old drag racing pics, need help finding out the location

A friend of mine at work gave me these pictures, can't figure out where this track is, just curious if anyone would know, they are from around 1956. Thanks for any help

Farmall

http://www.idewwebdesign.com/pics.html

 

Just a guess, Great Bend Kansas 1955?

 

The first NHRA National was at Great Bend, and the low hills in the background kind of fits the terrain between Elsworth and Great Bend.

 

Man those are cool, and holy shit that Woody is bad ass...

 

what year was is when it was in Great Bend, I wanna say 54, in the last picture, the car has a 1956 Penn. lic. plate. Yeah Haas that woody is definetly badass, looks like an East Coast car.

Farmall

 

Hello,

The last pic with the PA lic plate also says Frank Bash. He is / was known around Phila with Speed Shops & engine building. I might be able to track down some info.

Steve

 

The woody was owned by Hank's speed shop, Berwyn, Pa. circa 1962.

 

The Roadster in the upper left hand shot is the Marquez Brothers Roadster...for what it's worth.

 

I'd suggest that you email the pictures to Byron Stack of the Gassermadness.com and the gurus there may be of help.
Grat old snap shots.
Glenn
(formally in Kansas City)

 

Found this on the Heartland Park website, '55 according to them....


"Nearly half a century ago, dragsters raced at an abandoned airstrip in central Kansas.
The event in Great Bend was the National Hot Rod Association's first national competition, taking place just a few years after the organization was born.
Looking back, five-time NHRA champion Kenny Bernstein, who wasn't yet born to witness the Great Bend competition in 1955, said such races began to sear the NHRA into the nation's conscience"

 

The pictures all came in one photo album, and the one lic. plate clearly says Penn 1956, so it is my guess that they were all from the same event. Did they race at Great Bend more that once. In the one picture its, hard to tell but the car being pushed by the Effie looks like the first cover car of Hot Rod, not sure though. Guys thanks for the info on some of these cars. I still think that Woody is that slickest looking car

Farmall

 

[ QUOTE ]
Looking back, five-time NHRA champion Kenny Bernstein, who wasn't yet born to witness the Great Bend competition in 1955,

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, you didn't have to do that! Now I feel old...

 

what's the problem Smokin, did you race at the first one????

 

"OK, you didn't have to do that! Now I feel old... "

Whoever wrote that must have been talking about Bernstein Jr. Ilooked Kenny up and he was born in '44. Now do you feel a little younger?

 

Nope, I was only a pup in 55 but at least I'd been born...
The thought of me being older than Kenny B. worried me.

Anyone besides me think Kenny looks like Roy Rogers little brother? He's got the same squint to his eyes.
All those years of NITRO METHANE in the face did it to Kenny.
Y'all spose Roy got that squint from Trigger Methane?

"What time is it boys and girls???"

 

I'm going with Great Bend in 1955 also. The things that look like hills in the background are more likely trees. Compare it with a modern day photo of the same strip. The immediate Great Bend area is flat as a pancake. It looks like a ditch to the left of the strip. If this is Great Bend, the ditch is long gone. I also don't recall the serious power lines, but this is something that could easily change although I don't remember them from any photo I've ever seen of the track.

 

Do you still have access to these?

 

Pete has not visited here since March 10, 2008.

 

Sad to see that! Hope he is well. Was hoping maybe someone saved these photos before the links broke

 

Yes that’s it! I have more info on my profile but am trying to gather anything I can about it

thank you!

 

Where was this photo from?