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The First Year
One warm summer evening my wife and I were sitting around wondering what to do with ourselves. I suggested that we drive to Oxford and go drag racing. Little did I know what I was about to start...
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Early 1998 pass at Oxford Dragway
I called the track and was told to come on over and try it out. What fun. All my life I had ben captivated by tales about the great drivers and epic events, but nothing prepared me for that first trip down the dragstrip.
Although Oxford Plains Dragway is only 1/8 mile, something about looking down the track and around the tree just felt right. It was if I had waited my entire life for this magic moment (I had).
I don't remember what I ran for ET or top speed. It really didn't matter. All I know is that I have gone back every chance I have to experience the thrill again.
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Results
I started my racing career a good month and a half after the season started. I didn't even know what a "points meet" was, but I joined the points anyway. The people at work couldn't understand whay I kept going to the track and coming home without winning anything. They all wanted to know what was so difficult about driving a car straight for 1/8 of a mile?
Finally, after many weeks of trying, I was runner up. I came home with the proudest trophy I ever won. I was runner up four times at Oxford that year and finished fourth in the points for Street Eliminator. Richard Austin won the season points title that year and all winter I was focused on dethroning him as champion. But, I had one nagging problem, I still hadn't won an event.
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Epping
The lure of the 1/4 mile was strong. As much as I loved Oxford, the speed of the quarter mile was seductive. I went to New England Dragway in Epping New Hampshire a couple of times prior to the Bracket Finals to practice.
Finally, on the last major race day of the year, Camaro Day, I won the Street Tire Division. I keep that trophy in my office to remind myself that hard work pays dividends.
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The NHRA Division One Bracket Finals
It was a long ride to DelMar, Delaware but the weather was warm and I was the highest seed in Street Eliminator to attend so I received the Number One designator on my car. The Bracket Finals are a team event and I learned a lot from my fellow racers. I was very impressed with the weather stations the more experienced teams had, and their ability to acurately predict ET. The car also ran over 100MPH for the first time with a best ET of 13.65 seconds in the quarter mile. The only modifications were cold air induction, headers, cat back system, and drag radials.
I lost in the first round, but the trip was an experience I will never forget.
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1998 Camaro Day Champion
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