Hello all, Thought I would share a recent email that I was pretty excited about. My brother rides an NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle for Don Schumacher Racing. My fiance and I went to the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis last weekend to hang out with my brother and her cousin wanted to join us. Unfortunately, a last minute issue came up and he couldn't go, so we sent him some pictures upon our return. He's NEVER said a word about it before, but as it turns out, he was actually doing some racing at U.S. 30 Dragstrip back in the late 60's and had LOTS to share. Thought some of you might enjoy his memories! So here's his email: Thanks for all the pictures; they are great! If we would have taken pictures, I would have more memories.... Now on to my adventures as a dragstrip nut in the late 1960's (I should have written a book): I know you have been to Fowler, Indiana before, but do you realize the surrounds? Picture a group of SUPER-REDNECK PLOWBOYS age 16-18, who think that no one in the world are as tough in any respect than we are...coming from a rural area where the only minorities are non-farmers...we listen to the radio as we grow up and hear nothing in those days but WLS 890 AM on your pocket transistor, (it was under your pillow at night so you didn't miss any details and in your pocket with earphone up your sleeve of your shirt even during school,),,,and what do you hear (you had to be there to enjoy this) "SUNDAY, SUNDAY, AT SMOKING BEAUTIFUL US 30 DRAG STRIP (then they went on to give the weekend schedule of who was to be there) and of course finished the commercial with WHERE THE GREAT ONES RUN"...and what do super curious kids (and I use the term loosely) thinking we ought to be doing this, but get in our street car and head North to get into the actions...at age 16 when I got my license I was already hooked as everyone was doing it...we would pack in you heaps (actually what we could afford) and head to the drags...life couldn't have been any better, now if you were ever familiar with US 30 but back in those day if you were going to race (God know everyone had to try it at least once) you headed for elimination area which got you in the pits, and actually in the mist of all the actions it cost an extra $1.00 or so to be in eliminations rather than a spectator (which is where we should have all been {but guess we didn't know any better})...as I look back I am surprised we didn't get killed litterly as we used to bad mouth everyone, BLACKS, MEXICANS AND WHITES (you have to remember we were totally uninformed plowboys, from the sticks, and were dealing with everyone in the so called REGION) that we really didn't even know existed (when I look at where we were, I would be a total CHICKEN today to even enter the area {let-alone giving everyone HELL about what they were doing}) but the best part of being that ignorant we met so many big names, in the pit areas that I am amazed that we didn't get shot for some of our ideas...we could BS our way into anything... Look at this list: MISTER NORM, Grand Spalding Dodge Still in business today 40 years later.. ARNIE "THE FLYING FARMER" BESWICK and his goat "GTO" CHI-TOWN-HUSTLER JUNGLE "JIM" LIBERMAN MR. PONTIAC JESS TYREE DON SCHUMACHER THE LITTLE RED WAGON THE HURST HEMI-UNDER-GLASS STONE WOODS AND COOK SOX AND MARTIN EVIL KNIEVEL AND HOW COULD I FORGET LINDA VAUGHN...MISS HURST... THE LIST COULD GO ON FOR EVER....BUT.... I could only wish we would have been smart enough to have taken a camera as Chicago brought in a lot of big names to US 30 back in those days...and we seldom missed a Sunday at the Drags...there was nothing neater than returning to Fowler late on Sunday evening with big "T" on your windshield which of course meant you won your class and took home a trophy...remember we were just 16-18 years old farmers competing with the Chicago area pros and winning....what a thrill...I still have my trophy from Nov. 1969 I was a senior in High School and won my Class, in a stock 1964 Chevy...I couldn't wait to get back to Fowler and parade the town with the 'BIG T" on the windshield...or to go to school next day...the fun of being young...and even more stupid.... See as I said you don't want to get me started...
Never made it to US 30, too far away for a broke kid from the other side of the state but I can still hear those commercials on WLS like it was yesterday "SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY! At screamin' US 30 dragstrip where the great ones run (insert echo affect here)!" There were probably a hundred variations but that's the one I remember.
Growing up in north eastern Indiana we always listened to CKLW out of Detroit. Our mantra was "Sunday, Sunday at beautiful Motor City Dragway..Dyno Don Nicholson in his fuel burning funny car" etc etc....It worked for us too....And yes, even raced dad's Olds once or twice. Those were the good old days.... Thanks for joging my memeory.
us30, wLs, transister radio under the pillow, man that was me in the late 60s and MR.NORMS GRAND SPALDING DODGE. ID TRADE MY SOUL TO GO BACK THERE AND STAY!!!
As long as you're reminiscing, maybe this'll be of interest... http://video.aol.com/video-detail/jan-gabriel-sunday-sunday-sunday/1450992191
Was there every Sunday as well as Wednesday and Friday nights..Had alot of great memories out there... ...Bruno...
If you would like to see some of the cars from US-30 as well as Oswego drag strip, Oswego is putting on Drag strip Days this week end in down town Oswego IL, car show at 3:00pm on Saturday 9/13/08 in down town. Last year I heard 300 cars, a lot of old memorabilia from the drag strip as well as race cars some restored and some original. It's worth a trip.
Lotsa good memories...I grew up in Indiana (Fort Wayne) cool tees: www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=236347
google, lost indiana U S 30 dragstrip.We ran the Hot Pants pro stocker late 60s, early 70s. Lots of memories.The oswego reunion is sat and sunday sunday sunday per the Tribune.
Don't anyone remember the late fifties? I do, back when a small band of guys called the Throttlers help start US30 and NITA for Bernie
There is a US 30 Reunion / Car show this weekend at White's Pit Stop - July 10. White's moved to Scherrerville IN recently. They are right on US 30 just east of 41 at 330 East US 30. Info at www.whitespitstop.com or phone 219.865.3337. Im going to try to make it out there for a while.
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