I lived about 5 miles away from Bandimere Speedway in Colorado for a number of years. Nothing like sitting in the bleachers and feeling your body vibrating as watching them off the line. Jet Dragsters were awesome too
Used to go to Baylands in Fremont Ca where you could stand along the fence. The body would turn to a vibrating mass of tissue when they launched. Never experienced anything else like that. It was awesome!
Back in the good ole days, late 70's. Laplace dragway had pit passes and if you wer'e dumb enough, (we were). You could walk right up to the start line and watch the slicks grow twice thier size while the headers breathed fire. Something I will remember for the years I have left.
In the mid 90's my company had a technician in town from Italy to set up a machine we had bought. I took him to lunch and the tvs there were showing highlights of the Gator nationals. He showed a lot of interest so I asked if he wanted to see them in person as they were running Atlanta Dragway that weekend.
We went for Sunday eliminations. They would start at noon and the first pair is top fuel. We were standing on the fence at about 100 feet past the start line. I showed him how to block his ears and the rails did the burnout.Burnouts are not REAL loud as they only use 1 fuel pump, 1 magneto and about 1/4 throttle. He uncovered his ears. I waited and watched him. When the cars came off the line I'm fairly sure he jumped about 18" straight up and his hair stood on end.
Cool stuff. When I lived in South Florida, we used go to the drag races at the Miami-Hollywood Motorsports Park. I lived just a few miles from there. We sneaked in through the fire roads in the back. We're talking back in late 70's...
Back then, that was the start of the Everglades. There was nothing around aside from the Sportatorium (where I saw a lot of great concerts) and the Holiday Inn Golf Course where I worked for a summer. Now, it's a frickin' metropolis...
My first time in the early 90's, I was unprepared and didn't bring earplugs- had to leave when the migraine started. Later, I took my dad on a subsequent trip- he was an old 60's hot rodder and hadn't been to a top fuel event since. Stands were full so we went down to the finish line seats. The look of astonishment on his face on the first run was priceless!
Top Fuel has to be experienced in person to fully appreciate the violence of that much power...
lived for a few years in LaVerne and Claremont, in California; very close to Pomona and the LA fairgrounds... and the Winternationals and World Finals. There is nothing else on earth like AA/TF, and AA/TC. Nowadays, knowing that libtards around the world are pissed off by the excess,.waste, and etc. of nitromethane drag racing and its "certain damage" to the environment; makes me love it even more.
I lived about 5 miles away from Bandimere Speedway in Colorado for a number of years. Nothing like sitting in the bleachers and feeling your body vibrating as watching them off the line. Jet Dragsters were awesome too
ReplyDeletekinda twitchy, aint he?
ReplyDeleteUsed to go to Baylands in Fremont Ca where you could stand along the fence. The body would turn to a vibrating mass of tissue when they launched. Never experienced anything else like that. It was awesome!
ReplyDeleteMore exciting than NASCAR and night events are the best!
ReplyDelete- WDS
Brother and me would buy pit passes. The time I decided to sit in the stands, a blower launched about 100 feet in the air to land a few yards from me.
ReplyDeleteTo calm down after hours at the drags, we'd lay in the grass behind the F-4s taking off in two ship elements in full burner at El Toro.
Back in the good ole days, late 70's. Laplace dragway had pit passes and if you wer'e dumb enough, (we were). You could walk right up to the start line and watch the slicks grow twice thier size while the headers breathed fire. Something I will remember for the years I have left.
ReplyDeleteHey Anon, my mom and dad raced at LaPlace.
ReplyDeleteMy house was six miles from the Woodburn NHRA strip. The big guys would rattle the windows on the garage.
ReplyDeleteIn the mid 90's my company had a technician in town from Italy to set up a machine we had bought. I took him to lunch and the tvs there were showing highlights of the Gator nationals. He showed a lot of interest so I asked if he wanted to see them in person as they were running Atlanta Dragway that weekend.
ReplyDeleteWe went for Sunday eliminations. They would start at noon and the first pair is top fuel. We were standing on the fence at about 100 feet past the start line. I showed him how to block his ears and the rails did the burnout.Burnouts are not REAL loud as they only use 1 fuel pump, 1 magneto and about 1/4 throttle. He uncovered his ears. I waited and watched him. When the cars came off the line I'm fairly sure he jumped about 18" straight up and his hair stood on end.
He blocked his ears after that.
AHHH Fuelies, just the thought makes my eyes water
DeleteHe WILL be back. But the first time is always the most amazing.
ReplyDeleteCool stuff. When I lived in South Florida, we used go to the drag races at the Miami-Hollywood Motorsports Park. I lived just a few miles from there. We sneaked in through the fire roads in the back. We're talking back in late 70's...
ReplyDeleteBack then, that was the start of the Everglades. There was nothing around aside from the Sportatorium (where I saw a lot of great concerts) and the Holiday Inn Golf Course where I worked for a summer. Now, it's a frickin' metropolis...
My first time in the early 90's, I was unprepared and didn't bring earplugs- had to leave when the migraine started. Later, I took my dad on a subsequent trip- he was an old 60's hot rodder and hadn't been to a top fuel event since. Stands were full so we went down to the finish line seats. The look of astonishment on his face on the first run was priceless!
ReplyDeleteTop Fuel has to be experienced in person to fully appreciate the violence of that much power...
lived for a few years in LaVerne and Claremont, in California; very close to Pomona and the LA fairgrounds... and the Winternationals and World Finals. There is nothing else on earth like AA/TF, and AA/TC. Nowadays, knowing that libtards around the world are pissed off by the excess,.waste, and etc. of nitromethane drag racing and its "certain damage" to the environment; makes me love it even more.
ReplyDelete