Ron Ortega

1950, 9 years old-was spending the night with a friend, his older brother had left a Hot Rod Magazine out, one look & I was hooked. Twelve years old-1953 started buying car Mags. that started the dream. 1956, 15 years old a neighbor's Father took us boys to a Drag Race at Halfmoon Bay, Calif., got hooked on Drag Racing, 1958 my Dad took us to Oakland, Calif. got my first taste of Boat Drags, loved it. 1957-1959 took auto shop classes at high school. 1959 started my first race car a A/Gas Roadster, ordered a Tube Chassis out of L.A. Area, and got a 354 Chrysler Hemi for it, worked on it for two years. and two friends started a C/Gas Sedan, '31 Ford with a Pontiac Engine.
We spent many hours at Drag Races over years, plus Car Shows. I stopped going to Drags in '67, wife hated them. Lost her in Jan.'79. In 1985 my brother talked me into attending a Drag Race in Sacramento, and got hooked again, started going to races all over Calif. 1986 got invited to crew the restored Nitro Speedsport Roadster at some Nostalgia Events, this lead to meeting some current racers, did some Dragster design work, & crewed on a A/Fuel Dragster, one Dragster I designed set the Worlds Record in Oct.1988 in that class. during the N.H.R.A.World Finals at Pomona, Calif. 1990 got married, would help at races at times, and did a couple of Dragster designs.
1997 got disabled and was forced to retire as a Newspaper Pressman, I still continual to attend Car Shows and Drag Races here in Texas. Am a member of N.H.R.A. / Goodguys / Christian Rodders & Racers Asso.
Well it's been a long strange trip, hope you guys injoyed the story. And yes I'm "Car Crazy". Ron Ortega