Old National Trail Raceway Photos - never before published

Ya know, as I look at the previous photo, I'm thinking maybe it is not from NTR. Must have gotten mixed in.
OK, back on topic:
See the Kronenbitter name on the '55? the son, Pat, now bulids race cars in his shop outside Baltimore, Ohio. (PK Race Cars)

 

Here's a few more, dig the shoe-polish graphics on the Galaxie

 

OK, this does it for me until next week, I'll be out of town 'til Monday.
Hope you guys are enjoying this thread. Like I said, I have a bunch of 'em.

 

Lovin' it. Keep 'em comin.

 

very cool pictures.

 

way cool!

 

The 34 three window in the background was also Clark's. It's still around today,last I knew it was in Zanesville.

 

more please...I was at that track alot as kid. thanks.

 

Alot of familiar cars in those shots.....I think there should be more!

 

This is a rare shot of Jack Ditmars car that served to replace his famed Der Mini Brute Opel

 

Great stuff; remember hanging around there with my cousins during summer vacations as a kid. That bike pic may have been the old 'Charity Newsies' yearly bike event....definately wild!!

 

Since Mike aka 56 Royal Lancer has started posting some of the same photos I have, we decided to put all of our National Trails photos and storys in one thread. My main focus was to share our collection and hopefully get others to join in with there storys and pictures. I also collect anything from the track so please contact me if you have anything you want to part with. Thanks, Dave McCauley [email protected] Here was my first post in my NTR thread..............

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<!-- message -->Anybody else out there who collects National Trail Raceway items? I have original programs, upcoming event sheets, trophy's, home movies and hundreds of vintage photos. Trails was opened in 1964 and I started going there in 1965 and just cant get enough from this dragstrip. National Trails was the home of The Rod Shop and Jegs and was one of the best NHRA Division 3 tracks ever. The NHRA Springnationals came to Trails in 1972 and stayed till 2005 but then it was called the Pontiac Excitement Nationals. If I could I would start a web site for others to share there story's, photos and movies for people like me. I am only interested in the years when Clark Rader owned the track before it was sold to NHRA. If you have any items you want to part with please contact me. My scanner is down right now so I cant share any of my personal photos but I will start this thread with these Willys gasser pictures. Lets keep it HAMB friendly (old) long live the Super Strip!
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One more for today...........
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From my good friend Mike aka richcraft.spl Mike used to own this car!Thanks for the pic,
Dave.
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Here is a great one for us local guys, Jegs old Austin and our current track announcer Doug Ford standing in the back round. This was from 1967 I believe.

 

Here is one from my local hang out when I was growing up. I lived a few miles from the Rod Shop and went there almost every Saturday morning on my Schwinn Sting Ray to watch the guys getting ready for the race weekends. Most of the times they would do burnouts behind the building so you can imagine what it was like for me as a kid!

 

Another one from the Rod Shop camp. This is Bruce Meihls who worked at the Rod Shop and today has a local engine building shop in Groveport Ohio.

 

Great thread! Keep them coming!

 

Very cool pics.I live in northwest Ohio,I've been there many times.Any pics of the campgrounds across the road in the early days?That would bring back some foggy memories. Giz'

 

Hey "Grumpy", nice pants!! Whodah thunk?? Kewl pic's

 

I am not sure who owned this 55 at the time of this picture but I think that Pat Kronenbitter did own it at one time. Or one with the same name, the more I think about it there was two 55 Chevys in division three with the same name and I have pictures of both so this could be the wrong one? When I find the other picture I will post it also. Pats older brother is the guy who owned and raced the Bits and Pieces 1960 Chevy. Pat was telling me that his brother was going to a race in Michigan with the 60 Chevy and had a towing accident, he stripped the car and left it at a gas station up there! Pat ownes one of the best chassis shops in the area (PK Racing) where he and his son Andy do all the work. They do all fab work on my current 1941 Willys I am building.

 

Last one for today, enjoy.

 

You've got pictures of D3 funny cars that I've never heard of. The guys, including me, at www.classicfunnycarboard.com would love to see the funny car picts. you have.

 

I know I said I was done for today but the Witchcraft 55 was bugging me. I dug thru some of my tri-five pictures and found what I was looking for. This 55 was owned and parted out (junked) by Pat Kronenbitter. I think he told me he paid 50 bucks for it as a roller!

 

Since I was digging in my tri fives..............

 

Might as well do another, it was shot at Indy but a NTR local and one of my favorites. I got a thing for clean black cars, sure would like to have this car today!

 

This is my last for the day and my all time favorite car when I was growing up. I bet I have over 100 vintage photos of this one. I was told it was destroyed in a towing accident in Texas but not confirmed. I bet Brandon will chime in on this one. Anybody know for sure?

 

how else would ya drive a bad ass topolino????i like the little deflector behind the stacks.........

 

what , are ya tryin' to lure me out still my all time rod shop favorite...though , when it was black and had the nomad tow car...that was the sheee-it roell told me it was crashed as well....but.....you never know.

 

Now that Moose & I are both posting pics on this thread, I'll try to make sure I don't "double post" as we have some of the same shots.
Here are a couple for the Mopar fans...