great thread !! I wish I was born earlier as My first year of racing was done the last year US 30 in Gary was open , then I had nothing but country roads and streets to race on ( union grove was too far away ) my mom hated my dads racing habit and when they got divorced she did everything to keep me away from drag racing , Didn't work , when I lived with my dad it got serious , if it had wheels I would try to race it , as for spotting or giving lengths I wouldn't budge it was either put up or shut up and several guys got toppled that way , it gave you a incentive to try harder on your combination , I would have rich punks laugh at my roached out/primered firebird , but would give my old bird respect after leaving goodyear freckles on there fancy paintjob and taking there money . made many people a believer in if it don't go chrome it .(even though pontiacs came stock with chrome valve covers ) the best race I won was taking on a crossfire vette , I won but not after seriously damaging the upper end of my motor ( which the purse paid for ) after that I kind of backed out till a buddy asked to wrench on his car that turned into a shoe position which was ok by me ( no pay to play !!) but the pictures and magizines my dad had laying around still remind me of wondering what it would have been like to drive my uncles comet he bought from H-M back in the 60's with that big old FE , only my dad and uncle will know as they are the only ones who raced it till my dad ( who won't talk about it ) blew it up .