great lakes drag way union grove wi. pics

Gods speed Broadway Bob

 

Nice pics

 

it will be sad to be going out to da grove today for mopar day knowing bob wont be there. he will be missed.

 

It would be interesting how many of those 'Ideal' brand trailers were sold back then in the Chicago area. If you showed up with your car on one you were big time.

 

Just an update from the very knowledgeable Dennis Doubleday regarding that Chevy II funny car above: "That's John DeCausemaker's Chevy II. UDRA car out of IL." Mystery solved!

 

Hey Curt, I heard there is video of my Fiat running at the Grove. How do I get a copy?

 

use the PM feature!

 

I'd like to put my 2 cents in here. My dad drove this car at the Grove for at least 10 yrs. These are the only pics I have of it, but I believe there are a couple more floating around somewhere in the house of one of my family members. When I get my hands on it, I will post it. While I was looking at all the great pics others have posted, I noticed the lack of photos of Chapman sponsored cars. I remember a Black Opel GT Funny car they had that was driven by John Blaesing. Does anyone know where John is these days. He was a family friend and would love to see him and catch up with him. Also, does anyone know what happened to Tony Christian. He's another old friend that I miss.

 

I used to race that 55 every Sunday (maybe 69-71). We ran Unit Stock. I think it was a 292 2bl with a very big gear. I ran a 69 Nova 302 2bl. That car was hard to beat. Seem to remember an ugly face on the trunk lid. Great to see a pic. Mike in Addison

 

WOW Mike!!! You nailed it. It wasn't just an ugly face, but a blobby lookin character on the trunk. It does my heart good to know that there is someone who remembers the car. And yeah, while my dad was driving, that car was hard for the competition to beat. I was only about 5-7 yrs. old when you raced my dad, but the times we had growing up at the Grove were awesome.
My dad passed away in 1998 and I was going through some old photo albums and found these pics. He passed his love of cars and drag racing on to me and I even ran at the Grove for 2 summers in a 1987 Chevy S-10 Pickup. Won a crap load of trophies and had a blast. Thanks for replying!!!

 

I showed the picture to all my old racer friends last night at the Rod Fathers car meet. They all remember that car because you just couldn't beat it.

 

great '55, thks for posting it

 

Thanks for showing it around, Mike. I know that my dad would have enjoyed your reply. I know I did! As I find more pics of the car, I will post them. There is one that I really want to find and post. It is a picture of the "old girl" coming off the launch pad at GLD with daylight between the front rubber and the asphalt. There is a really funny story that goes with it. I'll explain when I find the pic. Also, I know where and when you guys have your meets. Was kickin around the idea of stopping out for the next one.

 

Wow, the old Unit Stock days (along with Combo Eliminator that was S/S, modified, and comp combined)) at Da' Grove.
Ray Bisig, Todd Acklam, Wally Jacobson to drop a few names back then who raced in Unit stock. I remember well your Dad's 55, 'Old Ulgy'. Shops like Motor Sport Reasearch, Chapman, Engines by Gary Brown.
Unit Stock was the hottest class going, and if I recall it was only run at Great Lakes, Rockford (Byron) and Cordova. For those who are not familiar, Unit Stock was an NHRA Modified Eliminator Body/chassis with a weight to cubic inch engine using a choice of 2bbl, 4bbl, or multiple carbs. High costs, dwindling car counts and the then unreal $1,000 to win bracket racing payout started by Ron Leek was the death of Unit Stock and class racing at the local level.

Tony Christian did well at the NHRA national level in the mid 70's in the old Reher-Morrison Corvette, moved on to Pro Stock, then was a pioneer in the fastested street car classes so popular today. Last I heard he was racing until about 2010 and has lived in Florida for several years.

 

That Black coupe is N A S T Y !! !

Who is that ? Don't ever remember seeing this anywhere...LOOKS AWFUL FAST !!

 

Gabby... on the side ?

 

The picture I posted of my brother, sister and me was taken in 1970 not '72 as I thought. I was able to play with the photo on my computer and the car has the name DeCausmaker lettered under the side window. Hope this helps you ID this very cool Nova. The lettering on the car below the graf-X looks like Dexter's brush work, I can tell his style.

 

I wonder if anyone recognizes this car from GLD?

I realize this picture is not from GLD. My FIL grew up in Niles and raced this '55 Chevy and later '62 white Impala. He went by "Jack the Ripper". He has a ton of stories about racing back then. I have a veritable treasure trove of old racing stuff (pack rat) of pictures, flyers, Hurst racing gloves, Hurst shifter, GLD stickers and hard parts in my basement. I'll try to get them scanned in, but for now this is all I have.

 

Would that be this place? Please forgive if this has already been posted in this thread.

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?fo...345311188491&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13458355489983

 

Correct it is Gabby Bleeker. Think this is the one with the Powers and Riley chassis.

 

The orange crate 32 5 window is being "restored" right now. Jeff Williams just lettered the doors a couple of weeks ago.

Elverne Pfiefer did have a kick ass willys. My boss was drag racing at LakeGeneva back in the day and they announced that Pfeifer had flipped the car over.....at the start line. One of them new fangled clutchflites was just installed.....so the story goes.

Most of these old codgers are still around and have great stories and really bitchin pictures. I will start hittin em up to dig through the archives. I have some GLD newsletters laying around the shop here somewhere.

Brian, cool thread!

 

Last time I saw him he still had the car. He was at that cruise night in Mundelein.

 

Frank Bell was in the shop not that long ago buying shocks for his 55 chevy......once its in your blood it never leaves.

 

Yeah, already done...see post #126.

 

Here are some picts. from tonight. Labor Day 2012 Sunday night.

 

I realize this is an old thread but does anybody have knowledge to where I can get my hands on the footage from Curt, mentioned below? My dad was a AA/FD driver in the mid-late 60's and was a regular at Great Lakes.

I have put 900 35mm slides pics to disc. All drag racing pics from Great Lakes Dragaway 1963-69, Rockford 1965-66, Indy Nationals 1964, Detroit Dragway 1965. About 1 1/2 hour view time.

Just finished 8mm and 16mm film to disc 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.

No sound track. If, there is enough interested buyers. I can have more discs made. Great historical stuff for Wis and Illinois early hot rod and drag race fans

 

send him a PM

 

pm received and I have pm'd in return
Curt R

 

Holy Cow ! That sure is a rare picture of Stardust #1.
Man, Thanks for posting that !
My Uncles fav car. I try to find ANY images I can of her.