What was the name of your 1/4 mile when cruising?

Cruising J street in Sac, all the guys who wanted to race parked on the corner by Bank America and later went a few miles out of town to "El Centro" to race.
This was in the early 80's.
A few years ago I was interviewing some of the old guys about the early days of the Sacramento car scene and was surprised to find out that they too used to go to El Centro Road for racing and that was late 40's, early 50's.
Until then, I had no idea I was being so traditional.

 

We cruised what was called idiot cicle in downtown kannapolis nc. Would head out to China Grove road or Karriker road when someone wanted to race.

 

Back in the 80's there was a stretch of James P. Cole Blvd. that run along side the Buick factory, and just a block off of I-475 in Flint, that saw its fair share of street racing... it was refered to as St. Johns. To this day, the better part of the Buick complex may be gone but, there is still activity on the road during the weekends. It was left for quite a few years because the road fell on dis-repair, but after a resurfacing last year, its back at it!

 

In 1960-61 East bay, Hayward/San Leandro, We would go out to the approach to the San Mateo Bridge. 1n 1958 in Napa, it was the Silverado Trail.

 

We called it PPI...Paddy's Pond International Raceway...actually a straight, flat, divided 4 lane highway with a starting line right where Paddys Pond ended. There was a service station with a large lot that was used as the Pits and a road sign was within 5' of exactly 1/4 mile away.
We used a hand held start light setup consisting of red for hold and amber for go. Green would have been to obvious for any curious people or Police who might be a mile or two back down the road.
We had few issues with the Police who turned a blind eye for the most part as our Club (Strictly Street) self Policed and ran the meets as safely as possible.
If anything was gonna happen...PPI was a safe spot compared to downtown streets.

Several people were in the habit of turning around and making a fast return on the wrong side of the road (safe, as the road was straight a mile or more before the start line, so you could easily see any approaching headlights) but we were notified unofficially that the Police had been watching us from the overpass down the road and had no issues if no complaints were received, BUT...turning around and driving back was a no go.
Just about all our cars got some good back-up lights after that! Backing up was no big deal anyway.
We got ratted out a couple of times by party goers at the near by Paddys pond Aerodrome lodge, but just one Police car would show up and the Officers were easy to get along with.
We'd just call it a night and go for a burger...or breakfast, depending on how far into the all-nighter we got!
Good times...

 

Mooney Blvd. Visalia, CA

 

Your title is 1/4 mile and then cruising, so I guess you didn't mean legit strips, but I'll give ya a few nicknames there as well.

As for the "Street Race" places;
Nabisco - This was a road behind the old Nabisco Cookie plant in Buena Park
Jamboree - A section of Jamboree Blvd in Newport Beach, originally named because it was built for the Boy Scout Jamboree in 1953
Van Nuys - well it was Van Nuys Blvd. so that's what we called it
Berdoo - E Street in San Bernardino, I think only the OC guys called it that - the locals just said E Street


As for Legit strips;
The County - OCIR
The Beach - Lion's
The Rock Quarry - Irwindale (the original not the new one)
The Pond - San Fernando
Old San Gabe - San Gabriel
The Sand Pit, the Ice Rink - LA County Raceway
The Strip - Las Vegas
Famoso - Bakersfield
River City - Riverside International Raceway
The Big O - Ontario Motor Speedway
Fontucky - the current Fontana

 

Rubber Hill .... it was an long downward slope on an old country road. It was just out of town enough to keep the police away... but, close enough to draw a crowd if we had a good race. If you got out of shape you better get off he gas or you were in the ditch... there was no shoulder on the road.
Fun fun!

 

Research...it was the name of the road....it was great untill they started to trailer the cars in...got a little out of hand...ha ha

 

"END OF THE PAVEMENT"
In Sheridan Wy growing up it was right at the edge of town , we raced there and took girls there!

 

"The Dam"....2 mile long arrow straight road to a backwater spillway. We had the 1/4 measured off, painted stripes. No missing the burnout area!

The city cops knew where we were going when we all drove out of town nose to tail, but only a couple of times I can remember a deputy ever showing up to tell us to leave. No one ever got hurt, no one ever wrecked their car, probably the only reason they mostly looked the other way.

The entire area was grids of paved roads, but no one lived out there back then...of course, that has changed since!

 

No nicknames, but in Modesto, Ca. in the late 70's/early 80's was Sante Fe road, Finch Road, in Oakdale we used 26 mile road, in Escalon we used Henry Road.

 

We use to say lets go to the Rod and Gun ( Fitchburg Ma Rod and gun club) RTE 119 great little spot to line em up and fairly desolete at one time.use to have look outs at other end 1 up a hill and flash lights to us could see down the other flats and had a plan if smokey the bear showed up Its funny when I was about 16 to 23 we use to line em up like we heard our dads and friends do it was between 89-95 when i was doing this and our fathers and friends etc use to do it back in the 50`s 60`s i guess.Lots of good story`s when they use to do it on main st and blow by the cops doing it and when they got home the cops where waiting for them My dad use to push my meme and pepe`s cars out the driveway and go race them around and roll back into the driveway,cops use to come and my meme use to say nope he doesnt have the keys car has been here all nite my pepe and cop finall felt hood and motor 1 night my dad got the yard stick bad he said

 

Coon Road----was a road on the edge of town with a 1/4 marked off----no one lived on that road and it was an awesome drag strip---I think everyone in the area has a street sign because they kept disappearing.

 

"BEAR DOGS" was the place in Centralia, Wa. back in the day (mid 60's to early 70's). I still saw the 1/4 mile markings there a while back but haven't looked in the last couple years. You could also go out to Airport Rd. It seems a lot of towns had a spot by the airport, guess a lot of good roads next to them.

 

Any where Any Time then hope the Cops didn't see you and give you a ticket

 

"The old road". Think it might have been Highway 99. Ran parallel to I-5 coming into Valencia, CA. Had a sharp right hand turn in the shut down area. That then took you under I-5 past Bob's Big Boy where there was SURE to be a CHP officer eating dinner. The raised interstate shielded the noise fairly well if there was enough traffic. Otherwise, it was a balance between getting the hell out of there quick and not making so much noise to attract attention from the cops.

Shane:
Now live in Berthoud, Colorado. That is about 10 miles north of your old stomping grounds in Longmont. My wife used to cruise Longmont's Main when she was in high school. Have to ask her about the "Dog Pound". There are "No Cruising" signs all over Main now. Lots of nice, flat, straight, and semi-deserted roads around here. Definite benefit to living in the sticks aside from Longmont's poor attitude.

Tom

 

Scotts Valley Road in Lakeport ca. We use to call it the Valley. Track is still there, not much action anymore. Cool place to race out in between pear orchards, especially in the summer. JOKER JASON.

 

Dixie Beach Blvd on Sanibel Island, FL but that was before I moved out of the rust state, now in grand junction, CO its still in use so maybe i'll see you there

 

"The Valley." Scott's valley road in lakeport, california. Nothing but pear trees and a few ditches!!!

 

Firestone Drive in Pottstown, Pa.

 

Marsh Road, and it had a wicked S-curve on the way out there that's called Deadman's curve, quite a few fatal accidents on that one.

 

in Longview wa Industreal way three miles of nothing but flat black top till 1974.

 

Sout "U" or South Eubank in Albuqueruqe, NM

Bobby

 

Indian Town near Saginaw Michigan.

 

Tittabawassee Rd. Circa the late 50s. It was 2 lane blacktop then, 5 lane highway now.

 

In Lincoln Illinois it was Woodlawn road. Burger joints and the DOG-N-SUDS drive in for hot dogs and root beer. In the 70s it was hot. Now there's grass growing in cracks in the street. Bill

 

A section of deserted hiway left in place when they built the new 4 lane. It's just outta Redmond, Oregon and we just called it "Kline Falls"....very narrow.
Or you could go out to the "Old Hiway" ....a long stretch of skinny 2 lane left when the state built a new road betyween Bend and Redmond. We had both locations marked out for 1/4 mile drags..

 

howard street or the incinerator

 

"Blue Line" Someone painted blue lines across a stretch of highway outside of Manhattan,KS. You could sit out there for hours and not a car would come, you could see the headlights for miles if one did.