Thread: Hows THIS for a RT and a story????

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I went to the NHRA Northwest Nats today and I got the shot I wanted....I actually "cut" a better light than Bernstein and Grubnic..heheheh If you check out the pic, you'll see that the lights are green and they haven't left yet. I was pretty sure I got the shot when I was there, because about the time my finger "bottomed out" on the button my ears exploded with that lovely nitro noise....now, I won't tell you how many attempts I made to get the shot...but lets just say that I got lotsa pix with TF Dragsters and Funny Cars that have just left the line or only the staging lights are on....



On a different note, I actually got there early this morning and my wife and kids showed up just in time for the Top Fuel Dragsters to start the Round 3 quals (around 12). Before I tell you the rest of this story it would probably help to back up and give you some background so that you can appreciate this as much as I did...

See, I have a drag racing game (NHRA Drag Racing 2) on my computer that my 2 yr old boy absolutely loves. Anyway, during the opening portions of the game there are some video clips that play. One of them shows a Dragster stage and then the announcer booms "RACE FAAANNNS...HOT RODDDDERS!!!" and then the dragster burns out. So anyway, every day (and I do mean every day) when I get home from work my 2 yr old comes running to the front door and shouts "RACE FAAANNNS...HOT RODDDDERS!!!" and wants to go play the game with me. Now it is important to note that my two year old (Travis, who I affectionately call "T") has never been to a Top Fuel drag race before today... so now back to the story.

So "T" shows up with mommy at about noon and is ready to see the "RACE FAAANNNS...HOT RODDDDERS!!!"...and I do mean that he is excited. I remember thinking at this point that I found it amazing that at 2 and some change, he understands that he is going to see for real now what he has seen only on TV and in the game. So anyway we head up to our seats and get settled in. Then they roll John Smith up to the line, and I adjust his ear defenders to make sure that he doesn't lose his hearing. Smith does his burnout and goes back to stage. Then I told him "Ok, buddy here he goes...and then T, starts screaming at the top of his lungs "RACE FAAANNNS...HOT RODDDDERS!!!" Well, about the time he got to FAAANNNS, Smith takes off and goes screaming by us and of course now T for the first time actually feels the vibration....I remember looking over at him and he was completely stunned. He was quiet for a minute and two races later he started crying and he wanted to sit with mom. I felt absolutely horrible, like the worst dad in the world. I began to question myself about what kind of a dad brings his kid two year old to something that scares the hell out of him....but by the time the dragsters were done and the TF funny cars were up (and you better believe that he knows exactly what a funny car is) he was over it and having a ball. So maybe I aint that bad....

Cheers,
Firechicken

my son was tha way too when i first started taking him, but now he does not let a race go by without going

Originally posted by Streets
I watched the drags from the stands one time and when the AA/FC's launched, every car in the parkin' lot that had an alarm on it was makin' noise, and those that had them were all pushin' their "remotes" to shut them down.. IT was hilarious to watch and every time after that whilst I was launchin' Quicksilver, I had this sly little smirk on my puss, under the helmet and firesuit that all them people would have to turn around and press "RESET" because of ME!!!! Hehehe...

Heheh Last week at the Good Guys Drags, my wife and I were laughing at the same thing....people all trying to figure out if it was theirs or not and about 25 or 30 of 'em pushin' buttons....heheh

Back when I was still in the Air Force, I lived in the dorms on base and I worked the swing shift. My Cameo was my daily driver at the time and all I had for exhaust on it was Headers and some really cooked Purple Hornies...basically, what I really had was headers....if you know what I mean. Anyway, I would pull in to the dorm parking lot at about 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning from work, pull into a parking spot...then I'd tap the throttle before shutting it down and I'd have 4 or 5 of them going off...heheh Then guys'd come runnin' out groggy as hell pushin' buttons on their remotes trying to shut 'em off....and figure out who the hell was makin' all the racket...heheh I might've felt bad for 'em but they had no respect for us swing and grave shift workers and would blast the hell out of their stereos keeping us from getting any sleep. So, I guess I always figured turn about was fair play....

Originally posted by Firechicken

but by the time the dragsters were done and the TF funny cars were up (and you better believe that he knows exactly what a funny car is) he was over it and having a ball. So maybe I aint that bad....

Cheers,
Firechicken

You can bet "T" will remember that the rest of his life. I remember the first time I saw a T/F do a burnout The noise, tires growin and the chassis flexin' as it bounced up & down and came to a stop. Then proceeded to make a low 6 sec. pass. Yup.......... That was a track record time way back in the ol' days. He He He

Cool deal. But ya know, he's hooked for life!!!

My bride used to ask me "You used to drag race, and I know you like it.........why don't we ever go to SIR (now renamed), just to watch?"

My reply; " Well honey, when the chest starts vibrating, and the smell of nitro gets in the nose.....................bad things happen to the bank account!!" Some competitive people don't know when to stop!

So an occasional TV fix is safer. But I'm not sure I'll be able to watch it again without hearing a small voice yelling "RACE FAAANNNS.....HOT RODDDDDERS!"

Originally posted by pro70z28
You can bet "T" will remember that the rest of his life.

Yeah I think he probably will, and you can bet that so will Daddy...

Originally posted by Bob Parmenter
Cool deal. But ya know, he's hooked for life!!!

Oh don't I know it....before we left yesterday, we got him one of those plastic NHRA Top Fuel Dragster toys. He carried it around all last night and has told everybody at least 4 times that "nis is T's dracster" and he even took it to bed with him...heheh He's carried it around all day today as well and is playing with it outside with his older brother right now....Oh yeah, he's definitely hooked for life....

I'd love to have taken them all back today for the final eliminations; but, I gotta get ready to head to Runnamucka...I mean Winnemucca on Tuesday for 50's Fever and then hopefully (If the wife don't kill me first....) Hot August Nights in Reno. So I guess I'll have to watch it on the tube.

Originally posted by Bob Parmenter
My bride used to ask me "You used to drag race, and I know you like it.........why don't we ever go to SIR (now renamed), just to watch?"

My reply; " Well honey, when the chest starts vibrating, and the smell of nitro gets in the nose.....................bad things happen to the bank account!!" Some competitive people don't know when to stop!

I think my wife is just starting to figure that out after all these years....heheh

Originally posted by Bob Parmenter
I'm not sure I'll be able to watch it again without hearing a small voice yelling "RACE FAAANNNS.....HOT RODDDDDERS!"

I know I sure won't. This is one of those things that I'll always remember about him. Just the thought of it puts a on my face everytime.