It was a HOT June evening back in 1960. I had gotten my hands on my mothers 1959 Plymouth Sport Fury and I was crusing down our local 2 lane. There was almost no traffic as I came up to the stop light that we all considered the Start line of our local UN sanctioned drag strip. As I stopper a 1958 Chevy Impalla 2 dr with 348 flags on the hood, over the big V pulls up on my right. As soon as the guy stopped he jumps out and starts unscrewing caps off home made dump tubes that he had in his front wheel wells. Well when I saw this I held the brake and lit the tires up. The guy jumps in and he starts burning his tires. Now not to be out done I hold the break hard and REALLY light them up. I had tire smoke all through the intersection and even inside my car. During this tire burning FORPLAY, the light had actually turned green and red again. Plus there were cars behind us, but what the heck we had a race to run, and besides they had front row seats for what was going to be the main event of the evening. So we both brough it down and I even had to back up a bit and re set my front end on the cross walk. Then I held the break and brought the rear end up just a bit so as not to spin the tires, and , THIS WAS IT when all of a sudded out of my left eye I spotted a convertible across the intersection, that was putting the top down and the driver was standing up in the front seat and waving his arms. If an instant, I thought " who is this nut and doesn't he know we will be going with the light and not his arm waving" THEN I SAW IT. Right behind this guy there was a State Trooper in the crusier. Needless to say we both took off slowly. I pulled ahead of the 58 CVhevy, partly (because I was a **** head) but mostly because the 58 Chevy was now running open headers and he wanted to keep the noise down. As I pulled in front of the 58 I looke in my mirror and I could see the Trooper heading for the U TURN that was about 1/10 of a mile up. For a second I though about making a run for it, and making a U TURN myself and going back the other way or trying to pull off and hide behind one of the buildings on our right side. BUT before I could make up my mind, the Trooper was right behind the 58, and he had the lights and sireene going. We pulled over and as I lowered the window the Trooper was right beside me and sreaming for PAPERS. I handed him the papers and on his way back to the crusier he took the papers from the guy in the 58 Chevy. After a sec I got out and as I made Eye contact with the driver of the 58 I raised my right hand and made a twisting motion. The guy got out and flipped me one of the twist caps. I crossed to the right side of his Chevy and twisted on the right side dump tube cap, as he put on the drivers side dump tube cap. We met at the rear fender of the Fury and just stood there looking at the passing cars. As the cars went by I saw a couple of old ladies, a family with a couple of small kids and a car with two old people, ( probably younger then I am today) with two GOOD LOOKING chicks in the back seat that gave us both that special HOT smile. Hey this isn;t so bad after all I thought, Then the Trooper gets out and as he comes up he tells the guy from the Chevy to start it up and rev it up. The ting is actually quiet now. The Trooper looks in the wheel well, and then tells me to start up the Fury. The Sport Fury is actually QUITE LOUD ! and has a real gas eating heavy rumble. This thing had come with 4 mufflers but I had taken off the two rear ones, which were called resinators back then. This Fury also had a 361 with duel quards and a 72 torqueflight tranny. Well the the Trooper tells me to open the hood, and as I did the guy from the 58 Chevy comes up and stands beside me and the Trooper as we all look in. The Trooper gave the thing a good look over and the just looked at me and shook his head. He then handed us back our papers and told us both to get the HELL out of his territory. He went on to say that if we had to race we should go up where they were building the new highway. As we walked back to the side of the cars the Trooper asked me " Who was the guy in the Convertible" I looked at him and said " I don't know but that sure was a stupid place to be putting down a top". I pulled open my door and jumped in. As I was digging for the keys I heard the Trooper ask that driver of the 58 Chevy " do you really think you could have won that" Then I took off. Later that evening I was in MY 1949 Ford 2dr sedan, which was a tub ( I wish I still had it). It was lowered down in the rear, had no grill, ( hadn't found a pontiac oval yet ) and it was in grey primer and had Buick hub caps, when I pulled into the local burger drive in restaurant. I spotted the 58 Chevy and went over. I asked the guy if I had put the dump tube cap on OK, He looked at me a we both laughed. I then asked him how he had answered the Trooper when he was asked if he thought he could win that. The guy then told me that he had said " WIN WHAT OFFICER" and then the entire parknig lot all laughed. " Back in the 1950:s you Did NOt Call a State Trooper anything other then SIR or TROOPER.
Well, " Win What OFFICER" became the phrase of the summer. I never did get a chance to race the 58, that summer, THINGS JUST GOT IT THE WAY. I would have liked to have raced the 58 Chevy and then had the winner race the Trooper. The Trooper was in a 1957 Ford 2 dr sedan. I never did get a look under his hood that evening, nor since. Does anyone know what State Troopers were running back in thoes 1957 Fords? AND Who do you think would have won?
Well, " Win What OFFICER" became the phrase of the summer. I never did get a chance to race the 58, that summer, THINGS JUST GOT IT THE WAY. I would have liked to have raced the 58 Chevy and then had the winner race the Trooper. The Trooper was in a 1957 Ford 2 dr sedan. I never did get a look under his hood that evening, nor since. Does anyone know what State Troopers were running back in thoes 1957 Fords? AND Who do you think would have won?
