I raced @ Porter in early 1965. Bill paid me to show-up with my 56 Chevy. We had just raced (and won) at the AHRA winternationals in Scottsdale AZ. I think it was 25.00. I raced there continually until 1978 or so. I ran over 200 @ that strip...musta been crazy!
Interesting pictures. I've been drag racing since 1980, and it's both sad and fascinating to see how nature reclaims drag strips that are out of operation.
GREAT poster! Any chance of getting a high resolution scan of it ... say 300dpi? Joel Naprstek racenart@optonline.net www.JFNStudios.net
I was born 9 years after Niagara closed. You can't go back in time, but I started collecting pieces from there and restoring them. All I need is a couple Hundred acres and were in Business! IF ONLY!
We moved from the Navy housing that is shown right of the track in 63. Made a trip by city bus at 11yrs old to Lions It was first Dragstrip I went too . Walked through the Strawberry fields off Santa Fe Ave to front gate.
Many years ago I would listen to my old AM radio and hear the "SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY" ads for Niagara drags. I was just a car crazy kid and wanted to be there so bad. Probably 50 years ago.
Here is a video from Spartanburg Dragway, SC from 1974. Sorry if it was posted before. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq_J4RoQ8Qk&feature=player_embedded
Anybody remember Powell Drag Strip north or northeast of Newark Ohio. Possibly started as a dirt strip most likely before Hyde Park and not to be confused with Powell Speedway in Powell, OH north of Columbus.
Any idea where it was? The road it was on? The only mention I could find of it was that it was owned by Robert Powell and his wife of Hanover, Ohio. Is there anything left of it? Kevin
Pittsburgh International Dragway (PID) 1964-1976 gone but not forgotten. I'm always looking for old memorabilia from this track. Dustin
I didn't realize I have a friend that used to work on the starting line at Powell Drag Strip (near Hanover) for about three years ending in 1957. The track was paved from the beginning. The Car Club he belonged to got too political so he and some friends started racing at Pacemakers. He and his wife went back in 1965 and there were Silos or Grain Dryers built either on the track or just off to the side. They made a trip back to look around about two or three years ago and they could not find the track. He and I are going try and find the site or what is left of the track sometime soon.
It was KILLED by the idiots from Brimfield/Kress Manufacturing...etc. We attended every meeting the promoter had. The idiot questions that were asked were CRAZY!! He spent $$$$$ doing light/sound...etc studies. He offered to buy out ANY home within a certain distance from the proposed track for 125% market value!! He was going to trade me a home next to the track for my home in a town 15 miles away....with $$$$ boot AND a job at the track!! It was election years for Peoria county Board members.....they voted it down. One board member said " i respect farmland,,,it's too valuable to waste on a race track"...but THEN voted to build MORE stores/a mall outside of Peoria!!!! Gee...i guess THAT didn't waste any of the fields they dozed up????
ANYBODY have any photos of a purple 1958 Ford 2dr sedan named "Crowd Pleaser" that was ran by Paul Gulley from Peoria Illinois? It had a 427 Ford Tunnel Port and was raced at Boondock's Dragstrip outside of Peoria Illinois. Been parked since 1973...and is VERY rough from sitting outside all this time........... sad. If it's not tooo far gone to revive i may be getting it...............maybe!
What happened to Billy Meyers new track to be built around Dallas. I wonder if too many people protested.
Does anyone know where Southland Dragway was located in Houma Louisiana? I've seen where is was on W. Park Ave. Does anyone know of a cross street so I can try and locate it on Google? Was it south of Hwy 90?
Have you been asleep for a spell???? Texas motorplex in Ennis is Billys track..been in operation for several years now
There was talk 3 to 5 years ago about him wanting to open a new track closer to Dallas. I know I read a interview with him about it ,just cant remember where.
OahuEli, I read your post about Suffolk Raceway and saw the picture of a pickup with a trailer behind it, was there also a post of a picture of the 55 Chevy or is in the background in the pickup picture? I see only the one picture.
Windsor dragway opened 1968 closed 1971 here is it in 1969 here it is about 10 years ago. my grandfather talks about how the guy that owned it let them race even after it closed I have dreamed about buying it and rebuilding it its some of the last of what made this city the motor city of Canada. the track is still there trees growing though the guard rails what's left of the concession stand is crumbling(still saveable if someone wanted to rebuild it) until someone wants to save it it sits in the middle of a farmers field
Glad to see someone remembers the old Colton Drag Strip. (Morrow Airport). That's where I cut my drag racing teeth back in the mid to late 50's. No Christmas tree. Just a flagman. I used to have a bunch of pics of Colton, and our old banger drag roadster, but back in the 80's, while going through a nasty divorce my ex made all of my photo albums disappear.
I have enjoyed reading all these posts. A useful site in finding old tracks is historic aerials.com. The hr site only seems to work for the the U.S. It has really been helpful in finding such tracks as Miami-Hollywood, Stardust and Eastex, all of which are houses now. Also if you are on facebook there are 2 sites there, drag strips that no longer exist and lost and forgotten drag strips.
The Dragstrip located between Enos and Morocco In., The track is do to shut down in spring of 15. The local s.o.b. who lives across from track bitched and cried to the county concil because it was to noisy . What a crock of Bull shit oh by the way he is a Indiana State Cop go figure. PISSED OFF Don in In.
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