History Where was the "Paradise Road" in your town?

OK, so the statute of limitations has probably expired concerning your street racing back in your miss-spent youth. What was the street, highway, dirt road or other that was the place to go when a race got talked up at the local hangout? Stories and pictures are appreciated.

 

South Eubank Blvd.....the road to the City dump or Speedway Park race track...the "fastest 3/8 mile oval in the world" and it dead ended into the 'back entrance' gate of Sandia National Labs....the gate closed all weekend and nights...along with the dump
It was 4 lane, flat and the parking lot at Speedway Park was a great place to stage
Lots of memories....and when a 14 second car was fast!

 

No pictures. Well before the cell phone camera days, and no one brought a camera with.

Cedarbrook Road - Aitkin County, MN. 4th St made a 45 degree bend to the north at the edge of town and then went straight and flat for just under a mile with open fields on both sides, good quality asphalt at the time, and very low traffic. Made a good spot to run a pair of cars out. During the winter, any frozen lake would do to see who had the fastest sled. I raced alot more sleds than cars back in those days. Had to be careful not to hit ice mounds left by fish houses, and the snow banks from the ice roads were difficult to see on overcast days when the sky and ground are the same color.

 

Main hyw going thru town
4 lane road. Had a traffic light with a bridge about 1/8th mile from it.

 

I grew up on the SW side of Chicago and in the late ‘60’s guys drove out to 107th St. west of 104th Ave. in Palos Township. The races came off on 107th through the Cook County Forest Preserves so cross traffic was not a concern but the road was a bit narrow with gravel shoulders.

 

Lynn Marsh rd. AKA rt 107 just north of Boston. Them rice burners still lighting up the night now-a-days. Saw some heavy hitters and can say first hand we had some Bad Larrys in my day

 

We had several... Kearny villa rd , Morena blvd , Blossom valley rd, Torrey pines rd . I raced all of em.

 

In the Maryland suburbs just outside Washington, D.C. there were a few notable locations. George Palmer Hwy. (now MLK Blvd.) was widely known as a hot spot. Rt. 295 by Blue Plains Sewage Treatment Plant was another.

 

I believe Car Craft magazine Feb 1980 had an article about San Diego cruising and racing.

 

there was a marked quarter mile on Boscell road in Fremont less than a mile from the Fremont Dragstrip.

it was called "Little Fremont".... raced my GTO out there.

 

Anywhere straight on hwy 13. Also liked to race on hwy 50 going through lone jack. Anyone that knows lone jack Missouri knows if we raced there we as a matter of fact could outrun Motorola lol

 

Pine valley and the 407

In and around the Industrisl roads every Friday night .

late nights early morning would do a rolling stop on the highway to let hyper cars race .

got so big guys would trailer full on drag cars big money laid down

it was nuts how big it got .

cops eventually had to shut it down .

 

In Springfield, IL it was 5th and 6th (both one way) between South Grand and North Grand for stop light to stop light races. If it got serious you could go to I 55, it was brand new with very little night traffic. Also the State of Illinois had 1/8 mile marker already on the blacktop.

 

Back in the late 70’s early 80’s this Industrial area of Bell Gardens Ca. (next city over to the east from where I grew up) was a ghost town at night.

 

In the 60’s McMinnville Oregon had two places outside of town. Peavine Road and Hill Road, and with just two County Sheriff cars. So, we would make sure they were both at the Department, we could race without repercussions ! Great times.

 

Can't say i've never participated....... Many locations to choose from........On this occasion, I was victorious.......mid 80's.........

 

I ain't telling.
60 years later and it looks like "that road" is still there.

 

Cemetery road, east of town a few miles. Stripes across the blacktop.

 

I believe it was on the town line between the 6th and 7th concessions. I didn’t participate, but heard some stories.

 

In the 60’s, Dyer street at 1 am in El Paso.

 

Late 1950's early 1960's......small town of Cascade Iowa. Perfect 1/4 mi. from 1st Ave north to small concrete bridge. Go a little further north and start at designated line on road and race back to bridge for a second chance. This starting point on 1st ave north was the main street. It was right adjacent to Dodge Plymouth Chrysler Desoto dealership. Cars and spectators would gather in the display lot in front of the dealership.
Memorable stuff......1959 El Camino with 348 335hp and exhaust cut outs......1957 Golden Commando Plymouth driven by head mechanic from dealership.......black 1940 Ford coupe with well tuned flathead wrenched by local math physics teacher.......1962 Bel Air 327 300hp tuning for weekend at Cordova.....those were the days.

 

129th street in Whiting, marked 1/4 mile.
Cline Ave off of Calumet Ave, marked 1/4 mile.
Chicago Sky Way, marked 1/4 mile.
All over Chicago and the suburbs.

 

Southeast side of Houston, service road to a steel mill named Industrial Road. Concrete, about a mile, straight, with 1/4 line across it. Everything around midnight, one night over 200 kids, rails, gassers, etc. Cops tried to bust it innumerable times, got a few but could never stop it. Name and stories will live in infamy.

 

Shhhhh we are still using it on a regular basis during the warm months.

The Chevelle won to keep on topic.

 

Front street in Philly back in the 70s and 80s the area was more industrial back them and the cops cared less

 

County road that went by the school. About 1.5 miles past the school in the river bottoms, two bridge’s exactly 1/4 mile from each other. Start just before you hit the first one, finish coming off the second one. Could see better going back toward the school, other way had a curve about 1/8 mile away.
Other place was in another town, or just out of it. Same setup, river bottoms, but only one bridge, 1/8 and 1/4 marks painted on road. There was also another place, a road going out of town the other direction, but I never raced on it. It was where the big dogs went to play, hot street cars and a few full on drag cars. Too much for my little stock 289 at the time!

 

What’s with the “Tokyo Drifting”?

 

I don't know where any such activities happen today. Loose lips lose pink slips or at least a significant fine these days.

Back in the day where I was only a spectator, the exit off the 401 into town was marked with a white line across the road (one way), exactly 1/4 mile from the overpass. There were quite a few bragging disputes and some big money matches settled there. It was something to see. Dozens of carloads showed up, watched the race, and disappeared in a matter of minutes. Most matches and details were negotiated well in advance. In the days of no cell phones, word got out pretty quick of an impending race. Competitors came from far and wide. That little stretch of road seen a lot of action before, during and after the days our local Windsor Dragway was in operation. 50 years or so later, I still see some of these guys on occasion.

 

Bush road By the pig farm outside of Wheeling Illinois

 

V St., NE Wash. DC and Rt. 50 inside the beltway. V St. was crazy, unbelievably fast cars and lots of money exchanging hands.
A small local one, Riggs Rd. Chillum.