Best racing story I've ever heard

[90Q45blue]

So we had my great aunt and uncle over for Christmas tonight and we were talking about cars when he related to me the following story. It is a true story about him when he was a 20-something. I'll tell it from his perspective.

..."So back in 1961 I had a nice, new Corvette. I loved that car and man it was fast. The only problem was that I wasn't supposed to be driving it because I had my license suspended for 3 moving violations. Anyway, my buddy and I were at my parents' house before we had to go to an army national guard meeting. He had a 58 Chevy at the time and thought it was the greatest car ever made. He hopped in his Chevy and sped off. I went out to the Corvette about 2 minutes later and, stupidly, said to myself, 'I'm gonna catch him'. So I hopped in the Corvette, dropped the hammer and put the pedal to the metal. I got on the highway and couldn't even see the speedometer needle I was going so fast. It was way past 160mph. All of a sudden, I come up over a hill and see a highway patrolman running radar. At this point I was debating whether I should just keep going or whether I should stop. I had decided I was going to stop but, by the time I decided, I was way past the patrolman and a second officer was waving at me to stop. Now I was past stopping. I kept my foot on the floor and sped off. I got off on West Street at about 90mph, went through the back roads and dark neighborhoods and pulled up to the national guard office. Another friend had his pickup there so I told him to open the bed up. We took off my red hardtop and threw it in the pickup bed and put a blanket over it. I put up my white softtop and ran inside. Throughout the meeting my heart was racing when, in walks a highway patrolman. I about died when I saw him. He walks right in and goes into our main office. At this point I was wondering if I should just give myself up, flee to Mexico, or what. As we started to do drills I was sweating bullets and was ghost white. My friend who I had been chasing...and caught I should add...asked me what was wrong and I told him. He started laughing and said I had nothing to worry about and that the patrolman was in the national guard too. He was just here for a meeting. I was so relieved. After the meeting I drove out of town, up north to Clearwater and west for 50 miles before heading down south to my parents' farm. I drove up to the barn, turned out the lights, parked the Corvette in the barn and covered it up. I walked from there to the house. For the next month I drove the family pickup everywhere, not even taking the Corvette out of the barn and, thankfully, nothing happened."

It gets better...

"About 7 years later I was visiting my mom in the hospital because she had a stroke. As I was walking down the hall I heard a voice yell, "Don". I turned around and saw my dad who called me over saying he had someone who wanted to talk to me. I was then introduced to a man who was visiting his mother too. We talked for awhile and then he said he wasn't the one who wanted to talk to me. He told me to go into the room he and my dad were standing by, so I did. I went in and said, 'Why, hello Office Whitehead'. He and I had had a few run-ins before. I asked him why he was in the hospital and he told me he was having heart trouble. I asked him why he wanted to see me and he said this: 'Son, I wanted to let you know that that night on the turnpike 7 years ago, we KNEW it was you. We just couldn't prove it. You were going 178 miles an hour. We had officers by your farm waiting for you and that Corvette all night.' So then I had to explain everything to my dad, who was pretty ticked."

How crazy is that story? I really want a Corvette now. Ah to be young in the 50s and 60s.

Nick

[MinisterofDOOM]

'61 Vette's were sexy. That old blue flame 6 was a great engine, too.

Great story...wierd story.

[MainEvent212]

wow that has to be an exaggeration...178? i didnt know old corvettes could do that kind of speed...i dont mean to be a hater though. that is a great story

[240DRFT]

thats an awesome story. 178mph...thats pretty fast. so there were cops by his farm??? were they there when he parked? and did they just watch him?

[90Q45blue]

He said he drove in the barn, which was 1 mile from the house, he went in the back way so they wouldn't see him and walked from the barn to the house.

Nick

[240DRFT]

oh. i get it now.

p.s. go look at my post under the thread RACE STORIES???

[Dirtylou]

That sounds like something I would do....Not do 150+ but give up driving the vette for a month after that. I'm notorious for having a good feeling when I'm paraniod. It has saved me twice. Great story.

[Gold Digger]

'61 Vette's were sexy. That old blue flame 6 was a great engine, too.

Great story...wierd story.

Could that have been the 327 fulie by then. I know they were in the 62's, but not sure about the 61's?

[JESTER]

That pretty good. A simular thing happened to my uncle in his old 442 Olds. Left out spinning tires of the store at the cross roads near where I live. Just happened to throw gravel all over the state troopers car sitting across the road.

Needless the say, my uncle showed them around the country side, and showed them what the ole 442 would do. He finally decided to stop. He knew if he didnt he would end up killing someone. Stopped at teh end of the road we live on and waited on the trooper. He went to for a short stay at the grey bar motel.

He always said his 74 camero was faster. But neither one can hold a candle to his 71 he has now.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Could that have been the 327 fulie by then. I know they were in the 62's, but not sure about the 61's?

Yeah, I think so. I believe at least 2 V8s were available by 1961. I think V8s became available starting in 56 or 57...not sure which.

[Jesda]

RIP

[krazy skwerel]

My pappy said son yor gonna drive me to drinkin' if you dont stop driving that hot rod...Corvette?

[JESTER]

LOL!

[prigo]

Wow dude, wow.

[AZhitman]

Awesome.

Old-time racing memories are great... Props to your great-uncle for sharing it.

[elwesso]

Wow...

Unfortunately the days of the muscle car are long gone...Hell, in 40 years we may not even be able to get gasoline anymore!

[L336]

Hey, I saw this exact same story with a few minor changes and the word "Corvette" was replaced with "240SX." Who plagiarized who?!

[90Q45blue]

Uh he definitely plagiarized me...or my great uncle.

Nick

[JESTER]

Yeah, but it was funny.