Don Nicholson was between cars and Chevrolet just came out with the Corvair. He bought one for his wife and had it out to the Colton drag strip. I was running there that Sunday. Don made a few passes and the announcer was going on about him driving a Corvair. Colton was not sanctioned by any organization and you could run just about anything. There was a father and his 10 year old son there with a homemade gocart with twin engines, it was direct drive no clutch, the father would hold the rear tires off the pavement and drop it down when the flagman gave the green flag. The announcer was saying that Don should race this kid and the father was all for it. Don told me that he would lose no matter what, if he won, big deal he beat a 10 year old, if he lost he would be the butt of a lot of jokes. Anyway, he agreed to the race and the flag was given and Don jumped out to about 3 car lengths lead and he said when he got into high gear he looked in the rearview mirror for the kid and didn't see him, looked to the left and ther he was right beside him. Nicholson beat him by maybe 1/2 car length. This happened in the winter of 1959.
Roy
Roy
