What Track is this?

[Alan Roehrich]

Originally Posted by Ebern Watson

Bobby, while attending David Lipscomb College in Nashville, I remember racing at a drag strip in Dixon?(spelling) Tenn west of Nashville (I think) that had about 100 feet of rough concrete before it coverted to dirt for the remainder of the quarter mile.....mud and snow tires were the choice of the day.....do you remember the track???Also had a great time with John Livingston at Union Hill Nashville.....but that was 1960-1964....so my memory about Dixon may be faulty....

Ebern, I think there was a track at Dickson. There was also a track close by at Fairview. Fairview and Dickson are both a little west of Nashville off of I-40. As you leave Nashville headed west on I-40, if you know where to look, and you look closely, you can see the remains of Riverside, all the property is still there, as well as part of the lights, and maybe part of the tower. You can see the track itself, but it is ruined. The surrounding area now has so many houses the track will never re-open. Lawrenceberg is still in operation, a friend of mine, Russell Hunt is running it now. There used to be a bunch of tracks around here, the other day a customer was in the shop talking about a track where there was a cooking pit under the tower, and the smoke from the pit would rise up through and around the tower.

[Mopar Steve]

Originally Posted by chris3racing

The driver, last year at Roxboro Dragway, was my son Chris (Hemiparts). The car was orginally driven be Don Carlton and last owned and driven by Mike Fons. The night that car went down the track was the first time, best guess, in 20 years. Chris, after driving the car that night, has had the opportunity to talk with Pappas and many of the original team members of Don Carlton racing.

Don Carlton never laid a hand on that car. It was built by Dick Landy for Irv Beringhaus. After Irv's untimely death, Mike Fons bought it from Irv's widow. Fons had already purchased the "Motown Missile" 'cuda and naming rights from Ted Spehar in 1972. After Fons sold the Duster, it made it's way through a number of owners in Ohio. It was being raced on and off up into 2004 by Ron Walker from Central Ohio.

[chris3racing]

You are correct sir, my mistake in names, that car was not owned or driven by Don Carlton.

[Hemiparts]

Originally Posted by Mopar Steve

Don Carlton never laid a hand on that car. It was built by Dick Landy for Irv Beringhaus. After Irv's untimely death, Mike Fons bought it from Irv's widow. Fons had already purchased the "Motown Missile" 'cuda and naming rights from Ted Spehar in 1972. After Fons sold the Duster, it made it's way through a number of owners in Ohio. It was being raced on and off up into 2004 by Ron Walker from Central Ohio.

The Missile was completely redone after it's purchase from Irv's widow in a shop not far from where Carltons cars were built. Thats why you see alot of the unique features that Carlton used his cars on the Motown Missile ( if you ever see the Missile cars notice that the wheel tubs are not rounded as they were made from flat sheets of titanium as well as the use of titanium through out the front area or the car.) to make the cars lighter and faster. ( take it from someone whos been behind the wheel of one of these cars they are a handful) As far as Carlton never driving the car, he did make several passes on diffrent occasions in the car to help Mike with his chassis set-up. The car was pulled from a garage in Columbus OH in late 2007 by Kevin Christner and restored back to it's near orginal condition. He had hoped to use the car in a match race tour this year in support of several childrens charties untill his untimely passing in January of this year. The car is curerently in safe keeping while his family works through his estate preceedings.The only true " Carlton cars" that are known to exist 1) is in Fl that was in the Garlits museum, it has had it's original motor pulled and replaced with a large cid race motor and had the chassis updated to curent 25.1 specs. The "Wire Car" and the "yellow car " that can be seen in some of the photos from Carltons shop in NC are owned by a gentleman in CA who also owns the " Motown Missile " Pro Stock Neon from a few years back. I have heard tell of a Carlton Rod Shop Colt in FL ( Kevin and I had an appointment to see the car in Feb of this year before he passed) but I have not seen any on the track.


Chris

[Mopar Steve]

I can imagine how the car drove, I have an '82 Horizon that was done by Herb McCandless. I also know the details on what Kevin's plans were for the car. I'm no stranger to the Mopar world.

I will say this, The Yellow car was parted out in New Jersey in the early 90's. I have pics of it then and believe the body to have been scrapped. There are more Carlton/Hodges cars than you think. There are also Clyde Hodges built cars that are quite similar to Carlton cars. I will not comment on the Colt.

[slawton]

Someone contact Tim Sloan - bet he could could identify that track!

[chris3racing]

I'll bet Tim can identify most of the cars I have pictures of at that track.

[Hemiparts]

While we're playing guess that track I wan't to throw out a real curve ball!! Can anyone name this track in NC ???

[Bob Rice]

Shuffletown?
Bob Rice

[Hemiparts]

Also in western NC but not Shuffletown.