History Old drag strips texas, name them

Come on bobby.thats the only picture with him in his work clothes on.
You know the word work! Ok. Is it cold for you out in your shop.
Charles

 

Back in the mid fifties, before there was any drag strip around Houston, the GHTA (Greater Houston Timing Association) was formed. We put on a pretty big, one time, drag race at Ellington field between Houston and Galveston. It drew big enough crowds to get the ball rolling for a permanent strip.
Road King

 

There were two brothers from Oak Cliff ,ran an A-gas ,willis w/ hemi.
Its distinguishing feature was a garden insect sprayer mounted in front used as a pressure fuel system. Worked,clever.Can't remember their names (among many other things)

 

Re: Old drag strips texas, name them
<hr style="color: rgb(229, 229, 229); background-color: rgb(229, 229, 229);" size="1"> I remember that race and ran a 52 Olds Super 88 in stock class. I don't remember the ET's but do remember getting beat by a Dodge Red Ram in the 3rd. round... That had to be in 1954 or 55...

 

Caddo Mills March 5, 1961; Hill sets top time; low ET at Caddo Mills



http://www.nhra.com/50th/news/index.html?story=4

 

I don't now how or if it was/is sanctioned, but Wall Drag Strip in Wall, TX near San Angelo has been around a long time. My dad went there as a kid, I went a couple of time as a teenager in the 80's. Some big names have gone through there. I remember seeing the Lava machine, i think it was, a jet car that was running at the time anyways. If I am not getting my stories mixed up I beleive that track was made from an old air strip and at one time even had sports car and motorcycle racing. Would love to know more of it's history and see some photos.

 

Damned, I hadn't thought of that one in a coon's age! It's been 45 years since I was last there. Dang.
Here is a website that lists and has aerial photos of old airstrips, many which were used for dragstrips. Pretty cool where a lot of them where. There was one near the subdivision that I used to live in that was used for a training field in WWII. Neighbors were digging up practice bombs in their yards. http://www.airfields-freeman.com/index.htm

Bob

 

Them were the days.

What about Farmers Branch where 161 got onto the freeway(All Concrete) or the warehouse district there.
Quaker Oats industrial district in Garland. Forrest Lane got dangerous.
Down south past the Astro by Desoto on the frontage road of I-20.

Or over in Ft. Worth near the post office on Mark IV parkway, or over in HEB near Bell Helicopter.
Down south by Miller Brewery as mentioned.
Did a bunch of unlawful contests of speed in the late nights/early mornings at all of these locations back in the day.

The only tracks then were YellowBelly, Kenedale, Ennis and Little River Academy. Right after Green Valley Shut down.

some old GVRC pix.

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o111/SuperCPA/Drag Racing/Green Valley Race City/scan0018.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o111/SuperCPA/Drag Racing/Green Valley Race City/scan0019.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o111/SuperCPA/Drag Racing/Green Valley Race City/scan0020.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o111/SuperCPA/Drag Racing/Green Valley Race City/scan0021.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o111/SuperCPA/Drag Racing/Green Valley Race City/scan0022.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o111/SuperCPA/Drag Racing/Green Valley Race City/scan0023.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o111/SuperCPA/Drag Racing/Green Valley Race City/scan0024.jpg

Taken by my friend SuperCPA

 

I never can keep it right in my head, was Dallas International the one in Lewisville?

You know, the track where the hippies had the music event that was bigger than Woodstock...I never can remember the name.

It was off 35 across and down a bit from where Vista Ridge Mall is now.

 

Them were the days!!!! Wore out a 57 Chevy on Industrial Road across the ship channel from Pasadena,Tx at the mid-night drags..lots of $20.00 bills changed hands on that stretch of road...

 

Never mind...I found it on the net....that was it.

http://www.texaspopfestival.com/about.HTM

 

I remember going to the drags at the Speegleville track, near Lake Waco, probably late fifties. I think it was gravel back then, as I can still remember someone in a 55 Ford purposely fishtailing and showering everyone with rocks. Of course there was no fences, spectators walked back and forth across the track, etc.
I had just learned to read, and could not figure out why someone would name their car "Running Bare".

 

If you click on this link Im sure you will like Howard Deshazos video from Caddo Mills first NHRA race -1954 NHRA Safari. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page. click

By the way Howard was the West Texas NHRA advisor in the late 50s. Big Spring Texas area.

 

What about Meacham and Beach St. over in North Ft.Worth (I35 & 820)?

I recall getting boxed in by the cops in a warehouse lot down at Astro!
We got out of any tickets cause the 70 Dart Swinger was slow
and the tags were up to date.
Some of the fastest cars I saw were at Miller.
The scariest was Manana!
Remember getting run off from one spot to the next?

 

Thanks, great clips....

CC

 

Did anyone mention Cedar Creek Dragway?

 

Does anyone in the Houston area remember running "top end" on Makawa (sp) Road in the late 50's. I remember a guy that was hard to beat was Gerald Jones. There was another guy out there in a 56 Ford that I never saw are heard of anyone outrunning. Had to be 150 mph or better. There was a lot of 57 Chevys in the 130 range and they couldn't handle him...

 

Sixness,
We ran top end on the Mansville highway, a little further out than you.
The Ford was probably Karol Millers.
Road king

 

Would that be the same Karl Miller that won at Indy in the Lincoln powered Dragster ?? Just been to long ago to remember those guys. Strange that you can remember the cars but not the names of the people..

 

Austin Raceway Park.

Im too young to remember but I went out there a few years ago, walked the track, took some pictures and found a few dumped old cars (nothing worth saving). It can still be seen on google maps but now is a mini-storage I think.

The turns on the road course were so steep I could barely stand on them and the back straight shot down a tunnel of overgrown trees.

This was a clockwise track. I spoke with an old rodder that built a road car for that track years ago and he said it was a loose and fast track

It was supposedly shut down because the farmers complained of the noise. They said it harmed their cattle. The other issue, the property is located half on one county and half the other. Taxation purposes caused other problems.

 

This was mid 70s, but anyone remember 360 south of Mayfield. Mark Thrilkills Hemi charger and a guy who worked at the ford place on Division st. with a Mavrick is one that stands out in my mind. My memory thinks the Mavrick took the charger.

 

Before my time but I would say that would be a great place.

Yes, Cedar Creek that strip too. Forgot that one.

There used to be a Yellow Buick GSX that ran around Arlington. Suppose to have been pretty tough on the street. Also before my time but I heard about it. I used to have a GS455 that I guess the older ones thought was the same car with a repaint.

 

I went to Prairie Hill once in 1970. My dad went down for a visit after my son was born and we ran out there to watch the races. The only thing I remember is a good looking gal driving a purple Hemi Cuda Convertible. Plus quite a field of jr stockers.

It was also hotter than hell that day. It seems that the reason we went is that there had been a big add in the Waco paper and dad and I had always gone to races together when I was growing up. A good memory of a fun day and if I remember right a sunburn.

 

Its long gone now. In the last 8 mnths they just built apartments and a big building on top of the big end of the strip. I think there is a road now connecting to the front entrance.

That place was still kicken even after it closed down-street racing 70s -80s. They used to hide on the back end of the turns (tall brushes)when the cops showed up. They woudnt find anybody cause they didnt know about that part of the track. They would leave and everyone would go back to racing. Thats also why you see dumped cememt in the middle of the strip. I asked a buddy of mine that said all you had was your driving lights ahead of you during a run. I have photos about the track on the Texas dragstrips link.

Even better across the street used to be a hill called (Quick Hill) and that is where they filmed the 1st or 2nd TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE. No hill either nowdays just a hotel and toll roads.

 

Probably not. There was a story on here not long ago about Karol Miller. It was the best story I've ever seen on here. Do a "search" on it. Talk about a guy doin' a lot of shit with nothin', in my book Karol Miller was the man and I'd never heard of him before that story on here. Just was so friggin' cool.

 

Tinker , My dad talks about a track called the scorpion track in the Dallas area, Glenn Self and him race there alot. There was a track at Whitesborow tx , Duncan ok, Ardmore Dragway, OKC had 3 including the fair grounds, Willow Run, Stars and Stripes ran by the Nix family.Tulsa ran at the airport before moving to the today locatiion, the drag safarie ran meets in Moore Ok, I believe they ran on the durant airport also, We got our start here in Ardmore at the old downtown Slow Pokes Car Club track, Walley worked with my dad and other club members to help get the city get involed in this project. The best way is to go back in the old dragster papers and find memeber tracks , I go back to 1960 in my collection, and I also have lots of Oklahoma drag strip history collected if I can help contact me Rob Ragland.

 

Anybody remember the old strip (paved landing strip actually) called "Poole," Texas? NE of Hawkins, and NW of Tyler. When the Interstate 20 strip opened in Tyler, it was the end of Poole. The landing strip was still on the area flight charts, up through the mid 70's. Won a few trophys there in the early 60's.

 

Ask Ryan about the track in Wall (near San Angelo)!! Lots of good stories about that old track.