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Dick Ross

Dick Ross was born in Port Huron, on January 17, 1939. From there he moved to Flint where he attended Central High School and Bendle High School. Even at this early stage in his life racing was in his blood, as almost everyday the principal took his car keys from him for "trying out" his car in the parking lot (the only asphalt in the neighborhood).
 
At the age of 16, Dick started his racing career driving a 1934 Ford coupe at the Sunset Speedway in Port Huron, and while still attending high school, he drove coupes, modifieds, and stock cars at Auto City Speedway, Dixie Speedway, Owosso Speedway, Mt. Clemens Raceway, Motor City Speedway, Checker Flag Speedway, Detroit Fairgrounds, and Mt. Pleasant Speedway.
 
The following year Dick built a 1948 Mercury Coupe for the drag strips and was the first man to exceed 100 miles per hour on the 1/4-mile strip at McBride Dragway.
 
In 1957 Dick married his wife Shirley, and in the years that followed they had 4 children; Diane, Dawn, Randy, and Brian, all of whom became involved with their fathers racing and contributed in one way or another to his racing business.
Dick's racing interest led him to do some motorcycle racing during the late 50's, but his real love was auto's and he gave up is AMA cycle racing to return to auto racing.
 
In 1966 Dick built a 1966 Chevy Nova for drag racing, and in 1966 and 1967 he won over 250 races with that same car. Dick has no idea of the total number of races he has won on the drag strips over the years.
 
Running in every class from Street Stock to Top Fuel during his racing career, Dick has set or broken over 30 World Records, his first in 1973 at Lapeer International Dragway, Where in a 1969 Chevrolet Nova, running in the factory stock class, he set a time of 11.69. In 1976 he broke that World Record that he had set by turning a time of 11.237 at Detroit Dragway. Dick set numerous track records.
 
Along with his racing, Dick built cars and engines for a living. He owned and operated The Motor City Speed Shop in Flint, Michigan for a number of years.