COLUMBUS COUNTY DRAGSTRIP in NC

[wupracing]

Originally Posted by Hemiparts

The Duster looks to be an old Ron Lyles car by the paint scheme.

That is where he got the Paint scheme from..He started racing that duster back in 1976 in SS/K.
Then I started driving it in H/R then we put a Tube chassis under it and ran some 9.90 & 8.90 Classes.
It is still racing Local today in Brackets at Red Springs.

Here is a Picture of it when I was driving it .

[wupracing]

Joe,
I change the pictures you can see them better now...

[Bob Rice]

The siver Camaro by the van looks like Randy Mason and Warren Plowden's "Nobleman".
Bob Rice

[Ronnie Hamlin]

The red Roadrunner looks like the late Billy West...the blue Roadrunner is Johnny Fishers C/SA car (it was a real six pack car, not a clone) and the blue "Bustin' Loose" Vega was out of John Wests' shop and if my memory is correct was Steve Coats.

[georgep3689]

Did Gene Hinson race a 1964 Plymouth Hemi(new in 1964)
(Red)...
Thanks

[joe lewis]

thanks again kevin.the 63 in the pic w/ the guy on the fence looks like the stocker daddy had so much success.also i remember the hi riser of rosevelt revels,wlid thang of harold dentons.also the red snapper and el torro,but i don't remember those drivers. i'm also looking for pics of fayetteville and dunn-benson of 70-75.

[wupracing]

Originally Posted by Bob Rice

The siver Camaro by the van looks like Randy Mason and Warren Plowden's "Nobleman".
Bob Rice

Bob,
That was Randy Manson in the Nobleman Camaro...
You should of seen him one Sunday during the race.His Hood came up this was over half way the track Some how he still Won that race..

[chris3racing]

When I first read this post I was only going to reply only to one person's post. After reading all of them I was to let each person who has posted here concerning this old track and others who have family members or friends who raced or attended races back in those day to go to Henderson, North Carolina in October each year for the East Coast Drag Times Reunion and Hall of Fame Inductions. There are guys mention on this thread who are either no longer with us, Billy West, Harold Stewart (El Torro), Gene Hinson, Ronnie Sox, Ron Lyles, Don Carlton, and the list gets longer each year. If you were out there racing with us or you were there as a spectator come out on Saturday, see the old race cars and either meet folks you haven't seen in a long time or that you never had the chance to meet. There are so many cars which have been restored or are the original cars on display. On Sunday at the induction ceremony there is a room set aside for old scrap books and news papers. When you look through the scrape books of Billy West, Gene Hinson, Tom "Smoker" Smith and so many more you will remember the old tracks, Easy Street, Broad Slab, Sanford, Person County, Piedmont, Concord, 258 Dragway, etc., and cars.

Mr. Bret Kepner, who is the emcee for the induction ceremony has a data base of all of the drag strips around the world. Last year he pointed out that North Carolina is third in the country for the number of drag strips that have operated over the years.

Concerning the old pictures. During the years that we raced, my brother took Literally a Closet Full of photographs. Before the reunion, this past year, he got out some boxes and we went through, scanned and made a CD, "North Carolina Drag Racing 60's & 70"s". This CD has photos of The Pilgrim (Billy West), Melvin Yow, Gold Finger ( Bobby Brown), Rapid Rocket (Bill Rowland), Bad News (Chester Raybourn) Sinclair Chevrolet (Ronnie Sox) Bad Thang (Harold Denton) Good Time Charlie Brown (Mike Boyle), Starliner (Alan Starr), and the list can go on. I will look through our files and see if I have some from Columbus County already scanned.

If anyone has any question concerning the reunion please contact me, we always have a good time each year seeing folks we haven't seen in many years and seeing the ones who do return each year.

[wupracing]

I also can tell you that Daddy use to have Motorcycle races to at the track and George Byrce Yes the NOW NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Owner use to come and race with them.He drove back then.He stayed in Conway S.C. at that time..

My Dad told us about Roy Hill when he first started going to That track he was Real Young and cought rides to the tracks with people like Harold Denton & Herb McCandles

I even remember Ricky Smith in his Ford Maverick Modified Car name "Country Shindig"

[Tom P]

On Google Earth I can see a little of the old track left across #74, looks like two strips with grass in the middle. I guess none of the starting line or tower is left?