great lakes drag way union grove wi. pics

Any of these?

For the 1966 season, Sox & Martin ran this altered-wheelbase Barracuda that was originally equipped with a manually shifted four-speed. It was later modified with an extended nose, and the four-speed was replaced with a Torqueflite automatic transmission




Not only did Sox & Martin win the Super Stock title at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in 1969 with this 10-second Hemi 'Cuda, but their match race version of this car also ran in heads-up action against the likes of Bill Jenkins’ Camaro and Don Nicholson’s Mustang, which led to the creation of Pro Stock in 1970.




After scoring three victories in Pro Stock’s inaugural season of 1970, Sox & Martin enjoyed their greatest season in 1971 with this '71 'Cuda that won six NHRA national events.

 

it was a 70s era cuda.

 

Yes. But not sharing.

 

great pics! thanks!

 

are you saying Leroy is not sharing his pics? or the people doing the restoration are not sharing the pics?

are you from or representing Great Lakes Dragaway?

Curt R

 

No. Just responding to Racer-X who seems to get his facts mixed up on ownership history of Leroys cars.

Leroy passed in 2005. Leroy had the Sox & Martin Hemi Colt, not one of the `Cudas.

 

I didn't go to this party, but anybody that knew Bob knows that the drinks and stories were flowing!

 

Special first 20 year forum on FB, will be a special reunion this year.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/416976325310647/?fref=nf

 

Where will the reunion take place? Other details? I tried the FB link, but without a year of searching I don't know how to quickly find the info. Web site? Thanx, Gary

 

If you want info on the Sox & Martin cars buy Schild's book.

https://www.amazon.com/Sox-Martin-M...89519811&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=Sox+and+Maritn

 

Photos are from right around 1980.

 

I'm just checking back on this thread. Haven't been on here for a while. As far as street racing went back in my day there was plenty of street racing by the old Harnischfegger plant. Wisconsin Ave was more popular for cruising and making noise as it was to congested. You might luck out and race a guy for 100 yards but that was it. Our group kinda hung around Leon's on the south side and Hwy 100 had a big group as well. We tended to race on S.27th street between Howard & Layton Ave. Also Loomis Rd came into the picture between the same two streets.

One group I seem to remember that I never hear anything about was a group of guys that hung out at the Burleigh Ave Super Shell like on 110th or so and Burliegh. I remember watching one of their cars a 68-69 Roadrunner or GTX called King Kong run down at the Grove it was brown which I thought was root beer colored. They had about 5-6 other cars that they raced as well. Don't know what ever happened to them they just kinda disappeared.

Back in the day I also seem to remember 2 brothers that were track photographers at the Grove. They went by the name Ray-Mars I'd sure like to know what ever happened to them along with all their photos.

 

Ray-Mars were brothers Ray and Marty Lemmerman. To my knowledge they have passed. Supposedly, most of their photo negatives still exist, exact location unknown.

Curt R

 

I think King Kong was Sheldon Geckers car. He balanced some tires for me in the mid 80's at his Burleigh shop, which at the time was on 76th Street.

 

Sheldon ran a brown 68-70 charger before switching to a white 80s era charger. It had a gorilla on the door and said king Kong on it. My friend owns the hemi charger. It's located on the west side of iowa. It still has a hemi in it.
The Ray mar pics are sitting in Randys capital drive office. They do exist. They are not organized at all. They were just thrown in a file cabinet.It's a shame they have not been treated better. Mark brutterle was a grove photographer for years. He was also very close with Broadway Bob. Mark told me when the new owners bought the track some of the pics went to them and Broadway Bob kept the rest. We're that pile is I don't know. The next time I see Mark I will ask him. He would know were they are at.

 

No activity in two years about one of the oldest drag strips in America. I have more info to add soon.

 

Howard Kaye at 20 years old. 1939 chevy 409 425hp 4 speed. Ran mid 12s. Howard later worked at the famous R+B Chassis Shop building some of racing's most famous cars. Howard moved from the area years ago and started Chubby Chassis. He is now back in Racine. He recently found his rear engine dragster he built. It ran a 392. It was sold in the early early 80s. The car is being fully restored.

 

Many of you motorcycle drag racing enthusiasts will recognize T.C. Christenson and the "Hog Slayer" twin-engine Norton Top Fuel drag bike that was the second bike, minutes behind Russ Collins' triple engine Honda, to record a 7 second run and the only British drag bike to ever do so. But you may not have heard of the chief mechanic John Gregory. It was his mechanical genius that gave T.C. gobs of horsepower, proper traction and reliability to win race after race in the '60s-70s era. We talk occasionally on the phone about our memories of T/F motorcycle racing and today I ask him about Great Lakes Dragway, his hometown track, and the legendary "Broadway Bob" Metzler, who ran it. I had no idea at what I was about to discover. Here is part of our conversation: " My first car was a 41 Plymouth my father bought me when I turned 16 in 1950. The 6 cylinder engine needed replacing so I found out a Chrysler straight 8 would bolt right in. I hand ported the head and split the exhaust manifold and ran dual mufflers. It was a terror on the street in 1950 and later at the Granatelli Brothers Halfday Drag Strip. Chris Karamasines '32 Ford was the only car that could beat me on the street. Like so many towns back then the local police department wanted to see a drag strip built to take us hot rodders of the street. Our chief deputy was pro hot rodding off the streets and spearheaded the birth of the Great Lakes Timing Association. I believe our first meeting was in about 1951 or 1952 in a room above the police maintenance garage when I was 17 or 18. There were about a dozen there including the owners of R&B Automotive, John Buttera and Dennis Rollain. It was the birth of GLD. It was agreed that when the track opened we could run our cars for $1.00 forever. Broadway Bob honored that for me up until he retired".

I will pick his brain some more later and get some more nuggets. By the way, he and The Greek have remained close friends since those days 70 years ago and provided him advice about tuning nitro when John got into drag bikes.

 

Saw on an earlier post re: Ray-Mars Photography. I do know Marty is still alive and working in Wisconsin. Here are a few pictures from the Grove back in the late 70's

 

Does anyone remember William Hillard and his '68 Chevelle?