great lakes drag way union grove wi. pics

I don't want to open a can of worms but I am confused over who actually opened Great Lakes Dragaway. This thread is two years old but it is the first time I have read it all. Thanks Brian for starting it. As you know I am writing a book about the '65 Super Stock Nationals and have been doing a lot of research. I met "Broadway Bob" at the NHRA Bowling Green Reunion in 2006 and he was of course one of drag racing's most loved and respected personalities. Every tribute I have read following his passing gives him credit for creating GLD, including the most in depth one written, by Brett Kepner for Drag Racing Online ( google Broadway Bob Metzler and scroll down to The Legend of "Broadway Bob"- All the Stories Were True. I encourage reading it's 6 page tribute). But the newspaper clippings posted by Curt R the week it opened in 1956 lists the Bennetts as it's creators. Could Bob have been involved on the sidelines? This is something that truly needs to be resolved for history's sake. It will be in my book and I want to make sure it is accurate.

 

from what my Dad said GLD was opened as a private affair ( car club) then had some problems ( financial ) and Broadway Bob took over and made it what it was till he passed it on . ( do not know if its true or not ) all I know is Mr Metzler was a salesman, and knew what the people ( racers and spectator) wanted .
I still laugh when we showed up to tune our SS Pontiac in the late 80's and they were having a Ford Meet ( we didn't know as someone who was supposed to call didn't ) . we were about to turn around and head out to Byron and he stopped us and waived our entry as he wanted to stir things up a little with the Ford crowd . we got more tuning done than before . he was a fun man .

 

Frank,
Prior to Lynn Bennett's passing away, he gave me all news articles, photos, films, documents and corporate minutes that, he had, relative the beginning and early history of Great Lakes Dragaway.

The Kepner article makes for very interesting reading, some errors in factual accuracy.

Broadway Bob was on the sidelines but not the purchaser, builder or major driving force behind the foundation or construction of GLD.

By 1963, the Bennett's had sold their interest in GLD and Broadway Bob owned the majority interest.

Curt R

 

oops, forgot!!! "TRADITIONAL ROD & KULTURE" magazine #39 and starting on page 70 has a six page article about the Mellotones Car Club of Wauwatosa, Wi., member club of the GREAT LAKES TIMING ASSOC. and their involvement in the early days of Great Lakes Dragaway. Great article by Ron Crable.
Some of the pictures are from the Lynn and Marge Bennett collection.

Curt R

 

I lived just south of there in Waukegan, IL. We went up there all the time with our friends with halfway fast cars on grudge racing nights. If none of them wanted to go I'd take my '65 Impala with a 6 and take that down the track. After the race we'd pick up the time slip to see how we did. Once time my slip said "Didn't want to embarrass you" on it instead of the time and mph so we all got a good laugh out of that. Another time my brother went up there in my parents' 4 door Buick. He loosened up the exhaust manifolds and took off the wheel covers and raced it with the other cars. We saw Evel Knievel there once. He jumped over some school buses on his bike. First he gave us a lecture about not doing drugs. It seemed to us at the time that smoking some weed in your living room is a lot safer than flying over a bunch of buses on a motorcycle. That drag strip holds a lot of good memories for me. Those were the good old days....

 

Hey Curtr,
As a Oswego native and having spent virtually every "Sunday, Sunday " there from '56 to '62 I would love to get a copy of that disc. Who knows I may catch a glimpse of my '36 3 window.
Please advise
Lou39

 

Thanks Curt R, I will see Bret at the Henderson N.C. meet next weekend and bring this up to him. He is the most knowledgeable drag racing historian I know. He also wants to get it right. If you had not posted those newspaper clippings on this thread it may have been recorded incorrectly forever. As I said I have NEVER heard or seen any other reports that disputed Bob founding GLD. I am in no way taking away Bob's tremendous accomplishments in his lifetime...he was definitely a "one of a kind" but if the Bennetts were the ones whose vision resulted in GLD being here it needs to be part of the history.

 

Hello Lou39,

Took me a little while to figure out the changes to the HAMB, I think, I got it.

I have two discs of vintage drag racing available.

One disc is digitized 8mm and 16mm film of the construction and opening day of Great Lakes Dragaway 1956, Oswego-Cordova-Great Lakes Dragaway-1957, Oswego-GLD 1956-59, Lightning Rods and Cruisin Angels racing at GLD 1960, GLD Labor Day 1961. About 1 1/2 hour of film. Loads of race cars from Wis and Illinois, not much of the west coast cars but, if your interested in Wis and Illinois drag history, this disc has a lot.

The other disc contains 900 digitized 35mm slides pics. All pics from Great Lakes Dragaway 1963-69, Rockford 1965-66, Indy Nationals 1964, Detroit Dragway 1965. About 1 1/2 hour view time, doesn't go much beyond 1963.

No sound track on either disc.

A two pack of one slide disc and one video disc is $42.95, USA shipping included.

Individually, the discs are priced as follows;
One slide disc is $24.95, USA shipping included.
One video disc is $21.95, USA shipping included.

Let me know, thank you for your interest.

Curt R

 

These are some of my dad's.

 

More....

 

I can assure you that Curt is accurate and factual. I have personally attended some of the GLD Reunions and there has never been any disagreement to Curt's statements. I also know some of the club members from the founding car clubs that put together the facility. Their stories coincide with what Curt has stated. At end of the day, I consider Curt to be the foremost authority on the history of GLD.

and I still race there...including this past Saturday evening.

 

Jeez Bob... he must be paying you "Good" or at least better than me! Hahaha!

I just call him a "friend"...

 

Really love seeing these old pics of Union Grove. My Dad has some old pics around here someplace. When I find them I will certainly post them.

 

WOW thanks for posting. That chopped Plymouth was basically a brand new car! And the channeled 36, too cool.

 

..I recently bought this photo at a swapmeet, was told it was taken at Great Lakes Dragway in 1956,...

 

hello rc57,
great pictures, huge thanks.

I remember seeing the chopped Plymouth in the pits in 1957, saw it a few times cruising Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee. Then it was gone. When I started to gather info, pictures etc. about the history of rods, customs and drag racing in Wisconsin, finding a pic of the chopped Plymouth was high on the list. If, it's ok with you, I will use your pics of the Plymouth and start a new thread on the HAMB customs forum about the owner of the Plymouth and hoping to find more pics.

Curt R

 

Bob,
thanks for the props. I was in the process of putting together another GLTA/GLD reunion, kinda on hold for some mending time. See attached pic for what has slowed me down.

Curt R

 

holy cow! I was wondering why you were asking about handicap access for Iron Invasion. Now I know and I don't like what I see.

please PM me with a report.

 

Curt- Feel free to use them, I can check with my dad to see if he remembers anything else about the car or owner.

Hope your feeling better. Isn't that 124th & Hampton?
Rich

 

Curt-My dad used to cruise Wisconsin Ave too and was with The Ignitors car club from Brown Deer. You may remember my dad's car-black '56 210 w/dual duad 265.

 

that is a great car!

 

Mark, hello, yes I still have your favorite wall hanging in my garage. Almost had a body to go with it.

Curt R

 

Frank,
whatever you and Bret need for GLD history, let me know. I have a good friend that was Broadway's caretaker until BB died. He may have info that could contribute to your and Bret's efforts. The Great Lakes Dragaway and Broadway Bob story is book worthy. Stay in touch. I'm not a writer so any info that gets out there about a historical drag strip and a historical figure is a plus for all those interested.

Thanks.

Curt R

 

Hello Sam,
that is GLD, 1956.
Did the guy have anymore photos?
what swap meet?
thanks

Curt r

 

I figured out PM is now conversation so, we are in conversation, hope you got my conversation.

Curt R

 

Rich
thank you for the ok! anything that your dad can remember will be much appreciated.

Our next Great Lakes Timing Association/Great Lakes Dragaway reunion is in the planning. We extend invites to 50's and 60's car club members, family and friends. Tell your dad, it would be great to have him attend.

thank you for the good wishes, the mending is going to take a long time.

you are right on the location, at 130PM on a Tuesday, a guy with a bigger truck than mine ran a red light, me and my truck lost the battle.

Curt R

 

Hey Curt... please let me know when this happens.

Hey Bob get on his email list for the current news... and pray for the old fart!

I'll give you twice the Scrap value for it today!!! Hahaha... it'll probably be your Headstone until a HAMB'r figures out where you're buried!!!!

 

Mark, specially for you. As I was digging for another pic, I found these, hope the pics are of the right truck.

Curt R

 

Holy Chit... That's my truck!!!

I heard that the truck was raced at GLD in the Mid to late 60's.

It had a Diamond tuft top and interior with a Moon Race dash filled with SW gauges.

Had those crazy pipes well after I redid the truck!

Keep your eyes peeled for any color photo's as is was a "Wild Green Metalic" paint job by Butch and pin stripping by "Mr. Z".


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I raced it again at GLD in the late 70's and early 80's it ran a 13.5 e.t.'s all day long at 104 mph!

scan0006 by wingnutz posted Sep 28, 2011 at 8:03 PM

 

I turned it into a "Streetrod" blehhhh!

scan0006 by wingnutz posted Sep 28, 2011 at 8:03 PM