Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Orlando Speed World Dragway has been in exsistence since the 1960's. BUT IT IS TRUE THE DRAGWAY STRIP IS CLOSING AT THE END OF THE YEAR. Walmart has purchased the property that is now leased by Orlando Speed World this would explain why Carl did not renew his lease. Walmart will be building a very large distribution center on this property. Wonder if the residences will be happy with this noise? Thanks for the memories, good times and great friends Orlando Speed World you will be missed RIP.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

That is too bad,looks like what is old is new again.The very reason NHRA was started is now the reason more guys are street racing.As more tracks close and faster cars are produced from the factory it looks like street racing will gain popularity again.That was a nice track and good racers

Kevin

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

I can street race for free you know. Sorry to hear about this, Maybe Wallmart will sponsor one of Forces daughters next.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

I guess our SSSSA race will be close to the last race there. It's a trip for me but I've always liked this track. It will be missed.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

This sucks! I have met a lot of great people racing there and have a lot of great memories.. Just another reason why this is no longer fun.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Any "official" confirmation anywhere?
I only ask because that rumor has popped up a time or two in the last year or so.
A more optimistic rumor was that another track operator was interested in taking over. But it's been just talk, nothing "official". It's bad enough that CFRC drags were just shut down.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Myron, I just checked the Yellowbullet site and nothing recent is there. Yellowbullet is mainly a grudge racing/outlaw street racing type of site, but the people that post there are pretty much on top of any news like that. Orlando is my favorite place to race mainly because of Carl, the Weisinger family and the crew there. I would sure hate to see it no longer in existance.



Hey Dan Moore, you're #1. :D

RIP Mark Graham & WB Hutto

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

If this is true, that's 3 tracks that will be history in Florida! It's probably a good thing that Lakeland Dragstrip is back to running a weekly program or you'd see more street racing wrecks on the news. Do we really NEED another Walmart warehouse in Bithlo?

Lew

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

First of all I want to give a giant "thank you" to everyone that has supported the operation of Orlando Speed World Dragway during the last 25 years.

Because of confidentiality agreements I just can't comment or speculate on the future of the Orlando Speed World property other than to say, at this time, there are no drag strip events on the schedule beyond December of 2012. And, I don't know of any firm offers to buy the property.

There are a few things I can tell you. I personally plan to retire from the active drag strip operation of Orlando Speed World Dragway at the end of 2012.

I am not, nor do I expect to be, the owner or part owner of Lakeland Drag Strip.

While I may go to our home in Oregon for extended periods of time next year, I have no intention of returning there to operate the drag strip at the Jackson County Sports Park.

There is no "serious rift" between myself and the Hart family (owners of Orlando Speed
World and New Smyrna Speedway). They wouldn't own the Speed World property today
if it weren't for me and I wouldn't have had the opportunity to operate Orlando Speed World Dragway for the last 25 years if it weren't for them.


Best to all of you,

Carl Weisinger

PS. I'd love to see any old pictures you may have taken at Central Florida Dragway/Orlando Speed World Dragway between 1966 and 1985.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Any idea where this divisional would go in 2013?

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

If it can't be held in Orlando, my next choice would be Rockingham in April.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Um .......... That won't happen. Rockingham belongs to the IHRA. Jim

Carl, I have a couple of pictures from opening day at Orlando in 1966 when the featured cars were Miss STP (Paula Murphy) and USA1 (Bruce Larson). I took my dad out with me. I will try and find them.


.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Hmmmm...Maybe Carl knows something we don't! Let the rumors begin.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Somewhere on Facebook a few months ago I saw a picture of the tower that used to be on the right side of the track. The person that had the picture stated that it had burned down and told what year that happened.

I remember the first time I was at OSW and met Carl. It was 1986 and Carl had recently taken over operation of the track after running the 2 tracks for Dick Moroso. WB and I went there with a car he had at the time and were late arriving as was WB's typical fashion. He pointed to the old wooden annoucer's stand that was next to the staging lanes on the tracks right side and told me "go up there and find Carl, tell him I'm here and ask if I can get a time run before eliminations start". I had never seen Carl before then, but felt like I knew him from all the stories WB had told.




Hey Dan Moore, you're #1. :D

RIP Mark Graham & WB Hutto

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Well, yeah,... for NOW it is IHRA. Look forward to seeing the pictures.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Yet another great dragstrip gone. And run by great people that knew what they were doing.

Sadly, these will never be replaced today.

Thanks to all the Weisinger family for all you have done for sportsman drag racing and for the great times and priceless memories.

FJ Smith

...and if its a Walmart, China strikes again!

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Orlando is the closest NHRA track to me, all the rest are now IHRA. It will really suck to get a grade point now. I will miss Orlando, It was a good place to race at.

Casey Miles
248H "F" NHRA STOCK

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

i agree 100%,i hope my kids will continue to have a place to race they already have plenty of places to buy junk

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Found this on Youtube. 1970

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQjJIVc-Hkk




Hey Dan Moore, you're #1. :D

RIP Mark Graham & WB Hutto

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

My brother Scott used to race there all the time. He loved that place. Ive' got a picture of him racing my car down there and it makes me smile everytime that I walk by it. R.I.P....Scott Dillman..been like 12 years now,seems like yesterday.:(

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Scott Dillman. What a nice man. The girls at the front gate were all hot and bothered over that handsome devil. He would always make them smile. But, never more than he did when, while waiting in line for the track to open one Saturday, he was fishing in the very small canal by the front gate and fell in. Feeling no need to try and hide it, everyone saw it anyhow, he simply drove up there to buy his tech card with him and his money fully soaked. We miss him too.

I'm going to look the next time I'm at the office, but I think I have the last tech card he ever signed somewhere near my computer.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

I raced scott first round the last time he raced the chevy ii at orlando and i still have the yellow "in memory of" letter that carl and diane gave out a couple races later

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Carl
Ive only been to Orlando afew times ..But it was always a pleasure racing at your track.
Gonna miss that trip ..Good luck in the future James

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Carl, as a div1 guy i always enjoyed the dec. and march trips down south. I have my "class winner" licence plate hanging in the "man cave" thanks for the good times..

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

I remember the old "tower" on the right side. Almost afraid to go in - more like an old storage shed on stilts! lol They still had handwritten ET slips in 1978. Dropped down a chute, I believe.

Orlando has, what I believe, is an interesting distinction. In 1980, Orlando ET racers won at the Gainesville division ET finals in 3 car classes - Super pro, Pro and either Heavy or Street. I forgot if motorcycle was in there as well but hopefully Carl can refresh my memory. But I'm proud to say that I was in Pro ET, Ann Tillman was in Heavy or Street and a gentleman in a clean, silver '69(?) Camaro was in S/P (forgot his name). So we all got to attend the FIRST NHRA World Championship race for bracket cars in Ontario, CA. at the World Finals. None of us won, but it was fun and kinda cool to be from the same track and among the first to attend NHRA's first try at having ET world champions.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Carl old Buddy Good Luck and take care, You have well earned the time off !!!
Ken

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

[QUOTE=Myron Piatek;340679]I remember the old "tower" on the right side. Almost afraid to go in - more like an old storage shed on stilts! lol They still had handwritten ET slips in 1978. Dropped down a chute, I believe.

MYRON THEY STILL HAD THAT TOWER AND CHUTE IN 83' WHEN I STARTED RACING THERE.I STILL HAVE SOME TIME SLIPS

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

[QUOTE=SCOTT SST2871;340708]lol I lost track of how long it was before they built the new (current) tower. Of course, they had a 5 amber tree in '78 also. Always enjoyed watching the class cars at the Turkey Trots and when the Mopar Missile showed up.

That's also where they filmed the drag racing scenes from the movie Parenthood with Steve Martin. He wasn't there, but "Oppie" (Ron Howard) was there directing. The Mopar Missile Duster and Hog's Breath Vega were paired up in one clip as well as me and my car in the staging lanes in another scene. Got to be an "extra" for 2 nights. I think they fired up a jet car in the pits for another shot! It was around 1989-'90.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

That old "tower" on stilts was there in 1986 when I first went there. This also was the last track I raced at that still had a 5 amber tree when the switch was made to the 3 amber tree.




Hey Dan Moore, you're #1. :D

RIP Mark Graham & WB Hutto

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

My car was in the lanes also,and i got a thank you letter copy from ron howard

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

I also have a great memory of Orlando. In 1999 at the national open I was the number 1 qualifier, set the I/SA record and won the race. First time I ever met Chuck Bohannon . He won super stock and I won stock. At the end of the day we were the only ones left on the property.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

I guess this will be a collector's item. Won it at the open in the early 2000s with Lloyd MacKay's Buick.

Jeff Jewell

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Carl, he loved you guys too! One of the last times I was down there before he passed he REALLY just wanted to go to Speed World and race but he was too sick to drive. He decided that we were going and that I was going to drive. Would'nt take no for an answer. We drove over but it was a rain out and he still wouldn't give up, so we drove to Lakeworth, Lakeland? or something like that and I got runner-up that night. He filmed every pass and it was just one of the best nights for all of us. He would always talk about Maxy,Tripplet,Cohen,Taylor,Love and all the Div II guys. You guys are a good bunch down there.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Myron, You were in question on who owned the silver 69 Camaro that won S/P at the Division Finals, that was Bruce Dagor.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

i have a couple great memories of Orlando. Carl do you remember this?
my Friend and i went from oc. Maryland to Florida for a surf/jet ski. vacation. we had a high top Chevy conversion van. we found your track and off we went. we got there, gate person said we don't race those here (referring to the stand up jet skis on the trailer) i entered the no electronic money class. we tied the jet ski trailer to a tree and off we went. my friend stayed in the passenger seat and filmed our runs. think it ran like 19.90 something or slower. first round we won, the lady at the ticket booth handed us some candy and said i could have more if i kept winning. kept going rounds, my friend would film out the back window now and yell when to hit the brakes. it was hilarious. i won the entire race, got lots of candy. they could not belive a slow high top van filled with surfboards luggage and beer had just beat their best racers. afterwords you invited us up in the tower and we had cake and swapped stories. said you knew our home track, us 13 and Charlie cathell. that was a blast!
a few years later me and another friend flew down on vacation, and we stopped by and i raced again, this time in a rental car, a 2003 sebring convertible. won $300. paid for the weeks rental and then some. had to break down the trophy in three pieces to get it into the luggage for the flight home!
man i am going to hate to see it go, i hope something works out.

Re: Orlando Speed World Dragway
 

Another video from Youtube from OSW from 1972.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXOkW...&feature=share




Hey Dan Moore, you're #1. :D

RIP Mark Graham & WB Hutto