in the late 60's early 70's? I am looking for some pic of my dads car that he raced from 1968 thru 1971, and sold in 1972/73. I want to try and track it down.....or build a copy of it. He cannot find any pics of it , and since his stroke a couple years ago, he cannot remember the guys name he sold it to. He knows that the guy was the son of one of his highschool buddies...but cannot remember his name. The only thing he remembers was the guy lived in Big Rapids Michigan and drove it on the street for a few years before selling it. It was a 1955 chevy 2 sedan, ran in D/Gas. Chevy van drop front axle, radiused rear wheelwells, it was painted a light lillac with dark lillac fade outline around the bottom of the body and the edge of the top. One thing that stood out on the car was a huge STP decal on the trunk lid, aproximatly 3'wide X 2' tall! If anyone here has pics from M37 Dragway in Brohman Michigan or knows someone that does, could you look through them sometime and see if you have a pic of it that you could share with me? It would be greatly appreciated...or better yet if you have any idea of anyone that might have owned the car that would be HUGE!!! Thanks in advance..... If this is posted in the wrong area, sorry.
Not about the car. But did you know or does your dad remember that before the strip opened the cops blocked off a back road and they ran drags that way. After your run you had to make a u-turn and come back down the same road. Took a while between runs that way. It was north of Bitely but I can't remember just where. I was only there once and that was in 65
My buddy and engine builder, Fred Bliss, has his shop in Brohman. Perhaps he can help you. He was into drag cars before he took up sprint cars.
there are still some lights and a little blacktop left out there at that track. i have seen it on my way to the buckley tractor show
Never knew that place existed even though I used to go through there to get to the family cabin north of Baldwin untill 131 became a highway,it was usually dark when we came through. Jeff
I lived in Baldwin on three different occasions....working for a company there. I never knew there was a strip.
It was right next to the railroad tracks. West side of tracks on the north side of the road coming from the west that's on the south end of the curve and north of the bar. The cars ran north. Can't remember when it closed but it's been a long time.
It originally closed at the end of 1975. The owners son, Frank(Frankie) tried to reopen it in 77-78, and again in 81 but it was short lived. The original owner, Sam died in mid 80's, the wife is still alive and tunning the family owned septic tank business. Frankie has been living back at the homestead(at the track) for the past couple years. I've been in contact with them, and plan a visit in the spring to see if I can find some pics of my dads car, and other info. I'm hoping to be able to make copies of the pics they have from the days when the track was run, so I can somehow archive and share them. ZEBEBAD, what year/years did you race there? Do you remember a Iris colored 55 chevy gas class car? There is a pic of it on my avatar. That was my dads car. He sold it in 1972, and I've been trying for the past couple years to track it down...but no luck. I'm hoping to make a clone of it, and have it done while my dad is still around. I'd love to be able ti finish it, and have him at least take a spin down the road or track one time! Do you have any pics from the track? If so, could you post them here for us all to enjoy? Thanks, Al
I am thinking of heading up that way this summer and will look for it,I plan on taking the old route through all the small towns so it will bring me through Brohman again.
Been going by there for 15yrs on my way to cabin in baldwin and didn't know it was there. Had Sam Jackson Septic Tank Service pump tank at cabin. You can see strip on Google Earth running north by northwest from the owners buildings at the intersection of 9mile road and M37 alongside the RR tracks. Bill.
333 Try waterwinterwonderland.com It is all about Michigan drive-ins, drag strips, circle tracks, amusement parks, etc. I am pretty sure there is info about M37 dragway with some folks that have added more info. Good luck!
felee, I've been a member at the waterwinterwonderland site for a few years. I've posted pics and info on the M37 board, the northern michigan dragway board, central michigan dragway board and detroit dragway board as well. Thanks tho...
Ron, at the time my dad sold it it did not have a floating rear. My dad built it, and if it was around someplace today, without having too much changed, the car should be an easy one to identify, just by some of the things he did when he built it. May I ask why you asked about the rear axle? Did you or do you have knowledge of a 55 gas car that was around from that area then?
Junkyardjeff, When you are heading north on M37, as you are coming into Brohman, there is a slight bend to the left that heads you parallel with the RR tracks going N/NW. There is a huge white 1800's town hall building on your rgiht...a little further north is a junkyard/bodyshop/repair place on the right. Just past that on the right is Kaleys Bar/Tavern. It is or was closed due to a fire...this is also on the right. Just as you pass the Kaleys, M37 makes a bend to the right and just before it is 9 mile to the left. If you take that, the first drive on the right is the old entrance to the dragway. I do want to add that Millie(I believe she is in her 80's) and her son Frankie do not like having people pull in...snoop around...and bother them. My Dad knew the Jacksons very well, and I grew up at the dragstrip and spent a lot of time after it closed with Frankie. There are times when my dad and I have stoped by, and Millie will flat tell us she doesn't want company. I suggest if you want to take a peak, instead of turning onto 9mile, just make the bend in M37 and as soon as you do pull into the old motel and restaurant parking lot on the left. You can walk to the back of the lot and see the timing tower, partial stands, and the starting tree. Hope you have a great trip when ya go. Al
Its been over 15 years since I came up M37 from Grand Rapids and looking forward to doing it again,my grampa came up that way as he was afraid of the 4 lane highways but I found much quicker ways and gave up on the old route but miss the sights I used to see. The last time I came through Brohman I think there was a sign advertising mud drags somewhere close to that area.
Probably the old "Sippy Flats Mud runs" sign. They are north of Brohman, just before you get to the flashing yellow light at Lilley. When you are going north of Brohman, you come to a long downhill and straight away, that area is known as "sippy flats". There is a huge fenced off area on the left side as you are going down the hill all the way to the crossroad in the middle of the straightaway. That used to house some wild animals that were brought into the area by whomever owned that property. Anyways, after you are go down the hill and at the end of the striaghtaway the road bends to the right. Just passed this bend is or used to be Gleasens Snomobile sales on your left, just past that on the left was a huge truck/semi salvage yard owned by Roy Meyers that is closed I believe. There might still be some big dirt banks pilled up so you cannot see into the yard. Just at the north of those bank, on the left side still, is the "Sippy Flats Mud Runs". I'm not sure if they ran anymore after 1988/89 or not. Should still be able to see the pit that was run in, some gaurd rails, etc. but that is about it. I have not stopped in any of the places up there for many years, but if you have time the Paul Bunyon antiques was always a cool place to stop and brouse around as well as the Shrine of the Pines. I don't know if you have ever headed east from Baldwin on 10 towards Reed City, but there used to be an old place I believe near Chase that had some old cars, tractors, trucks sittin around. To me it was a small boneyard, but the guy said it was just stuff he owned. I bought a 47 willys 4x4 pickup, as 70 chevy nova, and a friend of my dads bought a 55 chevy from him. This was back in the 80's, so I do not know what is there now, but if ya like ridin around and sight seein...it is only 10-12 miles or so over to Chase area from Baldwin. If ya end up ridin around and checking it out, please let me know what if anything is around up there anymore. Hell, now that I've been thinking about this stuff, I should make the trip back up there just to see all of it again myself...
I think I remember the place in Chase as I passed it every time I went to the swapmeet/fleamarket in Midland which I plan on attending during my next visit up there,so is the bodyshop/junkyard is still there in Brohman as I remember back in the mid 70s a 61 or 62 chevy wagon sitting out front with the tailgate skin rusted about off and I think someone was driving it or they were using it as a lot beater. I am going to stay at one of the last two resorts in the Irons area that was down the street from the family property,its a shame as there were a few but they did what we did and sell out and the properties got developed.
The last time I went up to see Millie and Frankie,last year, it was still there. I remember that damn old wagon, it was one of the "yard trucks", but I remember seeing it at the bar, the gas station, etc. on several occasions. Hell in a place like that in those times it was not a big deal at all!!! Yeah, times have a way of changing everything....sometimes I miss those old days!!!
Is the place you're talking about in Chase is the one on the north side of the road as you start up the hill? If so they crushed out a couple of years ago. Gleasen from Bitely died fifteen/twenty years ago. The wild animals at Sippy Flats were elk. I don't remember how many they had but they were raising them commercially
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