Veteran drag-racer wants to go faster

DRAG-RACING is a young man's sport, right? But what happens when young drag-racers get older? They just keep on trucking, it seems.
Take Martinborough man Ron Mears, for example.
Ron is 65 and retired. He and his wife Anne moved to Wairarapa a year ago from Porirua. They have been frequent visitors over the years, and Ron has memories of a Fell engine journey over the Rimutakas as a very small child. Martinborough suits them fine, far enough from the rat race but near enough for visiting.
And far from spending his retirement sniffing the roses and reading, the most likely place you'll find Ron is out in the shed working on his 1939 Chevrolet coupe or his 1982 Z28 Camaro.
He's got all his workshop gear set up, including a recently-acquired lathe to turn down parts for the cars, and heaps of photos and memorabilia about a drag-racing career that goes back many years, to the Thunder Park days, and the beginnings of the Hood Aerodrome strip.
"I've been mucking about with cars all my life," says Ron. "Once, Colin Lane, a mate, and I built two T-buckets in two months, then we drove them to the nationals in Taupo."
He's a life member of Capital Rodders, with a 37-year membership. Anne has been a member for 35 years.
Star of the Mears stable is The General, a striking orange 1939 Chev.
These days The General, built in Canada, has an HQ Holden front end, with disc brakes, and the steering rack out of an early Commodore. The automatic transmission is a Turbo 350, and the diff a Ford 9inch. Ron has raced the Chev at Hood, logging a best time of 14 seconds
Until recently The General ran a 355 Chev engine, but that's gone into another recent acquisition, the Camaro.
In its place, The General is getting a 454 Chev with all the tricky bits. The engine is being put together by Ron's son Richard, owner of a 1968 Camaro and crew member for Brian Taylor on a 1935 Dodge competition car.
"I've always wanted a big-block," grins Ron.
The General has been part of the Mears family for 30 years. Before becoming a drag car it hauled the family boat or caravan, and they had happy holidays in it.
It's just a two-seater, but Anne, two children and the dog all managed to cram in for trips to the Far North and the deepest south. The current spell in the shed is the longest time the car has ever been off the road.
The General won't be ready for Monday and Tuesday's meeting at Hood, but Ron is giving serious consideration to running the Camaro.
Even if that doesn't eventuate, he'll be there just to breathe the smoke and hear the thunder of the big V8s.
The years might roll by, but you never get petrol out of the blood.