I remember the LIHRA drags because they were 1/5th mile instead of the usual 1/4 because of space problems.Ed Eaton was the spearhead of that strip(he later became a director for NHRA)and his brother Jack was a photographer who had cars featured in a lot of magazines including Hot Rod.
Well here's some information from Dennis Tate: Hi Thomas....Sanford ME, I belive came into being around 1959. Charlestown, RI was another early track perhaps around 1959 or 60. Dover was opened on May 14th 1961 Orange, MA was again, around 1959 I am not familiar w/Oxford Plains. However, one track they missed was Westhampton, L.I.(Long Island New York) It opened in 1954!! Atco, NJ (New Jersey) was opened in 1959 Montgomery Dragstrip...(now it is the Orange County Airport (New York)) was opened in 1959. That's about if from my recollection. If you'd like to pass this on, please do so. Thanks for letting me know. If they guy wants to know anything more about Dover don't hesitate to give him my number. Dennis Tate
However, one track they missed was Westhampton, L.I.(Long Island New York) It opened in 1954!! Read my first post, I said Westhampton was old in 57! I remember going past it on the way to my Grandparents summer cottage in Hampton Bays before I even had a drivers license. That was real boonies back then, potato and duck farms. Talked to a guy a week or so ago that said it finally shut down last season. Now as far as "unsanctioned", the unopened section of I-93 north of the Merrimac River in the Lawrence/Methuen area was a hot place for 2 years 63-4 since the bridge construction was delayed. Brand new concrete! The cops finally ruined that fun. What year did the NE Dragway open? 69-70? Back then I last ran Sanford in 67 and then moved to Chicago. Came back in 72. Off topic; whose home were the NHSRA mettings held at in Hookset, just north of the Massabesic traffic circle? Faded memories!
Mutt those pics are great . Anyody know the history of Island dragway in Hackettstown New Jersey ( you know home of M&M/Mars)
[ QUOTE ] Now as far as "unsanctioned", the unopened section of I-93 north of the Merrimac River in the Lawrence/Methuen area was a hot place for 2 years 63-4 since the bridge construction was delayed. Brand new concrete! The cops finally ruined that fun. Off topic; whose home were the NHSRA mettings held at in Hookset, just north of the Massabesic traffic circle? Faded memories! [/ QUOTE ] Yeah I-93 was quite a hotbed of racing all along the unopened sections of it.I was in the Navy 64-67 when a kid from Medford(Mass)driving a 40 Ford coupe got killed racing a 'Vette along there.As I remember it,he went off the highway and hit a house about level with the second floor!I can't remember his last name(his first name was Paul and he was Italian and he had a younger brother Tony who had a Pontiac powered 34 Cabriolet EDIT:I finally remembered his nameaul Grasso!Boy what old age does to you!).It was Titian Red and had a SBC in it. And then of course there was the Route 2 Timing Association that used to run out of the Big Burger in Cambridge.I can remember a few nights coming down Route 2 VERY fast and praying we were going to make it around the rotary onto Fresh Pond Parkway! Also the Revere Beach Parkway from thr Big Burger in Chelsea to Richard's at Wellington Circle in Medford.And of course racing on "the Ramps"(the elevated section of road going towards Logan Airport)and the Marsh Road from Revere to Lynn.Too many memories! Don't know the answer to your o/t question;wasn't my neck of the woods although I met some of the NH guys later on(Norm Wallace's widow and Curt Hardy.I also knew Jere Shehan from before).
They used to infrequently run 1/8 mile drags at the old Norwood Mass stockcar track in the late 50's /early 60s. I have a poster advertising their drags for cars and MCs, though I was a little kid in those days (found the poster at Hershey in the 80s). I remember my neighbor had a new, hopped up 59 or 60 Galaxie and on some summer sundays, it would be parked out front without the wheel covers on it, as he told me he had taken them off at the drags the previous night as that was part of the rules. I saw a few stock car races there before the track was closed due to noise complaints, but I never saw the drags. I have heard from some who dragged there that there was not very much runout at the end of the 1/8th mile and some cars were not able to stop before they hit something. I think the experiment with drag racing did not last for more than a couple of years there. There was a pretty big street racing scene right near there leaving on Rte 1 from Art Johnsons burger/ice cream stand and heading south on Rte 1, where there was about 3/8 of a mile of good wide state highway (with a pole marking the end of the quarter) before there was a gradual turn. The strip at the track may have been a try to keep those "hotrod hoodlums" from racing on Rte.1
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