charlstown RI drag strip

any of you older new englanders rember the drags at the navy air field in RI in the 50's?

 

There was a feature on it in Hot Rod around 1961-62, and it's mentioned in Cool Cars Square Rollbars.

 

Picture Charleston RI staging crew 1962 and 1963.

This is me^

 

I raced a B-gas 33 Ford 2dr sedan there in !961.

 

i went to the reunion a few years back, got some pics but not digital ,very cool bunch of guys there

 

I worked tech in the morning - started when it opened and worked until Conn Dragway opened. Its been a long time (40+ yrs) since I've been there.

 

WOW what are you doing in Bankok? all the old cars are over here

 

You have the old cars for sure but over here we have the young babes.

 

Remember going there in the late 50's with my '51 Merc.

 

I went there! I went there! LlOL

I put the following in a CT dragway thread --


I have some 8mm movies (not super 8) that I took at the Charleston RI drags and CT drags in the early 60's. I am hesitant to let them out of my hands but also don't want the history they might represent to be lost.

The vehicles I seem to remember but can 't be sure they are on film were the Tasca Ford, Yankee Peddler, a blue pontiac ventura, and Don Gartlets. There also was a little A Gas Angela that was towed by a Ford coupe that broke and the guys ran the tow vehicle instead. (That one may have been at Charleston.)

One idea was to transfer them to a CD/DVD but I have no idea how. Time and money are limited so I can't do it myself and can't afford to have someone else do it.
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......any of you guys remember the "El Diablo" rail? I've got a short 8MM film I converted to VHS a bunch of years ago. I'll have to dig it out and see if I can get some stills from it. Probably from around 1964 or 65.
Running across this old thread borught back some kool memories.

 

I was stationed at Quonset Point NAS in the '60s and raced at Charley Town and later at Connecticut Dragway. Lots of memories.

Charlestown was an auxillary field for the pilots taking off from Quonset Point that had trouble and couldn't make it back to land. They tried to set it down at Charlestown before landing in Narraganset Bay.

I went back to Rhode Island for a visit several years ago and the whole area is different. The base at Quonset was closed and local civilian businesses have taken over. About all that remains of the Navy base is the golf course.

 

The El Diablo dragster was run by Jimmy King from Warren, RI. He went on to later fame with the King and Marshall funny car.

 

strange fact..r i was the first state with a race track in the u.s. and now is the only state without one

 

Wow, never knew that.


I think the old strip was where the town now has a recreation area? I saw where the hangar door tracks were in concrete footings...So I guess it must be the place.

 

The tow car was a 39 Chevy that he had raced before he raced the de-stroked 265 Angela, that was Charleston, I still remember the car and that day.

 

Half of the base has been taken over by the town. The Senior Center is there. The other half belongs to US Fish and Wild Life (Bird Sanctuary). The main runway where we used to race has been torn up and is now part of a walking trail. In the summer the town hosts a circus, Sea Food Festival and Rythm and Roots Concert there. Hang on to those pictures they are history.

 

Here's Jimmy King today.....................still wrenching on the dragster

 

Here's a pic of Jimmy, me and a few good friends at the drags in VT last year..................

 

you need to some how show these films you have.that was a great part of drag racing history and of Rhode Island also.i think you can convert to dvd now.you would have to talk to a photo specialists in your area. goodluck with that.we would all love to see them. bob.

 

Agreed, there are many here that would love to see them before they are lost to the world.

 

My club,the "Strokers" used to race there once a month. Usually we took top speed, low ET and top eliminator. (see my avetar)

One time we arrived early at the strip before it opened at about 5 AM and were later greeted by the state police, notifiny us that we can't park there. Several teams had to cruse around for a few hours until the gates opened.

 

Just wondering if you have found someone to convert your film to Cd/DVD yet? They then could be down loaded to YouTube.

 

This comment really got my attention.

One time we arrived early at the strip before it opened at about 5 AM and were later greeted by the state police, notifiny us that we can't park there. Several teams had to cruse around for a few hours until the gates opened.

It seems like every time I drive on Route 1 when I am up north I still see State Troppers sitting in the middle of the road with their radar guns out!!!!!!!!!!!

I have never been stopped but my son who lives there as gotten one speeding ticket on that same section of road right near Charlestown.

Jimbo

 

An update - I have been very busy and have not had time to think about moving the 8 mm films of CT drag way and maybe Charleston to DVD but am thinking about doing it before the film becomes unusable. I have maybe 30 rolls of family stuff and at least one -maybe more of CT. I just hope it is not too late.

 

the 39 Chevy you mentioned that towed the Anglia is in my garage still in great shape, would love some pics of the car racing at Charlestown dragway RI, especially on the day the Anglia broke.
NH-USA did you convert the video you have? hoping your still around because that would be a shame to lose that film, i will buy the film you have and pay to have it converted and would give you a copy.

 

He was just here on the HAMB yesterday.
@NH-USA

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