Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

two old strips from the las vegas area. first was the original strip in henderson [just south of las vegas on US 93] second and best was the strip owned by the Stardust casino, which was called the Stardust. it had a F-1 race track and the straight away was the drag strip. acres of paved parking. the restrooms had real ceramic tile and real mirrors and hot running water. this was the push start days for TF, so they had their own push lane, protected by a solid cinder block wall. a Martini and Rossi bridge. as for shut off, if you couldn't make the last one, just keep going, you had another mile on the road coarse. this was a div 7 hot track. as a young kid with a C/G '56, i got to see almost everyone who was someone. when was the last time you saw 7 AA/FA's show up for class?
third was the old las vegas speeddrome. on the same grounds as the new vegas strip. wasn't the best but there were a lot of races there. again the strip was on the straight away for the road course [which is still in use].
rod in AZ

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Used to race there. G/SOA (optional automatic if I remember correctly) with a 383 69 Charger SE. Still have some pics of that somewhere.
Still had a trophy from there up until a few years ago.
A great track in it's day. You could show up any weekend and there were always some name racers there.

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

for those old div 4 guys.austin racewayand the old san antonio raceway.

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

How about South Glens Falls, N.Y. An outlaw track when I ran there from 73 to 77. My buddy built the tree for them. Basically if you were dialed wiyhin 3 to 4 tenths of each other you were running heads up. We ran stock in a black '72 Demon 340. No money just trophies, drove them in, uncorked the headers and put on the slicks.

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

No North Carolina tracks posted? I believe, and stand to be corrected by Mr. Bret Kepner, North Carolina has had more drag strips than any other state. Remember:
Sanford, Easy Street, Broadslab, Concord, Red Springs, Holly Ridge, Shuffletown, Union County, Fayetteville Airstrip, "original" Piedmont and lots more. I remember other tracks that we raced on, I'm just too old to remember the names.

Right now there are still over a dozen tracks operating on a week-end in North Carolilna

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Quote from Jim (Cimo):
Here in East Texas:

Hallsville
Interstate 20/Tyler
Cherokee County
Whitehouse
Gilmer
Winnsboro
Midway Dragstrip/Como
Caddo Mills
Green Valley
Forrest Hill

Some of these have been closed for decades.
Adger, do you remember all of these?

Cimo,
Just saw your post. yes, I do remember, Esp Whitehouse. I didn't advertise the last race there. I didn't want it to take away from the move to I-20 (Tyler)
I sold the first set of timers from Whitehouse to the Como track. I was lucky enough to have raced at all but the Gilmer track. I think I made the last Forrest Hills race. To branch out a little from Jims list we had some Ark. and La. tracks that have gone away.
1. Hope Ar. (airport) I got my start there.
2. Carlisle Ar (airport) "In The Day" there were some real Good races and racers at those two tracks.
3. Prescott Ar. (airport) the other strip at Prescott I helped build in 1978 is still operated there by Jackie lewis. Prescott is where I put all the "Stuff' from the Whitehouse track.
4. Haynesville La. (airport)
5 Two tracks in Shreveport La. The one in the industrial park and the other out east of town by the road race track. The memories are faded on those two, Need some help on info about them from La. racers.
6. There was a track near Alexandria La that we raced som modified and Gas meets at. I think it was Cen-La ??
7 Then there was the Gulf freeway track near Baytown Tx.
8. Can't leave out the East Tex Dragway there was some great racing there
I noticed Redman beat me to the old San Antonio Tx track...oops, He had a better reaction time. :~) I would say a fair share of "long Necks" have been consumed at that track. How about that, Redman?

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Adger, after I've had a bit of time to recollect, I was in reference to the "Cedar Hill" track instead of Forest Hill.

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

That didn't sound right, but I think you are right. Wasn't that was one of "The Hall's" first go at strip ownership? I think the Cen-La track was at Forrest Hills near Leesville, La. (alex area) That was where I Attended last race. They gave out rain checks and never opened again.
Wow, this is getting into some cobwebs in my mind...I might have to think, recollect a little more...

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Upstate New York,,,,,,,,,it was either Fonda or South Glens Falls,,

Fonda Speedway,,,,,,,,,, (Montgomery County Fairgrounds)
21 South Bridge
Fonda, New York

* About 30 miles west of Albany, New York

The Fairgrounds was used as a dual-track, with a 1/2 mile Dirt Oval for Stock Car Races.
and a Drag Strip.

The Drag Strip was opened in 1957, as an 1/8 mile track,,,,,,,,,
then converted to a 1/4 mile track in 1959.
It was closed in 1968.

NHRA Drag Rules

Race Days; Saturday Night

Home of; The Muldowneys (Shirley and Jack), Chuck McJury, and Grant Speed Shop's.

Pretty much an 'Outlaw Track', that drew alot of 'backwoods drag racers'.
The Drag Strip portion of the track and surroundings were kind of rough,,,,,,,,sometimes being labeled 'a dump' by racers.

Famous for home-made diggers, and rough-n-ready gassers.

But for Mid-Upstate New York, it was the only game in town.

Pulled in 'local racers' from Montgomery, Schenectady, Albany, Schoharie, Ostego, Herkimer, Hamilton and Delaware counties,
but mostly from the Tri-Counties of (Montgomery, Schenectady and Albany).

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

western Pa. and east Ohio
anybody remember the Greeks operated strips in mercer, Pa.
and drag city, in east ohio.

pittsburgh international dragway

sunshine dragway, new castle, Pa.

won alot of races at those old tracks:)

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

-Alex Theopolis (sp?) ran Sunset in the Mercer PA area, and Ohio Drag City in Meander Ohio. Alex passed away a few months ago. Sunset has raced the past few years as an outlaw track. Meander has been closed for several years, and when it closed, there was a clause in the contract that said the new property owner(s) could do anything they wanted with it, EXCEPT have a working drag strip.

-Skyline was the track near New Castle. My dad's uncle helped build Skyline.

-P.I.D. closed in 1976.

Sadly, I am too young (age 31) to have been to or raced at any of these tracks. Another area track closed down is the Fairmont (formerly Eldora) Dragway in Fairmont WV. We had several S/SS races there from 1995 to 1999. It closed in, I think, 2000. Nice little down-home 1/8 mile track.

Other area tracks that have closed over the years that I have heard about. Peterson Memorial in Altoona PA, one in New Bethlehem PA, not sure if the track in Erie PA still exists or not. Or the one in Steubenville OH, an outlaw 1/8 mile track that also hosted several of our S/SS races from 1997-2002

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Down by my neck of the woods I live about 10 minutes from the Old Vineland Motor Speedway in Vineland, NJ. Started out as a Circle Track then they added a Dragstrip and Dirt Road Course. Track is still their today with overgrown weeds and a College Soccer Field at the end of the Dragstrip, A Hospital at one end and a Mobile Home Park & Solar Field at the old entrance.

http://www.vineland.org/history/Vine...dway/index.htm

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Mike: Erie PA dragstrip: www.luckydragcity.com.

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Dave,

Just for your info in 64/65 some Airmen went to the base Commander and got permission to race at night on a rarely used road out toward the base recreation area. We would block off the road off the road and race all night long, no trophies, no money, just for fun.

The only real caveat the Commander put on us was that there would be NO drinking! One night a bunch of guys (spectators) refused to stop drinking and the organizers told us what was going on and we all packed up and went home.....over 75 cars and we all quit so as not to break the pact that those Airmen had with the Commander.....can you imagine?

Never see that happen today with all the selfish people in society.

It was a fun time.

JimR

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Green Valley Tx dragway
San Antonio Tx dragway
Cedar Hill
Austin Raceway Tx
Southeast Ga raceway
Green Valley AL
Sylacauga AL
Lassiter Mountain AL
All closed but each had it's own personality.

Favorite place to race: Little River/Temple Academy Dragway.

Wish I could have raced there: Caddo Mills Raceway, it was the second oldest drag strip in the US when it closed.

Texas guys: wasn't there a strip South of of Dallas called "Hallendale" or something like that?

And for all you people in Germany: Hanau Drag Strip.

JimR

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Alton, IL.

http://stldragracing.com/2011/12/chr...sines-204-mph/

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

redman in the house,adger was stationed at ft hood when i visited san antonio and austin.i also went to the great temple academy dragway.have old pics of temple and austin.for my ky why friends,how about the old bluegrass raceway between lexington and nicholasville and old somerset drad strip.

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

When I was in Ft Hood in the mid '70's they had just dissloved the Army Racing Team but they held races down by the rail loading yards on a blocked off road.....tree and lights, the full monte, but Temple Academy was my favorite, at that time they ran AHRA.

JimR

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Planning the second Reunion for Bluegrass Dragway in 2012
Closed in 1981.

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

I was stationed at Fort Hood in 1968 and went to Temple Academy/Little River a couple of times. I remember the Christmas tree hung over the track on a cable attached to the tower on one side and a tree limb on the other. When the wind was blowing the light was all over the place. If memory serves me correctly it was a traffic light they were using but it has been a long time.
thanks, Roland

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

I remember taking the trek up to Tri-City from Detroit often.

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

As I remember this was also an airstrip and, like Dunkirk, NY, you would occasionally have to stop racing for an incoming plane !!!

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

You're right Roland. It was a couple of stop lights. I was stationed at Ft. Hood in 68' and 69'. I took my 50 Olds V/Stocker (theres a photo in Mark Yacavone's collection) down there in 1969, and won 17 of 19 Stock Eliminator races with it. Imagine a V/Stocker on a PRO TREE. Aah, but we had the tenth break-out in effect back then, and not many cars could run under the index. The other two races were runner-up finishes, as the clutch locked up once and the spider gears broke on the other, both in the finals.

I loved that track, not just because I was successful there, but because it was just a neat, tree-lined track with a shaded grandstand and always had great traction. The cows used to graze the trees during the week, so you had to police the pit area for cow pies before you pitted, but it was always lots of fun. Also, remember that it was all CLASS RACING as they didn't yet have brackets. Funny thing is, everyone understood handicapped racing back then, but now it's often used as an excuse as to why spectators don't watch us. Must have been a bunch of stupid people born in the last thirty years!!

I think the most impressive thing about that track to me was that the conditions never seemed to change. Even when it was hot, it wasn't HOT. The starting line was always shaded and so were the pits. So the traction was always consistent. Reher-Morrison used to go there to test because of the conditions, or so I've heard.

If anyone on this forum remembers those races at Temple-Academy (Little River) in 1969, I'd appreciate it if you'd PM me.

Jerry

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Dave...do you know when Dunkirk closed and why? Was one reason the fact that Niagara opened? Any more Dunkirk stories and/or photos...I think you posted some before?

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Any one remember Montgomery Drag Strip at the old airport just south of Route 84 near Newburgh, New York.

How about Pocono Drag Lodge near Wilkes Barre and Bear Creek in PA.

They ran from the late 50's into the 60's

Jimbo

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Went to the Drag Lodge Reunion a couple of years ago. Track still there...part of the tower..everywhere's rough and overgrown...It'll never run again....

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Back in the day (the 60's) Pocono Drag Lodge was the weekly stomping grounds of such noteables as Tim Richards, Joe Amato, John Gulius and several other well known figures.

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

redman in the house.j ryan i was at ft hood 67 to68.went to temple and austin raceway.if bob rice posted them there should be some pics from both tracks on dradnut .com.look under bill floyd (redman).

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

National Speedway Mid 70's

http://i379.photobucket.com/albums/o...4/photo2-1.jpg

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Harmony..in North Jersey I think it was open only a year or two, we ran a flat head dragster and got spotted half the track to the Riley Bros.small block dragster..flag start

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Atlanta Speed Shop Dragway in Covington, GA http://www.georgiadragracing.com/art...ttheraces.html

Hialeah Dragway in Florida http://www.karnac.com/floridahistory.../hialeah.shtml

Aquascon Dragway in Maryland http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquasco_Speedway
Aquasco is badly run down but still here.

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

I ran at Aquasco a few times in the late 60's, early 70's. Here's a shot of Malcolm Durham's Strip Blazer Chevelle.
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...ck/malcolm.jpg

Grump's '67 in the lanes at Aquasco just before running Frank Bash.
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...k/Grumps68.jpg

Ferd Napfel's record holding 55, Stormin Bull
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...usack/Ferd.jpg

Gene Mori's injected small block B/A
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...k/GeneMori.jpg

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...umpAquasco.jpg

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Dover Drag Strip, Wingdale, New York
September 1965 (One-week after the Indy Nationals)

Butch Leal 'California Flash'
vs.
Sox & Martin 'Gate City Motors'

Factory-backed, Match Racing #2700 lb. cars. (Gas/FC cars)

These two appeared at Drag Strips all over the country in 1965,,,,,,,,,Part of the '1965 Match-Race Madness Tour'.

The Gold Agency (Drag-racer booking agents) sometimes had them booked for '4' events per week.

Sox & Martin's car, had a little 'oil blow-by problem'.
http://www.doverdragstrip.com/phpBB3...le.php?id=3750

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

two more things.
1. the 1/8 mile strip at Topeka, Ks, this strip was between Ks 24 and I-70. in 1951 there was a big flood which washed out the bridge. the bridge was gone, but the 2 1/2 lane black top remained. so some guy got access to the blacktop and set up a strip. one shut down lane was shorter that the other. so the slower of the two racers got the short piece. the strip used an upside down traffic light for trials and heads up races. the tower [if you could call it that] was a 4 sided box attached to a phone pole, which ran up the inside of the box. this was an AHRA track which used a formula for the handicap. spots were actually painted out on the track, and the start was by flag. racers came form all over to race there.

2. does anyone have info on the original 'vegas valley strip in Henderson Nevada? please PM me.
thanks rod in AZ

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Some pals of mine, including the original announcer at PID, were there over the weekend. The drag strip is still there! I'll post some pics tonight.

Altoona is where I raced at often, it was located in Tipton, near where DelGrosso Amusement park is now.

The track is still there, as well, but is the main drag through an industrial park now. It is very long, over a mile of shutdown area. One of the little known facts that it is on the site of the famous Altoona Board track back in the twenties, part of what today would be the Indy Racing League circuit. It was a wood track, like a lot of them were, and Altoona was part of the "tour". The late Jimmy Murphy, one of the heavies of the day, lost his life there. Remnants of it could still be seen in the shutdown area when we raced there.

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Soon to be released.......
http://www.cartechbooks.com/lost-dra...88381481237582

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Back in 1999-2000 I had sone input about Lost tracks in Texas, Ar, Ok and La. Bret Kepner and Tom Posthma 9SP0 were working on it. Never had any idea what happened to their project.

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Might you have a few pics from the Altoona drag strip that you could share?

Any idea when and why it closed?

You probably bumped into Herb Kutz...the Super Stock racer...from time to time...think
he lived nearby.

Re: Lost Drag Strips
 

Herb was from Altoona. I know he won the Summernationals at Englishtown...I can't recall the year, and then went to work for Comp Cams. Haven't heard from him in years.

I have a lot of pics at home, on my home computer. I will post them over the weekend.

A lot of reasons it closed...Petersen, the older gent that owned it, was getting in poor health, and the kids didn't want to mess with it. It was leased by John Dively in 77 & 78, then he quit, too. I'm pretty sure it's the same John Dively who owns Econo-trailer in Claysburg.

A few years back, a couple of the original racers and myself got with Jim Amos from Bee On Video (www.beeonvideo.com), who makes a lot of the old nostalgia races and films. Jim took tons of video of it is now, and we provided him with a lot of old 8mm films. He is putting together a production as we speak.