Drag racing a '54 Corvette, an April Fool's Day story
04-01-2008, 08:24 AM
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Drag racing a '54 Corvette, an April Fool's Day story
In 1975, my Dad, who lived in Georgia, was the second owner of a Pennant Blue '54 Corvette. In August of that year, I was visiting my parents and I suggested to my Dad that we take his '54 to an NCCC sanctioned, all-Corvette drag race being held at Southeastern Dragway just outside Dallas Georgia. I reasoned that there probably wouldn't be another 6 cylinder Corvette present and that if we entered the '54 and made a lazy solo pass, we might come home with a class trophy and have some laughs.
When we got to the drag strip, sure enough,ours was the only 6 cylinder Corvette entered. There were lots of late model (for the time) big block cars, and one '64 fuelie, all fast and many not streetable. The owners of these cars worked and fussed with their machinery all morning long while Dad and I strolled through the pits sight seeing.
When the racing started and our class was called, I put on my borrowed helmet and cruised down the track in a solo run that resulted in a 21 second ET and a 55 MPH trap speed. That cinched the class trophy for us.
It turned out, however, that it had been so long since a 6 cylinder Corvette had entered an NCCC drag race that the NCCC record for our class had been retired. This meant that my lazy, solo, 21 second, pass had just set a new "national record"!
After my solo pass, Dad and I had seen enough and we got in the '54 to drive back to his house. George, a friend of mine from the Columbia, South Carolina Corvette club to which I belonged, suggested that we stick around a little longer since my class win had earned us a place in the eliminations. Fine, we thought, we'll make one more run and then leave.
In the first round of the eliminations, I was spotted the difference between the national record for my class (which I had just set, remember) and the national record for the class for whatever Corvette was in the other lane. Can you imagine the feelings of frustration of that other driver when he had to wait 10.5 seconds after I got the green light before he got his green light????
Quite predictably, I won that round. However, I also pushed the '54 a little harder (a whole lot harder, actually) and my ET dropped to something just over 18 seconds and my trap speed was about 75 MPH. Well, that was a mistake because I just set another national record and that 18 second ET became the new basis for my handicap.
George, my buddy from Columbia, and a very competitive person, saw something going on that I didn't. So he took it upon himself to start coaching me on my starting line technique.... left foot on the brake, bring up the RPM with my right foot, how to anticipate the lights.... that sort of thing.
George's coaching helped. The '54 won the next round and the next and the next and kept going until the oldest and slowest Corvette present had won Men's Top Eliminator.
So, now it was time to pack it in and head for home? Nope. There was still one more run to be made and it was to be against the Ladies Top Eliminator. That turned out to be George's wife Audrey driving their primered but astonishingly fast '71 Corvette.
Last run of the whole event. 6.5 second handicap for the '54 Corvette. Brakes locked, Powerglide in Lo, engine straining at 1500 RPM. And the lights started: yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, green! My left foot side stepped the brake pedal and the '54 was rolling. I buried my right foot in the carpet and held the Powerglide in Lo until the '54 reached 55 MPH at which point I shifted into Drive.
Watching Audrey in my rear view mirror, I knew the exact instant she got her green light because the nose of the '71 suddenly lifted waaaay high. The traps seemed to still be forever away but there was nothing I could do except watch Audrey close the distance between us and hope that 6.5 second head start had been enough.
After what seemed like an eternity, the '54 broke the beam of light at the traps, just as the bumper of Audrey's '71 was even with the '54's door.
The '54 Corvette that came to the event just to maybe get a small class trophy had set a national class record twice, earned Men's Top Eliminator, and Overall Top Eliminator.
My Dad and I laughed all the way back to his home.
When we got to the drag strip, sure enough,ours was the only 6 cylinder Corvette entered. There were lots of late model (for the time) big block cars, and one '64 fuelie, all fast and many not streetable. The owners of these cars worked and fussed with their machinery all morning long while Dad and I strolled through the pits sight seeing.
When the racing started and our class was called, I put on my borrowed helmet and cruised down the track in a solo run that resulted in a 21 second ET and a 55 MPH trap speed. That cinched the class trophy for us.
It turned out, however, that it had been so long since a 6 cylinder Corvette had entered an NCCC drag race that the NCCC record for our class had been retired. This meant that my lazy, solo, 21 second, pass had just set a new "national record"!
After my solo pass, Dad and I had seen enough and we got in the '54 to drive back to his house. George, a friend of mine from the Columbia, South Carolina Corvette club to which I belonged, suggested that we stick around a little longer since my class win had earned us a place in the eliminations. Fine, we thought, we'll make one more run and then leave.
In the first round of the eliminations, I was spotted the difference between the national record for my class (which I had just set, remember) and the national record for the class for whatever Corvette was in the other lane. Can you imagine the feelings of frustration of that other driver when he had to wait 10.5 seconds after I got the green light before he got his green light????
Quite predictably, I won that round. However, I also pushed the '54 a little harder (a whole lot harder, actually) and my ET dropped to something just over 18 seconds and my trap speed was about 75 MPH. Well, that was a mistake because I just set another national record and that 18 second ET became the new basis for my handicap.
George, my buddy from Columbia, and a very competitive person, saw something going on that I didn't. So he took it upon himself to start coaching me on my starting line technique.... left foot on the brake, bring up the RPM with my right foot, how to anticipate the lights.... that sort of thing.
George's coaching helped. The '54 won the next round and the next and the next and kept going until the oldest and slowest Corvette present had won Men's Top Eliminator.
So, now it was time to pack it in and head for home? Nope. There was still one more run to be made and it was to be against the Ladies Top Eliminator. That turned out to be George's wife Audrey driving their primered but astonishingly fast '71 Corvette.
Last run of the whole event. 6.5 second handicap for the '54 Corvette. Brakes locked, Powerglide in Lo, engine straining at 1500 RPM. And the lights started: yellow, yellow, yellow, yellow, green! My left foot side stepped the brake pedal and the '54 was rolling. I buried my right foot in the carpet and held the Powerglide in Lo until the '54 reached 55 MPH at which point I shifted into Drive.
Watching Audrey in my rear view mirror, I knew the exact instant she got her green light because the nose of the '71 suddenly lifted waaaay high. The traps seemed to still be forever away but there was nothing I could do except watch Audrey close the distance between us and hope that 6.5 second head start had been enough.
After what seemed like an eternity, the '54 broke the beam of light at the traps, just as the bumper of Audrey's '71 was even with the '54's door.
The '54 Corvette that came to the event just to maybe get a small class trophy had set a national class record twice, earned Men's Top Eliminator, and Overall Top Eliminator.
My Dad and I laughed all the way back to his home.
Last edited by jim lockwood; 05-02-2017 at 08:11 AM.
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04-01-2008, 08:41 AM
#3
Team Owner
Great story - the race is not always to the swift..
04-01-2008, 09:23 AM
#4
agreed, especially the way the NCCC runs it. Sandbaggers can make out pretty good. Did you have to tear down to get the record?
04-01-2008, 10:30 AM
#5
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Great Story and especially fun since there are pics to go along with it...had me laughing...
04-01-2008, 11:54 AM
#9
Burning Brakes
Love those memories........
Thanks
Ol Blue
Thanks
Ol Blue
04-01-2008, 12:45 PM
#11
After setting the National Records and collection all of the trophies, did your 1954 Corvette retire from drag racing, undefeated and untied?
Sears Points runs Wendesday Night drag races during the summer months. Any chance you might unretire your 54? There might be another 6 cylinder Corvette willing to take on you and your Top Gun.
Russ
Sears Points runs Wendesday Night drag races during the summer months. Any chance you might unretire your 54? There might be another 6 cylinder Corvette willing to take on you and your Top Gun.
Russ
04-01-2008, 03:43 PM
#12
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Sears Points runs Wendesday Night drag races during the summer months. Any chance you might unretire your 54? There might be another 6 cylinder Corvette willing to take on you and your Top Gun.
See previous comment about being undefeated.
:-)
Jim
Last edited by jim lockwood; 10-03-2008 at 03:31 PM.
04-02-2008, 08:48 AM
#17
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Epilogue
I sincerely appreciate all the kind responses to my story. Even though I deliberately posted it on April Fool's Day, the story is absolutely true. And, as one reader observed, it was a great experience my Dad and I shared (thankfully, one of many).
The old '54 provided my own son and I a great experience together 10 years ago. When I inherited the '54, my son and I (with some help from a couple of members of our local NCRS chapter) drove the '54 and my Dad's '63 roadster from Georgia, across the country to my home in California.
10 years later, my son still talks warmly of that experience we shared.
The photo below was made when we stopped at a rest area along I-80 in Wyoming on that great trip:
Jim
The old '54 provided my own son and I a great experience together 10 years ago. When I inherited the '54, my son and I (with some help from a couple of members of our local NCRS chapter) drove the '54 and my Dad's '63 roadster from Georgia, across the country to my home in California.
10 years later, my son still talks warmly of that experience we shared.
The photo below was made when we stopped at a rest area along I-80 in Wyoming on that great trip:
Jim
Last edited by jim lockwood; 05-02-2017 at 08:20 AM.
04-02-2008, 08:58 AM
#18
awesome shot Jim, what a memory. We should all be so lucky.
04-02-2008, 05:06 PM
#19
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it's great that you wound up with the 54. my father and i have had a bunch good times in his 57(look at the thread titled, my fathers 57). he says i can have it! right after the funeral(his).
