History San Antonio area old Drag Strips

A couple of weeks ago I bought an old trophy from a flea market. I'll try to post a pic, but it's about 2 feet tall with two bottom tiers being about 6 inches on top of one another. The rest of the trophy is made out of wood and resembles an old four speed shifter with a tee handle. It has a small badge that reads, "San Antonio Drag Raceway" Below this reads "Class Champion".
I questioned a few old racers I know and they say this track was also called "Double Eagle". I'm just trying to see if any others may have some more info.
If anyone knows a little history about South texas race tracks, I would like to hear what you got. Thanks.

 

You need to do a search for "San Antonio Drag Racing" or "Double Eagle" in the search bar. There's alot of discussion about the local old tracks. Sounds like a cool trophy

 

Yea I've been trying all kinds of key words, my eyes are burning!!!!

 

The circle track is still there (at least it was a few years ago when I was down that way) The chasinracin website shows the same location for the dragstrip as the circle track. Here's a link:

http://www.chasinracin.com/track-locator/rtl_search.php?action=2&trackID=1488

 

Not the same track. San Antonio Raceway is a new track on I-10 between San Antonio & Seguin.

Martindale Air Base was the first dragstrip in SA in the early 50's. Still an active military runway but hasn't been a dragstrip since the late 50's when Double Eagle Dragway opened in the late 50's just north of Martindale. Double Eagle was later renamed "San Antonio Drag Raceway" then closed in the late 60's. Alamo Dragway opened up soon after on Hwy 16 south of San Antonio then closed in the mid 90's when San Antonio Raceway opened on I-10 between San Antonio and Seguin. S.A.R. is the only dragstrip in the area and is next door to a roundy-round track. Alamo also was next to a dizzy track, but I haven't been out there since the 90's so I don't know if it still stands.

Your trophy was from Double Eagle/San Antonio Drag Raceway. It's currently buried under a cheap housing development at Gibbs-Sprawl Rd, between Rittiman & Walzem. You can still see a part of the old pavement in the brush.

Check out http://hechointexas.blogspot.com/ for more local history.

 

Thanks for the info. Being from the southside of S.A, I usually test drive the Alamo Dragway area and it looks loke all those "where are they now photos"..... Everything changes.

 

Does anyone have a more detailed location of Double Eagle/San Antonio Drag Raceway? I know it was north of Martindale but does anyone have something more specific?

 

The old Double Eagle Dragway is at Gribbs Sprawl Rd, and Cactus Farm Rd (Cactus Farm Rd was the entrance. The very end of the shutdown road is at Walzem Rd, and Mesquite Farm Road. It's a sub-division now. The actual dragstrip is now Mesquite Farm Rd, and Circle Farm Rd.

 

Kenneth S,

Thanks for the detailed description!! One of the posts said you could still see part of the track in the bushes. I looked at it on Google and like you say it is a housing development now with no signs of the track remaining. Did the track go all the way to where the Transportatiuon Dept office is now on Walzem? Thanks again!! Wish there was still part of it left.

 

The Walzem Rd TXDot office is next to Mesquite Farm Rd. Mesquite Farm Rd used to be where the actual track surface, and shutdown area was. Circle Farm Rd is the other part of what was also the track surface, a cul-di-sac at the end Circle Farm Rd cut what was the track into two sections. Cedar Farm Rd, and Eastbrook Farm Rd is where the old return roads used to be. They put the houses in not too long ago.

 

Search Texas tracks. Good stuff. Be sure to click on any links posted.

 

At the old Alamo Dragway was the starting line at the south end of the track by Watson Rd?

 

Yes.
Here is a picture from 2008 that I took of Alamo Dragway off of Watson Rd looking down the track. The water box/starting line was just behind the fence.

 

Went out to Alamo Dragway last week. Not much left. Here is a picture looking down the track.

 

Here are a couple of pictures of the pit area.

 

And here are some of the starting line. Can still faintly see the yellow starting line stripe. The rubber that was laid down is almost all gone.

 

This was taken about 220' down track where the concrete ends. Can still see the center stripe.

 

The finish line. Looking back up the track. The shut down area has been taken up by Rowland Truckings yard.

 

The return road has almost grown completely over and has some new overhead powerline poles in it now.

 

I have great memories of Alamo. The Saturday nights spent there were crazy in the 80's with Ozzy blaring over the sound system and all the service men and women strolling the pits. I'd love to walk that area again. Thanks for posting pics.

 

This thread brought back memories of the "Sunday, Sunday, Sunday" commercials that would play on KTSA and KONO during the early 1960's. Got to go to a few of the drag races at the strip off of Rittiman Road.

Still remember how much I loved the Superior Pontiac Catalina, it was maroon with the 421 engine. I thought it was the most beautiful car in the world. Next on my list was the the 57 Chevrolet gasser with the front straight axle and no front bumper. Got to see Eddie Hill and his side by side Pontiac engines front engine dragster there one weekend. Great memories.

Grew up in a small town south of San Antonio, only hot rods I got to see was at the drags, or the ones driving through town on Highway 81.

 

Does anyone have an aerial photo of Alamo Dragway when it was in operation?

 

Any old Mopar guys remember a dealership named Jack Rieger Chrysler Plymouth? They may have campaigned a 64 Plymouth Max Wedge III Lightweight Hemi.

 

Could have possible campaigned in and around the San Antonio area.

 

Still looking for history on this old Plymouth. Any one remember Jack Rieger Chrysler Plymouth?

 

Used to spend many a Saturday night at "Smokin' Alamo Dragway" ! Sad to see this is what became of it.

 

As a young teenager I raced there many times. We would race San Antonio on Saturday night and the airstrip (can't quite remember the name) on Sunday. Ran the other San Antonio track in the 70's...
They had the AHRA nationals there. The 60's car was a MP car and the 70's car an alcohol digger.

 

I finally have a full color photo with lettering. Anyone recognize this car?

 

I realize this is an old post but I just came across it and thought I would respond if you are still a member of this site. The one person that I am pretty sure could give you info on old drag strips in San Antonio would be Trey Ware. He is the son of the late Ricci Ware. Trey is as good as gold just like his dad was. He can be emailed through the KTSA Radio site. http://www.ktsa.com/shows/trey-ware/
Here is a quote about Ricci:
{"Ware also was considered a founding father of racing in San Antonio. He had a passion for motor sports and famously voiced commercials for Alamo Dragway and San Antonio Raceway.
Driver and motor sports expert Bruce Mabrito recalled fun times during the ’70s at Pan American Speedway, the track Ware operated in northeast Bexar County.
“I raced there a lot,” Mabrito, said, recounting that Ware’s wife, Mimi, handed out prize money on Saturday nights. “He had an effervescent personality. … He made racing fun, exciting, and the fans loved it.”
Ware shared his love of fast cars with sons Ricci Ware Jr. and Trey Ware, now a KTSA morning talk host."}
https://www.mysanantonio.com/entert...nio-radio-legend-Ricci-Ware-dies-10060311.php

 

Here is a photo of me and my '69 Mustang. Back in the 60s and early 70s I used to street drag at "Little Green Valley", now Thousand Oaks; there was '69 Chevy Camaro that used to race me once and awhile: whoever got the lead at the start always won the race... neck and neck the whole way!