Hemihedd
Registered: 05/12/06
Posts: 5
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Reply with quote | #1 |
Over the years, there has been some truly unique individuals and racecars associated with Dixie. During the years I have been around Dixie, few if any, stand out more than Ellis Milner. Following are just a few of Ellis's memories which I've pried from him, mostly aimed at what it was like when he first started racing.<br><br>Ellis's first trip down a dragsstrip was in 1957. His race car that day was a fenderless Model A Ford powered either by a 1954 or 55 Oldsmobile V-8, topped off with a factory single 4-barrel carb. <br>He ran at the old dragstrip in Montgomery, Alabama (not the current Montgomery track). The track was neither a quarter or an eighth mile - but an intermediate 1,000 feet long. There were no ET clocks, and a flagman started each pair of cars down the track, since even the Christmas Tree had yet to come into use (which was during the early 1960's). Since there were no ET clocks, Miles Per Hour ran during the pass was the competition standard of the day. (MPH was figured using a stopwatch). Though he remembers outrunning some cars that day, Ellis believes his best pass was @ 78 MPH. He laughlingly remembers a 550 Chevy in attendance that day, which kicked my butt, with a 81 MPH Blast.<br><br>Out of at least a thousand or so, here are just a few other assorted Ellis Milner tidbits:<br>He attended and raced at US-19 Dragway (Albany, Ga) the very first day the track opened, which was on Labor Day weekend, in 1960.<br>The first trophy he won was at US-19 Dragway (Albany, Ga).<br>The first money he won in racing, was by winning Little Eliminator at Phenix City, AL, in 1962 He received $20 and a trophy for his win. <br>The first time he staged up against a Christmas Tree, was at US-19 Dragway (Albany, Ga) in 1963.<br>In late 1962, he bought a complete, brand new Chev 327 Fuelie shortblock, from a dealer for either $225 or $230. He financed the shortblock through GMAC, and remembers the payments were $15 per month. He says in the old days, the Phenix City track was a dirt dragstrip. Though he's not positive, he believes the track was not paved until around 1962. He thinks he probably won a couple hundred trophies racing in the early years. He sometimes sold the trophies back to the tracks for $5 each, just to get gas money for towing home. <br><br>Among the many cars he's owned and raced through the years were: a rare 1963 Z-11 427 Chevy factory car. Also a 64 Mopar with a 426 Hemi & aluminum frontend. He says the Hemi broke so many expensive parts, that it almost forced him to have to give up racing at the time.<br><br>He's not entirely sure, but believes Dixie was started in either 1966 or 1968. He says from about 69 into the early 70's era, the association was called Dixie Ultra Stock, before they were re-named the Dixie Pro Stock Racing Association.<br>He believes the original Dixie booking fee to the tracks was $300. Though he's not positive, he thinks the race winner was paid $150, runner-up, $75, 3rd paid $50 & 4th $25. He says our current Dixie booking fee to the tracks, has been the same amount since1998. He believes the first Dixie car to run nitrous (that he was aware of) was Butch McCloud in 1986. Though he says he later found out there probably were others, but they didn't admit it freely & had it hidden away.<br><br>Well, thats just a few of the tidbits I've gleaned from Ellis. There's of course, probably a thousand more - but I had no intention of trying to write a book here. Of the older members still around, Billy Pilcher probably also has some great Dixie stories and tidbits tucked away in his head . I have always felt priviledged just to get to race with those guys. To you younger members, I'd advise you to talk with the older Dixie members whenever you have the opportunity. Besides being interesting as all get out, you might be surprised at what you might learn. <br><br>In closing, I just wanted to say a few words about the older members - the members who originally built Dixie. Without them, there would be no Dixie. And realistically, Dixie is the only reason I and others have been able to race a Pro Mod car in this area, for years. I sincerely thank them, for that. <br>James Duncan
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Hemihedd |
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luv2xlr8
Moderator
Registered: 04/27/06
Posts: 73
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Reply with quote | #2 |
Dixie Racers:
First, thank you James for posting your conversation with Ellis. As you have said, there is miles of racing information in aged racers who belong to the Dixie ProMod association. Many of them are willing to share stories with anyone who asks. Younger racers, all of us could learn a few things from the older racers.
Again, thanks James for taking your time to compose your message, and thank you Ellis for all you have done through the years for the Dixie ProMod Racers Association.
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JOHNNY
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