Hot Rods RIP to Detroit Dragway founder Gil Kohn

https://www.freep.com/obituaries/de...sK0YyKJFHCI6qdh99hWSbBoeteojl4mL8Z_o8cQSmEMLk

Thanks for the memories…

 

Gil also owned Motor City Dragway on the East Side..

 

Nice tribute to the man and what he built/owned.

 

R.I.P. A lot of lives touched by one.

 

My condolences to his family and friends as well as the many who made great memories at his tracks.

 

https://detroitdragway.com/radio/

 

Sunday Sunday Detroit Dragway! A familiar sound on Detroit radio stations. Certainly touched a lot of life’s probably saved a few giving racers a place to go? RIP

 

That was fun....

 

I met the guy that used to run CKLW AM800 at a party once.. He ended up killing the station... I wanted to hit him so hard with everything I had....

 

R I P

 

A couple of other Kohn "fun facts":
Gil once fielded a fleet of his own match race funny cars. They were mostly housed at nearby Grosse Isle Airport, maintained by a single crew. About eight cars. The powerplants were mostly detuned second tier hardware, intended to let the cars live longer while producing side-by-side action; few spectators could tell if the cars wre running low 8s or low 7s, and the announcer sometines got "creative" when announcing the e.t.s.

Another fun fact: Kohn started his own sanctioning body at one point - the United Hot Rod ***ociation. I held the B/Modified UHRA record set at Detroit.

fun times
RIP Mr Kohn

 

That’s awesome….and yes I was a tad young to fully remember ( 73 ish )…but I seem to remember it wasn’t uncommon to see a few funny cars there on a normal race day..went a saw my Dad last week ( he’s not doing well ) and he talked about him and my Mom going there in the late 60’s (67 ish ) for dates, cruising Telegraph, Korvettes parking lot, and Steck Rd on the Dearborn Detroit border…the early to late 80’s were more my time, and again before it shut down…think about it every time I’m Downriver visiting family…

 

Rob @ Merchant of Speed just posted this…Gil’s other track and looks very similar to my old Shirt posted above

 

I remember them, used to see them going from Grosse Ile to DD on a car hauler. I think one was called "Detroit Tiger" and another "Trader Ray"? I believe Ray later spent years in prison for murder.

 

Yes…Trader Ray Mustang owned by Duane Ong..I know his Nephew..and The Detroit Tiger was Poncho Rendons car…still on the track today and owned by Steve Tymozyk..

 

I thought Duane Ong drove the car and Ray Gallagher owned it. I was at DD many times in the 67 to 72 time frame. Those “house” Funny Cars were a bit older, sponsored by local car dealers and such.

 

You are correct

 

See many of the DD cars at the DD Reunion, held at Milan Dragway outside Detroit. This year's event ('24) is on June 14/15. I sure hope there is some kind of memorial tribute to Gil Kohn.