How many old time drag strips still around?? (OT)

[1just4don]

I was thinking about this the other day and wondered how many old time drag strips are still running?? And what are reasons for closing them??

I remember MANY years ago of going to the Marion drag strip Marion So. Dakota (one time)when I was in high school. (think they called it "Thunder Vally") Is Marion drag strip still running??

After high school I worked in Illinois for the summer following and remember going to the Byron Illinois drag strip to watch 3 funny cars run side by side that day!!(They said they would NEVER do that again after the race). I read someplace the Bryon drag strip was still in the news so it may be alive.

A couple times I remember going to Scribner Ne. Once was to watch the after dark show of firing up the BIG boys after dark and watching the flames and how high they shot for those few seconds. I heard Scribner closed down a couple years ago. I also read in the Omaha paer that the same guy who owned that one wanted to build a new one by Lincoln. There was great ooposition to that site and another county closer to Greenwood wanted them to come build right next to and adjoining a circle track to share facilities,,no opposition there.

I am surely NOT advocating drag racing our good old daily drivers of Mopar vintage,,,they are too GOOD for that,,but drag strip memories should abound for most all of us,,,why dont drag strips survive?? Looks like they were well attended and people are greatly interested in same,,,why do so many close??? Are their any drag strips around YOUR area?? Any drag strips around Ne., SD, or Iowa??? I guess I am getting the 7 years, times something itch to go see one again!!! Must be spring(soon as it ever warms up) -d-

[Dennis Hemingway]

Here is a directory of Drag Strips and the web site for Byron Drag strip.

Dennis:cool:

http://www.dragraceusa.com/DragStripDirectory/dragstripdirectory.htm

http://www.byrondragway.com/Home.html

[DAVE KNOXX TENN]

I hear Colonial Beach VA Drag Has tons of action.And A long wating list.

[47heaven]

The Pomona Drag Strip is still in operation, here in Pomona, California. It was originally started 1951 between the Pomona Police Department and National Hot Rod Timing Association (NHRA) as a way to get kids from dragging off the streets and onto the track. Today, it's world famous.

Pomona Drags in 1954

Pomona Drags today

[Brad Lustig]

We've had a few shut down up here. Some from lack of use, but most because of development and they're sitting on high dollar property. There seems to be a resurgence of drag strips today for the kids and the rice-burners because of all the street racing. What's old is new again. Saw a cool way to get the kids out there. Cops are writing tickets to the kids when they're caught speeding. Instead of a ticket or a warning, they write them a free pass to the drag strip. The strip was run by the municipality and the cops actually had some cars that they raced.

[Don Coatney]

Here is a link to all old drag strips. I have made a few postings on this forum. Search for your home state.

http://www.hotrodder.com/trackforum/dragstrips.html

[greg g]

ESTA Safety Park Drag Strip is still operating in Cicero, NY. This track has been in continuous operation since 1961 or 2. I believe Eastern States Timing Association is what the Acronym stands for.

http://www.estadrags.com/

[greg g]

The Drag strip in Savana, NY reopened last year. This 8th mile strip was the site of the Nostalgia Drags similar to and populated by some HAMBers. Haven't heard the schedule for this year but supposidly monthly form may to October.

[BobT-47P15]

The MoKan Dragway strip between Joplin, MO and Pittsburg, KS is still going.

It's where they hold the HAMB drags in August.

I remember guys I knew in high school in the 50s and 60s saying they ran their cars there. Don't know when it opened, but been there several years.

Even ran the P15 down the strip during the Test & Tune at the Hamb drags summer before last. Probably had the slowest speed and longest e t of the day.

Link to their home page. http://www.mokandragway.com/

[Guest jtw3749c]

Osceola Drag Strip. Opened I think in 1950 and still going today. It's now a sanctioned NHRA Strip. wooo, hooo. No more fun runs for us.

[Guest Gerhard Tieseler]

The old Vacaville raceway was opened in the mid 50's, and shut down in the 70's, not really sure why. It was a glider landing strip for a short time in the 80's. There is still a 61 Mercury Comet out there, flipped over and stripped down, but the straight axle springs are still there. The strip was torn up a few months ago. Luckily some friends and I were able to trespass and make one last run before the asphalt was removed. (The newest car we ran was a 60 Caddy )

The old man who owned the land passed away a couple years ago and the kids sold it, probably for a huge amount of cash.

Gotta make way for the mixed use residential and commercial property.

It's sad that a landmark like that gets torn up and forgotten. My parents have property 4 miles away. Give 20 years or so, the developers are going to get a sparkle in their eye over the farm too.

All in the name of progress I suppose...

[BobT-47P15]

For quite a few years, the old Rte 66 Drive-in Theater was closed....and at one time even used as a salvage yard. But the screen remained. A few years ago, a fellow cleaned it up and it now shows movies each weekend. And, of course, it's right on Old Rt 66 just west of Carthage, MO. Tune in the sound on your car radio......no speakers to snitch.

These fellows from Norway, and their entire group, attended that drive-in last summer while in Joplin. They say there are NO such theaters in their country. The fellow standing farthest to the back is Buffen Buue, president of the American Car Club of Norway. Both were real nice guys and fun to visit with. (((oops---how did we get from drags to drive-ins???)))

[Gwellman]

I bought a 1950 Plymouth 4 dr sedan from the guy across the street from our house in Detroit. Cost me $35...this was in the early 60s. My dad was an engineer at Chrysler and liked antique cars. He made me install a floor before I coud drive it. He then taught me how to take the cylinder head off so I could get it milled 60 thou. I had taken it to the strip before the head was milled, and with an open exhaust, could run just over 20 seconds in the quarter. After getting it milled, my best time was about 19.3. I was in N stock...the lowest class running against Jeeps, Falcons Corvairs and other old cars.

I really enjoyed beating those Corvairs...their owners were insufferable thinking they were driving their 4 speed sports cars. Imagine how they felt getting beat by a clapped out 1950 Plymouth! The only car that consistently beat me was another 1950 Plymouth...but that one was a business couple and weighed less than mine. Well maybe not, much of my car had rusted away. I had a good clutch and could burn rubber off the line, but he'd always start gaining and just nip me at the end.

After a day of racing, I'd button up the exhaust and drive it 40 miles home.

I think it was a much fun to race the clunker as it would have been to race a newer car. By the way, the car paid for itself in cash winnings, (not saying a lot considering what I paid).

[martybose]

The old Vacaville raceway was opened in the mid 50's, and shut down in the 70's, not really sure why.

(snip)

All in the name of progress I suppose...

That used to be a fun track. Back in the early 70's I worked on a 10 second Barracuda bracket racer, and we would run Vacaville on Friday nights, Champion Raceway in South San Francisco on Saturday nights, and Fremont Dragstip on Sunday. They're all long shut down now. You can still see parts of Fremont, it's buried under a bunch of concrete rubble.

Marty

[bob westphal]

In western Washington they ran at local airfields starting in the early '50s. One at Shelton and one at Arlington. They closed down in the early '60s when Pacific Raceways opened east of Seattle. About the same time the owner of Thunn Field (another airfield) put in a strip, Puyallup Raceway Park, after he allowed grudge racing on Friday & Saturday nights. Only Pacific Raceway remains. The others reverted back to their original use. However, I recently heard that Shelton may reopen for the rice rockets. There is 1/8 mile drags run at Evergreen Fairgrounds at Monroe.

I ran at Shelton with a couple stock cars and what was called a 'Four Barrel Dragster'. I also ran at the grudge races at Thunn Field with a 3/4 race P-15 4dr. I blew off a lot of V/8s with that one. Later I ran a Vette powered P-15 CC on the Puyallup Raceway park strip.

Bob

[Plymouthy Adams]

Our closest track is about 35 miles away..not a bad trck..1/4 NHRA...host some nice events. I have not been for a bit..the Mopar Club used to hold their annual 3 day drag event there till it owners complained about too much dust from the parking area...so they went to another site. Used to be a good times there..sell swap and race..best of Mopar..