Glad to be a verified member on Nitromater. I've enjoyed the site for awhile now, and decided to go ahead and join so I could post.
I'm 48, divorced(for 15yrs), two sons 23 and 24 that live in North Carolina on there own. I worked for a national beer company for 19yrs packaging beer until I was forced out due to back problems.
I filed for social security disability but was denied.......
....even though the occupational saftey board said I was unemployable.....go figure !
In light of my hard luck, it has really worked out for the better for my elderly parents, 84 and 80, who are in need of someone to be a caretaker for them. This enables them to live their remaining lives at home instead of an "Retirement home".
My passion for drag racing started in the early 70's watching the likes of Big Daddy, Jungle Jim, Sox and Martin, Grumpy, Dyno Don and the rest. Man those were great times as a kid !
I was lucky enough to meet, and become friends, with Top Fuel Motorcycle rider Larry "Spiderman" Mcbride and his brother Steve back in 1974 where they worked at a local motorcycle shop. He actually got me interested in racing Motocross with them at various tracks around Va. in 1974-75. After 2 yrs of the abuse to my body I decided I had enough of that... LOL !
I have since been good friends with Larry and Steve, and have enjoyed knowing and watching their progress through the years becoming the top dawgs and innovators in the Top Fuel Motorcycle world. It has also enabled me to meet many in the NHRA world like Allen and Blaine Johnson, Gary Scelzi, Jim Head and the likes. Quite a list of people I would have otherwise never met.
I remember back in Oct. 1999 at Houston,Tx. I was crewing with Spiderman when we were the first Top Fuel bike to run a sub-6 sec pass ever ! Jim Head was in our pits that evening "standing on his head drinking bottle Corona's"...LOL !
They then started throwing empty 55 gallon drums of Nitro back and forth to each other seeing who could catch it/drop it...LOL ! Man those were some good times I'll never forget.
Again, I just want to say thanks for letting me be a part of Nitromater. I hope I can make some useful and informative posts on here.
TJ
