Hey Motorheads , Dino Here. I kinda fell through the cracks here ,thanks to Social Media. We Still maintain the original www.doverdragstrip.com Website with it's massive historical data ,going back to when we put it online ,in 2008. But ... as Facebook and other media became more & more popular ,the 'action' on the Forum there, well kinda died off. Still... we keep it up for the vast history of the track.....Plus on the home page -Top right ,click on Galleries For 5000 archieved All Dover Photos. At the Forum- use the search feature to find thousands of topics .This is a recap for you new guys and the first of many topics of my ride with Hot rods, Drag Cars, Cruisers, auto events & race cars of all types through the years .So How did my passion for all this begin ? Before I even had a license, growing up in Katonah, N.Y., My older brother, got my hooked on custom cars & hot rods . I’d steal his little hot-rodding magazines ( the ones you could hide in your textbook in English class.) Drag racing and hot rods where The thing in the swinging sixties ,and I poured over the cool stuff being done in California. NHRA was sanctioning drag strips all over the country and since I had some Artistic talent , I put cars and art together, and started pinstriping and lettering cars . My brothers was the first, in our parents’ driveway. That lead to hitch hiking to Dover Drag Strip ,where I’d go through the pits with my paint box, lettering from car to car. Girl friends’ names on glove boxes, pinstriping hoods, and lettering sponsors on race cars .That was the era when touring professional match racers, were brought in as an attraction. I got introduced to the ,what I called “California Style” Lettering & Custom Paint. That’s what has influenced me, even to this day. While at Dover, in the spring of 1967, while I was commuting to NYC attending The School of Visual Arts, the Announcer Didn’t show up opening day. Up went my hand “I’ll do It!” And Stayed on until 1972 .But that’s another whole chapter, I’ll dig into in a future post.Worked a few jobs, everything from running my own ad agency (Purple Sun Studios -doing all of Dover Drag Strip Promotions), Counter man at Speed shops, Handling all the advertising for the Fore’N’Art Rock Clubs, all the while always painting cars .I opened my first Business In 1979 on Lake Ave. in Danbury. Ct. With no more Dover Drag Strip or Connecticut Dragway, I switched over to lettering Oval track cars. At one time, one third of the SNYRA cars at the Danbury Racearena, where sporting my lettering. We closed the shop in 1993, and moved to Rockingham, N.C. Still open with my Carolina Signworks operation. Many Of the Ct. locals remember the Original “Summer Cruise” Cruise night I ran at the Sycamore Drive -In in Bethel ,every Sat. Night (1981-1988). But THAT’S another chapter to dig into in the future here, Including My Dino’s Custom Paintworks....Running the Time Tunnel Car Shows at the Danbury Airport,.... Gasoline Alley Nostalgia Race Car Displays, at the Syracuse Nationals, And I continue to organize the Dover Drag Strip Nostalgia Drags, at Lebanon Valley Dragway ,each Sept. it’s going to be a fun ride. Follow Me on Facebook: Dino Lawrence, and see my other pages : Dover Drag Strip, Dover Drag Strip memories Group, Carolina Signworks, Summer Cruise the Original and others .Check out my online store at www.dragstripsgone.com
Our 15th year of the event I started in 2009 at Island Dragway. Then Moved to Lebanon Valley Dragway in 2011.
So much has gone on in the last two plus years... But even with the china flu,we ran the Dover Nostalgia event every year.. I'll be more active here ,with other Bits From The Pits.
stopping by to promote lol.. there is spot here for events .. not on the board Other Events The forum to announce and promote your car shows, races and other events...
The Jalopy Journal
