No, Dad was just a motorhead and chronic tinkerer. He loved anything fast with wheels and loved making it faster, better, nicer. He was like a lot of guys from his era, he could make something out of nothing. He helped other people with their cars but could never afford to race himself. He really liked SCCA racing, but we went to most any racing event. He was a great guy and I miss him every day. Anyway, here's all the coordinates that I have: Howland, Howland, Ohio: 41.263212,-80.749405 Meander or Ohio Drag City, Youngstown, Ohio: 41.059749,-80.83099 Friendship Park, Smithfield, Ohio: 40.291746, -80.781748 Wayne Trail or Van Wert, Middle Point, Ohio: 40.852757,-84.41813 Hyde Park, Newark, Ohio: 40.017825,-82.432413 Shelby County or Pence's, Piqua, Ohio : 40.228092,-84.247085 Kettlersville, Kettlersville, Ohio: 40.428001,-84.278709 Beechmont, Cincinnati, Ohio: 39.114629, -84.404140 Riverside, Proctorville, Ohio: 38.440519,-82.397035 Raven Rock, Portsmouth, Ohio: 38.714802,-83.052363 Belpre, Ohio: 39.284683,-81.634354 Friendship Park isn't an old strip, I think it ran from 1998 to 2003 and I'm not sure I have the right location of the Belpre Dragstrip, but the others are right. I'm sure I don't have all of them yet so if anyone knows of any other closed, long gone Ohio dragstrips let me know. I'm pretty sure I'm missing a couple from the Cincinnati area. I'd like to document all of their locations. Thanks, Kevin <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="198"><colgroup><col width="198"></colgroup><tbody><tr height="20"> <td style="height:15.0pt;width:149pt" height="20" width="198"> </td></tr></tbody></table>
anyone have pictures of Hyde Park Dragstrip in Newark Ohio?..If I got the name right,I raced there in 69 or 70..the pits were carved out of a hill and had several levels...
Hyde Park is under a housing development now. I'd like to see some pics, also. Does anyone have any info or pictures on a track in Nicholsville, Ohio? I think the track might have been located here: 38.939694,-84.158252
Hawaii Raceway Park @ Barber's Point, Oahu circa mid 1960's. As someone mentioned, it shut down in '06 and since then, someone burned the tower.
First pic is from the webpage taken in '94 and the second is what it looks like today. Looked better as a drag strip, I think. That site also lists the years it was open as 1957 to 1968. This must be a guess on their part, caused you raced there after 1968, correct? They say that the red line on the first pic was the original strip and the blue was after 1962. It says the uphill shutdown area launched a car into a tree so they changed the config so it was a longer hill. Kevin
I don't know why but Howland just interests the shit out of me. Maybe because it closed so long ago (1964) but still survives more or less in it's entirety. It's not like you could trim the weeds, sweep it off and go racing on it but it's mostly all there still. Before long the old peoples community that's next to it now will swallow it up. Satellite pic of how it is now. I cropped the end off a little short, the runoff ends up in a parking lot. I'll bet the people on Pineview Drive have no idea that odd pavement in the backyard was a drag strip. Kevin
What's left of Wayne Trail/Van Wert dragway. Kind of unique because it had two separate lanes. Closed in 1974, I think. Looked for it a long time and couldn't find it. Had to have help, thanks Claymart. Kevin Edit: I think it actually closed in the early '80's
Last one for today. Kettlersville today. 1/8 mile track, not sure when it closed. I think I made a mistake on Van Wert in the last post. I think it actually closed in the early '80's. If anyone's got stories or pictures of any of these tracks please post 'em up. Kevin
Here's a few shots of the action at Wayne Trail Dragway. I believe the track opened around 1968 and closed, as you stated, in the early '80s. I'm basing that opening date on an old picture I've got somewhere in my collection that shows the ribbon cutting for the grand opening of Van Wert Dragway, as it was originally known. One of the owners was a former boss of mine who ran a Chevrolet dealership in the area at the time and he and maybe the Mayor and Police Chief of Van Wert are sitting at the starting line in what I'm guessing was a then new '68 Impala convertible. If I ever find that pic I'll scan an post it, but in the meantime here's some shots from the late '70s. Maybe not all HAMB friendly but pretty representative of the racing at that time.
I ran a NHRA divisional at Hallsville in 1998, during the day the racing was great and when the racing was finished at dusk the party was even better. I heard that the track closed around 05, there was a thread on the HAMB for a while trying to get people together to buy it. The track ran down hill to the finish line, then up and over a hill on the shutdown, I got a real butt pucker on my first pass when I creasted the hill only to find out I was almost out of track. Every run after that I was hard on the brakes after I crossed the finish line!
Sorry I don't have any pictures, I raced in So-Calif. at Riverside, Lions,Santa Ana,San Gabriel,Fontana,Pomona,OCIR and Colton. I don't think Colton has been mentioned before, it was east of Fontana and was a air strip. Racing had to stop when a plane was to land or take off, the air strip was the drag strip, no taxiway. I worked for C J Hart at Lions (Sundays) and at Riverside, sad to see all gone but Pomona.
Thanks for the pics, Claymart. Did you ever go to Kettlersville? I really have no idea why these old drag strips interest me so much. Kevin
Seems like a lot of tracks in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio had the lanes separated by a strip of grass. I wonder how that got started?
That's a different Hallsville than the 50's one he mentioned, the old one was down the street a little further.
Not sure how I just saw this thread... but here is a teaser with Danny & Judy (Mickey Thompson's) son and 1st wife as they walk down the old Lions strip. More info here: WEBSITE <iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XqwUcQO-9cY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Probably unknown by most here Camp Wheeler in East Macon, GA and Warner Robins International Dragway outside Warner Robins, GA.
I think that would have been Brasstown drag strip. On Settawig Rd south of 64. Anybody know anything about Smoky Mountain drag strip neat Qualla NC ? It's at Thomas Valley Rd and Quinn Holcombe Rd right along the river. Nothing shows on 90's aerial pictures but it's shown on old Topographical maps. Second thought, Smoky Mountain is near Dillsboro.
I remember about when that happened, my brother was there, I was on a ship at the time and didn't hear about it for a couple of months. God did I get drunk after I read his letter, RIP Les
I worked at HRP when Stan Adams was managing there, maybe 66-67 time frame, was stationed on a ship in Pearl and used to go out and run front chutes whenever I was in port. Remember Punky Kid Falcon PU, Stan Shiroma, Safari Char and a few others. Sorry to hear about it closing
Just so you guys in Michigan don't think I overlooked some of your old strips, here's one. Motor City as it is today. Don't know the years of operation. I think it was run by a car club and held some major events there. It's here: 42.718171,-82.67431 Kevin
Back to Ohio. Shelby County or Pence's Dragway today. Not much left, a gravel pit now. Not sure of the years of operation on this one either. I had a hard time finding this one although a lot of information is out there on it. Kevin
Some shots from Connecticut Dragway as it is now (Consumer Reports). I'm friends with the owner and he allowed us in to take shots for a couple hours. -Dean
Beechmont in Cincinnati. Years of operation 1958-1961. Not sure if it was a 1/4 or 1/8 mile track. This one closed even earlier than Howland.