My first car was a 1930 Model A coupe, bought when I was 15 years old for $125. I immediately sought knowledge about installing a flathead engine in a Model A. Fortunately a neighbor, Cookie Stone, a older stock car racer turned drag racer offered valuable knowledge and assistance. So, at the tender age of 16, I owned a A/V8. I had bought a complete, running 221 flathead with a "Sportsman" cam, added 2X2s, milled the heads and Cookie taught me how to moderately port/polish the intake runners. I think the G/Gas rules were 11 lbs./cubic inch. The F/Gas rules were about 7 lbs./cubic inch.
At that time, 1961, the local drags was the "In" thing----so my first drag race was at age 16 at Union Hill drag strip. The car fit in G/Gas which was set up for flatheads and inline sixes. G/Gas was the slower of two flathead drag classes. I drove the car to the track, dropped the exhaust off, replaced the manifolds with six tubes---so I had a race exhaust.
I remember my first race very well. This was before the time of lights, so a real flagman was used. This evening, a "flagperson" was used, a good looking redhead, dressed in short-shorts, bandana top and well endowed. When I got up to the line for my race, the "flagperson" started swinging those things around, my eyes followed those things swinging---and I lost all track of why I was there. I suffered a terrible "holeshot"! But, not all was lost, because after the race, I removed the six exhaust tubes, replace the manifolds/ mufflers and drove to the local drive-in restaurant(which happened to be the first Shoney's and was a gathering place for teenagers). I had the "badge of honer" on the windshield(G/G, my number and an "X" which indicated that I was eliminated). For $1.00, I could buy a "Bigboy" sandwich, a order or onion rings and a large Coke. At midnight, Shoney's would close and everyone would go home. Ah, those were the good days!
Back then, most lower gas classes drove the cars to the track. Only higher classes(A/Gas, B/Gas, C/gas) were towed with a tow bar. No gas cars were trailered, only altereds and rails.
I remember winning the G/gas class once, at Cumberland drag strip, another local track. Winning the class was about $10. There were usually 6-10 cars in the class. I remember the pit pass and running your car was about $2.
