WINTERPORT – It took about 30 years, but Jimmy King finally got back behind the wheel of a race car.

A former NHRA Top Fuel driver and car builder, King got behind the wheel of a front-engine classic dragster at Winterport Dragway Saturday as part of the Gassah Guys Ol’ Skool Drag Racing. It was the second of four races on the season for the Gassah Guys.

“I think it’s like riding a bike,” said the 71-year-old King. “I don’t forget what to do.”

King raced and beat drag racing legends Don Garlits and Don Prudhomme in 1970.

Ray Helger of Little Compton, R.I., bought one of King’s old cars and invited him to race.

“I said ‘yes, I’d do it,'” said King, who is also from Rhode Island. “Here I am.”

Helger bought a King and Marshall Top Fuel Dragster that raced in 1970 “and brought it back to life,” said Vaughn Stevens, who heads the Gassah Guys.

“[King] was a hell of a driver,” remembered Helger. “He was very fast out of the hole. Very, very fast.”

King’s 30-year wait took about an additional 20 minutes as his engine overheated and spewed out boiling water.

After the engine cooled down, King and Helger were ready to battle.

At the line, King spun his tires and Helger got the jump in his roadster. Helger edged King by running a time of 8.092 seconds to King’s 8.143 seconds on the eighth-mile track.

“We’re having a great time,” said the 43-year-old Helger before the race. “The people around here are awesome.”

The King-Helger battle was the final race of the afternoon as the day was filled with other Gassah Guys drivers as well as regular races.

The Gassah Guys Ol’ Skool Drag Racing, led by Augusta’s Stevens, was the main draw of the day.

The Gassah Guys previously raced in June at Winterport and have two more scheduled races in September and October.

Stevens claims that the Gassah Guys is the only drag racing organization in the country to use flag starts opposed to Christmas-tree light starts.

Winterport Dragway was created out of an old airstrip and Stevens says that’s also an attractive feature for the nostalgia drivers.

“That’s one of the draws for the old guys,” Stevens said. “That’s the way they used to race.”

Stevens, who is a territory manager for Komatsu construction equipment, got the organization started three years ago.

“Word spread all over New England through word of mouth,” said Stevens.

Last year was the first time the Gassah Guys hit the track.

“I went to the board of directors [of Winterport Dragway] a year and a half ago and I said, ‘I have something that will work for you really good,” added Stevens. “I wanted to get three dates. They came back and gave me four.

“Our last date last year, we had 86 cars show up and race.”

Saturday’s race didn’t disappoint, either.

Many old cars showed up to race, including four front-engine dragsters, a 1932 Hudson, a 1964 Pontiac GTO, a 1923 Model T along with many older Chevrolets, Fords and others.

“It’s great,” said King. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Helger brought three cars up from Rhode Island to race.

“I can’t imagine what it costs to haul three race cars up,” Stevens said.

Helger’s two twin sons, Jesse and Cody, raced against each other in the dragsters a couple times. The elder Helger also had the roadster with him.

“To watch my two sons with wheels standing, smoking tires, front end dragging,” said Helger, “It doesn’t get any better than that.”

Three regular racing divisions also took part in the racing.

Russell Calder of Campobello, New Brunswick, defeated Willy Larrabee of Stockton Springs in the Gamblers Race finals. Michael Sargent of Quispamsis, New Brunswick, was a semifinalist.

J.R. Rollins of Parkman beat Abbott’s Conrad Rollins in the ATV/Quad finals. Calder was a semifinalist.

In the Lawn Mower/Small Tractor race, Alex Lame of Stockton Springs defeated Bangor’s Gage Reynolds. Corinna’s Tony Littlefield was a semifinalist.

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