can we get some old grudge race stories up please?

[Jim Ratto]

Can we excite this board a little with some good old impromtu race stories and less boring tech talk? 

[kingsburgphil]

Can we excite this board a little with some good old impromtu race stories and less boring tech talk? 

Here's my sweetest one Jim.

Roger Crawford and I were both working at Parker Bertea Aerospace in OC circa 75'. Roger got tired suffering the BS from his
co-workers who drove domestic iron, and arranged a little lunch time drag race the next day between me and some mouth who drove a
440 Roadrunner.  I showed up the next day with Gruntcakes in the attack mode.

Mr. Mopar chickened out and goaded his buddy with a Boss 302 Ford Falcon to race the little green bug. With an audience of dozens of
aerospace workers looking on I quickly despatched the bolt-on racer. Not being a mean spirited person, I asked the poor soul if his car
broke or something?  "No...but I only run mid 14's."   I told him... next time I'll short shift it.   And watch out for 12 sec. VW's.

Of course I got scolded by management for street racing at lunch........Priceless 



   

[181]

can we have more please?.-D

[Fiatdude]

about 79-80 the VW's were getting a reputation as being sneaky fast and it was getting harder and harder to hook up street races with V-8's LOL

Well, John Sanders about this time was one of the first to put together one of the really large autocraft motors -- man that thing with 48's on it, with a set of Reggie Leslie Ported Heads, sounded like no other VW at the time and it Hauled ASS -- He put this motor into a white '67 Cal-look and went street racing -- one look under the deck and no one would race him -- So John finds another VW with a license plate number just one off from his white one and builds it to look indentical as the fast one but this one is a total stocker with just a header so they look similiar. Soooooooo, I'd drive out the stocker to the street races and John would park a little way aways -- I'd act the asshole (pretty easy for me LOL) say I had this wicked fast VW set up the race even showing the stock motor to these guys set up a race for a couple Hundred dollars and these guys thinking they had some easy pickings would jump on it -- Then I would say I wasn't a very good driver and was it ok if a friend drove my car for me since it was for so much money -- So everybody would run back to the cars -- we would switch cars -- run them -- beat them -- take their money -- come back park a few cars behind the stocker -- they would come running back to look at the motor again we would stop at the stocker again and they would be scratching their heads -- we did this to alot of guys for over a year before somebody finally caught on -- But it was fun while it lasted LMAO

[Dave Rosique]

Below was borrowed from a Sept 2008 post by me: (this took place in the mid 70's)


<<My Wife (G/F back then) and I happened to line up one time at a stoplight, she was driving my '59 Ghia, I was driving her V-8 Vega. Both were pretty quick cars, she gave me a grin and it was on! Light turned green, she gave me a mean holeshot (Vega was up in smoke) and we had a pretty impressive race going until she hit third and snapped the drive axle! I think she would have beat me in the quarter! I was so proud! The V-8 Vega was her daily driver and I really loved it when she would tell me sweet things like "oh yeah, some knucklehead in a Trans-Am tried to pass me on the right today & I let him have it"... True love!>>


The Ghia was always on the ragged edge of broke (just like it's owner )
 

[javabug]

Hey Dave, is that the "roundy round" Vega you were talking about last week?   

[Dave Rosique]

Hey Dave, is that the "roundy round" Vega you were talking about last week?   

Ha! That would be the one Mike.. strange things can happen when you hit the brakes hard at speed 

 

[lawrence]

I took my car street racing once about two years ago. I met a co-worker late one night at a shopping center parking lot and caravan'd with a group of cars to a long stretch of road that runs between a beach and many houses. So here we are, about 10 cars, pulling up to the sidewalk of some houses on a side street at 2am. As soon as I get there my co-worker runs up to my window from his car and tells me that a turbo Datsun 510 wants to race me. I did not really want to race the guy because I had looked at his car earlier that night. I reluctantly agreed to run him anyway. We pulled out on the long stretch of road where the flag man and a small group of spectators had formed. I brought my car up on the boil, pre-loaded the trans and launched hard after the starter gave the signal. The Datsun never had a chance. I had two car lenghts on him the entire time and I'm sure having his girlfriend it the car did not help.

After the race was over we gave each other the thumbs up and made u-turns to head back to the start line. Immediately after we turned around this cop car blazes out of no where with his lights flashing. He must have driven up the sidewalk and over ice plant because there is no other way he could have gotten there so quickly. So at this point I am watching the Datsun in my sideview mirror to see what his next move is. He stays put, the cop rolls up next to him and I stay exactly were I am. Damn it i'm screwed; my dad is gonna kill me! A few seconds later the cop rolls up to my car and screams at me, "Slow the *%#@ down, you're gonna kill someone out here. He then gives me a very dirty look and drives away . True story.

[Zach Gomulka]

Nice one, Lawrence!

When I was 20-21 or so, I thought that I had to race everything in sight with my hot 1600 (ran high 14's). One night it caught up to me, or should I say the cops did! I wasn't as lucky as you were!

[Bryan Nunes]

Years ago me and a buddy followed a friend in my gti, he was in his 65 bug with a big comp 1914 with 48s to Baily road (Nor Cal) some rich kid was out there in new Evo all wheel drive pos. well my buddy in the bug was like 16-17 at the time and looked like a kid, well the asshole in the Evo stated talking shit to my buddy making run of car because it had no interior only one seat and a tach, well little did he know it was running on slicks and lexsand window a race car with a linces plate. My buddy asked if want to race? he said sure all laughing. they lined up my buddy warmed up his slicks the evo guy laughing saying your going to need more than that or something like that. they lined up he preloaded hit his two step as the flag guy raised his hands, the look on the that guy was price less hands went down he pulled the front wheels about 7-8 inch off the ground and the evo guy was left at the line about 60-80 people pointing and laghing it was Rad..then the cops showed up.

[Rennsurfer]

Rad..then the cops showed up.

HAHA! Wait... were you ever in D.K.K.?

[Jim Ratto]

Years ago me and a buddy followed a friend in my gti, he was in his 65 bug with a big comp 1914 with 48s to Baily road (Nor Cal) some rich kid was out there in new Evo all wheel drive pos. well my buddy in the bug was like 16-17 at the time and looked like a kid, well the asshole in the Evo stated talking shit to my buddy making run of car because it had no interior only one seat and a tach, well little did he know it was running on slicks and lexsand window a race car with a linces plate. My buddy asked if want to race? he said sure all laughing. they lined up my buddy warmed up his slicks the evo guy laughing saying your going to need more than that or something like that. they lined up he preloaded hit his two step as the flag guy raised his hands, the look on the that guy was price less hands went down he pulled the front wheels about 7-8 inch off the ground and the evo guy was left at the line about 60-80 people pointing and laghing it was Rad..then the cops showed up.

Brian, Ray get the cam grinder up and running yet? Ask Ray about our idea for the RSR grind. Maybe in place of what we talked about the other day.... you can be a guinea pig?

[Worm]

This is something I posted awhile ago..... its long winded.  Sorry.

Okay, a non VW racing story.  In the late 70's Whittier Blvd was it.  Period.  Two of my bro's owned 1970 Old's 442's one of the 10 fastest production cars ever made.  With a few mods they were screamers that looked liked Grandmas grocery chaser.  VERY easy to get races.  So, we snatch a race with Mr Chevy Nova guy.  He spent tons of money and we heard the car was a pig.  $150, standing start, on Greenleaf Ave (just off Whittier) 11:30 p.m.  No problem.  We cheat...... we win.  Its that simple.  So, we arrive on time and there were literally 200 people lining Greenleaf that all heard about this race somehow.  Turns out the Nova dude works at Whittier Speed Shop (V8 hot rod shop).  The three of us rallied up and my bro Ritchie took the $300 in hand and we dropped him off at the finish area.  I came back to the start and said I'll start the race Hands Up style.  They agreed.  Hands up is simply, both arms in the air and when they come down.....GO.  (just like the guy on Pinks...simple).  Now, the 442 is a dog off the line(tires break loose too easy to hit it hard), its ALL top end and midrange.  We had done this many times before.  We cheat... we win.  So my bro in the 442 stages and then he knows to look for my hands, not my arms. The signal to hit it for us was when I closed my hands, then...... my arms go down.  Hands down, Hole shot made, smoked the Nova, game over.  My guy wins.  We thought, no problem.  Well I am at the start, Ritchie is at the finish and this massive crowd starts getting really aggressive about us hiding nitrous, and that we ran the gas on em' and didnt tell.  Stupid people, we cheated the easy way.  So I ended up running down the middle of Greenleaf avoiding traffic with all these people chasing me.  They were yelling to attack my boy Ritchie and HE starts running towards ME!  The 442 goes sideways across Greenleaf, slides in hot near us and we both DOVE into the open windows and bailed out of there yelling and laughing.
We were not able to take that car back to Whittier for quite some time.
Hope I was'nt too long winded.  (and non-VW)

If you're not cheatin your not trying hard enough....

[low oval]

great story Scott, enjoyed the first time on the whittier blvd. thread.  don't be such a hater of nova's.

[lawrence]

The real question, Worm, is could you have beat him fair and square

[low oval]

I think we all know the answer to that one.

[2manytoys]

There were several grudge matches, not the type on a two lane road in the middle of nowhere with someone dropping their arm. Street light to street light contests.

It was the late 80’s and I was out driving my 1969 Bug that I affectionately called “The Green M&M”. This was  pre-chop, Porsche Signal Green and it was my daily driver. I had won best engine earlier in the year at the Pleasanton Good Guys show and I thought I was all that and a bag of chips, at least for a  little stroker 1850cc VW. I was driving one Friday night north on El Camino heading home when I spotted a gorgeous 1965 Corvette. It was bright red and looked expensive. I was about 21 years old and I would say the driver of the Vette was really old, about 44! We were driving door to door for a bit and I could see that he was checking out the bright green car next to him as I was his Vette. I gave it a few blimps and the car jumped up and he did the same. The message was clear.  We waited at a traffic signal at Peninsula Avenue, the border between Burlingame and San Mateo.  When the light changed we both took off, nothing too crazy just enough to keep the other person from pulling away. At the next light he rolls down his window and compliments me on the car as I do his. “What kind of motor do you have in that thing? A Porsche?”   Really? He pulled the Porsche question out?! This time I don’t let him get a jump. I drop the clutch at the green and I am gone. I see the corvette fall back and about halfway to next signal I roll off and we pair up again. He gives me a smile and thumbs up. This was great! Racing with a Vette and getting V8 respect. The light changes again and we both jump on it, kind of. At the exact same time, we both saw a police car and acted as if we were just minding our own business. Didn’t work. He hit the lights and pulled both of over into the Chevron gas station at the top of Burlingame Avenue. What a site. Two super clean super bright cars separated by a black and white with its lights blazing. The officer approached asked for my license and commented, ”Getting a little racing in this evening?” I could see he did the same with the other guy. What the hell was I going to do? Was I going to jail? Was he taking the car? How much was the ticket going to be? Ten minutes later the Burlingame sergeant walks up to my window and hands me my license back and says “Be careful out there. There are a lot of crazy drivers.” Then he just walked away!

[Rennsurfer]

Great ending to a scary tale.

[JS]

Well, I don´t have many "entertaining" stories, but I remember one time i came into a toll booth on the E6 south of Oslo and there was this "Pokemon"(Fast&theFuriousjapanesebranddontknowthemodel) car coming into the booth next to me. "Ptscch noises from the turbo and all. Seemed pretty serious... I blipped the throttle, he did the same. We were off, tires smoking and I shut off at about 100mph leaving him about a car length behind.
Again it´s perhaps not such a great story, but everyone in here that has experienced street racing an "obviously" faster car and won knows the feeling I had in my gut for the rest of the day. Specially when you get a thumbs up when he´s passing you afterwards...   

Good times!!!

[Zach Gomulka]

Well, I don´t have many "entertaining" stories, but I remember one time i came into a toll booth on the E6 south of Oslo and there was this "Pokemon"(Fast&theFuriousjapanesebranddontknowthemodel) car coming into the booth next to me. "Ptscch noises from the turbo and all. Seemed pretty serious... I blipped the throttle, he did the same. We were off, tires smoking and I shut off at about 100mph leaving him about a car length behind.
Again it´s perhaps not such a great story, but everyone in here that has experienced street racing an "obviously" faster car and won knows the feeling I had in my gut for the rest of the day. Specially when you get a thumbs up when he´s passing you afterwards...   

Good times!!!

Good one!

I refuse to be beat by a car that looks like a Trapper Keeper