Register now to get rid of these ads!

History Old drag strips texas, name them

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Tinker51, Jan 26, 2009.

  1. MUNCIE
    Joined: Jan 24, 2006
    Posts: 2,347

    MUNCIE
    Member
    from Houston


  2. Thats funny there.... I lived in Dallas from '90-'96... and that was it...
    or even Wildwood, Triangle(down by Astro drive-in), or even the Brewery-South Ft. Worth.
    Boy them days were awesome......

    Bryan
     
  3. Slonaker
    Joined: Jul 21, 2005
    Posts: 524

    Slonaker
    Member

    Last edited: Jan 26, 2009
  4. Boodlum
    Joined: Dec 19, 2007
    Posts: 353

    Boodlum
    Member

    Caddo Mills was an old concrete WW2 triangular airfield that was used in emergencies if a student pilot got lost and had to set down. I've heard Caddo Mills was the first NHRA sanctioned track east of California. Stock cars used to line up six or seven across and the flagman had to look for the biggest gap to stand in. T.D Brown used to own it after the govt sold the base. Anybody else there the day the gyrocopter lost its main rotor and augured-in right beside the runway?

    Was Harcroft the guy called "Hands"? That guy Hands was effing HUGE! Heard said you could pass a half dollar through his ring. Saw him absolutely destroy a couple guys that got into a fight with him in the pits.

    Bood
     
  5. Herdez
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 357

    Herdez
    Member

  6. hotrodtom
    Joined: Apr 14, 2005
    Posts: 231

    hotrodtom
    Member

    Boy, you must be a kid! I think they're more interested in Double Eagle Drag Raceway, which was on Gibbs-Sprawl off the end of Walzem, and operated from the early '50's until sometime in the '60s or '70s. There was an article about it in the Sunday Express-News a few months ago.
    I raced there in the early '60s with a very slow '53 Ford, and later with a not-quite-so-low '61 Dodge Lancer.
    Fearless
     
    grouchyroan likes this.
  7. Herdez
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 357

    Herdez
    Member

    Soupup magazine has this on CADDO. Great online mag. click

    You mean this guy? August "Hands" was from Austin click

    [​IMG]
     
  8. hotrodtom
    Joined: Apr 14, 2005
    Posts: 231

    hotrodtom
    Member

    Was Harcroft the guy called "Hands"? That guy Hands was effing HUGE! Heard said you could pass a half dollar through his ring. Saw him absolutely destroy a couple guys that got into a fight with him in the pits.

    Bood[/quote]

    "Hands" (or Hans) was August Hartkopf of Austin, who ran a white '56 Bel Air in D Gas. The guys he destroyed were probably ones who called him "Hands" to his face -- he hated it. He suffered from a pituitary imbalance called craniomegaly, and it later caused his untimely death. Hartkopf's Garage was on Bee Caves Road, I think it was, (South First Street?) between South Lamar and Zilker Park.
    I saw him one Sunday pull up to the starting line at Double Eagle, park the car with the engine running, open the hood, reach into a running engine and come out with the fan belt. Amazing guy. He's in a drag racing Hall of Fame somewhere, I think.
    Fearless
     
    grouchyroan likes this.
  9. 1940 Willys Coupe
    Joined: Oct 12, 2006
    Posts: 335

    1940 Willys Coupe
    Member
    from Texas

    For The Day Shift!

    Thanks for all the great stories guys on Texas Drag Strips!

    And yes, August was and still is a legend!

    Anyone got any pictures of Butch Lake's 55 Sedan Delivery?

    That Butch would be August's brother.

    Thanks to the HAMB and all the people who make it great!

    Gary
     
  10. ESCOTT427
    Joined: Dec 9, 2008
    Posts: 18

    ESCOTT427
    Member

    Couldn't help but notice the Custom Automotive Logo. Since someone mentioned Manana and I35, how bout Crown and Emerald, right next to Custom's warehouse. I knew Charlie Adams (sr and jr) "back in the day". Did lots of burnouts on that corner
     
  11. hotrodtom
    Joined: Apr 14, 2005
    Posts: 231

    hotrodtom
    Member

    [
    Bee Caves Road, I think it was, (South First Street?) between South Lamar and Zilker Park.

    Barton Springs it was. Senior Moment...
    Fearless
     
  12. shit, I use to damn near live out at Emerald or California crossings,@ 86-91.
     
  13. Herdez
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 357

    Herdez
    Member

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  14. racer32
    Joined: Sep 22, 2007
    Posts: 745

    racer32
    Member

    What he said!
     
  15. Wheelie
    Joined: Nov 26, 2008
    Posts: 234

    Wheelie
    Member
    from Dallas

    My dad used to race at the Circle Drag strip. This thread I can dig!
     
  16. Rodd Field, Corpus Christi
     
  17. California Crossing... that was it, not wildwood.... I remembered where, just not what it was called....
    And... Emerald, Wow.... those were the days ('90-'94)
    That's where I meet Alan Meyer (Larry Meyer/Top Fuel Crew Chief's Son) They had a shop in Irving. I never did get to meet Larry.

    Memories......
     
  18. 408 AA/D
    Joined: Jun 15, 2008
    Posts: 177

    408 AA/D
    Member

    About all I know it is on the N.W. side of town, North of Hwy. 82 and West of Hwy 377. From what I understand some of the old strip is still there. I will do some digging around and see if I can come up with more details.

    408 AA/D
     
  19. Tinker51
    Joined: Oct 14, 2008
    Posts: 261

    Tinker51
    Member
    from Dallas Tx.

  20. Tinker, Help an old geezer here, what does "move up btt" mean? I see it all the time, and I have no clue what some of the jargon is....Thanks, Mike
     
  21. That is putting this thread back on first page

    BTT= Back to top
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2009
  22. racer32
    Joined: Sep 22, 2007
    Posts: 745

    racer32
    Member

    I can remember being able to hear the nitro cars at Amarillo Dragway all the way at my house when the wind was right. We Lived a LONG way from the track, too. If I had to guess I'd say 10 or so miles as the crow flies.
     
  23. racer32
    Joined: Sep 22, 2007
    Posts: 745

    racer32
    Member

    I spent a little while scoping google satellite maps this afternoon-didn't see anything, but more details might get an aerial shot.

    Off-topic, but does anyone know where Jackrabbit Speedway (dirt track) was? I heard there are still grandstands there.
     
  24. Robbie Horn
    Joined: Jan 13, 2009
    Posts: 179

    Robbie Horn
    Member
    from Axtell

    There was one in Elmott texas called Mustang Dragway. I think it closed in the 60's. It was before my time but it comes up every now and then .One of my good friends Billy Green was the flagman. He has shown me how they use to wave the flag to start em off. I wonder if ol Rich on pinks has ever seen one of the ol flaggers inn action.To me it would be more fun watching him do the flag start than doing the cheerleader arm drop.
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2009
  25. Robbie Horn
    Joined: Jan 13, 2009
    Posts: 179

    Robbie Horn
    Member
    from Axtell

    I remember my dad telling me about one out around speegleville texas that was dirt in the 50's. He had a 50 merc that would do about 60 mph in the 1/4 which was fast back then. They had some kind of device that would give mile per hour but they didn't do ET's. Maybe this will jog somebodys memory till mine thinks of what it was called.
     
  26. Tinker51
    Joined: Oct 14, 2008
    Posts: 261

    Tinker51
    Member
    from Dallas Tx.

    thanks everyone for your feed back. i hope it brings good memorys to all.
    how about the dirt strip in mesquite, by the old rodio grounds.??
    the como strip is southeast of sulphur springs on hwy 11 its across the hwy from the high school, the gazetteer map its called the flying b, earth googles shows along runway run south.
    i'm still looking. hope to see ya'll at the texas thaw. i'll be there to help my cousin with his injected dragster.
    thanks again.
    charles faulkner

    good night america and all her ships at sea
     
  27. The Hop Walla
    Joined: Aug 19, 2007
    Posts: 427

    The Hop Walla
    Member
    from Dallas

    I wasn't even into drag racing in the '80s and '90s but I still remember going out to Crown and Emerald. It would get jam packed with cars until the cops came. Then we'd all head over to California Crossing.
     
  28. Fly'n Kolors
    Joined: Sep 21, 2008
    Posts: 407

    Fly'n Kolors
    Member

    My shop is between Ed Mabry and Gene Snow, I'll go show Ed this thread and see if he remembers some more... Do OUTLAW MIDNIGHT DRAGSTRIPS count???
     
  29. My Uncle took me to Caddo Mills (????) when I was like 14-15 years old. First drag strip I had ever been to. I remember a '55 Buick Century was the fastest stock car there. He lived in Ft. Worth and picked me up at the train station in Dallas and it was, like, 30 miles of country between Ft. Worth and Dallas.
     
  30. Tinker51.........you gonna run everybody off here with that avatar !!!!!!!Tell your old man to get up off his ass and go to work...........
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.