This is me
(Mark Hall) in my Dads (Ray Hall) garage with the roadster probably around
1975. I spent many a night working on this car and actually spent some of my own
gas station money on it even before I started driving it. That's how excited I
was about it! I actually got to drive the car before it was retired. It was the
most memorable run down the strip in my life. At the time I had a 56 Ford truck
with a 390 3-duece set up and a 4 speed. This was during the time when I was
working at Larry's gas station. Every time I went past the station on my days
off I would burn rubber past the station to impress everyone. Well, one day I
was streaking past the gas station and I was just about to grab 3rd gear when I
looked over to see who I was impressing. To my dismay there was my Dad standing
there talking to Larry Davis. So much for impressions as I thought I would be
done for when I got home, but not a word from my Dad. I find out later he had a
plan for me. We had a race that weekend
at Lodi and after the first qualifying run my Dad told me to strap in and take
the car through a couple of gears down the return road. Is this how I am being punished
for burning rubber in front of him? Lodi
is a big airstrip and the return road was huge. I thought my life was complete
at that moment. After the next qualifying run he told me to try it again on the
return road and this time take it in to third gear. Man, could my day of punishment
get any better! Yes it could. He said lets go up and make one last qualifying
run so we did. When we got to the starting line he said go ahead and strap in
because you are going to take it down the strip this time. I could feel my
heart leaving my body! I still hadn’t figured out his plan for me. Over the
years I had watched as some of his friends had tried to drive the car. They
would get scared and let off before the finish line as this was an open car, open
headers, loud and it went through the lights at 8000 rpm! How would I be able
to do any better than they had? So as I
was strapping in the car my dad told me if I got scared at the top end I could
just let off the gas. I remember thinking there is no way I am letting off
unless this thing is sideways! So when I pulled up to the starting line I was
pretty scared but I had been down the drag strip in my 56 Ford truck. It had a
4-speed just like the roadster except the roadster was so small the shifter was
between my legs. No problem, I can shift this thing. I pulled in and staged and
everything got calm until the lights came down. When I let out the clutch and
slammed down the throttle that thing took off like a rocket ship. Man there is
a bunch more traction on the track then there was on the return road. It seemed
twice as fast. I managed to get through all four gears like butter and held the
pedal to the floor waiting for that top end charge. Now I am beginning to
understand why my Dads friends would let off the throttle at the top end, this
thing is FAST! The wind was blowing my helmet around, it was really loud, and
the engine sounded like it was going to explode when I caught a glimpse of the
tach at 8000 rpm. The finish line couldn’t come at a better time as I was thinking
this thing is going to blow! I clutched in after the finish line and coasted to
the turn off road like all the other big drivers. WOW! I have to do this for
the rest of my life! What a feeling. I almost can’t describe it. Scared,
excited, determined, accomplishment….those are just some of the words that come
to mind. I think I puffed up a bit that day as some of my Dads friends that couldn’t
drive the car were there and they seemed to be hanging their heads low as the teenager
made it down the track. What did it run? I think it was 11.05 @125 mph. So do
you remember about that plan I said my Dad had for me? Well the next time I
went to burn rubber past the gas station I stepped on the throttle and it
seemed like I was going backwards. That’s when the plan hit me. My dad could
have yelled at me and taken my truck away when he caught me burning rubber but
he was so much smarter than the average parent. He knew that if he let me drive
his car I would never want to drive fast on the street again. He was right!
