Lost Drag Strips

[rod]

two old strips from the las vegas area. first was the original strip in henderson [just south of las vegas on US 93] second and best was the strip owned by the Stardust casino, which was called the Stardust. it had a F-1 race track and the straight away was the drag strip. acres of paved parking. the restrooms had real ceramic tile and real mirrors and hot running water. this was the push start days for TF, so they had their own push lane, protected by a solid cinder block wall. a Martini and Rossi bridge. as for shut off, if you couldn't make the last one, just keep going, you had another mile on the road coarse. this was a div 7 hot track. as a young kid with a C/G '56, i got to see almost everyone who was someone. when was the last time you saw 7 AA/FA's show up for class?
third was the old las vegas speeddrome. on the same grounds as the new vegas strip. wasn't the best but there were a lot of races there. again the strip was on the straight away for the road course [which is still in use].
rod in AZ

[Charlie A]

Originally Posted by Hemi Moose

That's where they shot the movie "Two Lane Blacktop"







http://lakelandraceway.com/two-lane_blacktop2.htm

.

Used to race there. G/SOA (optional automatic if I remember correctly) with a 383 69 Charger SE. Still have some pics of that somewhere.
Still had a trophy from there up until a few years ago.
A great track in it's day. You could show up any weekend and there were always some name racers there.

[Redman Div 3]

for those old div 4 guys.austin racewayand the old san antonio raceway.

[fatdsoto]

How about South Glens Falls, N.Y. An outlaw track when I ran there from 73 to 77. My buddy built the tree for them. Basically if you were dialed wiyhin 3 to 4 tenths of each other you were running heads up. We ran stock in a black '72 Demon 340. No money just trophies, drove them in, uncorked the headers and put on the slicks.

[chris3racing]

No North Carolina tracks posted? I believe, and stand to be corrected by Mr. Bret Kepner, North Carolina has had more drag strips than any other state. Remember:
Sanford, Easy Street, Broadslab, Concord, Red Springs, Holly Ridge, Shuffletown, Union County, Fayetteville Airstrip, "original" Piedmont and lots more. I remember other tracks that we raced on, I'm just too old to remember the names.

Right now there are still over a dozen tracks operating on a week-end in North Carolilna

[Adger Smith]

Quote from Jim (Cimo):
Here in East Texas:

Hallsville
Interstate 20/Tyler
Cherokee County
Whitehouse
Gilmer
Winnsboro
Midway Dragstrip/Como
Caddo Mills
Green Valley
Forrest Hill

Some of these have been closed for decades.
Adger, do you remember all of these?

Cimo,
Just saw your post. yes, I do remember, Esp Whitehouse. I didn't advertise the last race there. I didn't want it to take away from the move to I-20 (Tyler)
I sold the first set of timers from Whitehouse to the Como track. I was lucky enough to have raced at all but the Gilmer track. I think I made the last Forrest Hills race. To branch out a little from Jims list we had some Ark. and La. tracks that have gone away.
1. Hope Ar. (airport) I got my start there.
2. Carlisle Ar (airport) "In The Day" there were some real Good races and racers at those two tracks.
3. Prescott Ar. (airport) the other strip at Prescott I helped build in 1978 is still operated there by Jackie lewis. Prescott is where I put all the "Stuff' from the Whitehouse track.
4. Haynesville La. (airport)
5 Two tracks in Shreveport La. The one in the industrial park and the other out east of town by the road race track. The memories are faded on those two, Need some help on info about them from La. racers.
6. There was a track near Alexandria La that we raced som modified and Gas meets at. I think it was Cen-La ??
7 Then there was the Gulf freeway track near Baytown Tx.
8. Can't leave out the East Tex Dragway there was some great racing there
I noticed Redman beat me to the old San Antonio Tx track...oops, He had a better reaction time. :~) I would say a fair share of "long Necks" have been consumed at that track. How about that, Redman?

[Jim Cimarolli]

Adger, after I've had a bit of time to recollect, I was in reference to the "Cedar Hill" track instead of Forest Hill.

[Adger Smith]

That didn't sound right, but I think you are right. Wasn't that was one of "The Hall's" first go at strip ownership? I think the Cen-La track was at Forrest Hills near Leesville, La. (alex area) That was where I Attended last race. They gave out rain checks and never opened again.
Wow, this is getting into some cobwebs in my mind...I might have to think, recollect a little more...

[Paul Ceasrine]

Originally Posted by fatdsoto

How about South Glens Falls, N.Y. An outlaw track when I ran there from 73 to 77. My buddy built the tree for them. Basically if you were dialed wiyhin 3 to 4 tenths of each other you were running heads up. We ran stock in a black '72 Demon 340. No money just trophies, drove them in, uncorked the headers and put on the slicks.

Upstate New York,,,,,,,,,it was either Fonda or South Glens Falls,,

Fonda Speedway,,,,,,,,,, (Montgomery County Fairgrounds)
21 South Bridge
Fonda, New York

* About 30 miles west of Albany, New York

The Fairgrounds was used as a dual-track, with a 1/2 mile Dirt Oval for Stock Car Races.
and a Drag Strip.

The Drag Strip was opened in 1957, as an 1/8 mile track,,,,,,,,,
then converted to a 1/4 mile track in 1959.
It was closed in 1968.

NHRA Drag Rules

Race Days; Saturday Night

Home of; The Muldowneys (Shirley and Jack), Chuck McJury, and Grant Speed Shop's.

Pretty much an 'Outlaw Track', that drew alot of 'backwoods drag racers'.
The Drag Strip portion of the track and surroundings were kind of rough,,,,,,,,sometimes being labeled 'a dump' by racers.

Famous for home-made diggers, and rough-n-ready gassers.

But for Mid-Upstate New York, it was the only game in town.

Pulled in 'local racers' from Montgomery, Schenectady, Albany, Schoharie, Ostego, Herkimer, Hamilton and Delaware counties,
but mostly from the Tri-Counties of (Montgomery, Schenectady and Albany).

[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