Lost Drag Strips

[Mike Carr]

Originally Posted by terrylee

western Pa. and east Ohio
anybody remember the Greeks operated strips in mercer, Pa.
and drag city, in east ohio.

pittsburgh international dragway

sunshine dragway, new castle, Pa.

won alot of races at those old tracks

-Alex Theopolis (sp?) ran Sunset in the Mercer PA area, and Ohio Drag City in Meander Ohio. Alex passed away a few months ago. Sunset has raced the past few years as an outlaw track. Meander has been closed for several years, and when it closed, there was a clause in the contract that said the new property owner(s) could do anything they wanted with it, EXCEPT have a working drag strip.

-Skyline was the track near New Castle. My dad's uncle helped build Skyline.

-P.I.D. closed in 1976.

Sadly, I am too young (age 31) to have been to or raced at any of these tracks. Another area track closed down is the Fairmont (formerly Eldora) Dragway in Fairmont WV. We had several S/SS races there from 1995 to 1999. It closed in, I think, 2000. Nice little down-home 1/8 mile track.

Other area tracks that have closed over the years that I have heard about. Peterson Memorial in Altoona PA, one in New Bethlehem PA, not sure if the track in Erie PA still exists or not. Or the one in Steubenville OH, an outlaw 1/8 mile track that also hosted several of our S/SS races from 1997-2002

[BKSG1198]

Down by my neck of the woods I live about 10 minutes from the Old Vineland Motor Speedway in Vineland, NJ. Started out as a Circle Track then they added a Dragstrip and Dirt Road Course. Track is still their today with overgrown weeds and a College Soccer Field at the end of the Dragstrip, A Hospital at one end and a Mobile Home Park & Solar Field at the old entrance.

http://www.vineland.org/history/Vine...dway/index.htm

[Joe Bellardo]

Originally Posted by Mike Carr

-Alex Theopolis (sp?) ran Sunset in the Mercer PA area, and Ohio Drag City in Meander Ohio. Alex passed away a few months ago. Sunset has raced the past few years as an outlaw track. Meander has been closed for several years, and when it closed, there was a clause in the contract that said the new property owner(s) could do anything they wanted with it, EXCEPT have a working drag strip.

-Skyline was the track near New Castle. My dad's uncle helped build Skyline.

-P.I.D. closed in 1976.

Sadly, I am too young (age 31) to have been to or raced at any of these tracks. Another area track closed down is the Fairmont (formerly Eldora) Dragway in Fairmont WV. We had several S/SS races there from 1995 to 1999. It closed in, I think, 2000. Nice little down-home 1/8 mile track.

Other area tracks that have closed over the years that I have heard about. Peterson Memorial in Altoona PA, one in New Bethlehem PA, not sure if the track in Erie PA still exists or not. Or the one in Steubenville OH, an outlaw 1/8 mile track that also hosted several of our S/SS races from 1997-2002

Mike: Erie PA dragstrip: www.luckydragcity.com.

[treessavoy]

Originally Posted by Dave Ley

Strato Rods Dragway at McGuire AFB, NJ
Open from 1966 to 1983

Dave,

Just for your info in 64/65 some Airmen went to the base Commander and got permission to race at night on a rarely used road out toward the base recreation area. We would block off the road off the road and race all night long, no trophies, no money, just for fun.

The only real caveat the Commander put on us was that there would be NO drinking! One night a bunch of guys (spectators) refused to stop drinking and the organizers told us what was going on and we all packed up and went home.....over 75 cars and we all quit so as not to break the pact that those Airmen had with the Commander.....can you imagine?

Never see that happen today with all the selfish people in society.

It was a fun time.

JimR

[treessavoy]

Green Valley Tx dragway
San Antonio Tx dragway
Cedar Hill
Austin Raceway Tx
Southeast Ga raceway
Green Valley AL
Sylacauga AL
Lassiter Mountain AL
All closed but each had it's own personality.

Favorite place to race: Little River/Temple Academy Dragway.

Wish I could have raced there: Caddo Mills Raceway, it was the second oldest drag strip in the US when it closed.

Texas guys: wasn't there a strip South of of Dallas called "Hallendale" or something like that?

And for all you people in Germany: Hanau Drag Strip.

JimR

[CycloneFE]

Alton, IL.

http://stldragracing.com/2011/12/chr...sines-204-mph/

[Redman Div 3]

redman in the house,adger was stationed at ft hood when i visited san antonio and austin.i also went to the great temple academy dragway.have old pics of temple and austin.for my ky why friends,how about the old bluegrass raceway between lexington and nicholasville and old somerset drad strip.

[treessavoy]

When I was in Ft Hood in the mid '70's they had just dissloved the Army Racing Team but they held races down by the rail loading yards on a blocked off road.....tree and lights, the full monte, but Temple Academy was my favorite, at that time they ran AHRA.

JimR

[bluegrassx]

Planning the second Reunion for Bluegrass Dragway in 2012
Closed in 1981.

[rawhide]

Originally Posted by treessavoy

When I was in Ft Hood in the mid '70's they had just dissloved the Army Racing Team but they held races down by the rail loading yards on a blocked off road.....tree and lights, the full monte, but Temple Academy was my favorite, at that time they ran AHRA.

JimR

I was stationed at Fort Hood in 1968 and went to Temple Academy/Little River a couple of times. I remember the Christmas tree hung over the track on a cable attached to the tower on one side and a tree limb on the other. When the wind was blowing the light was all over the place. If memory serves me correctly it was a traffic light they were using but it has been a long time.
thanks, Roland