Local man and his car still charging after 30 years

t Jack Kost and his Oldsmobile are doing it a quarter-mile at a time

Competitive man and trusty machine share a long association, more than 30 years of chasing down challengers on a quarter-mile asphalt strip.

It is a swift but short ride. Yet collectively, it is an enduring run of good times, nostalgic moments and high-performance finishes.

For local drag racing pioneer Bill Kost, his reliable Oldsmobile is a part of history, a decorated career and family. Like a good pair of racing gloves, it fits a passionate pilot from Renton – one of the earliest men to race a full-size Olds on drag strips regionally, if not nationally.

While others drove Chevrolets, Fords and Dodges, Kost dared to be different.

“I like being an individualist, and I always liked an Olds,” the 67-year-old Kost said while working on his beloved 1977 Cutlass inside his north Auburn garage. “An Olds was my first car as a teenager ... it’s always has been my favorite car.”

Kost and his record-breaking Cutlass amassed more than 40 wins, including three nationals. One of those nationals was his finest hour, the ‘96 NHRA World Finals victory in Pomona, Calif.

The vintage combination was on display last weekend in the Schuck’s Auto Supply Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Kent. Kost qualified third out of 51 drivers in the stock eliminator competition category on Saturday, but lost in the opening round of eliminations later in the day.

Kost – a longtime car dealer and lately, an Auburn restaurateur – competed from behind the wheel of his steady hot rod, powered by a 403 cubic-inch engine and dressed in nine-inch wide Eagle Goodyear slicks.

Kost refuses to slow down.

Only two years ago at Boise’s Firebird Raceway, he set national records for his class in elapsed time (11.51 seconds) and top speed (115 mph). Those marks stood for two years.

Kost, known as the black-clad “Hit Man,” has won his share of races and embraced some Lady Luck during a career that has stretched six decades. But he still yearns to reel in an elusive Northwest Division 6 title.

He remains young at heart and competitive as ever. Clutching a fourth “Wally” – a national event-winning trophy named in honor of NHRA founder Wally Parks – remains on his to-do list.

“No reason to be old,” he said with a grin. “I still enjoy life, still enjoy racing. And I’m still doing the work, but I get a little help from my friends.”

Those friends include a close-knit racing family. Wife Vicki also dabbled in racing by driving the legendary Cutlass to her share of strong runs in the early going. Brother Pete, a longtime racer who lured Kost into the sport when they were kids, remains his confidant and crewman.

“We all work together,” Pete said. “We still get a thrill out of it. Golfing is fun, but it’s not the same.”

The family’s generation of racers include Kost’s nephew Dino, a veteran sportsman driver who has chased down his uncle a time or two on the racetrack.

“He’s still good (as ever),” Dino said of Kost. “I’m not surprised (by that) because we like doing this and we take it very seriously.

“We do it because we love it and we do it within the boundaries of what we’re given.”

Kost learned to respect cars and speed early. His father Gus, a route driver for American Linen Supply, always had a nice car in the garage.

That appreciation continued when Kost drove and cared for his first car, a ‘52 Olds Super 88, which he steered to Roosevelt High School during the week and raced on local strips on weekends.

Once the racing bug bit, it stuck.

Kost raced in several divisions, even ran independently in Pro Stock during the ‘70s before finding his niche in the sportsman ranks, where costs are contained and common-man close racing is promoted.

Aside from racing and raising four daughters with Vicki, Kost made a living at cars. He was a partner with the Loberg Olds-GMC dealership in Renton for many years before operating his own dealerships for 25 years.

Along with his Cutlass, Kost’s car collection includes a pair of rare Olds models – a ‘70 W3 Coupe, one of only 205 ever built, and a ‘72 former Indianapolis 500 pace car.

Today, Kost operates his own car business in Auburn while managing Performance Grill, a remodeled and popular full-service restaurant. Vicki, an executive in the insurance business for many years, helps manage the place when she’s not traveling around the world on outreach missions.

On most weekends, Kost can be found at a nearby track, giving the youngsters fits while feeding his own need for speed.

“I really enjoy it,” he said. “You meet a lot of good people over the years.

“You like ‘em in the pits, hate ‘em at the starting line. That’s just the way it is.”

Federal Way had one racer compete at the Northwest Nationals last weekend at Pacific Raceways in Kent. Brian Thompson qualified 29th in the stock eliminator competition, but failed to make it out of the first-round of racing. Thompson drove a 1989 Ford Mustang.

Mark Klaas can be reached at 253-833-0218, ext. 5050, or mklaas@reporternewspapers.com

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