Dec 9: You are how old?

I've heard of and even seen some very old drivers. Matter of fact, a friend's mother got a new car last year and she was 97. Ninety seven! Now, that is old to be driving and I only hope that she was ok, when she got behind the wheel in city traffic. Most of us can think of a couple of examples of folks, who we thought should have packed in the old driver's licence long ago. This got me to thinking of a few race car drivers who have piloted hot rides into their so called "twilight years".

For example........

NASCAR driver Morgan Sheppard is 73 and still runs a limited schedule, driving those high powered stockers. His comments on the top pic say it all. But look who sponsors him......."Driving for Jesus". Maybe Morgan figures that at his age, on those fast tracks, he needs all the help he can get.

Or James Hylton, who turns 80 this year and tried to qualify for last year's Daytona 500 at speeds topping 200 MPH........

This pic of James around 1970, shows us just how long he has been in the saddle. Would any driver examiner fail him on his local driving test, when he had been running Daytona on the weekend? "Say, Granddad, can you slow down just a touch?"

What about this racer from the west coast of the US........

 Herschel McGriff, now 87, but drove, I believe, into his '80's..........the top pic is at a circle track back in the day and the bottom one, during the famous Mexican road race of the '50's, La Carrera Panamericana. Those were the days, when you could use the same car for a variety of events. I think this recent pic says it all (note the sponsor).......

But let's put these racers aside to celebrate the grandaddy of them all, and one who continues to amaze fans to this day..........

Chris Karamesines. Or the Golden Greek. Chris was racing Top Fuel racers from the beginning and even ran a Funny Car at one time........

This vintage racer has just ordered a brand new car, with which to wage the quarter mile battles of 2015. Now keep in mind that the cars Chris drives pull huge G's and do it with about 8-10,000 horsepower. Now, also keep in mind that Chris is 83! Eighty three! Unbelievable.

And Chris doesn't just run some back woods tracks for kicks. No folks, the Golden Greek mixes it up with the big boys (or should I say, young big boys?) at NHRA national events and he often qualifies! Absolutely incredible, when one thinks about the abuse one of these dragsters puts on an individual's body and yet, here is Chris at 83 getting a new car.

In golf, the Champions Tour features all those golfers over 50, who still want to play competitively, but usually can't quite keep up with the kids. But here are these racers, who were first behind the wheel, long before many of their current competitors were born, or in some cases, before their competitors parents were even born!

So think about it, will this little racer be ordering his new ride eighty years from now?

Until next time........