The Saga begins: Part 1

What's in a name?

FAST FORWARD RACING was created by the age of technology and a loving grandmother's frustration with it. In the fall of 1994 my mother and the kids grandma was babysitting Kaitlyn,age10 and Drew,age 8. Grammy Charlotte wanted to view a videotape and she wasn't sure how to operate the VCR. As Drew and Kaitlyn waited out the moment Drew attempted to assist Grammy with the VCR. As Grammy got more and more frustrated with her inability to roll the tape forward Drew stepped in and showed her how to hit "FAST FORWARD" on the remote control. It worked!

Upon our return my mother related to Barbara and me as to how "those kids"know about everything.This moment was in my head several weeks later when we as a family were trying to settle on an appropriate name for our new racing team/business.

FAST FORWARD RACING was the answer.

Later that year our family assembled our thoughts on a motorsport activity for Kaitlyn,age 10and Drew,age 8.After weighing the alternatives, karts versus Junior drag racing, the choice was Junior drag racing.

In 1994 the sport of Junior drag racing was in its infancy and it had appeal to us in many ways.As I was a Chrysler Corporation dealer the opportunity to build sponsorships was to become associated with the New England Chrysler-Plymouth Dealers Advertising Association (CPDAA) and with MOPAR.

In January,1995,we received funding from the New England CPDAA with a thanks to two very supportive members,Larry Foss of Foss Motors,Exeter,New Hampshire and Tom Barenboim of Clark Chrysler-Plymouth, Methuen, Massachusetts. With their vision and with the support of the Board of Directors FAST FORWARD RACING was underway.

We became closer in time with the people of MOPAR,the Chrysler Corporation Parts Division and the MOPAR logo appeared on the kenards of the Marc Rowe Junior dragster. Charlie Henry and Ron McDaniel from MOPAR will always be remembered for their kind efforts.

The advertising theme of the New England Chrysler-Plymouth Dealers in 1995 was "WHAT'S NEW...NEW ENGLAND CHRYSLER-PLYMOUTH".This message was in step with our promotional efforts as NHRA Junior drag racing was "new" as was the new generation of Chrysler minivans..so the race trailer,with a multi-colored Pentastar and the WHAT'S NEW...NEW ENGLAND CHRYSLER-PLYMOUTH message was towed by one of the first Chrysler Town & Country minivans to hit New England.The white minivan,race trailer and complimenting white/process blue dragster made a nice package.

The first "run" that Drew ever made with the dragster was down the vacant midway of the Skowhegan State Fairgrounds.With the help of my brother,Paul,we fired up the "BIG" 5 Horse Briggs and Stratton and cautiously watched Drew roll on down the midway.It was a big moment and it was the start of many more to come.

Drew and Kaitlyn became licensed competitors in the NHRA Junior Drag Racing League.As New England is Division 1 in NHRA the number assigned to Drew was 1577 and 1578 was assigned to Kaitlyn .Their names were painted on the cowl panel and their consecutive numbers were painted on the side panels of the dragster.

It was agreed that Drew would race most of the time and Kaitlyn occasionally.So it was in April,1995 that Drew made his first official pass down the eighth-mile at New England Dragway in Epping,New Hampshire.And,after cutting a light of 1.50 something awful seconds Drew ran a blistering (not)16.34 second pass at 35.91 miles per hour.

At the turn-in/end of track Drew faced the most difficult moment of his "NEW CAREER"...he had never had to negotiate a tight turn. YIKES!

With a hole to go through the jersey barriers as small as a dragster is wide and having to massage the 149-inch wheelbase dragster through it...oh yeah,Drew clipped the right front wing a good one.

But...he brought the car home in one piece on his first pass.

Kaitlyn had a defining moment several weeks later at New England Dragway when she was in the car for the first time.Our regular driver,Drew, had a severe ear ache at our 4 A.M. wake up hour that Sunday.So,the replacement driver was summoned from her warm bed and just Kait and I headed for the track.

At the end of the day, Kaitlyn had run faster than Drew and the day went very well.

Kaitlyn had her "BIG MOMENT" at Winterport Dragway a couple months later. As Kaitlyn was now in the 14's and cracking the 40-mph barrier she decided at that speed to exit the track at full speed.Now bear in mind that Winterport had a big old field to the left and to the right...not mowed.As Kait was in the left lane she chose to not run down through and make the casual left turn back down the return road. Instead she turned left at the finish line at 40 mph and went straight to the field under power.

Thankfully, neither she nor the car were the worse for her actions.

It was perhaps this same day that Kait decided that the sport of drag racing was very hot with all of that safety equipment and waiting forever to make a run...thus,Kait's driving career was shelved.

Kaitlyn has remained a tremendous support to "BOY" ever since and has always cheered him on in his racing career. Thanks Kait!

The first year was a special one in so many ways .Barbara will never forget the inordinate amount of travel that took place as every Sunday we traveled 330 miles to New Hampshire and back,week after week.That commitment of travel has certainly accelerated over the years and it looks like it will not be lessening.

1995 was the year that Drew learned how to lose...boy,did he ever.It has been been said that you cannot appreciate a win until you have suffered many losses. TRUE.

But,through those weekly "beatings" a spirit of competition was forged and a cadre of friendships that still exist.

You can't beat that.