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"I like the challenge of the older cars. I think you have to have more ingenuity to make them consistent every run." -- Stan Hawes

Stan Hawes has been going to the drag races since the 1950s. He started going with his brothers and has been hooked ever since. The veteran Stock Eliminator racer won two NHRA events last year and finished third in the Northwest Division point standings. In fact, he had planned to retire from racing after the 2000 season but when he won the prestigious NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., he changed his plans.

The Gresham, Ore., resident campaigns the Super Chevy Stores El Camino in Stock Eliminator at about 12 NHRA national and divisional events a year and competes in bracket racing Wednesday nights in Portland, Ore. The hectic schedule doesn't bother Hawes because he's retired and enjoys spending his free time working on his 1969 machine.

"You can definitely spend a lot of time on your racecar," said Hawes, 58. "But I like the challenge of the older cars. I think you have to have more ingenuity to make them consistent every run. With the late model cars you can buy everything you need for it brand new and I don't see the fun in that."

Hawes is also a big fan of the class in which he currently competes. He says that the people in Stock are like one big family. Each racer will do what he can to help another competitor, even if it means they'll face each other in the next round.

According to Hawes, there is a lot more that goes into Stock racing than meets the eye. Aside from finding the right tune-up for the track and weather conditions, drivers also jockey for position on the elimination ladder. Typically, he says, you don't want to run a car that is faster than yours, so you make adjustments to try to avoid certain competitors. However, all thoughts about the mechanics should stop when you are at the line.

"When you get out there you have to run your own race. I try to put myself in a zone and block out what's happening around me. Sometimes, working on the car can be a detriment to driving it. You start thinking more about the mechanics than the race itself and you can get into trouble," said Hawes.

Stock is one of those classes that abound with talented drivers. On a regular basis in the Northwest Division Hawes contends with the likes of former NHRA national champion Don Little and former division champion Jody Lang, who finished ahead of Hawes in the point standings last year. But Hawes is not daunted by those prospects. In fact, he enjoys it.

"This is a class where anybody can win," he said. "Everybody has talent and there's a lot of luck involved. But I also think you have to invite the luck by being as prepared as you can."

Hawes will be hoping that luck is on his side when he competes in the Les Schwab Tires Challenge, a round of the NHRA Federal-Mogul Drag Racing Series, at Woodburn Dragstrip July 13-15, 2001.