History What's your favorite old drag strip?

Not in the right area but Union Grove in Wisconsin.

 

Another vote for Bowling Green (Beech Bend). Real cool place and they have an amusement park next door for the kids and wife to hang out at if watching racing isn't their thing. Also has the covered stands and the cleanest drag strip "John's" I've seen.

 

COLTON CA. GENE,S BRAKE SHOP SPL.- JOHN BRADLEY

mr. flathead
top eliminator 1955

 

Track is still there but it is closed down

 

Tulsa has a lot of history, but it's been totally remodeled. Ark City, KS is pretty old and is pretty cool, but it's in the middle of nowhere but town is pretty nice and quaint.

I know this is neither east or west as per the OP.

TVRP in Noble, OK would be my home track, it's family owned, but not that much history. I've heard that Guthrie is trying to get a 1/8 mile track, (maybe a 1/4 mile) and it's a VERY historic town, you could block off most all of downtown for a car show and they'd LOVE it.

Hmmmmm, maybe I could talk to the powers that be just for an event and get back with you Ryan......

 

Most of the older dragstrips in the Southeast are 1/8 mile. Your options are much more varied if you want to include them.

Carolina Dragway, across the river from Augusta, GA runs 1/8th and 1/4. Spectators are pretty close to the track. I like that. It's a "bigger" track than Mokan but still has character. It's in the country but close to civilization. There are shade trees in the pits. Plenty of bleachers, but not overwhelming like a modern track.

I don't get up that way too often, but Mason Dixon Dragway in Hagerstown, MD has the right feel too.

 

HAHAHAHA.............yeah right, there's NOTHING in Fresno.

 

Amarillo Dragway. Me an a buddy went there for the winternationals in 1966 when I was a freshman in high school. They had a bridge that went over the staging area that connected the pit side to the spectator side. Walking across that bridge and seeing/hearing those nitro burning AA fuelers being push started then making an ear splitting smoking pass was almost sureal. Hell I thought my balls were gonna fall off from the vibrations!

 

Gotta be Beech Bend in Bowling Green,Kentucky. Home of the original "Sports Nationals" from 1974 through 1980. Beautiful facility, great surroundings and covered grand stands. FC

 

I don't have a specific recommendation, but for the East, keep it somewhere central (like somewhere along the Mason-Dixon Line). Us southern boys ain't allowed into NJ, and the upper east coast guys have a tough time getting passports to get into the Confederacy. Seriously, it has to be located centrally to draw from all parts of the eastern U.S. The track in Kentucky might be good as far as location goes. Either that or rotate each year between a track in the north and a track in the south.

 

Bakersfield (Famoso)

 

http://www.gulfportdragway.com/

Every body might have to pawn their car if the stay at the casinos to long?
The beach hotels resturants near by.

http://www.cruisinthecoast.com/

We can do a car show.

 

ANY bridge in Pittsburgh

 

Thunder Valley Raceway
27121 469th Ave.
Tea, Sd. 57064
United States
605-207-3777
info@tvraceway.com
IHRA 1/4 Mi. Dragstrip


not that far from souix falls,and few other little towns the place is great for familys and camping,up hill shutdown, mainly cuz i been going there forever very classic

 

i will post this address maybe hambers know but this is about the best list on the web for any track of any kind, i suppose there are other sites but this one has always been great
http://www.carhopp.net/track_information.htm

 

I'll give a second recommendation to Quaker City outside Salem, OH. It's been in existance since 1957, the town of Salem is maybe 4 miles away and it's only 10 miles off the Ohio Turnpike. Beautiful facility with grass pits, paved return road, unique up hill burn-out box and no dust.

 

Here is some old pictures if you would like? http://www.fergenboysinc.com/tvd2album/
http://www.fergenboysinc.com/tvdalbum/

 

I'll second grate lakes dragway in union grove wisconsin. I like bowling green and cordova but the grove is close to home.

 

Another one for "the Grove".

 

With these parameters in mind I think that the east strip should be without a doubt Beech Bend. I know it is not that far East but it sure is within easy driving distance, prolly at the most 12 hours for the majority of folks from any direction.

Others have itemized the ambiance of the place so I will not repeat them.

My vote for the East is Beech Bend.

BB

 

FAMOSO!!! first strip i ever raced at awwwwww

 

I am gonna have to go with Atco .Great track and ony 15 minutes from my house

 

Eastside Speedway in Waynesboro, VA would be a good one. Waynesboro is growing fast so there are alot of hotels there.
The drag strip was opened in the early sixties and still looks the same as the day it opened. It still has a good " old time feel".
http://www.eastsidespeedway.com/

 

Famosa, and Redding in cali.

 

Bowling Green great atmosphere and great camping

 

i would suggest our local track thornhill in kenton ky....been opened since 53.....normally a 1/4 mile deal ....but they have been slacking off and only doing 1/8 so far this year ...bad points....its in the middle of no where....closest store / gas station is probably 5 miles or so....probably a good half hour to a hotel / motel... would have been cool to see something like this about 15 years ago....as the track still had the clocks instead of the christmas tree......definently old school then ... brandon

 

I LOVE Beech Bend so don't get me wrong BUT it's a HUGE track, set up for hundreds of racers and thousands of spectators. While it does have that old time feel it does not have the "family run", small time, close, homey feel like MoKan.

and who in the world thinks KY is East yet OH is Midwest?? FYI, Beech Bend is WEST of I-75 and most of the tracks (if not all) that are being thrown around in OH are all EAST of I-75.

Something in Western VA or Eastern TN would be centrally located for both the northeast folks and the southeast folks to attend along with folks in the eastern Midwest.

I'll probably attend no matter where it's at

Those are my thoughts for what they're worth.

 

Ditto!!! And I love the idea of the East and West Coast winners facing off at MoKan for the Nationals!