2004 Dick Maris' Atlanta Scrapbook

National Dragster, Jun 4, 2004

Prior to each national event in the 2004 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, National DRAGSTER is giving one racer a disposable camera with which he or she will document the race experience. From the shop to the road to the pits to the strip, each will capture on film what it's like to compete in an NHRA national event.

Dick Maris, 59, has been drag racing since he was a 16-year-old growing up in central Texas. The Valrico, Fla., resident began racing '55 Chevys in D/Gas, had the most fun with a B/Gas '41 Willys in the late 1960s, and from 1972 to 1986 raced an F/Gas '64 Corvette. He was the Division 4 Modified Eliminator champion in 1979. A Pro Stock-type Firebird followed in 1987 after Maris was transferred by his employer to Florida. He raced that car in Comp for five years before it and every piece of racing equipment he owned was stolen in 1992. He switched to dragsters and the C/Dragster class in 1994 and is now racing his second Kurt Damron-built C/Dragster. He set the e.t. record at 7.01 seconds in February at the Gainesville Lucas oil Drag Racing Series event. Maris is a district sales representative for Chevrolet in the Tampa Ray area.

Sportsman racers interested in highlighting their national event race experience in our Scrapbook feature must call Bruce Dillashaw, (626) 250-2341, or send an e-mail message to bdillashaw@nhra.com.