What is your favorite Dragstrip?
For many of you who live in Michigan you probably knew of Detroit Dragway at Sibley and Dix. I liked the feel of this dragstrip. I met alot of good friends and had alot of fun there. If you were looking for the little rinky dink track, that was Lapeer. Years ago I remember the time slips looked like a doctors scribble, and were sometimes unlegible. When I first went to Lapeer there were only porta johns, they went high tech when they put in actual bathrooms, a few years later.
So what is your favorite dragstrip, or dragstrip story? |
National Trails Raceway, Columbus, Ohio. It is actually in Hebron, Ohio. I used to live in Granville, OH, which is also outside of Columbus, actually right near Hebron. My father (RIP) and I were outside monkeying around, cutting firewood or something like that, and we kept hearing this noise off in the distance from the south. Ten or eight seconds long, spaced evenly apart. :D
My dad realized what it was and we took off to go see. It was just a saturday night run at the drags, novas, camaros, chevelles, fords, etc. We watched and listened, and smelled race fuel, it was sooo cool. It was a perfect summer night, and my father told me a few stories about when he was younger and used to race a '63 impala. I wound up getting my first job at that track a few months later.:D |
I like the one in Nashville near Chevellabration .
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We have Wisconsin International Raceway just about 3 miles from my house. Its a 1/4 miles dragstrip and 1/2 mile paved oval track. I grew up at that place. Growing up my dad owned 5 service stations, so his wreckers were always used at the oval track. Every single thursday night and all the big special races for years and years I was at that track in the pits with my dad. Dick Trickle and I were very good friends, granted he was much older than me, but he would always take the time to mess around with me. He took me for rides in his Camaro late model race car so many times I couldnt even guess a number. I used to get to hang out with Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, Ted Musgrave Dave Marcus, you name it. So many guys that went on to be big name cup drivers all used to race here regularly. Matt Kenseth was the Thursday night champion two years in a row, he and I drank in the pits way too late many a night. I was actually in his hauler the night he met the woman that ended up becoming the mother of his son Ross, oopsy.
As for the drags, dad would always take me there as well. He always told me if you have a track that close, you just have to use it or lose it. I'm not sure of my favorite dragstrip memory, but I have a good oval track one. After my dad sold off all his service stations, he became a project manager for some huge construction projects like walmart distribution centers, toys r us distribution centers, things liek that. Well he was doing a job over in minneapolis and had an apartment for during the week and would come home on the weekends. So on the weekends my friends and I would go there, use his apartment and go to the mall of america and get drunk and find women. So one particular weekend, we hooked up with a couple chicks and the one told me she drives an ASA car. I tell my dad this when we get home and he is having none of believing this story at all. The next weekend ASA was at our local track and TNT was here to broadcast it and my dad says lets go. So we are there and this hot chick wearing a drivers suit walks up to me and puts her arm around me and kisses me on the neck and asks what I am doing later. My dad darn near fell over right there on the spot!!!! That might have been one of his prouder moments of his son!!! Jeff |
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The most fun there is stopping after running 100+ mph and making that hairpin right turn. :) |
Famoso Drag strip
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I've been to and loved lots of 'strips but since they built Zmax Dragway in Charlotte, NC, there's no 'going back'. This place is called the 'Bellagio of Dragstrips' for a reason. The place is UNBELIEVABLE. If you ever get the chance to visit, do it.
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Well I am partial to my hometown track, Firebird Raceway in Emmett Idaho.
It is well maintained, well prepped and has one of the longest shutdown areas in the entire US. But I have been to Englishtown and have to say the track and grounds are nice. I was there for this past years Funny Car Reunion and had VIP treatment. I spent time in the NHRA booth right next to the announcer booth. I also had the opportunity to join the pitcrew for Rocky Pirrone and his Screaming Eagle funny car in the startup area and just behind the starting line. Had a TF/FC start up fairly close and got sprayed with Nitromethane...now that stuff will clear your nose...lol Anyway I have been to good and bad but like my own the best! :) |
US 30 was a cool strip. The new one had a sweet launch pad. Route 66 is a pretty nice place to. Indy will always be near the top for me.
Detroit dragway is special since its the place my wife and I first meet. |
"The House of Hook" Cedar Falls, IA
1/4-mile track about 90 miles from here... generous enough with the VHT that I could pull off 1.84 60' times on 17" street radials. :) |
"In the day" (whatever that means) is was US 30 for those of us in and around Chicago land. I also hear Route 66 near Joliet is really nice as well.
Ah the good ole days. |
My dad use to race at Dragway 42 in west Salem, Ohio back in the 60s and the very early 70s. I don't remember too much about it, but I know it's still active.
I am more familiar with Norwalk (now Summit Raceway Park). I finally raced there, in the Chevelle, on a test and tune night about 6 years ago. That my was first and last time downn a 'big boy' drag strip. The tranny wasn't shifting right and she ran in the 16s. It's pretty cool seeing it on TV and thinking "Hey, I ran there before!" Hopefullt when I get my car done, the place will still be standing so I can improve on my timeslip. |
Lions. That says it all.
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US131 Dragway in Martin, MI. Back in the day when the Popular Hotrodding Championships were run it was the place to be. In 1968 I left part of my oil pan, crankshaft, and rods (not to mention a lot of oil) at the starting line. My 301 in a Model A didn't like me dropping the hammer at over 7 grand!
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Holiday Raceway, Woodstock, AL
http://www.holidayraceway.com Lots of room, an excellent track surface, and owners that care. Love the slow down area, it goes uphill, making slow downs easy. |
Pa. route 217. In my younger years with my Z/28.:)
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Cecil County Dragway,Rising Sun,Md. Traction capital of the East Coast!Great facility,great people.
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Let's not forget Oswego. Last time that way I hauled a load of trees out of the Nursery that was there. Now I hear it is becoming/became a housing subdivision. Also been hearing that Union Grove may have afight coming over noise restrictions!:( |
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I think it had to do with some developers coming in and causing a ruckus about noise. :mad: I see the same thing happening to our track up here, Wisconsin International Raceway. These idiots build right across the street from a track that has been there since 1968 and then complain about noise. So far the city has agreed it is there own problem for building there, but enough people will sway decisions. What a bunch of crap. Jeff |
I totally agree. With Detroit Dragway, some of the racers tried to get it declaired a historical site, because of the time it had been around and the racers who had raced there. But they did not have a big enough voice, and the dragway soon became an industrial park. It sucks....
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I grew up in Harper Woods, northeast of Detroit. So we went north to Motor City Dragway, instead of Detroit Dragway. My cousin sent me an email not to long ago with pictures of the place now. The track is still there but surrounded by tall brush. Unless you know where to look you would never find it out in the empty fields.
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Jeff |
Gateway International Raceway is the only left around here. It's a nice track. But I liked Mid America Raceway until it closed. Not as nice as Gateway, but had a pretty cool history. Even though at the end the full road course was no longer used. In a quiet car you could hear cows mooing from the shut down area.
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Here is our local dragstrip up in Saginaw Mi called TRI-CITY Dragway, that is my silver Camaro in the finals against my brothers Camaro..I won, they were pretty close since the same person build both motors...the year was 1975. It's still there, just covered in weeds from what I understand.
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Home track, Mtn Park dragway in Clay city Ky. Really nice people. I really liked Norwalk in OH, raced at Indy several times, never really cared for it.
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I think that it is cool that you raced at Indy. I lived in Indianapolis one year and was able to see the Indianapolis 500 Parade, just couldn't make it to the race because I had to work. It was kind of strange cause the race was cancelled the first day because of rain, then the second day, then on the third day all the radio stations were advertising about the free seats cause they wanted to fill them for the Television coverage.
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Been to pomona many times but liked famoso better.
I went to cackle fest many times there. brother hood on terminal island was ok for a makeshift track..now closed. and too young to get to lions. Jc agajainians Ascot park was the dirt track in my area...now closed. Now im in florida and no local track. |
Ms grumpy, Indy is a nice place. They won't do a whole lot to the track unless your John Force. Nothing against John, he's a great guy. The people that ran the track were very rude. Norwalk seemed to really appreciate every racer, came around and talked to you. We were up to Norwalk several yrs ago when Bill ran it, he came around and talked several times. When he ran IHRA, we were at a IHRA race at Mtn Park and he came up and talked, he actually remembered me.
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That is cool. I have never been to Norwalk. My brother loves the track. Every year a whole group of guys get together and go the the Halloween Classic. They said it is a blast.
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You ought to go, don't forget to get the $1.00 extra large ice cream. At least I heard it was still a dollar. Track is awesome!
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Lebanon valley it is 30 min away and a nice quarter mile track along with a half mile banked dirt track
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I used to go to Detroit Dragway alot but only as a spectator. Started going to Milan Dragway in 78 with my 74 Monte Carlo. In 79 I ended up being Bracket 2 Champion.
In 1980 I started driving for Joe "Squeeky" Kulik in his Pinto Sedan Delivery called Squeeky Pt II and had a ball drivin that 4 cyl comin off the line at 11,500 RPM.......thats right 11.5. First time I raced for Joe I came off the line at 7,800 and all Joe could do was shake his head. He said next time when the lights are comin down....BOARD IT.......and come off at 11,500....man, what a blast. It had 9" rearend with 620 gears in it. |
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I also like Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ. great track! Claude. |
Thorn Hill is by my families fishing cabin on Kenton lakes. It is a locals type hangout. It is a old landing strip that was converted to a track. It had clocks not lights forever. Clock spun and you took off as it passed 0. It lit up red if you were early and green on the other side. Few weeks ago we had a family reunion at the lakes. I took my son to see my uncle run his Super Bee.
He said look dad a chevelle like yours everytime he saw one. My son got to sit in a race car. Roll cage aluminum interior job. We had a good time. |
One of the things that there are quite a few of in Texas are local dragstrips. One weekend my son Matthew and I decided to go out and see what our cars would do. But before we did that we wanted to go out and check out the track. This is the information that we had about the track.
San Antonio Raceway San Antonio Raceway is a IHRA 1/4 mile dragstrip. Dragstrip Features: 2 story tower with 3 suites and media room 13,000 seating capacity on aluminum bleachers 15 acres paved pit area 10 staging lanes altitude 600' 60' wide 600' concrete pad 1/2 mile of shutdown Poured-in-place concrete wall on both sides from burnout to last turn off road On track VP Racing Fuel fuel station with all flavors of fuel as well as nitrous oxide and co2 filing equipment Fully equipped EMT vehicle and fire truck on site Bob's Burgers' Concession stand and souvenir trailer offering SAR and NHRA merchandise for added enjoyment to your racing experience. After visiting the track, which reminded me of Detroit dragway, I wanted to see what my car would do without any modifications of the FAST from the street settings. The only thing we did was put on slicks. First run my car spanked my sons Camaro, especially off the line. I may have only run in the low 13's but I was happy. Next run, after explaining a few things to my son, he got me at top end. But I was still happy to run in the high 12's. We didn't do much more. It was busy at the track and those couple of runs answered our questions about what it would do. We will be back, when I can find the time. |
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