at 1,000ft-ish
into 4th I'm pulling away from him & got a whole car on him at the end,
I could barely even see the front of his car...
I'm stoked acting all crazy happy, pounding the steering wheel
yelling, being sort of a jerk, I'm not usually like that...
I had so much emotion from the prior pass...
Now I'm back up $220 on side bets & that pass... (back up $50)
I sort of relaxed a bit...

We get back & his car is hot *** hell
he wants time to cool off

a few more street races go down
I'll get to them later

Race #3
He wants to go with N2O again
I said you got me covered on N2O, by a full car at least
he didn't know about my debauched plug wire
I didn't truly know if I could beat him...
I think it could be close/really close
he says;
"he'll give me my back tires on the line & him to be normally stagged"...
I couldn't agree fast enough...
We both do longer VHT burnouts, I did a dry hop again...
His buddy, gets ready to flag Us
he pulls us up to the line, hard to see the starter out that way
he does 'a sort of a quick arm drop', but
we both agreed, he would do it that way...
It's just so
'the Z28 guy doesn't overflow get hot & dump **** under the tires',
we were both up on rpms fine...
I'm leaving at like 3,000-3,200-ish
hit the button right after the launch, my cars' pulling hard
he's right next to me,
I sort of short shift/speedshift to 2nd,
like less than 6,000rpm on N2O it comes on ya' really fast
never letting off the button...
I'm sort of pulling away, bang shift 3rd again, at like 6,200,
climbs to 6,400-ish after the shift, still on the button
get to about 800ft 6,500+ bang into 4th already,
drops to about 5,900-6000, but still pulling hard
& I have no idea where he is, too much concentration on my shifting...
We cross the line, I'm at like 6,500 pegged the speedo past 120
let off the N2O, let off the gas, and he flys by me, it sort of startles me
he's going by, like 20+mph more than I was just going...
I still don't know who won, I was too deep into the driving...
Watching the gauges, tach & fuel psi especially, all was good
we turn around & we both say;
"damn that was fun, no matter who won, it was a great race"...

The guys with the Motorola walkie talky
was giving me the thumbs up, so I figured I won
we get back & they said it was great we went back & forth
all the way down
I won, by a fender... maybe
I'm up another $220 again,
it was a great weekend for me & the RR, fastest that car ever went
I never thought it was gonna go down like that...

2 wins x $220 = $440 - 1 loss $170 = I was up $270 total now
plus the races the prior night, & other side bets with Mike M.

The best part is getting Mike M.'s $20 each round
we would be friends & rivals for years to come

to be continued
as I remembered them

 

[Budnicks]

Part 13
Rancho Secco,
still very early am Sun. July 6th
I was on the phone reminiscing, for a couple hours with Jerry
& later Jim

Race #1 (in this sequence)
#16 Jerry N. 68 Vette, 0.100" over 454,
a 477-479-ish/PG 5,400 stall, Dana-60 (4.89:1 ? IIRC)
'NO-N2O' N/A, 2900-3000#s
runs 8.80s-ish at big mph, like 160-ish, best, on big 15x33" slicks
mostly track car at the time, another Concord guy
(he later would get it down in the 8.20s, he put it back on the street
with a milder 454/less converter combo much later, before going to
an NHRA/Brogie style 27-T Altered, BBC/PG Dana running 7.50's/175+
Nostalgia NHRA Heritage stuff )
he's;
Running a Gen 3 (White ?) Camaro, 'big cid' suspected 540+ BBC/N2O
full chassis, NHRA comp #s in the windows too, on big slicks etc.
another guy from Marysville (IIRC)
(part of the Oroville bunch)

Race #2
#6 Jim C. 468 LS7/PG Camaro, single dominator, N2O/500hp Top Gun fogger,
one of the SCS fastest street car guys, but he'' be on 14x32" slicks
a Concord guy too
he's
to race against a Nice 66-67 (silver/blueish?) Chevelle,
another CACW tube chassis car, full cage/tinned/tubbed
big tire S/C guy, BBC GM P/S Iron Block like 0.100" over
(4.60" bore x 4" stroke) 515cid-ish (?)
tunnel ram/N2O 2x4bbls/plate kit under each of the carbs,
both are on bigger slicks, $100 race
another guy from Woodland (IIRC)
(he is part of the Oroville bunch)

Race #3
#18 cousin Stanley E. 68 Firebird Ram Air III 400 4 speed 4.11:1,
Darker Green & blacktop & interior, mainly a pure street car
street tires thru Flowmaster mufflers
(he lives 11 miles upcountry from me here now, we talk all the time)
he is or was originally from ElCerrito area
he'll be racing
running a local guy, in a 66-67 (?) GTO, typical 455 SD/th400 12 bolt 4.11:1
faster street car of the day, cutt-outs opened
both are nice hi-12 sec. potential cars, on street tires
pretty evenly macthed, Stans car is a bunch lighter
by a few hundred pounds, but the GTO has 55+ more CIDs

Jim C. will be flagging 2 of them, he'll run in the 2nd race
I'll flag that race

Race #1 of this sequence of races
Jerry N. & the white Gen 3 Camaro/N2O, heads up
I think it was like $50 race with a bunch of side bets,
like an extra $50 for the gap

they both do stationary big smokey 'water burnouts'
pull up to the line
Jim drops his arms
off they go Jerry (Vette) gets the guy out of the hole,
by a good car length
the Camaro is coming on strong, didn't use the N2O out of the hole
or no big blue flames anyway
Jerry still has him at 1/2 track, then we see big blue flames
out of the Camaro, he's pulling on Jerry fast,
like at the door to maybe a whole car, at the line ahead
really a pretty good race
Camaro wins, no gap $$
they want to rerun them later too (if time allows, is what I remembered)
Jerry gave him a great race for N/A, hard to beat a solid 8.90 S/C + N2O...
(Jerry told me when we just talked, a few nights ago, 'they didn't rerun them',
I could have sworn they did do another pass, but I went with his info)

Race #2
Jim C. 67 Camaro on a 500hp fogger shot,
66-67 Chevelle, said he was on a 350hp shot
both on big N2O
Jim & the Chevelle
$100 race
both cars are sub 9-second S/C 8.90 cars at the strip
minus N2O
easily low-mid 8's at the track with N2O, when the hook

I'm flagging this race
they both do rolling burnouts in VHT & both dry hops
I get them up to the line
both up on the converter like 5,500-ish
I drop my arms, 2 huge blue flames come out from under both cars,
really lights up the starting line
both armed their kits 'for the leave',
I didn't think they'd do that, nobody else had 'yet'
'on the street'
but quite a few cars had gone down & there was some decent rubber down now
anyhoo
both carry the front wheels way past probably 75' maybe 100' out
set down pretty tame still side by side,
both in 2nd/hi-gear by the 300'-ish, still huge blue flames
still side by side at more than 1/2 track,
can't really tell who's ahead, from the starting line end...

I see Jim's chute 1st & then the Chevelle's shortly after
Jim like to dump his before he crosses the finish line
so I/we all still don't know who won...
Bob comes back on the Motorolla, says Jim by a fender
'he thinks',
Jim's Camaro is a 'Cortez silver' it stands out pretty well at night
it has chrome bumpers on both ends too
The Chevelle is a bit darker silvery/blue & has black painted fiberglass bumpers
Bob (finish line Motorolla guy) said;
'he saw a chrome bumper ahead, on the left'
that was Jim's left lane too...

they came back to the stage area
we asked; who won ?, before we told them what the Mortolla guys said
the Chevelle guy said;
"the Camaro" (I think it was more like 'that f--ken' Camaro')
it was a great race, it's getting light now, like 5:30am-ish now Sun. AM
the Oroville gang is/was a great bunch, funny friendly bunch
not afraid to run their cars, run them hard & bet too
(& I'm not usually a 'big gambling guy' either)
or their mouths, it was all good ribbing, fun, nothing really derogatory...

They all pretty much want a rematch, at a later date on their turf
(mind you, this is 100-120+ miles from the Concord guy's turf,
it was Sac. guy's turf, we never could get the Oroville gang down to
Concord & Walnut Creek (Eastbay vicinity) is our true stomping grounds,
albeit; we all are familiar with the Sac. screen/cruise & racing)
& it will be a few years before we can all make it happen
it will be epic too...
Pro-cars & all... We called it 'Oroville Invitationals'
we even sent flyers out, to all the participants, when it finally went down...
That will be for a later thread maybe...

Race #3
last race of the night for our group/s anyway
My cousin Stanley & his 68 Firebird 400 Ram Air III 4 speed
against the 66-67 GTO 455SD/th400 local, guy from Rancho Cordova area
my buddy Bob C. sort of knew him...
anyway
Jim is flagging this last race
the GTO didn't trust me "allegedly" because Stan (Firebird) is my cousin
(I was a lil' offended )
they both do smoky burnouts,
Stan does a rolling burnout, sounds pretty damn good too
those Pontiacs have a distinctive sound, the 455sd sound impressive
with cutt-outs opened
they get staged,
both up on RPMs a bit
Stanley about 2,500 maybe
the GTO about 3,500-ish on the converter
Jim drops his arms
off they go, the GTO gets out on Stanley, but Stan is reeling him in
about even at 1/2 track & the GTO is pulling ahead after that
gets Stanley by about a car...
the radio confirms it
They come back 'do it again'
Stanley wins this time, he gets the GTO out of the hole...
They are both starting to get hot, so they are done...
1-1, pretty damn even match,
I think it was for like $20 each race...
I told Stan, even when we talked about it, just the other night
when I was asking him;
if he had remembered any of it ?, we talked for an hr easily about it
that I originally thought;
the GTO would have blown/smoked the tires off the line
with open cutt-outs, he'd overpower the street-tires,
but it hooked hard & so did Stan's Firebird...
Most everyone had sticky street-tires, of the day, the M/T Sportsman's

thanks for listening/reading my ramblings/memories
I had like 5 pages of crib notes, even more than I posted on here...

great walk down memory lane
as I remembered it

 

[guy gadbois]

"thanks for listening/reading my ramblings/memories"
NO - thank YOU for taking the time to share. And all others who do so also. Very enjoyable thread!

 

[padam]

I know a lot of people don't like this guy, but this a pretty good street racing song, especially when you consider its an unfinished outake.

 

[64BEL]

Same disclaimer as above. Here he's singing about a Road Runner Hemi in a '32 Ford.

 

[dual fours]

WOW! I final got to the latest entry #150. I can't wait for more 'confessions'.
I can still hear the cop saying "We heard you, we know you were racing, but we did not see you, had we seen you, you would be going to jail tonight, licence and registration please".
I had eleven cop cars surrounding me that night. The charge 'Speed'.
I just went back in time to see when this happened...lt was a Thursday night, not even a hell raising weekend. I guess that was a pretrial for the 'crack down' that was coming.

 

[Budnicks]

I know a lot of people don't like this guy, but this a pretty good street racing song, especially when you consider its an unfinished outake.

Same disclaimer as above. Here he's singing about a Road Runner Hemi in a '32 Ford.

Yep I'm one that doesn't like that guy, at all

but I'll admit, those are 2 'sort of' decent songs
from that total douchebag
& only because of the content, it's not the singer

 

[dual fours]

Same disclaimer as above. Here he's singing about a Road Runner Hemi in a '32 Ford.

You got to do something with that Bruce image , he looks like a clown with a big red nose.
Wait...I'm having second thoughts, leave it be.

 

[padam]

I won’t try to defend the guy but there’s about six other pretty good musicians in the band that know how to keep their mouths shut, and I like the music.