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History Places - Where did you guys Street Race when you were a kid ?..... Could be interesting

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by corncobcoupe, Jan 14, 2019.

  1. Budget36
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014
    Posts: 13,174

    Budget36
    Member

    That's how we'd get the out of towners...they came in with 4.56's. etc....we would tell them 4 1/2 poles here...they always ran out of gear;)
     
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  2. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    Nowadays it's "Son, are you going to write me up?" Cops these days look like kids. Sure seems like they were older back then.
     
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  3. sdluck
    Joined: Sep 19, 2006
    Posts: 3,186

    sdluck
    Member

    There is Brotherhood way in San Francisco by the great highway.That was the hot spot for racing in San Fran .We took 5 cars up there from San Jose and went to A & W up there back in the late 70's. We weren't there 15 min before the cops showed up,they got on the PA and said 1 person come out to talk to them. I was elected, the officer asked me what we were doing there,I told him we heard the hamburgers were good there,he told me get them to go.Big Willie came and tried to organize us one time,first street was the cruising spot and my job was to set up the races,how much,and slicks or street tires.My buddy had a 340 dart,then we put a 440 in it then a 426 hemi,it was a race car. Lenard had a 440 super bee ,Don Mcgee had a 440 super bee.Paul walker had a 68 z-28 with a 454.Al tunnel ram cars .Cars were hot and heavy back in the day
     
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  4. 63galaxie406
    Joined: Nov 21, 2018
    Posts: 47

    63galaxie406

    I can’t believe no one from San Diego mentioned Otay Mesa or The Tidelands. Got busted at Otay Mesa the Sunday night before I was to go to the Grayhound station the next day for a ride to the induction center in L.A. Told the cops, “take me in, I’m going in the Army tomorrow “. They let me go. So I got to spend two “fun” years in the Army.
     
  5. Budget36
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014
    Posts: 13,174

    Budget36
    Member

    That route was my go to, in order to bypass the city traffic. I'm guessing this was before all the stoplights were in? Used to be able to time them at 30mph, never have to stop...I guess 60 or 90 would work too...lol
     
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  6. Trans Canada Highway just north of town. 4 lane highway with lights and everything a young racing fool could want. Sometimes there was even an "official" to help document the evenings events. :eek:

    Now I never got a ticket myself but one time the RCMP met me at my home to chat about the evenings earlier happenings. :oops:
     
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  7. Larry Anderson
    Joined: Jul 15, 2013
    Posts: 252

    Larry Anderson
    Member

    Well, that is one of the few things that I've been pulled over for. Thought I was pretty cool dragging a datsun 240z in my bone stock Chevy luv truck light to light in downtown hillsboro back in my high school days. 3 red and blues came out of nowhere. Whoops. Lombard and the terminals were the Portland hot spots back in the day according to my dad. Trophies during the day, cash for the grudge at night

    Sent from my SM-N950U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  8. stanlow69
    Joined: Feb 21, 2010
    Posts: 7,348

    stanlow69
    Member Emeritus

    Just north of Red Oak Iowa on Hwy 48 in 1986. Started at the railroad tracks and ended at the next intersection just past the river bridge. You could see for a few miles ahead. Had(has) a 427 in my Caprice, so I didn`t need to race much at all. I`d just laugh at them. They just believed it was fast. Had View attachment 4158827 hydraulics installed in my car a year later when I was 17. So it was low and slow from then on.
     
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  9. Perhaps the ultimate group of street racers. I've had this poster for almost 45 years.:D 20181005_140112.jpg
     
  10. R Pope
    Joined: Jan 23, 2006
    Posts: 3,309

    R Pope
    Member

    In the sixties on the Saskatchewan prairies we raced anything, any time, any place!
     
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  11. RDE
    Joined: Mar 23, 2017
    Posts: 95

    RDE
    Member

    Early '60's we raced on Coffin Road in San Jose.
     
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  12. wicarnut
    Joined: Oct 29, 2009
    Posts: 9,052

    wicarnut
    Member

    Milwaukee Wisconsin, 64-70 time frame for me. Wisconsin ave. Saturday night cruise was a huge event, would line up $ street races there and several other spots, Big Boys Hwy 100 south side, Villard ave A&W, Big Boys on Capitol dr, Kitts on Capitol dr, Pig&Whistle east Capitol dr, some of the race spots I remember this AM, Milwaukee Clipper drag strip/road in front of parking lot where ship docked, road on east side of Timmerman airport, the new Hwy 41 leaving Milwaukee NW, Beloit road, west villard ave, impromptu street races, any stop light late night, street, road. Some of these spots had fatalities and that moved the somewhat organized street racing to new spots, always changing as the Police were ramping up to stop it as it was pretty wild/crazy/dangerous. I have many stories/memories/Fun/adventures from my youth and my entire life. All of my life has been great,(a few bumps in the road) worked hard/played hard, I have been Very Lucky/Fortunate to have my Guardian Angel that has watched over me all these years, used to joke about having 9 lives like a cat as I surely past that number up. Very grateful to be here, pretty good health, 1/2 a brain left, found the HAMB to share my history with, Enjoy reading other's stories.
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2019
  13. I'm surprised no one has mentioned Vista del Mar in Los Angeles. It was a long stretch that ran along the beach west of L.A. airport. At one time it got so intense that people even trailered in gassers.
     
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  14. wicarnut
    Joined: Oct 29, 2009
    Posts: 9,052

    wicarnut
    Member

    Your story brought this memory up this AM. Milwaukee Wi. 1966, Big Boys, Capitol dr. This was a hot spot for cruising, lining up street races. Saturday night, 2 new Hemi Dodges show up on trailers, open headers, slicks, full out drag cars. I could not believe what happened next, very well organized, we lined Capitol dr as spectators, cars blocked side streets and Capitol dr for a 1/2+ mile and the race was on. Wow ! what a show, everything went back to normal in a few minutes and then the cops showed up, cars back on trailers. If I wasn't there, I'd call BS on this story myself.
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2019
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  15. How true and they all wore aviator shades. At court I couldn't tell if my officer showed up or not, they all looked the same.
    Now they pull me over just to check the car out. I got out of a major ticket on my sport bike because the kid couldn't believe a 60 year old was under all that riding gear. Kind of cool but at the same time it kind of sucks too. Different world or different perspective.......maybe a little of both.
     
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  16. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,335

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    Another thing we liked to do was a road race a little, but you had to be careful, Southeastern Ohio was loaded with old culverts. You know, the WPA kind with concrete side rails that looked like they could survive a direct nuclear hit.
     
  17. In the late 50's/early 60's in Southern Cal, at the east-end of the San Gabriel Valley was the sleepy little town of Covina. To the east, between the area known as Charter Oak and San Dimas, was an area that was all orange groves with only a few houses that were owned by the growers. This area had virtually no traffic after 9:00 pm., Cypress Ave., a two lane road, ran from Baldwin Park to nearly San Dimas where it made a turn to the north and became Lone Hill Rd. Approximately 3/4 of a mile to the west of the curve was where we had a marked 1/4 mile. This area was known as "dead mans curve" to the local's, a flat 90 degree turn to the north that had a "posted" 15 MPH speed limit and a 60 foot drop, a few yards from the road, into the creek that ran from Puddingstone Dam to the south. The race's were usually "set up" at In N Out or in the parking lot of J & M Donuts.
     
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  18. Firestone Drive in Pottstown , Rt 100 bypass before it opened . County Line Rd. near Boyertown .
     
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  19. jimmy six
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 14,802

    jimmy six
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    There was a white line for the start. Someone would hold back the other cars wanting on the 405. Race was done with who went under the Arbor Vita overpass first(1/4 mile). 405 entrance was on the same street as C&O Hydro.
     
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  20. jimmy six
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 14,802

    jimmy six
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    There were too many in So Cal to mention but my favorite in the late 50's early 60's was Imperial Hwy. along side LAX south side in El Segundo. The line up started at the Main Street signal heading west so no starter was needed; the road ended at Vista Del Mar and the Pacific Ocean next to the "shit" plant...Hyperion. Some damn fine cars came to race...
     
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  21. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    I never raced at Brotherhood that I can recall but when I worked in the City we used to go down there after work and watch. My best memory was watching two guys arrive in a beautiful white over black '56 Bel Air, pop the slicks out of the trunk and uncork the headers like they'd done it a hundred times, just like TLB.

    Did race the Great Highway though, so many cars there were staging lanes!

    They raced on Carroll street some too, down by Hunters Point and Candlestick.
     
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  22. Fat47
    Joined: Nov 10, 2007
    Posts: 1,454

    Fat47
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    In the last half of the 50's in Tacoma, WA. Busch's Drive in was the place to be. Street racing on Pacific Ave and South Tacoma Ave.
     
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  23. 42˚18'N 83˚09'W
    Joined: Jul 29, 2008
    Posts: 167

    42˚18'N 83˚09'W
    Member

    In the Boston area in the early 60's we had quite a few places we used to do a little racin' after dark.
    "Wheeldog" mentioned the marsh earlier. We used to run off the Ballard St light heading toward Revere but you only did that once because the dink that owned "Peters Pizza" would get the cops down there after the first pass.
    The ramp on C1 in East Boston by the airport, the I-93 connecter before it was open, the Revere Beach Parkway by the Big Burger Ranch, Route 2 heading out to Concord, Route 1 in Saugus off the lights at "The Red Coach" either North or South, Route 128 in Reading. Every other Sunday we would head up to Sanford Airport for some legal fun. Ahh the good old days!!!
     
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  24. 4tford
    Joined: Aug 27, 2005
    Posts: 1,824

    4tford
    Member

    Stecker street in Detroit
     
  25. Wi car nut did you ever race in the valley noth east of county stadium? I read a journal times article on the racing there. It was before my time.
     
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  26. bangngears
    Joined: Aug 30, 2007
    Posts: 1,145

    bangngears
    Member
    from ofallon mo

    Street raced at the world famous "Hall street" in St.Louis
     
  27. Steve Norton
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 59

    Steve Norton

    Late 60’s Sherman Minton bridge between Indiana and Kentucky. Is a double deck bridge. You could race over and then race back. 3 lanes wide each direction. Great times
    Back then
     
  28. wicarnut
    Joined: Oct 29, 2009
    Posts: 9,052

    wicarnut
    Member

    Kinda remember being in that area a few times, there was a big factory on National ave, around 40th st ? I seem to remember racing on road behind the factory east/west, the local police (West allis or ? ) put a stop to that spot quickly, you were trapped in the area, not many escape roads I seem to remember. The freeway system changed that area some with the southbound exit by the ballpark after this time. Funny some things I remember crystal clear, we are talking 50+ years ago and some fuzzy, the spot you asked about, fuzzy, BUT glad I remember anything these days, The HAMB is like a therapy session for me and many Senior's I'm sure. This CRS program comes and goes, PIA and not improving with age. I was on my head open wheel racing more times than necessary, ( slow learner ) that's my excuse and sticking with it. LOL
     
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  29. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,670

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member

    I can't believe nobody mentioned Torrey Pines Road! That was huge in the mid 70's-mid 80's. People still race there, though nowadays it's mostly ricers and late model Muscle such as Hellcats, etc. I remember going mostly to Torrey Pines, Kearney Villa, Otay Mesa (WAY back before the toll road, State prison, 2nd border crossing and mega industrial parks).
    The Car Craft magazine series may have been Cruisin' USA. They did a feature at Grand Avenue in Escondido (after me and a few friends attending the '79 Car Craft Western Street Machine Nats in LA invited one of their photographer's down). By then, late late Saturday night saw guys trailering in cars (from LA) and hanging out in the East end of the strip parking lots looking for race deals.
    The twin turbo'd, Mopar powered T Bucket might have been Larry Hoefer's (sp?). He always drove that around with his left leg hanging out. It was silly fast. Used to be a wicked 55 Chevy 150 sedan-black, flip front, blown BBC, polished Centerlines.
    Our topography and dense population makes it tough to find an isolated, flat, straight road. Mission Gorge East of Princess View and Hwy 52 West of 805 were always good places to open it up.

    My favorite is a lesser known East County on Moreno Ave. in Lakeside. Runs parallel to/about a mile away from Hwy 67. Straight and flat, about 2 miles long. South end lots of ranch homes but North end industrial/agricultural/antennae farm. It wasn't a big crowd scene, but rather a place for a small group of racers to travel to, race, then get the hell out. I came across it in the mid 70's by accident traveling the road one day and noticed the burnout box, painted start and finish lines. Pavement isn't nearly as clean as it used to be but it's still a good place to make a shakedown power run 7:00-8:00AM on a Sunday (cop shift change), then split.

    Looking South from old start line;

    upload_2019-1-15_17-22-42.png
     
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  30. hotrod_34
    Joined: Jan 27, 2018
    Posts: 4

    hotrod_34
    Member

    We used to go to Rankin Rd, closer to the IH45 and 1960 area in Houston in the mid 80s. It was a wide two lane with street lights. Big crowds would show up. 30-45 minutes later the place would be swarming with cops.


    Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
     

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