Chuck and Kris Henderson not only took a trip east earlier this month, but also back in time.

The father and son – along with their 1929 Model A Ford roadster – took part in The Race of Gentlemen.

The event was held Oct. 1-3 and is annually staged by the Oilers of New Jersey on the beach of Wildwood, N.J.

It featured three days of drag racing on the Atlantic Ocean beach.

However, not just any vehicles are allowed.

To qualify for the event, cars and motorcycles must be pre-1950s with accurate parts and tires for that era.

All race cars must be 1934 models or older. Parts and tires can be from 1953 or before.

“Each racing vehicle must be pre-approved by the event planners to make sure it meets all criteria,” said Chuck, a longtime auto shop teacher at Kingfisher High School and a self-professed avid car enthusiast.

After teaching at KHS for 18 years, Chuck finished up his career at Chisholm Trail Technology Center before retiring in 1996.

Kris graduated from KHS in 1980 and also taught auto shop at his alma mater and CTTC before taking a job with General Motors.

That job landed him in Franklin, Tenn., where he lives with his wife, Nancy, and 18-year-old twins Kyle and Kelley.

He is a power train diagnostic technician at the GM plant in Spring Hill, Tenn.

Among some of the criteria for vehicles and equipment to qualify for the Race of Gentlemen were no disc brakes, no white wall tires, no alternators, helmets must be period correct, no fiberglass replicas and everything on the beach must appear to be from 1953 or older.

The Hendersons’ car had been stripped down to include only the chassis and body.

The engine is a Model A Ford 4-cylinder with a high compression head, a modified intake and exhaust system and improved electrical components.

Chuck made the trip to Franklin, which is just south of Nashville.

From there, the Hendersons towed the Ford roadster to New Jersey.

That required going over and under the Chesapeake Bay on elevated highways and elaborate tunnels.

Then they traveled north to Lewes, Dela., where they loaded onto a ferry for the trip across the Delaware Bay to arrive at Wildwood.

“It was quite an adventure from normally being surrounded by the farmland of Kingfisher,” Chuck said.

Racing began each day as soon as the tide went out each morning.

The drag races – oneeighth mile in length – lasted all day.

The Hendersons’ car more than held its own. It was beaten just once in 10 races.

“The car even beat some vehicles with V-8 engines and more elaborate modifications. The poor traction in the sand was an equalizing factor,” said Chuck, who still lives in Kingfisher along with his wife, Lois.

Win or lose, Chuck said he cherished the time on the Atlantic Ocean shore.

“We had a wonderful time seeing the other antique race cars and motorcycles, meeting the people and seeing the sights of New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia,” he said.

The Hendersons got to see more than that - and more than they planned - on the trip back to Tennessee.

They were unable to connect with the ferry back across the Delaware Bay.

That meant extra driving as they headed north to Philadelphia, then back down through Baltimore and Washington, D.C., before hitting Interstate 40 in Virginia.

It was a long, long drive, Chuck said, but worth it to get to compete in “the greatest race on earth.”

“It was a big deal for us,” Chuck said. “We always wanted to do it, so we checked it off our list.”