Originally Posted by Ed Fernandez (Post 180339)

Connecting highway hasn't changed much.Last time I drove through,early last year the only visual change was it's now 2 lanes each way with a shoulder.And of course the exit past the bridge (going towards Bklyn.) has been closed since who knows when.
It's still possible to make a pass.If you can afford the ticket and impound and possible
steel bracelets.

Originally Posted by Lew Silverman (Post 180361)

You're right, NY was kind of special! I get back up there for work every so often and the places have changed - more crowded and all. It was the perfect place for a "car guy" to grow up in the 50's and 60's. Match races at NY National and Westhampton, Wednesday night grudge runs at Raceway Park, and working Connecting Highway on Friday's! Cool! :D:D

Originally Posted by hemicop (Post 180342)

So are they, and where, running now? What's it take to be competitive (besides money:D) there?

Originally Posted by Lew Silverman (Post 180332)

Anyone remember running West Shore Road in Port Washington in the late 60's? We used to choose-up at the Wetson's on Northern Blvd. The stretch of road in front of Bar Beach was straight and flat and the top of the hill did help slow you down. There was a primered 55 Chevy coupe (driven by John Balch?) that used to clean-up, and assorted 409's and Max-Wedge's. One night Eddie Akem brought the A&P Auto T/F down and made a short pass, but right after that the Nassau Co. police shut us down. :)

Originally Posted by Carl Juliano (Post 180382)

I work in Port Washington frequently and always wondered if they raced on West Shore Rd. I mentioned it to my father, but he raced in Queens, Bklyn. He told me they also ran on Crossbay Blvd. in Broad Channel, the FDNY used to come and open up the hydrants so they couldnt race.

Originally Posted by hemicop (Post 180365)

I can remember getting up at dawn to go to NY Nat'l. It seemed so far away. Now living in Az. a 200 mile trip is so commonplace a trip to NY Natl. would now seem almost boring.
I remember my first trip to actually race-- I had just gotten my license & my buddy picks me up in the tow-truck, racecar on the back. I'm walking down the driveway & my Mom yells at me : " Have fun! Don't drive too fast!" I looked back at her and reminded her just what we were doing & she got beet-red and just started laughing. I dn't think the "fun" factor will evr return :(

Originally Posted by Ed Fernandez (Post 180367)

Pretty much the only street racing going on around NYC are the fart pipe thug crowd.The guys with real fast cars go to Englishtown/Atco and run no time.Sometimes for money.
You can tell a money run because there's about 100 people around both cars.Most of them have a piece of one of the cars.After they go down the track there's a bunch of trash talking then they go back to the pits.Sometimes they come back out and do it again.
On the street the smart guys keep away.Getting caught is mandatory impoundment of the car and maybe worse.
It's good they're off the strees.Most of them have ***** for brains anyway.

Originally Posted by mopar68 (Post 180395)

Yo wassup wit dat? Why you be dissin' us?

M68 :D

Originally Posted by Ed Fernandez (Post 180385)

Carl your old man used to race a Studebaker buckboard at Connecting.One HP.They had to sweep the road down after he made a pass.

Originally Posted by gremlin1945 (Post 40917)

All of the recent bitching and moaning is starting to get stale.
Just to lighten things up I'd like to hear from those who frequented the following Friday,Saturday night circuit in NYC.
Connecting Highway
Laural Hill Blvd.
Francis Lewis Blvd
Review Ave-Van Iderstien fat rendering co. stunk lik hell
The Conduit (150th St)
Columbia St-Red Hook Bklyn
1st Ave.-Bush Terminal
Fountain Ave-not one of my favorites
Mitchells-Roller skate waitresses
This was in the late 60's early 70's.I got my first ticket one night at Connecting.Had a new
1969 VW bug and cops caught me racing another VW(he had Calif. plates,didn't pay ticket).The
cop gave us speeding ticket (55 in a 50)
instead of "Speed contest".
Was there one night when they ran a front engine dragster on highway.
Anyoneremember John D'Andrea?Had a 1970 Gremlin with a 390 AMC motor,won alot there.
How abouttheFish Kid or George he Greek?
Shaffroff had more than afew motors running around then.
The heavy duty races went off after 2AM down at the Conduit.Bklyn Heavy etc.Alotof $ changed hands
Just a few memories from misspent youth.The rest is blank.

Ed F.
NHRA #15
IHRA #1945
T/SA

Originally Posted by hemicop (Post 180521)

Some of the streetracers were actually a bit better or at least on par with some pros of the day. I heard there was a pic. of russo's L-88 'vette beating Ronnie sox's S/S GTX and Bernie Agaman was good enough to win a few Nat'l championships. Of course the Mutt Bros. eventually developed into a legitimate P/S team & who could forget the "Wild Pumpkin" race team of Brooklyn Heavy? ...and Scott Schafiroff was no "virgin".
Except for Dave Maskins & some rogue Mopar engineers I don't think you hear of too many admitted streetracers turning pro except those in NY

Originally Posted by Paul Ceasrine (Post 180595)

Lots of Cool Places to Street-Race.
Even some great Musclecars. Each contingent had their own pack to follow. Big-Body Chevy's, Corvette's, Nova's, Camaro's, Ford, Mercury, Olds, Pontiac, Buick, AMC, and VW's and the Foreign Cars.
Even Plymouth versus Dodge. Man those guys hated each other!
Remember 1968 thru 1972, not too many tracks running
'Bracket Racing'. So if you had a car with an Edelbrock aluminum intake, Holley carb and 8" tires, if you went to the track you got classed in
Modified/Production, and your street-car got pounded by a track-car.
On the street, anything went. And it was great fun 'After Midnight'.
PC

Originally Posted by Ed Fernandez (Post 180605)

Two non muscle cars that I remember was Flip's Speed Shop's volvo and a Nash Metro
named Classical Gas.Short wheelbase and a S/B chevy on a concrete roadway.Very scary.
Anybody remember Mitchell's on 86th st. in Bklyn?They had the girls on roller skates there to bring you your food.Car hops.And how about New Park Pizza on Crossbay Blvd.Way better pizza than Pizza City.

Originally Posted by art leong (Post 180606)

Mitchells became Wetson's then (and now) Nathans.
New Park Pizza was real Pizza

Originally Posted by Mopar Steve (Post 180524)

Ronnie's '68/9 Road Runner S/S car was bought by an NY street racer. To this day the car still has the radius on the 1/4's.

Originally Posted by cammer427 (Post 180610)

What's the name of the racer who bought it from S&M? Where is it now? I always find it exciting to hear of ex-race cars that were purchased by street racers... especially when they're still around and haven't been crushed and melted into a fleet of tea pots and toasters. :rolleyes:

Originally Posted by Mopar Steve (Post 180618)

No idea who bought it from them originally, If I remember correctly it was a younger gentleman. The car is now in Don Snyder's collection, restored, except for the 1/4's.

Originally Posted by art leong (Post 180624)

I came face to face with Dick Landy's "Pepsi Cola" Challenger. At the PRI show last December.
Vinnie Maida and I bought that car from Landy in 72 (I think) That was to be my first NHRA car. We were going to run it in C/Gas with a clutchflite and a "prostock" Hemi. And some street racing. We rented an open trailer. Towed to California from Brooklyn to pick it up with a slant six plymouth fury. I even got a bank loan for that car, Landy had to put a number on the car to satisfy the bank.
I never got that car finished.
I teamed up with Tex (Ray) on the 71 Charger, and the rest is history.

Originally Posted by cammer427 (Post 180610)

What's the name of the racer who bought it from S&M? Where is it now? I always find it exciting to hear of ex-race cars that were purchased by street racers... especially when they're still around and haven't been crushed and melted into a fleet of tea pots and toasters. :rolleyes:

Originally Posted by art leong (Post 180624)

I came face to face with Dick Landy's "Pepsi Cola" Challenger. At the PRI show last December.
Vinnie Maida and I bought that car from Landy in 72 (I think) That was to be my first NHRA car. We were going to run it in C/Gas with a clutchflite and a "prostock" Hemi. And some street racing. We rented an open trailer. Towed to California from Brooklyn to pick it up with a slant six plymouth fury. I even got a bank loan for that car, Landy had to put a number on the car to satisfy the bank.
I never got that car finished.
I teamed up with Tex (Ray) on the 71 Charger, and the rest is history.

Originally Posted by Paul Ceasrine (Post 180616)

Hey, don't forget.
'Don't Cook Tonite, Call Chicken Delight'

Originally Posted by hemicop (Post 180726)

Funny someone should mention NHRA's classification system---- I always thought it didn't allow for street cars, that AHRA did a better job for that. Kinda hard to picture a 3800lb Chevelle being put into Gas just'cause it had some engine mods & slicks. Truth be told told, that's probably what pushed so many guys onto the street.

Originally Posted by cammer427 (Post 180730)

You know, now that I think of it I recall reading about someone pulling into a popular Brooklyn or Queens street racing haunt back in the late-'60s or early-'70s with one of Dick Landy's cars on a trailer. Can't remember if that was an article or a post.

Originally Posted by hemicop (Post 180735)

As I recall it was an article in Car Craft Magizine about NYC streetracing. I think the story was how Landy was in town for a race at NY Nat'l. and the streetrace had gone off near JFK Airport---can't remember who he was racing against, though but I vaguely remember something about Brooklyn Heavy possibly running him...