Onondaga Dragway. Michigan

Anybody have pictures or stories of this place. You can still see it on Virtual Earth.

 

Just found this site a couple days ago that lists a bunch of drag strips in Michigan, past and present.

http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com/dragstrips.asp

Here's a link to the Onandaga page. Not a lot there but a few pics and stories.

http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com/drags.asp?id=1328&type=6

I was only there once myself, probably early to mid '70s. Seem to recall that some of the locals referred to the place as "Oniondaga".

 

I've seen that site.
Super cool............

 

I hate to admit this but I lived in the trailer park thats behind the old Dragway. When the petition was going around in the mid 80s to get it reopened it wasnt a very popular idea with the locals. Myself I was all for it, and so were a lot of folks from the area, there were still alot of drag cars stashed away in garages around the area. At that time the track had been closed for about 11 years so it was still in repairable shape. I never did get to see any racing there, my dad took me once when I was pretty young and it got rained out that night. My friend Dirks dad ran a B-stock automatic 64 Max Wedge Plymouth named Hot Fudge there on a regular basis.

 

Anybody else?

 

Onondaga is having a car show 9-27-09............

Here's some pix.............
http://www.detroitracing.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7047

 

We ran our old B/S 409 at Onondaga a few times. Not the best track I've ever been at but a great place to run when nothing else was going on. It would be great if it could become active again and I know a bunch of guys that would race there if anything positive would ever happen.

Frank

 

He started out in B/S then eventually went to SS/EA by the time the track closed get your facts straight boy. hahaha If you are wondering YES IT WAS A BLAST ON SUNDAY!!!!

Dirk

 

Then and now pics he still has the car.

 

a couple guys over on yellow bullet are posting pics ...theres been some racing going on there as of late.

 

According to the thread on www.yellowbullet.com , they'll be running 1/8 mile racing next year. Track improvements are underway as we speak.

 

I raced there just before it closed. The racers used to call "The grease pit" The management had the pits sprayed"oiled" to keep the dust down. And all the stocker treaded tire types would bring the oil to the starting line on their tires. They had home made clocks!! I used to sit in the "tower" as I was tech man for another track.

When Central Michigan Dragway re-opened mid-seventies, Onandaga lost a lot of racers.

 

what kind of clocks were they...?

 

Home made!! Setup was tubes enclosed in a wooden box. Running off a 12 volt battery. (this was common power source tho, even with Chrondeks).

I noticed in the posted site of Michigan drag strips. That they missed Grattan, Mich. It was primarily a road course type track, but they run drags on Sundays.

The clocks from (then closed) Grattan were the ones used by Central Michigan when they re-opened in mid seventies. Very early Chrondeks.

 

curious....our local track ran clocks for probably 30+ years....about 4' or so tall . not sure if i have any shots of them , but it was always told , that there were only 2 sets in the world. thats why i asked.

 

I was just talking to a guy at Dinner last night about that dragway. He was telling me about them running drags and the car show. I asked if they moved all the farm equipment off of the track.....
He said that the owner has to move a fence so there can be a return road.

DeucePhaeton--the guy I was talking to is a local guy, I can't remember his name, yellow Corvette maybe '73, Lic bracket says something like "hell yes it's fast" He is at most shows around town. Dad knows him.

 

68 Dual Quad Convertible maybe.?

pics of the show here:
http://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=173535&highlight=onondaga

 

I know this is an old post but I went to this car show and plan on running some 1/8th mile there next spring. I know some of the guys that are trying to get it back up and running. They are doing it as a non profit car club so I guess the locals can't shut it down. It was a cool show and only 5 minutes from my house. Drove there with open exhaust haha.

 

Bump for any new info?

 

Look for Onondaga to be open in April 2011.

 

Heres a new picture

 

Wish it would open, Dan's put a ton of money into it and the town counsel keeps giving him the run around by refusing to vote on it, they have postponed the vote yet again, time to start an online petiton and phone call movement, 517-628-2654, this is the number to the township, keep your calls polite, but let them know you are mad and that they need to vote yes, pass this number on and feel free to post it in other forums Onadaga needs to vote

 

I can still remember a couple of the cars like Hemi under glass, and the 327 powered drag bike known as Bloody Mary, went there a few times with my dad as a kid, he ran a bantam coupe aka 6 packs a-go-go

 

Any new info on the track?Also I am looking for pics. of a B/FX '65 Comet that ran there back in the mid 60's to early 70's from the Battle Creek MI. area. Rangoon Red, Air Lift Bags,Lexan windows,Fiberglass Frontend,and bumpers. A True B/FX factory Racer. My Brother and a partner owned it. That car sat, facing the road @my school bus stop! That is the car that started my Obsession! Any info or pics. would be great. Thanks, Steve

 

Yes it's a go opening up for 2013..

 

Announced this weekend on the radio. Will be on for 2013. I'll be glad to "BE THERE" Hopefully with my old style Gasser.

 

Being a graduate Of Onondaga Class of 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 & 1969 having raced everything I owned and one my dad owned I am pleased to say the least. I had followed the drama with the on again off again township officials. An earlier post said the track had a homemade set of clocks. That might have been true very early in the flagman days but I have several timing slips beside me as I type that are official Chrondek timing certificates. Anyhow I look forward to making that drive up 127 once again as I did so many times in the past to see some racin!. Wonder how many old timers will show up?

 

Is this going to be sanctioned by anybody? Rules?

 

Great news for the Racers of the state. I hope they fill the place up every weekend

 

I grew up 4 miles from the track and my pops used to run a 65 Plymouth among other cars in the late 60's early 70's. I will be there on opening weekend and I know my dad will also. Mom and dad still live in the same house, now I'm about 20 miles away. I was born in 72 and one of my first memories is seeing a jet car run I think it was the Green Monster.

It is my understanding the track will be IHRA.