For the Adventure – Christopher Martin Tackles Redwood Rally with a 1971 Chevrolet El Camino
“We were both fans of Power Tour and Drag Week and all of the drag-and-drives that followed but the distance from California was always an obstacle.
Needless to say, we were excited to see the Redwood Rally! The First West coast drag-and-drive!”
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This week’s “For the Adventure – Stories from the Road” comes from Christopher Martin, and how meeting the right guy leads to the right car, a better place in life, and participating in his first drag-and-drive at Redwood Rally:
It all started with my buddy Jason. About twenty years ago the first words I ever heard him speak were "Naw, you don't want to do that, what you want is a Big Block." I answered “Where am I going to get a big block?” He said: "Right There!" He pointed across the shop at Folsom Autobody and sitting on a stand was a beautiful Big Block Chevy. I liked him immediately.
I was five years into a bad marriage with a 5-year-old son. I managed to buy a tired 1969 El Camino, and wanted to fix it up. What I lacked in skills I made up for with enthusiasm.
Turns out Jason lived close by, and we became fast friends. Thank you, Lord. Those ten years of wrenching with him, in my garage, are among the best times of my life, and it helped me through one of the darkest times of my life.
Fast forward to the Summer of 2022. I'm in a wonderful relationship at a beautiful place with a great shop. Seven very cool cars later, after that first El Camino, I now have another El Camino that I tell myself will be my forever car.
She has everything I've always wanted. Big block Chevy, TKO600 5 speed manual transmission, 12 Bolt rear end with Posi and 3.08 gears, QA1 Stage 2 suspension, Vintage Air, killer tunes and power windows!
I love this car! I Drive it all over! I’m 90-percent street, 10-percent track; Jason is 10-percent street, 90-percent track. We would always take each car to the track, as they were ready but I was never a regular. Jason loved being on his high school drag racing team and racing for years afterward.
We were both fans of Power Tour and Drag Week and all of the drag-and-drives that followed but the distance from California was always an obstacle. Needless to say, we were excited to see the Redwood Rally! The First West coast drag-and-drive! I asked Jason if he wants to go, and he lights up and says “Hell Yeah!” which is huge because he never takes time off (he has a body shop).
We start making plans, and I get to do one of my favorite things ever, which is buy car parts! I’ve been wondering what the percentage is of guys who take their street car and try to go fast, versus the guys with race cars who try to make them streetable-ish.
The El Camino wasn’t particularly fast, but after I ordered up an 850-cfm race brawler carburetor and a 175 shot of laughing gas, she still wasn’t particularly fast, but she did fulfill a low-key lifetime bucket list item. I’ve always wanted a car that would pull a wheelie. Well, left front daylighted wheelie, but I’ll take it!
We installed a harness bar and harness, driveshaft loop, scatter shield and fire extinguisher. I got a pair of slicks on matching wheels, line lock, Wilwood disc brake calipers, lots of wiring, switches and such.
We installed cup holders, we’re getting dialed! The Redwood Rally is fast approaching. Heather Nickels and Jesse Adams did an incredible job putting this all together. It was fun and very well organized! Great route; Incredible views; Racing at the beach in Samoa; Coos Bay quirkiness!
They created the Redwood Rally Racers group on Facebook where we could all share our progress and pics. I made a post that anybody coming through Sacramento on their way to Redding, that we should meet up and road trip together.
A great guy named Rich Santana took the ball and ran with it! He organized a meet at The Tower Restaurant in Sacramento. and that was the beginning of the Sacramento Breakfast Crew. Ten of us met up and ate, drove, hung out and raced together all week. Never have I felt so accepted by a group so fast.
We had the time of our lives. Don Stone won the trophy for overcoming the most adversity. We got to race with one of my favorite media personalities Olivia Scaffidi and her guy Danny. So many moments!
I ran my personal best of 12.10, which I plan to beat in 2024. We still have a group text that is going off every couple days. Most of us met up on New Year’s Day, and went racing at the Kingdon Dragstrip. We plan on meeting up more this spring and summer and we’re going back to the Redwood Rally!
Tell us your story, and we might share it here on For the Adventure.
We’re looking for you to contribute to the Sickness with stories, articles, event coverage, and more! You don’t need writing experience, just a desire to share your stories. It can be about a build you’re doing in your garage or driveway, your experience on a drag-and-drive (from a participant or cruiser perspective), or even an article about your plans to participate in a drag-and-drive.
Interested? Send your submissions to info@sickthemagazine.com and check your e-mails and spam folders. We might select your story, and will send you a follow up before it gets used! We will publish one story each week on the Sick the Magazine website on Thursdays! We can’t read your stories until you submit them, so get on it!
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com