Hey everyone how many of you guys remeber your first race?  Where was it, what do you remeber most about it?  You can give the year but some of you might give away your age then. 

My first race was in Augusta, Ga,  I had been to other motorsports races before and has a few friends with "fast" boats or so I thought.  Then the fist pair ran.  I believe it was a pair of promods.  Wish I could remember the boats but I killed those brain cells long ago.  I couldn't tell the difference between Promod and TFH or even TAF, if it had a capsule then it was a Fuel boat to me then.  I was hooked. A few years later I was a member of the Local Diver/Rescue team that supported ADBA rescue at the race, and I have been going to races every chance I get ever since. 

Town Lake, Austin TX, 1976. I drove from West Texas. I knew I wanted to live in Austin after that weekend, but I didn't move here until 1980, after they quit racing on Town Lake. I had just sold my dad's and my flat bottom and ended up buying a new jet boat, joint venture with a friend, shortly after that race. We enjoyed it for about 3 seasons and sold it.  

1992 Lyman Lake SC. Never even heard of these machines before and was going into a convience store some where in Cherokee Co GA,. I saw a flyer that said dragboat race and since me and my friend loved boats and had no plans for the weekend we went. Between the great people and boats I was hooked after that. I think Ron McLellan ran a 198 on 7 clyinders.

However it wasn't until 1996 that someone showed me the internet and a search engine that I could track this sport down again. I did a search found Augusta, but the race had been run that year. So 1997 was my second trip east and I've been going ever since.

The ironic thing was that they ran on Lake West Point right after the Lyman Lake race and If I had been paying attention to Rodger Monroe I would have known they would be in my backyard racing for a one time deal. I agree with JT always a great topic.

That was 1992 . 

Mine was April 2003 at Phoenix.  I remember being the first boat out on the water Saturday morning.  The trip to the starting barge was interesting.  I was pulling myself across the rope and I was trying to figure out what way was the easiest since it was kicking my A$$!!  I looked back to see how everyone else was doing it and attempt different techniques.  I stood up and fell over and then the next thing I know I'm facing the wrong way and doing a 360 in the middle of the rope.  In the meantime people are looking at me wondering what the hell I was doing since I was holding everyone up.  Of course my buddies have this all on film laughing there a$$es off on camera.  First trip ever down the course 121 @ 9.19. Not bad for a rookie!!

The first boat race I went to was in the summer 1963 or 64 with my cousin Gary from Madera. It was held at Kern river?? Kingsburg?? something like that. He had a new Bischoff. I don't remember much but it was on a river.

My first race was in 1972 on Clear Lake with the boat I still have. It had a pumped 327 with the same intake and carbs I have on it now. I had switched the gears in the 'box' and made it underdrive. It was a freaking terror out of the hole with a 3 blade prop. I raced a guy that had a BBC with a single 4 barrel. I whooped him good for the first 1/8th mile or so but he got me at top end. My motor was boucing off 7500 rpm.

Someday NJBA

Amen to that!!!  <*;))))))))))><{

70's, right here in Red Bluff.  I won tickets from the local radio station and pedaled my trusty Schwinn to the DD with my buddy.  I remember some of the races being double points just to get racers here, and they even pulled off two races a year a couple of times.  If I only had a Polaroid back then...

For my first time on the water, in a wetsuit, sweating my bu++ off, my boss told me I was going to San Diego in '05.  There's nothin like being the FNG.  Fortunately, Curt gave me some "magic liquid" which makes me forget the previous races and I keep showing up.

"Magic Liquid"  LMAO

Grappa IS the Breakfast of Champions.....