That was then, this is now...

[Keith Carter]

The photo gallery thread of Dave Hopples got me thinking... I'd love to see where our forum members started out in racing and the strides they've made since their present status in racing. Since the new forum has a wizzy new feature of being able to upload your own pics, it should be easy enough to do. Sooooo..... LET'S SEE 'EM!


Here's me when it all started in the field behind my dad's tool&die shop in 1980.

Here's me in our first car that I was a part owner of.at Blackhawk farms in 2000.

Here's me in our latest car at Grattan.

[Brad Ellingson]

Ok...the first one was 1973. That is my dad's, former Tom Christ owned, Titan in the background. Ya gotta love the tow vehicle. The second was this year in my 1989 Van Diemen at Blackhawk.

[ckracing]

In sequential order - earliest to latest

[Mike B]

Brad,

Sweet tow vehicle! I didn't know your dad was an undertaker (or pimp.)

1-The first race car I ever drove, in '92- a friend's homebuilt DSR (it was blue when I drove it)

2-Here's my first car, a short 10 years ago. Dave W. may recognize it. No, it's not a Reynard.

3-And, of course, 2004.

[Scott Hutchison]

Ok Mike, I'll bite. If it's not a Reynard what is it?

[Bill Bonow]

Sparton

[John Green]

First FC 84 Van Diemen with Reynard side pods and radiators. Should have kept it was a fast car
Renamed it a VanNard
Went on my head one too many times with the mini-sprint...at least the dirt was soft!

[Mike B]

No fair, Bill...you've been on-track with that car too many times!

[Bill Bonow]

Mike,

I always loved the look of the Sparton, reminded me of a Ralt without side pods. I think only two or three made it to the states?

[Mike B]

I knew of one other FF on the west coast, and I've seen an FC version on E-bay a couple times. If I'm not mistaken, Dave W. was a "factory" driver in '83 or '84 so he might know more about them.

If I had known what I was doing back then, it probably could have been more competitive. The pull-rod suspension was somewhat cutting-edge for 1984.

[Brad Ellingson]

Actually Mike, back then he ran an ambulance service and was the Trempeleau County Coroner. With all the stuff that I bring and see others bring to the track, I can't figure out how he got all of his spares in that trunk.

[Purple Frog]

This is making me feel old!!!!
I was driving VW bugs and hanging over the fence at Sebring since 1962 and every Runoff at Road Atlanta. Oh... to be like my hero DaveW in his Zink. Didn't have much cash. So I bought a stick welder from Sears, and square mild steel tubing from the scrap yard. Then I disassembled one of the bugs (attually it was a Karmann Ghia that GT1Vette and I had previously made into a serious Auto-X car). The result turned out fairly successful. The first time I ran it I had invested the excessive amount of $387! I think in '76 we captured something like 20+ FTDs and the SE Championship.
Quit in 1977 when it came down to a decision between a motor rebuild and a new couch.
Did Skippy School in 1990 just to see if I still loved it.
Came back in 1998 with Jeremiah, a '84 Reynard FC.
The rest is recent history.