help me with east coast drag racing history

I just punched it up on google and the dates are July 10-11 at the York Expo center, try to attend as legends like Linda Vaughn, Grumpy Jenkins, etc. are usually there along with many legendary cars, this years itinerary is listed on that site, York US 30 Reunion. Your welcome.

 

www.yorkus30.com

 

http://www.atomicpinup.com/Aquasco_Speedway.html

-Lee
Atomic Radio
www.atomicpinup.com

 

When you're in PA go to Bruce L****n's barn he has a lot of old posters on the walls that should serve as inspiration. . The one that I'd love to have is a combination of the Giant's Despair Hill Climb and the Forty-Fort Airport Drags. (Coalcracker's Speed Week)

 

Hey Mark.
NICE work. best. Slim

 

Tri Cities Airport (Drags)..Endicott NY
from '68 or so to '72 or so.

Forty Fort,Pa. Airport ( once a year drag race)..'60's..As Jack mentioned.

 

The Flemington Speedway is now gone, replaced by a mall within the last couple of years

 

General:

Here is a web address for Defunct New York dragstrips:

http://www.dirttrackdigest.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=21984

I went to Dunkirk and Fulton in the 50's. I have some old 16mm movies that i will look for. Good luck

 

Flemington Fair Grounds ( Hwy 31 ) and Speedway did not have a drag strip. Was a dirt track later paved

There May have at one time been a Strip on the back side by the 4H section over by the motocross track at the Democrat.

Though never heard of anyone talk about it.

There was ( still is ,,or whats left of it ) a Drag Strip up the road ( route 12 )
in Croton,,off of Pittstown Road,,in the 80syou could still see the track ,,lines and i think the #'s 1 and 2 on the lanes.. It had a house on the property and a family lived there well into the 80's

A newly built road Department is there now.

As a kid I heard it refered to as teh Lions Drag Strip and that may be what some call Flemington as well



http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...802,-74.952453&spn=0.011207,0.019312&t=h&z=16

 

Thanks for clearing that up Little Wing. After 46 years I sometimes get my Flemington race track locations reversed.

 

http://www.numidiadragway.net/

 

Here's some old newspaper ads for 50's and 60's drag meets in upstate New York...

Fulton Municipal Airport (Fulton NY) drag races were from 1956.

The Tri-Cities (Airport) Drag-Way (Endicott NY) races are from 1965.

 

More upstate strips from the 50's and 60's...

1954 - Pennellville Drag Strip (Phoenix NY)
1958 - Watkins Glen Grand Prix Road Course (Watkins Glen NY)
1961 - Jackson's Dragway (Savannah NY)
1961 - Milray Speedway (Fulton NY)
1963 - Shangri-la Speedway (Owego NY)
1964 - Fonda Drag Strip (Fonda NY)
1966 - Utica-Rome Dragway (Vernon NY)

 

Nice posters!
Seems to me there was a 1/5th mile strip on Long Island that was run by the L.I.H.R.A. Ed Eaton and his brother Jack(who was also a photographer for Hot Rod Magazine)had a hand in running it.
You might also want to get in touch with Tom Steed(Burgess & Steed)who was the flagman at Sanford Maine for many years.Tom is the parts Manager at Liberty Chevrolet in Wakefield (MA).Tell him I said hello.Lettered a couple cars for him in the early 60's(a 55 Chevy g***er and his SBC powered Studebaker).

 

Ever talk to a fellow named Fred Cain???

 

Fred F.Cain had a Chrysler/Plymouth dealership in Wilmington MA right near the corner of Rte.38 and Middle***(I think)Ave.Ran a funny car(the Hurri-Cain)back in the 60's.Tommy should have a lot of knowledge on a bunch of the racers(**** Roberts,Harvey Richardson,the Schneider Brothers,Smiley Smullen[the Little Patriot out of Peabody]Ted Wingate,Franny Galvin;who had a flathead dragster from Lynnfield,Ade Knyff and Bernie Reigels[A&B Speed Shop out of Somerville].There was another guy I talked to recently who ran the Spirit of 76 fueler that set the al***ude record for REAR wheels off the ground at Lebanon Valley Dragway one year.Had a throttle stick;shutoff switch failed and when it finally hooked up pulled the car up at about an 87 degree angle;rear wheels were nearly 2 feet off the ground;the pushbar dug in and when it came down broke in half at about 150 mph.Paul survived but was burned a bit even with a firesuit.(Paul Burns;runs a place called Motor Inc.in Marblehead MA).Jack Doyle & Sonny Mazza from Lynn who ran the Little Mouse(gold Fiat Topolino in AA/A with an Olds and then a Chrysler).
Check with Jack Brady(Church Key here on the HAMB).He's still racing as far as I know(the Brady/Mahan Fiat).
Bob Steele from Malden had a funny car(the Flintstone Charger)but I think he p***ed away awhile back.Billy Lerner(the Paperboy)had that orange Vette with the Ford cammer engine.Carl Carpenter(Fibergl*** Engineering)in Cochituate had a 40 Ford panel(bright orange)AA/GS with a blown Olds.Bruce McGinnis from Acton had a AA/FD(McGinnis Automotive).
When you talk with Tommy ask him if he remembers Floyd Masters.Floyd had a blue model A roadster(ran B/R)with a 265 in it and a 2-speed trans(2nd and high only).Used to bring it out of the gate at 9 grand plus and go through the traps around 10 grand when it held together.Craziest s.o.b. I've ever seen.

 

The Lehigh Valley Timing ***oc. ran drags in 55-56 at Convair Field, Allentown PA. I'll try to catch up with you at the Showdown, I have a remake of a poster from 55. If you can get a copy of November 55, Hot Rod Mag, they did an article on the NHRA Regionals there.

 

I have Bernie's email if you want it - PM me and I d be happy to send him something from you ....

 

Mark...man...just opened those prints

THEY ARE AWESOME, man...

really something cool...

I am so happy....

Ill post some pics when I frame and hang em....

 

Rich, Numedia is still going strong. The East Coast G***ers are racing there on May 30.

 

My body man is not done with my car yet but I'll be riding shot gun with my buddy in his 4 cly. turbo charged green A coupe.

 

P.I.T.A. just outside of Erie PA. Still running, it's now 1/8th mile on Sunday 1/4 mile Saturday for grudge races and a gamblers race.
It was called Lowville raceway when I was a kid, now called Lucky Drag city? Lucky Foley, the owner is a real piece of work.
Art Arfonse(?) wrecked a green monster out there back in the day. Quite a bit of history at that little track, to bad Lucky wants like 2.2 mill for it.

 

Got a ton of stuff at Dover site about Sanford ,Ma submitted by Forum Members AND in "Bench Racing Heading" ... seperate topics on Many Tracks....Montgomery, South Glens Falls, Westhampton, Conn. Dragway and Lebanon. Contact me for photos I can send you.