Peterson Memorial Dragway

RIP, "The Pete".

 

Wow...thanks for the great pics. Does anyone remember an Orange Z/28 with a black vinyl top? It's at the 12 second mark in this youtube video.. from Peterson.
http://youtu.be/dq0ooHYodlY
I think it's my car. I've traced it back to Steve Sweitzer of Jersey Shore, PA. It was sold through his speed shop about 1988. He told me the car raced up at Tipton. I sure would love a picture of it back in the day and an idea who raced/owned the car. Thanks. -Alan

 

Andamo, I hope you get this I am having trouble figuring out how this works. But thanks for the info . Tom

 

Andamo - Just doing some research, stories, clippings, etc. saw your post about my brother and father - do you have anything you can share with me? I'm doing a scrap book of sorts, nearly 78 yrs. old, dad (Joe) is doing his final car show in Pgh., in Jan. '17 - I recognize everyone of the names you mentioned, including Bob Stapes'.

 

I had forgot Sha Na Na did that paint on dad's dragster... I remember EVERYONE would come around to see the Eskimo on dad's car, that was a riske' paint job in the '70's... nevertheless, it was tasteful & beautiful.

 

I looked on GoogleMaps.Com for the location of this former track/airstrip. Is it the current Park Ave. to the west of Tipton? It looks like an industrial park sits there now. Just curious. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I believe you are correct ~ in some videos I have seen, the Mainline of the Pennsylvania Railroad is clearly visible, which is just to the North of this location

 

There was a also a wooden board circle track years ago in Tipton that I believe was either 1 mile or 1 1/2 mils in length. This was back in the 20's and 30's

Jimbo

 

11 November 1938
http://data.cei.psu.edu/pennpilot/e...939_photos_jpg_200/blair_111138_aqh_72_54.jpg

4 September 1967
http://data.cei.psu.edu/pennpilot/e...67_photos_jpg_200/blair_090467_aqh_5hh_51.jpg

 

Thanks for the great aerial shots of the old track.

I had a customer who owns an old wooden board race car that he shows at many events and he wanted the old Tipton Speedway decal.

I cannot even begin to image how long it must have taken to build a wooden board race track that was either 1 mile or a 1 1/2 large back in the 20's with 20 or 30 degree banking plus all the grandstands for the people.

How many trees needed to be cut down in order to build something of that size must have been really crazy.
Jimbo

 

I live in the next town southwest of Tipton (Bellwood) and as a 12-15 year-old jumped the fence many a Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! to watch the drags there.

I had (have?) pics of my teen years when I and sometimes a friend would ride our bikes the 2 miles down River Road and ditch them out of sight in the woods until it was time to return home.

“Ol’ Man Peterson” would occasionally book Jr. fueler, A/FA or A/FC circuits in, with the high-water mark being Jungle Jim and Fast Eddie Schartman for a match race around ‘69.

Some names I clearly recall competing there on a semi- or regular basis were: Bad Banana yellow Chevy, Deuces Wild C or D/MP roadster, Bulldog Lightner’s wheelstanding, black, “Chizler” ‘57 Nomad wagon, Al Peretta’s red/white/blue, former-Sox & Martin GTX, Delmar Baker’s NHRA-record-holding J/MP “Baker’s Half Dozen”, in-line-6 roadster, and occasionally Dave Gehret’s A/FD blue slingshot and/or his Uncle (I believe) Pappy Red McMahon’s injected B/A with 2-foot zoomie headers.

Every now and then racing would be suspended long enough to allow a Piper Cub to land and taxi out of the way to one of two hangars across from the shutdown area!

 

Love this shot of spectators on the hill watching the races from the comfort of their cars. Probably playing music, drinking beer and maybe side stepping entrance fees. Cheap date for sure!

 

anybody remember a black 57 Nomad that ran well at Peterson Dragway? Class winner.

 

Looks like it's now Park Ave, in a Tipton, Pa business park. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I happened to randomly stumble across this forum recently while doing some research. I am Bob Stape's grandson and I was wondering if anyone was still active and would possibly be able to give me more information about his drag racing days? Sadly I did not know him well and was wondering if anyone would know of him or be able to point me in the direction of someone who does. Thanks!

 

Alex, I went through my pics and sadly no good pics of your Grandfather 's cars, abet the one I posted of his purple 65 lined up against Harry" Opel.

 

No problem, Thank you for taking the time to look for some I appreciate it!

 

Those photos are amazing, Thank you! Roughly what years do you think those are from?

 

Alex, I really don't have an idea of the era the pics are from. You might want to copy the pics and post them on the Keystone Raceway Facebook page. Folks on there are very accommodating. I would occasionally go to Keystone, and I do remember your grandfathers Barracuda racing there. I think he had a '65 full size sedan also, but I can't quite picture it.

 

Andamo, the 65 was a purple mottle color. Lost in a accident when a brake drum shattered. I did post a pic of him running against Harry Luzader. You can just see the front end of the 65 in the left lane.

 

Thanks Hemiman. The paint scheme is vaguely familiar, but in my mind, I remember it as being all white. This might have been before the paint scheme in your pic.