Used to run at Dallas when I was in high school (early 80's). Wasn't so fun any more after they cut the strip down to 1/8mi. Always wondered why, the shutdown wasn't that short, but I wasn't driving a 200+ mph car either.
They had to peel an alchol funny car out of tthe trees on the other side of Mt.Tabor road(which crosses at 90 degrees at the end of the property).It was the perfect storm,the chute did not open and the throttle was stuck.Afterwards the dirt mound was made bigger and the strip was cut to 1/8.Probaly insurance and local politics as usual.
At the track I posted above (ONANDAGA DRAGWAY, MI) I was seriously wondering how Art Arfons was able to stop the GREEN MONSTER there in '65...... With the tires and brakes of the time it was a real feat! When I was there we were only running the 1/8th mile, and it seemed to me like a couple cars were "running it out the back door" a bit, (like they politely asked that you NOT do) and seemed to be having to try like hell to stop, I have no idea how a jet car would stop! James
I remember that place. It was used on and off up until the early '80s. Chucklehead_Al and I was recently talking about a mid point between Jacksonville and Wilmington for a HAMB gathering and HR Strip came up. I think it's now leased to the military as an airstrip for helicopter training. Here is a 1980 news paper article on action at the strip.
How many of you guys remember Riverside Raceway that was just east of Jackson, Ms on I-20? Here are some shots i took around 75', 76'. This is the first time i ever met Don Garlits in person. I thought i was a millionare when he autographed my pitpass sticker. Sorry for the poor quality, after all it was the 70's and i never was much of a photographer, LOL. Also, please feel free to identify any of the cars. It has been too many years for me to remember anything about these guys.
Not only remember it but raced and worked there. I have lived 3 miles from the track since I was born and loved to hear the sound of the cars racing. Later when I was older I numbered the cars and raced my 1st car, a Ford Torino and later my 72 Nova there. A friend of mine took over the dragstrip and ran it until it closed. He owns an original Sox & Martin roadrunner. The track is now an industrial park. MAkes me mad everytime I go past there!!! I am also looking for old pictures, programs etc.... Planning to write a book about it. If you have any info you would like to share, I would love to see/hear them! jecddc@suddenlink.net - John Cooper
Are there any members that remember the old 1/8 mile strip near Cherokee N.C.. We called it Cherokee some called it Dillsboro it was close to the river off hwy. 441. i would like to see some pics
The "Hoosier Hurricane"! Tan and brown '57 Ford with a supercharger, if I remember correctly. I was an unofficial "track photographer" at Avilla for a few years and know I've got several shots of you racing there some where in my archives. Avilla Raceway's been an industrial park for quite a few years now. Van Vert Dragway (later, Wayne Trail Dragway) has been gone for years too. Been a long time since I've been over that way, but the last time I was, parts of the track were still there as was the old cinder block tower.
is this the one called cherokee international race way. it was run by a crippled guy? had a cornfield at the end of it? if it is this old man won a few coins there with a 63 max-wedge ply. would love to have any pics that are available of it.
I only saw a mention of a place called Comstock in WI. That is a place that my dad raced at in the late 60's. Does anyone have pic's ar info? Matt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqYs2R4Ks1U heres a awesome track that closed for really no reason. owner runs wilson road bores, so if you see them digging fiber optic holes, givem hell. lol its for sale btw. located in nw mo on I 35 bethany, mo
Been watching this Forum for some time. There is some very good stuff. I am in the process of writing a book about the early days of drag racing. Unfortunately, I have other committments so the book has been long in development. I have quite a bit of information on the old drag strips. I was amazed at how many of them are sitll intact although in some cases very over grown. Will try to feed information as time allows. Jim
Matt, a good friend owns all the real estate around comstock the track has been in one family for years some rich dick head used it as a landing strip, my buddy has tryed talkin to the dicks kids , just for a day trip run cause theres some cool car guys up there they will have none of it, but its still there to rot in to oblivion just like wentsville I heard that that development went bust, we have a old 1/8 mile track that a hotrodder took over some years ago west of the twincities and its going gang busters he just re did the whole track and the place is packed all the time so when they open em they need to be SUPPORTED!!!!
I raced ('92-'93), then worked ('94-'95) at Fairmont Dragway, and raced against that S&M Mopar while driven by a talented bracket-racer (his nephew now runs at Pittsburgh) http://illicitohio.illicitohio.com/drags.html I still have a few caps, jackets, and a 'Track Employee' T-shirt from those days Track was closed after the '99 season, but a few racers, realizing it still was an NHRA member track thru '00, 'rented' Pittsburgh, conducted 3 races there under the FD banner, then sent a team to the bracket-finals @ U.S. 13
Here is a link to the Double H Drag Strip, it was located in Blueridge Ga in the 60's. Also there is info on Lloyds Drag Strip in Blairsville Ga both tracks were run in the 60's and were shut down back then... http://doublehdragstrip.com/ghoststrip/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx
Suffolk Raceway, Virginia. Closed in the '90s. The track was an unused runway at the Suffolk Airport. I learned how to skydive there and remember watching three of four runs while floating down. All I could hear was the car engines. This picture is of my buddy Jerry Henry driving the front engine dragster, facing off against Ed Miller in his 426 hemi powered 'Cuda. The '55 Chevy in the background was raced by Roger Chenault (sp?). That car would pull some mean wheelstands. If I remember correctly, Jerry beat them both that day. Incidentally, Hawaii Raceway Park is still closed and sits vacant. The industrial park that was "supposed" to go there never happened. We have no place to legally race on Oahu.
Lost Florida dragstrips; Buckingham-Fort Myers, Venice Vagabonds strip, Valkaria, Masters Field-Miami, Emilia Earheart-Miami, Spruce Creek, Thunterbolt, Ferendina, Miami-Hollywood, Tampa Dragway, GoldenTriangle/TwinCities.
I have heard that Garlits went to his first-ever drag race at Lake Wales, Florida ~ any idea where that track was located?
I have been told that they Drag Raced on the Airport Runways in Lake Wales back in the day..... just like they did in Brooksville Florida. I asked Garlits about this about 10 years ago at a NHRA Banquet that I was representing at, and he and his wife Pat where sitting at the same table as I was.
Brooksville was south of town on the west side of US41, probably where Springhill is today. Lake Wales was south of SR60, east of US27, if I remember right. I also remember being at a dragrace heldatsthe Sebring Racecourse.
1967 or 1968 raced 2 nights of the 5 night NASCAR winter drags at the Deland airport. The old strips in Fla. were mostly airport runways or taxiways: Buckingham/Fort Myers, Amelia Airheart, Masters Field, Venice airport, Valkaria, Spruce Creek, IOmmokalee.
I grew up in Dominguez right down the street and remember how cool the noise was and remember seeing Garlits, Prudhomme and others race.
The web site www.michiganmemories.com has the ones in Michigan. Most notably Detroit Dragway and Marine City Dragway. Detroit was an NHRA sanctioned strip.
The Jalopy Journal
