Wow this thread brings tears to my eyes. I've been down lots of these tracks. I raced at Orange County, Fremont, Connecticut and Warner Robbins that are no longer with us. My home track New England Dragway is still around and doing well. Hope it continues to do so.
I'm currently writing a magazine article about the guy who started the Harrison County Dragway, Roger Brown. He still lives in Elizabeth and probably has pictures of the old dragway. He's 72 years old and still racing - ran last weekend at Hardinsburg, Ky. Hope that helps.
I have some pictures of a local drag strip that closed down here locally I'll find & post. I can't remember the name but when I post it I'll have the name then. Give me a day or two.
Cuddihy Field open in 1969 and closed in 1977. It was home to a 1/8th mile drag strip and circle track. I tracked down the current owners of the old air strip And they agreed to let me take a few pictures of What's left. The strip is still there and pit area. The bank of turns 1 & 2 is saddly all remains of The circle track. There are still a few old buildings that still stands And the 3 big hangers that was on the pit side of the Drag stip is now big piles of rubble. Walking down the old strip was just so cool. Where once nitro breathing machines was Screaming down some 40 years ago....... I am now walking. Pic1 1971 picture (Then) Pic2 Standing at the starting line looking down the track. Pic3 Whats left of the old circle track.....(the bank of turns 1&2) Pic4 Old drawing of the air strip...3 black boxes are the hangers that was On the pit side. Now thorn down. Top right is where the drag strip and Circle track is still located. Big thanks to the Adair Family for letting me visit the old air strip. Enjoy!
Thanks for posting, please post up your other pics. Was the circle track dirt? From the satellite pics it looks like there's a lot of derelict buildings around the old strip. Very interesting. Here's a pic from '44, a satellite pic of what it looks like today and a pic of how busy it was during the war. Coordinates are 27.726444, -97.506838. It's strange how you can still make out the shadows of the old runways and the circle track in the modern satellite photo. KRH
Yes there are still some really old building standing. Some might be Big enough for small air craft. The 3 large hangers are thorn down and I have a pic of the big rubble piles. All the pavement around those big Hangers is still there. Which was the pits to the drag strip. In my mind I went back in time.....trying to imagine how it was back then. It was a nice quite walk down the old drag strip. I will post the rest of my pics as soon as I can. Robert
I took this same pic....the buildings in the back ground are still there And the big smoke stack is also standing. http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6049/7014846083_7352f5d7e3_z.jpg
Great pics. I love these, they show what people were actually building at the time. I'm liking that '57 Ford. Was this track at the airport in Walterboro? KRH
Mid America Raceway We raced there many years running Jr dragster then our big Front engine dragster. Old hand out http://m.flickr.com/photo.gne?id=7408299364& Picture of the old cross walk 1960's pic http://m.flickr.com/photo.gne?id=7408159312& Picture of the old starting line http://m.flickr.com/photo.gne?id=7408360096& Newer picture of starting line and tower. http://m.flickr.com/photo.gne?id=7408214600& Sign http://m.flickr.com/photo.gne?id=7408193904& As a kid we loved to take the 3 wheeler around the Road course between round of racing.
Great thread and a great forum. 1st post, but have been lurking for a year or so. We used to go to Alton Dragway, just outside of Alton, IL. Today it's a trailer park: Lots of good times there......Kris Karamesines ran the first 200 mph pass in history here in 1960 at 204 and some change. It was an unofficial speed, but I think generally thought to be the first.....
I've been having computer issues & haven't been able to look at anything. I went by Log Cabin the other day but didn't have time to walk in there but was also scared of the POSTED sign. I'm going to try & sneak in there one day & take some pictures & post! By the way I was thinking the other day we can't forget about Victory Stadium speedway here. I saw a few races there before they tore it down. It was also the scene for the championship game in "Remember the Titans" movie. Wish I had taken some pictures of it before they tore it down. Last race I saw there Whitey Taylors brother was running the show!
Amazing the stuff you can find on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvoLYhFOgsE&feature=related A copy of a movie of Karamesines' 204 mph pass! And lots of wide whites in this one...... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTrX5INB6Yk
I would like to see all of the these great drag strips remembered for years to come so that others might get a chance to enjoy the old stories and photo's from the good old day's. I am always interested in learning more of the history from these great tracks. I have met so many really nice people over the years who share the same interest as myself and they have sent me hundreds of old photo's and stories on drag strips, speed shops, performance companies and other misc. stuff. I have one package Tommy D just sent me with over 50 old racing decals. Guy's like Bill Truby, Don Bye, and many others have sent me many old racing decals I had not seen in 50 years all because they want to see the memories live on for others to enjoy and treasure forever. This tread really makes you realize how important these drag strips were to so many who grew up racing there. Thanks to everyone for posting and keeping the memories alive. Jimbo
I'm trying to record the coordinates and save current satellite images of all the tracks that folks post here. I'm afraid more of whats left of them will end up under large developments of Mcmansions or more Wally Worlds and Lowes and they'll be lost forever. It amazes me how much is left of a lot of them. It also surprises me that at least 3 tracks have become trailer parks. What's up with that? Three more have become driveways for or are under a school, which seems weird to me also. KRH
Anyone have any pics of blaney drag strip that was in elgin,sc or the strip that was in chester,sc. Chester is where garlits got burnt real bad.
Lancaster Drag-O-Way was way before my time but we drive past what's left when I take my 15 year old son to Guitar Center. He's big on old school drag racing and laments the demise of tracks like this and York U.S. 30, which I was lucky enough to catch the tail end of. Every time we drive by the old Lancaster track he always mentions that "it was a really good idea to close the track so they could do NOTHING with it!"
A few others from the south, Atlanta speed shop in covington, Ga. where the orginal Atlanta $10,000 was held, now a subdivison, fairburn drag strip, was a small airstrip, raced on friday, and saturday nights. before dark, when a plane wanted to land, they would circle the track, and the races would stop for the plane to land, then resume. cumming drag strip, a small strip out in the middle of nowhere, now a housing development. Jeffco drag strip in Jefferson, ga. don't know anything about it, but it closed in the late 60s I think. headhunters putt putt drag strip in Eatonton, may be still running, but I think it closed in 2004-2006 , somebody may have more info on some fo these????
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