Hot Rod Deluxe has this image in the recent issue. I am trying to figure out the road it is on since the entrance to the old dragstrip was on what is now Front Street and Chateau was not this straight or wide. Any of you local KC folks recognize this street from 1956 that is somewhere around our old dragstrip? Thanks to Hot Rod Deluxe for printing it.
Thank you 61cad but I have that entire little book and it does not have any info or photos that reveal anything. Again, thank you!
I think that is Front street looking east from Chouteau Trafficway. For a lot of years it was simply a two lane industrial area. When it got farther east and the road "stopped" the gravel and asphalt shingle t*******s path went into the bean field. The strip ran north from the road just west of what is now I-435.
Sign says "Cline Trucks" if that helps. Others signs appear to say "Diamond T Trucks" and "***mins". Don't see a sign for dealers name.
Cline Trucks was an independent truck manufacturer owned by Max Cline. It was later sold to another company and the Cline name went away. Mr. Cline was an engineer for Dart Truck which was on the NE corner of Chouteau Trafficway and Front St. Dart Truck made huge off road vehicles for the most part and was bought by Paccar (Pacific Car and Foundry) as well as Peterbilt and Kenworth in the late 50's and then re-sold to Unit Rig and Equipment. in the mid 80's and, I think, Terex now owns it. This is not to be confused with the current Dart Trucking Company--no relationship.
Larry, that was my initial thought but Dad and I used to go there from 1960 till it closed and even in 1964 that I can recall, "Front" street was just a two lane, small, skinny little road with nothing much on either side. Even if it was looking back west, the street was not that wide that I recall. Notice the building at the far end of this image? I may have to blow it up and repost it. It looks like you are looking into the old (Monkey) Montgomery Ward building that was back on Chateau or the road it was connected too. Remember how people used to get there early Saturday morning and charge a quarter or so to race and they would just be parking along the road basically blocking one lane of the pre-Front street heading down towards the strip?
Omaha's George Roseland was racing in that first Nationals. At 80+ he just went over 200 mph at Bonneville, my ultimate hero.
I think I have it figured out. I was perplexed by the line up of cars on the left side of the road as that violates state statutes and city ordinances. Remember when I said that Cline Trucks was on Front St. just east of Chouteau Trafficway? It was at the intersection of Front St. and Stillwell Rd. (a north-south street that T'd at Front st. just east of the Trafficway and had facilities on both sides of the street. Further, I think these cars are lined up on Stillwell facing south toward Cline and the Montgomery Ward store which was way further south at St. John and Belmont. As they moved ahead in line they would reach Front St. and then turn left (east) toward the strip. Any of this make any sense?
If you look at the coverage from the drags in Hot Rod mag from back then you can see the grain elevators in the background. They were (are) South of where the strip was IIRC? That may be what is at the end of the street there? The strip was on the east end of front street before I-435 where the Fed Ex building is now.
Yes, the grain elevator is still there a****ing the cliff. It is close to the Wards building but not close by road. Yes, they were nearly due south.
The article about the Nationals in HRM of November 1956 only says that a six lane city street was used for tech inspection and that it was about two miles from the strip. The police were described as being very helpful with traffic control.
Very cool!! Here's this - https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/old-kcta-track-in-kansas-city-location.1077816/
the picture that tom davison posted I was there a ray's shop when he painted/lettered wes jerde's car remember tom shakin up the paint gun with the flake in it'i stood right by the compressor in a laquer fog watchin it all.those were some times for a fourteen year old kid growin up in raytown,mo. the memeories from ray's shop will always s be forever,ray and tom where a vey positive influence for me back then. .
I first went there with my dad a nd uncle ,bout 62 or 63, my first drag race,I remember seeing a older vette ,I think it was black ,then a 63 stingray sorta gold in color,all the other cars a nd motorcycle then,there was a I think it was a blown crosley(maybe a olds or Chrysler)very loud,scary smoke,(made me almost piss on myself,but I knew this was the place to be,better than baseball ,swimming,model cars,hell I'm still talking/remembering about it today,the track is long gone now,that was my first drage race,alittle while laterI was a t the first drag race at KCIR,and years later was there at the last race..the pictures posted are fairly accurate also,
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