I'm sure this has already been talked about here but I would like to hear about y'alls best race.

I've raced a lot.
But I have the funnest time at the street legals. You never know what you're up against. It could be someone in a Jeep Grand Cherokee or someone in a bad@ss sleeper.

The last time I went, I ended up racing a bunch of 16 second cars and such so not really a lot of fun.
But last year, I went up against this Chevelle. I had won all day and so had he, there were only about 4 muscle cars there. The rest were kids in their Mom's car or tuners or older guys that bought Subaru WRX's or Nissan 350Z's.
Finally the last race of the day, we ended up against each other and I thought, well here comes my first loss.
I talked briefly with him earlier and found out he had a 454 in it. He had it tubbed too. It looked totally bad. I was sure I was toast.
My biggest problem was hook. As in none.
So the light lit and down went are pedals onto the gas. He was outta there!! He had 4 lengths on me easily by 60 feet whilst I did my smoke show.
So I flash shifted into 2nd and hammered it and just sat back to wait. As my rpm's climbed I noticed he wasn't gaining anymore.
As I neared my shift point, I noticed I had gained on him a bit. I started thinking that I might be able to make this look like a respectable loss. As I flipped it into 3rd, I looked back over at him and was stunned to see him only about two lengths out. My foot was fully welded to the floor and I was thinking, Holy crap, I might be able to make this a photo finish.
To my stunned amazement, the old 67 Camaro caught him. We were side by side and he looked at me and I looked at him.
He couldn't believe it and neither could I.
When we arrived, I was about 7100 rpm and nearly a length ahead of him.

That is about the best race I ever had in this car.

When you can go through about 10 different emotions in the span of about 12 seconds, it was heavy duty.

Tell me about your best race.

Twenty years ago, I was Saturday night racing years ago at a little 1/5 mile track, called Creeds. Lots of locals there as you had to follow a trailer w/car to find the place as it is in the sticks.

Anyway, I'm making my 4th appearance to this new sport called drag racing, so still learning. First round of eliminations gets under way and I'm pulled out along with a nice looking 69 Barracuda fastback. We both staged and lights count down. I was in front, pass the ticket booth, no tikkie for both of us, have to rerun, clocks messed up.

So, still a few cars left in 1st round, we decided to be the last pair for the class. Cool the car down, check tire pressure , fuel level, charge battery, etc. Butterflies showing up in the stomach.

All right, second time to the line, lights come down and we're off. I'm in front and we both turn off to the ticket booth, no tikkie again for the both of us, handicap was switched, as we were only 0.2 seconds apart in dail-in to begin with. We had to round robin again and we brought up the suggestion to run after the next class, but no, "One winner & one loser and you're being called now."

So again for the third time, we meet at the tree. I get out and ask the starter to ask if everything is good to go. He asked the office and the starter shook his head. I must have a whole forest of butterflies in my stomach by now. I returned to my seat in the car.

Tree counts down, we're off. Both of us crossed the finish line appearing to be dead even. I picked up the ticket this time, imagine that, and I had lost by 0.005 seconds.

I got back to my pit and started trailering it up for the night. My opponent came over and congratulated me for the performance I gave. He had said I had clearly won in his mind and it was wrong what the track had done to us. I agreed and shook his hand, shrugged off the loss and replied "We have to play by their rules."

I learned during the short visit he was the the assistant parts manager for one of the Chrysler dealers in the city. Denny & I have become the best of friends after that night, a friendship still to this day. Denny ended up winning that evening.

I love that.
Very well written.
You should be a writer.

Thanks.

A long time ago at a dragway far, far away ...
'78 or '79 at the Golden State Raceway in Santa Maria. I went
down there on Saturday afternoon in my '67 Camaro just to watch.
My car was pretty nice, every penny I earned from flipping burgers
at the local Jack-in-the-Box went into that car. She was my baby
and I rarely raced her.

After an hour or so, this ratty looking '68 Mustang comes rumbling
in. Dented and primered, but sounding very healthy. The guy gets
out and starts fiddling around under the hood. I was there with a
group of friends from high school and none of us knew who the new
guy was.

After a bit he comes over to us and to me, of all people, asks
what I drive. I pointed to my Camaro.

"Cool", he says, "Ya wanna run?"

With it being my baby and all, I declined even if it was a Mustang.

He kept at it and just wouldn't shut up. Finally, I gave in just
to shut the guy up.

At the line, he was incredibly quick and had a car length on me
before I even launched. I wound out the 350 and banged all four
gears, but I couldn't catch the new guy in the 'Stang. He beat me
by 3 or 4 car lengths.

After the race, we got talking and man was he a talker. Finally,he
had to leave to go back to his Aunts house where he was visiting
for the weekend. I asked his name.

"John Force, glad to meet you," he said.

Well, not really.

Dude, you had me going....

This has to be one of the best reads ever posted, thanks for sharing. I have yet to race, but look forward to those butterflies. Not for want to baby the car, but I haven't taken the opportunity.

I am now 52 years young, plenty of racing behind me, but if you want emotions, try DEMOLITION DERBY! No matter how many times I have done this, I can say you always have the butterflys just before the flag drop, and then you go to maximum pleasure on the first hit. You can experience plenty of other emotions, anger, frustration, giddiness, fear, triumph, pride, ahh crap, revenge and many others. Now combine these with what you feel physically, heat, noise, whiplash, dirt in the eyes, your but sucking upholstry, lungs full of smoke and anti freeze, and the like. Sometimes it is over in a instant, and you have the best seat in the house, sometimes it seems like a week chasing each other. And when that heat is over, you work your butt off getting the wheels to roll for another chance to kill yourself. Makes you wonder why you enjoy it so much..............cant be just a "guy thing", because there are plenty of gals that will jump at the chance to do it, maybe even a bit more aggresive!!!!

The dress bet......

The time for talk was over.

It had been months and months of my forcasted return to racing. Being beaten time after time had taken it's toll, and I needed some respect and credibility. No more upgrades needed. no more rechecking and changing formulas and combinations.

I had been beaten far too many times by Mr "Big Block" and It's time for Payback!!!!

We line up. I staged my car first after performing a quick burnout. The lights drop....

He RED-LIGHTS!!!!! Man, I didn't want the win like this. But he's still in the throttle so I hammer it in attempts to take him despite the DQ.

I catch him.... pass him.....He's in the rear view mirror. Whats the deal with this?!?!!??! He must have given up - Since he Red-Lighted and all.

Turns out he didnt give up. I just smoked him REALLLLLY good.

He shakes my hand and says, "you were the better man tonight" Actually, I was the better man all along. This time I was SMARTER.

I went on to win against 2 other cars - all Bench Racers from the local barber shop. From that moment on.... I was "The Champ" - undisputed - with the video tape to prove it. For the next 2 weeks As I cut hair, the fella's would come in and ask.... "Who won?" I would show them the footage - SUPER PROUD!!!!

Mr. Big Block looked very good in his dress I might add.....