Jim, I guess I consider myself lucky as I was born into the drag racing scene ('64) as my dad was heavily involved as a racer, car owner and provided a service for many competitors; One of his customers from Washington who ran T/F was Ernie Hall. But in my teenage years dad's business took him more to the NASCAR scene and with the closing of OCIR and Ontario, I kinda lost interest in drag racing. Surfing and later beach volleyball became my thing.
I'd always watched it on TV(usually in the background at a bar after a day on the beach, but it wasn't until '99 that I went to the track again. It was the March Meet that year and it all came back to me all at once; the sights, the sounds and the smells. However, the thing that really got me hooked in again was the people involved. Never had I been around such kind and generally caring group of people that has develop into genuine friendship. I'm talking about sharing soup recipes with Jess Tyree (RIP) in his trailer, or visiting Dale Pulde in the hospital when he was very sick, or giving Pat Dixon (Jr.'s mom) and Barbara Hogan a lift to their car on the other side of the parking lot because it's too far to walk. Having a laugh with Dave McClellan about thinks I don't remember, or Roland Leong walking up to me to say "Hi" and talking about a mutual friend of ours, or teasing "Ace" about some of his antics and he laughing along too, or having Steve Gibbs breakdown and cry in front of me shortly after losing Gordy (his wife of 60 years). These are the people who we idolized when we were young.
But you know what, I've been blessed to get to know many of these idols as regular human beings and can call them my friend. The cars are cool, but the best part of drag racing are the people you meet along the way and get to know. And remembering those that were their fiends that time has taken away from this world we live in. I don't mind giving a little back if it makes the world a better place.