I am 54 today and grew up as a kid around back woods strips in Middle Tennessee region from the mid 60's until I quit as an adult in 1980. I later became one of Buster Couch's Div II rebels when the outlaw tracks 1 by 1 ceased existence. My home track was Dudley Oakleys Fairview Dragway, I-40 exit 182. First races I saw when I was 11 at Big Oak, Columbia, Tn. Never missed a chance to go to Riverside D/W alongside I-40 Nashville, Tn. Don't know how many times I left on a saturday night for Union Hill R/W Hendersonville and made it back home after sun-up sunday. Fortunatly it's still in existence dba NHRA sanctioned Music City R/W. US 54 Lawerenceburg, Clarksville outlaw, Buffalo Valley, Jackson, Gleason......... I digress. Making the 2 day trip to a 1/4 mile sanctioned strip with real working scales and an ambulance standing by, like Bowling Green Beech Bend (even had fire-up rollers), Bristol Thunder Valley, or even Lakeland Memphis was like some kind of well planned and life long mecca where you took camera and film to prove you had actually been there. Kids at sanctioned strips today don't have a clue of the brutality that a couple hundred dollars cash with a dime store trophy could inspire in a group of renegade mechanics who knew how to use a welding torch, or even some kid joy riding in dad's family car, when this 'sport' was conceived to keep our noise and danger out of public view. Steam pipe chassied fuelers. 'Funny cars' cut up, altered, and made from real life cars. I knew in 1980 there would never be days (or nights) like the ones we had just experienced. I wonder if most spectators today actually know where blowers originated from? And as far back as the late 30's? I'm afraid it's all new technology to them. I'll never forget the first speed shop catalog from California that I ever saw with aluminum intakes and Caddy/early ford adapters. I wonder if there is a book documenting 'Run What Ya Brung' southeastern outlaw straight line match racing, not at all unlike stock car racing that was born and bred originally from illegal liquor haulers? This site is huge, and so much history to take in on some of these posts. Easy to loose track of time. I apparently am not alone and could ramble for days........ Thanx for this site; Tom S. in Tn.
welcome from huntsville alabama. My first time at a drag strip 56 or 57 at Helena alabama and it was dirt. In 58 lassiter mountain asphalt was opened outside Birmingham alabama. The black widows car club ran it.. welcome The first drag races in the SE were on the front srraight of lakewood speedway{dirt} in atlanta ga. Welcome acain.. Bobby..
Welcome Tom. I worked at Union Hill just a few years ago... as a 'medic' which consisted of sitting at the top end handing out time slips, selling race gas, and hoping you didn't have to do any 'medic' work...
Thanx EVERYONE ! I deeply appreciate not only the opportunity to share thought for the first time in 3 decades, but the warm welcome is simply overwhelming! I had no idea there was anyone around who wanted to hear anymore. Can't wait till I figure out how to navigate everything here. Kind of like the first day of Old Skool. Tom S. in Tn.
Welcome to the H.A.M.B. from Nor Cal and the Cam-Snappers Hot Rod Club! Check out the New club group! Love to have ya! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=619
Well said Tom , and so true. I'm hoping when we get a key to the pearly gates it starts all over, lol...
The Jalopy Journal
