My new book about Lost Drag Strips comes out February 15th! It wasn't intended to be all inclusive, because there aren't enough pages, but I tried to do each track justice with a detailed history and as many pictures as I could dig up. Check it out! http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Drag-Str...=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350926815&sr=1-2
I grew up at 1545 206 Street Torrance, Ca 90501 I believe it was about 3-4 miles, as the crow flies from Lion's... Back in the late 60's, early 70's on any Saturday night, we could hear the drag races outside our door... Man, it's been years!
My dad raced his 1966 Impala SS "Walkin'Dog" in the early 70's at the VanWert dragway,in the MPS class(?). He still has the car and all of his trophies
http://www.facebook.com/Lewiscountyspeedway http://lewiscountyspeedwayllc.com/Home_Page.php Check out these links for a glimmer of hope... WV is getting a new 1/8 mile in in Lewis Co. Owners are working to secure enough funding to complete the project. About an hour drive for me . Anyone know of other new places coming? Maybe enough to start a thread? Did a search and didn't see anything like that.
...and just as an afterthought. If one of these old properties would ever become available, it would be tons less expensive to renovate an old strip than to do what these folks are doing from scratch in Lewis Co.
A few years ago, there was talk of a new drag strip near Brimfield ILL., (west of Peoria). However, it seems to have fallen through.
My dad raced out there in the late 60's. They called it an outlaw track. Alot of the guys they raced aginst where military men and guys from wilmington. Onslow county law enforcement didn't do much about it because it keep the racing off the town and city streets plus some of the guys also racing with them were law enforcement..lol. I have old 8mm flim of my dad racing out there in his 1965 galaxy. I'm trying to get it transferred so I can put it on youtube or something. He also told me alot of crazy stories from out there.
Went out to Alamo Dragway south of San Antonio last week and took some pictures. She's almost all gone.
I was on the board of directors for the OroDam Drag Strip in the early too mid 70's. I and numerous others installed the guard rail in the pic you posted. Got lots of stories about that place.
From what I've heard, we can add we can add Old Dominion Speedway & Dragway in in Manassas Virginia here as well? Anybody else heard that?
That's true. Old Dominion is being dismantled as we speak. Supposed to be leveled and gone within a couple of weeks, I was told. But, they just got approval for a new racetrack in Fredericksburg . Going to be called "Dominion Raceway", I believe. Shame about Old Dominion as there was so much early history there.
Went out to the old Motor City Dragway, or what's left of it and took a few pics. The first pic is what is now left of the sign posts. The second pic is from the side and rear of the tower. I am standing about where the staging lanes and beginning of the pits would have been. The third pic is from behind the tower. The fourth pic is standing at the starting line looking down the track. Sure has changed from its heyday. The fifth pic is standing at the starting line looking at the tower. The sixth pic is standing at the starting line looking back toward the burnout box and staging lanes. The seventh pic shows the condition of the asphalt. The eighth and final pic is standing at the rear of the track where the cars would turn out of the staging lanes into the burnout area looking down track. It's unbelievable how the buildings are entirely covered with vines. The fish flies didn't get us but we came out of there covered in ticks. The wife was not happy. It's a real shame to see prestigious facilities like this one was, left to slowly be taken over by weeds, trees and vines. Drag racing sure isn't what it used to be.
Motor City Dragway opened in May of 1957 and it closed in 1978 due to local residents complaining about the noise. She's been closed down for 35 years now. Sure is a shame.
Took some photos of what 13 Forks looked like in 1993. Couldn't find the exact location so I found a farmer who drove his combine to the track and blazed me a path to the track. The track is about a 1/4 mile off of the road. The surface was still there but had trees coming through the asphalt. If I can figure out how to post photos, I will share them with you. Jim
Could still see some lettering on the retaining wall in the shuit down area. The starting line and all but less than 100' of the main track are gone. I was able to find the finish line by tracing down the yellow speed trap lines. The white finish line is just barely visable.
The Jalopy Journal
