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Posted by George P. Lara Thank you Bernie and LACR! George P. Lara 1998 Camaro Z28
on 6/5/2007, 8:07 am
204.215.136.99
I have been coming out to LACR since 1994, after my family moved up there in 1993. I found out about LACR because I used to drive around Palmdale looking to get in trouble (speeding). ;-) So one day I decided to enter and watch the drag racing, since I had been a fan of drag racing since I was 13 or so. I used to street race my 1984 Camaro, but never took it to LACR. After the street racing scene got bad, I decided to try LACR. I was instantly hooked! I finally had a legal place where I could race my vehicles and not run from the sight of sirens in the middle of the night, then looking for the next spot until the sun came up. Plus I could finally brag, or should I say be humbled, about how fast (slow) my car was. In 2001 I purchased my 2001 Camaro SS with an A4, mainly for commuting but also to be quick. It is all about the 60' and ET with me. After a few modifications, it was turning 12.8s. I attended pretty much every Wednesday and Friday night grudge for the 2002 and 2003 years. I even recall one Wednesday when I arrived at the track. I left work early in Newbury Park to be at the gates by 5pm. When I arrived, I noticed I forgot to stop by the bank for extra cash, so I had to look through my pockets and car to come up with the entry fee. Talk about a die hard racer. When I made it to the staging lanes, no one wanted to run. I said to hell with them, I will race by myself. Well, I recall it was only myself and this classic mustang racing only. When I was on the return road, he was going down the strip. When I was going down the strip, he was on the return road. I made 27 passes that day, within one and a half hours. I was so beat that by 8pm, when the regular crowd started showing up I was asleep in the staging lanes. I was woken up by other racers waiting behind me to move up the line to race. I decided then that I was too tired to continue and headed directly home after my pass. I became such a regular that people in the stands came up to me and complimented my Camaro, and even mentioned they would bring their kids to watch my car run (as well as others I would imagine). I recall Marie working the staging lanes with Bernie. Then she was promoted to announcer. I say this because on one night when I was out there, I raced a 2002 "600rwhp" blown Corvette. On the second race, and I even have the video as evidence, I hear Marie over the loud speaker say "I bet the Camaro is gonna whoop ass on that Corvette" as I was pre staged. LOL, like as if I was under enough pressure to get a quicker time. Low and behold, I hooked and took off while the corvette did not hook. That was a great night, but it doesn't compare to the one when I met my (then to be) wife. It was Nov. 2003 and I lined up next to this blonde in a Camaro. She was racing a 1998 Camaro Z28 that could run low 11s. We lined up and I got her out of the hole, but I saw her catch me at the 60' mark and then fell back, I of course taking the win. We race once more, and same out come. We talked and I concluded that her clutch slave cylinder was not bled properly. After sometime, she contacted me and I went over to fix some issues with her other car (1998 Camaro V6), which started a long lasting relationship, both on and off the track. We have competed in several races at LACR, from CITGO to the National Open. We missed out on the 2006-2007 season because we were expecing our first son, Riley Jake Lara. Now with our son being born, I was hoping he would also follow in his parents foot steps and race (or at least crew) at LACR, but that will never be. But we can at least attend the last few races of LACR. Sorry we could not have been at the Rally, we really wanted to, but with a newborn it was difficult. We will miss all of our friends that worked at LACR and those we met racing in the bracket field. Thank you all for the great memories, they will not be forgotten.
Jenibella Lara
Riley Jake Lara
Jenibella Racing
#7630
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