Fading Thunder...Abandoned Racetracks in Virginia and the Carolinas

Thanks, Dave. That is a nice interview and commentary from Morris.

 

Great board here. Dad and I are restoring the Cat Skinner and looking for more photos and video of the car.
Thank you
Beau Renfroe

 

Yes it is! Here's my post on Sumter on this very thread a few pages back...
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6958997#post6958997

 

Well, of you've got 2 million dollars sitting around you could have the place race ready.
If you go to Vimeo.com and search for "Victory Lap" an scroll down until you see the sign for the speedway, that's a documentary on the Columbia speedway. I have some pictures and video of driving around the place myself.

 

Interesting article in today's New York Times about what it takes to keep a local track going these days. It's not abandoned...yet, and hopefully won't be.

http://nyti.ms/MOwNmZ

 

That was a good article.
The same writer, Robert Peele, on July 7th did a New york Times Automobile desk blog on the efforts to save and restore Occoneechee Speedway.
This is the link to that excellent piece, with photos and a video of Joe Weatherly in the Bud Moore #8 Pontiac driving the track:

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/07/a-relic-from-racings-early-years-repurposed/

 

Traveling cross country Friday afternoon, July 6th, on rural North Carolina Highway #27, going from Wilson to Charlotte, I passed this old tobacco barn coming around a curve outside of Carthage, NC in Moore County. What an unexpected and memorable surprise.

This image was posted on Flickr by user "Build24car."

 

Dave, thanks for the link to the Occoneechee Speedway. Good stuff; I hope to make it to one of their reunion events.

 

That NYTimes article is interesting. Glad to see that speedway up and running. It was pretty shakey there for a while.

 

I just remembered the motorcycle dirt drag tracks in New Kent (Thunder Road) and Charles Citys (tater run,& Disputana... and Slades Park that still holds dirt drag races today.. its just off route 10 east of Surry Va...I'll see If I cant come up with some pics from those days

 

Hear are some of my Dirt Drag Harleys from the mid 80s one was fired on race gas, one on alky, and one on nitro...pictured from L to R. I raced them at Thunder Road and Slades Park....in the 80s

 

There was a great racetrack in Sumter, So. Carolina in the late 60's and early 70's...... Word had it that Cale Yarborough raced there in his early days.. Is it still in operation , or is it now a neighborhood of cookie cutter houses ?

4TTRUK

 

surfref....Thank You, for the thread re; Sumter Speedway !!!!!!!!!!! i lived in Sumter from 64, thru 72, and went there often with local friends who ran cars there. They had a 300 cu. in. rule then, and a lot of 300 inch Ford 6 ruled the day.

4TTRUK

 

Thanks, John. Really nice.

 

And this ad turned up in Richmond, VA Craigslist this morning.

http://richmond.craigslist.org/pts/3123822258.html

Richmond (VA) Dragway, circa 1964

 

I just remembered... spectators had to stay on the left side of the track behind the fence at Richmond Dragwayin the early 60s and could not go in the pit side unless you were with a race car. I can't remember when that went away as now everyone goes to the pits. The photos that phartman posted pulled up that memory for me. It's amazing what we forget...Thanks Pete

 

John, when was Richmond Dragway built and opened for racing? 1962 or so? As I recall, it was state-of-the-art at the time. It hasn't changed much over the years. These days, it is one of the last quarter-mile family run country dragstrips. Time has passed it by in many ways when you compare it to Virginia Motorsports Park and the like.

 

Pete, I'm not sure when Richmond Dragway opened sorry I just don't know. I went there in 1963 to see my first funny car race. a few years after that a match races between Richard petty in his (43jr...A hemi powered plymouth baracuda) and sombody I just don't remember who. I do know that some of the more famous drag racers have been there in its early days of the track...Tommy Ivo, with his 4 wheel drive 4 engine digger, Hayden Proffet ,Arney Beswick, Ronny Sox and so many more A/FX and flopers pilots of the day .Not many fuel cars would run there as the track was a little short for the speeds they could produce. I know it left one hell of an impression on me as a young Hot Rodder. I was just seventeen in 1963. I had a 55 chevy sedan with a 389 Pontiac 3x2s, 4 speed and olds rear. It won't very pretty but it would haul #@&.... I would give anything to have that one back today... My friend David Paulette helped me put that car together and I kept it for 5 or 6 years as my driver and family car. I am so glad I can still remember them good ol days ..It's threads like this that jog the old brain back....Thanks Pete

 

I don't know how accurate this is, but Richmond Dragway has a web site at www.richmonddragway.com that includes historical photos.

This history is taken straight from the site's "About Us" section:

Historically speaking, Richmond Dragway has one of the most impressive pedigrees of any racetrack in the country. Founded by Dan Weis, his father
John "Pop" Weis overseeing the ribbon cutting by Local Official

John “Pop” Weis and family, Richmond Dragway was built in 1964 and has hosted dragracing events for over 45 seasons!
In the mid 60′s, RD was home to the NASCAR (Drag Division) Spring Nationals hosting the likes of Don Garlits, TV Tommy Ivo, Connie Kalitta and so many more 1/4 mile heros. Into the 70′s, Factory Doorslammers (Pro Stock) became a wildly popular class and the biggest names in the sport including Ronnie Sox, Dyno Don Nicholson, Warren Johnson, Bob Glidden, and Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins tamed the strip. In the 80′s and 90′s, the track enjoyed success with the Pro Modified groups headlined by Scotty Cannon, Rickie Smith, Tommy Mauney and so many more.
"Big Daddy" Don Garlits and Dan Weis after a race



Today, Richmond Dragway is owned and operated by Weis’ nephew Johnny Davis and his wife Allison.

 

Also, check this RacersReunion link for posts and photos about Richmond Dragway:
http://drag.racersreunion.com/forum/topics/richmond-dragway?xg_source=activity

 

Thanks, guys. More Richmond Dragway from the '60s:

 

New London Drag Strip near Lynchburg, VA

 

I remember the Allen / Gary car at Richmond Dragway. It was out of Nick Allen Buick In Newport News. A small block with 4 speed and hilborn fuel injection as I recall... Built and tuned By Charley Gary. As I remember this was a real bad ^&$ car for its day. This kind of quality car took big money to build and Nick Allen Buick was a thriving buisness in the 60s and put out the cash it took to go fast and Charley Gary knew how to do just that ....One of my heros as a young kid who loved fast cars.....I also remember ( Big Red ) a fast Mopar from Newport News . I belive Sprinkler and Williams Automotive on Jefferson ave had a hand in that car as I saw it at there shop many times. Its Hard to belive that was 45 years ago....

 

"Big Red" out of Poquoson, VA, the Merrimac Motors Plymouth.

 

pete..the big red car(s) are alive and well today. still reside in newport news.

 

Being born and raised in N. Wilkesboro I remember this track like it was yesterday. I remember hearing the roar of the cars on the weekends from my backyard. My dad worked for a welding company in those days "James O2" was the name I believe. We used to deliver welding supplies to the race teams and get free tickets. Been to many races there as a kid and I loved it. These days I could care less to go watch a billboard go around a track. Its really depressing to know that this sport has gone to crap. I drive by this place everytime Im back home. There is a little go kart track out front near the main road, I actually remember riding the go karts on that track. Now the track looks like it hasnt been touched in years, just sad to see.

 

Really??? Wow, I had no idea. And by the way that shot is not Richmond Dragway. Budd's Creek maybe?

 

Any more information on the date of this picture, and does anyone have information/history on the Bedford Ford Falcon pictured?
Joel

 

A wonderful, wonderful clip on YouTube about the glory days at Carolina Dragway. For all you South Carolina rooters. We love you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlNw2mwFwcM

 

Must be Palmetto State night tonight on the HAMB...the only known footage of Spartanburg Dragway 1974....thanks again to YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq_J4RoQ8Qk