Street Racing Scene

[L78_Nova]

Sunday was our local cruise night and late night action jumped around to different spots as there was usually some police action. Every once in a while I guess it was the policeman's ball because the cops were nowhere to be found. We had a spot leaving the west edge of the city where a two lane divided city road went over an overpass ran for another 3/8 mile or so divided (with lights) then came together as a quiet rural hwy. Cars (and crowds) would gather and line both sides of the still divided portion and guys would line up and race back towards the city using the hill of the overpass for shutdown.

We were there for a couple hours one hot summer night and guys were racing pretty steady. I recall a blown small block T bucket with 15 x 33 Mickeys racing a motorcycle about three times. There was some crazy dude on a trike lapping back and forth doing wheelies... runners and shorts only!! one hand on the bar, one waving in the air and standing on the back rack, He was wheelieing past about 40 mph the full 1/4. I thought that was gonna get ugly but he managed to keep it upright.

The next weekend I missed but my buddy had a race set up so he headed out with slicks on and open headers. His race didn't materialize, Shortly after the action started, the cops showed up in force completely shutting down both ends of the road so no one could get out then started writing tickets for whatever they could drum up. My buddy and his friend had pushed his car down a dirt field road alongside some trees and hid until things had cleared out around 2 AM.

[markinnaples]

Teddy, The cop wouldn't let you drive without a shirt on? And why'd the girl bail?
Great story, but so many unanswered questions, lol.

[Teddy]

Originally Posted by markinnaples

Teddy, The cop wouldn't let you drive without a shirt on? And why'd the girl bail?
Great story, but so many unanswered questions, lol.

She bailed because she saw Ted without a t-shirt!!

[Billohio]

I did not see this but had seen the car at school. Kid a year older than me had a 66 (I think) fastback mustang. He was racing someone on a fairly wide country road and rolled the car and it burnt. I do not remember how bad he was hurt but he survived.

[67since67]

Winter '67-'68, for reasons not pertinent to this story, I was cruising my red SS Chevelle in a city seventy five miles from home. The passenger in another '67 SS challenged to meet on the fringe of town.

At that point mine was still stock L35/M20 on its original F70 Firestone wide oval red stripes, the other was an L34/TH400.

With temps in the 20's the streets were "frozen dry" and he got out a length on me that I was struggling to get back. When I hit fourth we were about to crest a hill and I wasn't familiar with the other side so I backed off. As I crested I witnessed the other Chevelle doing double 360's while sliding through a stop sign and across a four lane divided with traffic, then into the ditch without hitting anything. No harm done, but I learned a young lesson to always know the geography.

[67since67]

1972, the red SS is running a second design L88 with a TH400 with a high stall converter and 4.88's.

I was on University Ave accompanied by my friend Doug. At a light a '65 442 was doing the old rev the engine routine. I NEVER raced in town so it was no-go for me. Well, the Olds thought we were on.

My TH400 with a reworked valve body and governor would bark the slicks hard on any light upshift.

So the light turns ,the Olds peels out and I watch him hammer 2nd, then 3rd, as I'm in Drive, letting the 400 shift at 3,500 never getting into the secondaries, but staying right beside him.

Then the cherries light up, coming from both sides. The Olds runs with one of Cedar Falls' Finest in hot pursuit. I pull over, Doug says Hi Steve!, he's friends with the second cop. We explain the I was NOT racing. After a few minutes Steve says the Olds evaded and we are free to go.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.