History Iowa Dragstrips - New & Old

yes there was a strip in Ft. Dodge, I saw a window sticker a few years back, no its not the same one as humbolt, humbolt Co. is alive and well
my sisters boy friends used to race sioux city, I never made it there, but was able to make thunder valley, marion S.D. Its braket race thing is big...

 

Great!

I added it. For some reason I didn't have that one saved, but I've been to the site many times.

My buddy and I rode our motorbikes over to Humboldt last fall, it's still goin! We ran the funny car up to Thunder Valley many times, cool place!

 

Sioux City was at teh Airport. My dad raced there. Zenor did a cool thread maybe 8 years ago? Abotu drag racing in Sioux City

 

>>>>>,in '70'-'71 ,,Sat nites i went to Humbolt to see the Funny Car match races ,,some great cars showed there then ,,this was in '70,,

 

i keep hearing rumors of a 1/4 mile strip coming to the iowa speedway.
riverrat

 

>>>>>,Welll,i'm VERY familiar with where the Iowa Speedway is there in Newton ,,back in '82 i sold a steel building/airplane hanger to a customer at that airport ,,it would be a GREAT place for a Drag Strip ,,IF they had it totally seperate from the Oval Track ,,so they could have drags even on the days the NASCAR guys are there ,,be a great "Boost" to the economy for the area ,,,
my deceased wifes family farms close to there ,,

 

Yes it would. Central state located, near the I-80/I-35 crossroad's. Des Moines for overflow motel's, ect.

 

Don't believe anything someone from Red Oak says ,it's 1/8 mile

 

Lee County Drag Strip - Keokuk Iowa
Was a 1/8 mile drag strip.
We raced there once in a while back in the 70's.

 

Sioux City Dragway - Sioux City Iowa

 

Ames Dragway, Ames. IA.

Wish it was still around.

http://www.ameshistoricalsociety.org/exhibits/drag_strip.htm

 

Big Roger Marchant took some pictures at Humboldt, I'll have to find my copies. Mickey Thompson, Chi-Town, etc.

It is 1/8th mile.

Do you guys have any web sites with some history on these tracks?

I added it to the list, thanks!

 

>>>>>,Sumwhere in the many boxes of pictures ,,,i have sum pics the nite the Chi-Towm Hustler was at Humbolt ,,i'll try n find em ,,,

 

>>>>>>,in '70 .i was Service MGR at the Arlans Auto Center ,,over by the Vets Hosp ,,,Quaker State wanted to have a Oil Sale/Promo ,,i'd met Dickie Harrell at the Hobbs Drag Strip in New Mex in '63 and was a big fan of his...so i talked the Q State rep ,,Bud Lyons into getting Dick and his Funny car to come to Des Moines and do burnouts in the parking lot ,,thats the Des Moines River in the background ,,,we had thousands of guys show up ,,i sold two 18 wheelers of oil that day ,,in '71 i went to werk for Fred Gibb/Dick Harrell Super Stock Race Team in LaHarpe ,Illinois ,,,when Dick got killed later that year ,,the team was disbanded and i went back to Des Moines n sold sno mobiles ,,see the mext pic

 

>>>>>,

 

How could I have forgotten this? I was there a couple years ago checking out what was left of it. I have friends from the area that used to frequent the track as teenagers and somehow got us permission to stop there for a few hours as part of a yearly fall hot rod cruise that winds us thru IA, Ill, and MO.

 

12 years ago the winnebago people were going to build a "tri-plex" race track at Onawa, Iowa.. there was a ground breaking cer. and all. big earth moveing equipement had piles of dirt moved. It all came to a stop, res. politices, federal grants.......................

 

The track in Earlville iowa is still going about hour east of waterloo

 

There was a drag strip at Sioux City at the airport.
There was a drag strip outside of Keokuk.
There was only one drag strip near Des Moines.
There was a drag strip at Nevada for a very short time.

 

One of the founders of the Kahoka, MO drag strip, Jim Baker, is now writing a monthly column at Drag Racing Online. For anyone from the Iowa, Missouri, Illinois area it is great reading.

 

Al I emailed this picture to you too but here is The only Picture I have of the "Possum Chaser" Hope this helps Mike

 

Dave is still racing, with son Troy driving. They race a small block Ford powered Probe with the Ozark Mountain Super Shifter circuit. They were points champinon of the circuit in 2009.

 

I raced at Eddyville & Cedar Falls in the early 70s With yellow 55 Chevy called Home Wrecker. A buddy also had a 55 called Constant Aggitation. I remember seeing Tommy Johnson Sr racing at Eddyville also.

 

Tommy Johnson Jr. will be match racing Bruce Litton at Eddyville on July, 3. Both Top Fuel cars are owned by Bruce. Tommy Johnson Sr. will also be there as a spectator.

 

Mid America Motorplex is 1/8 mile.
Iowa Speedway was/is an 1/8 mile on the pit straight. I hear they have stopped running drags in 2010 as the know how guy's left.
Iowa Al

 

There was only one drag strip at Des Moines. Another was in the planning stages, but zoning did it in. It was to be near Mitchellville. I was to a planning meeting for it.
I never got to the Nevada or Ames track, but have been to every other one that ran in Iowa. I was out to Runnells/Rising Son many times to watch the races. It was an unused stretch of highway, A Polk County Sheriff's car often sat on the hill and watched.

 

ive got family in keokuk and over off johnson street road is an abandoned strip. anybody know what this place is

 

I know the place that you are talking about. Somebody posted some pictures of it once.

 

grew up in council bluffs and all i recall back then was those haul ass turn left, repeat guys... EVERYWHERE!

 

Look for :

Lee County Dragway & Raceway Park

It is on facebook with lots of pictures and lots of stories.
tommy Johnson Junior raced there as well as many other big names
The strip closed due to money and noise complaints
It is still there but in disrepair
My father was friends with the guys that owned and operated the track
What a great time to grow up!