The last name of Pink is synonymous in drag racing. 

Ed Pink, nicknamed the “the Old Master,” was a popular American drag racing engine builder in the glory days of nitro racing. His company, Ed Pink Racing Engines, supplied motors to star racers like “TV” Tommy Ivo, Shirley Muldowney and Don Prudhomme.

Last month, Bill Pink, Ed’s son, tried his hand at drag racing at the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School in Gainesville, Fla.

“Being a kid and going to the dragstrip all the time for all those years, I've always wondered would be like to make a pass. And I went to Roy Hill School, did the eighth mile, and I wanted to do the quarter mile,” Pink said. “I'm actually thinking about getting a car and having fun with it. I play golf for a hobby and what I've noticed with golf is that I'm getting older, and I don't hit the ball as far. And when I was younger, I tried to get on the tour, and I don't have that game no more. And if I go Drag racing, they don't look at my age.”

The Hawley experience is something that Pink enjoyed.

“Just sitting in his classroom and having him speak and listen to him and what he has to say about how the biomechanics of a body works, and how the mind works, and how you have to learn procedures and make things to where it's just memory, just muscle memory,” Pink said. “You don't have to think about all the different situations of getting a car staged. He even gives you advice that you can take down the road, just life advice, which was interesting. I was very impressed with the way Frank runs things.”

During his two-day stint at the Hawley’s School, Pink got licensed in a Super Comp Dragster.

“Did three the first day,” said Pink about his runs. “Every time he was needed, every time he did a pass, he'd get out of the car, and he took videos of the car from behind so I can see how you stage the car if you got on the groove, all that stuff. So, I did three (the first day), then I did three on (the next day), and I had to do an extra run because I had to abort one of my runs.”

Pink was clocking 8.20 elapsed times at around 160 mph.

“Nothing that anybody could ever describe to you,” Pink said about racing down the quartermile. “I would classify it as an adult amusement ride, because people can tell you all they want about what it's like, but until you hit the trans-brake, put the engine wide open throttle and release it, you've got no idea what to expect.”

Pink is based in Denver, N.C.

“I came back out here in '96 because Robert Gates moved me and my family out here get involved in their program,” Pink said. “I was working for Honda's IndyCar program and Robert was very intrigued with what Honda was doing. I was doing the NASCAR thing (in North Carolina), and then you saw what happened to NASCAR when they got the Car of Tomorrow, and that was my exit plan in the end of 2009. Since then, I have been building racing carburetors.”

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