This beautifully shot video of Maryland’s 75-80 Dragway is the best thing you’ll see today


This beautifully shot video of Maryland’s 75-80 Dragway is the best thing you’ll see today

In nearly every corner of the United States, one can typically find an abandoned racetrack without much effort. Every track has its own story, which also includes the reasons for closure and vacancy. It’s always sad to see a racetrack go out of business for any reason, but even in places with only vestigial echoes of decades-gone racing, that past life somehow tends to echo through time like few other places. YouTube abandoned-places connoisseur “YourPurkz” has done exactly that with this incredible drone-shot video of 75-80 Dragway just outside Frederick, Maryland.

The quarter-mile strip closed in 2005 after 45 years of ownership by the Wilcomm family. That’s a recent-enough closing that the track’s features remain almost entirely, if a bit worse for the wear: crumbling staging lanes, cinder-block timing tower, lightpost-mounted scoreboard, low wooden bleachers, well-worn and puddled water box, and even the red-shuttered concession stand. It’s a lot to take in and to add to the drama, the video is shot at sunset, painting the entire scene with a magically nostalgic brush.

The quality of the work is hardly surprising. If you’ve got some time to spare, check out the rest of the YouTube channel, which includes some of the most incredible videos of modern archaeology in abandoned places you’ll ever see, including this incredible unfinished megachurch and this trolley and street car junkyard. Be forewarned: It’s easy to spend a couple hours watching those videos.

(Editor’s Note: The strip, while closed is not entirely dead. If you happen to watch the show Motor Week you’ll see that this is the place that they still test their cars. Yes, those guys have a key to the gate and while the place is crumbing around them, they run their braking, acceleration and slalom tests on the actual drag strip.- Brian)


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12 thoughts on “This beautifully shot video of Maryland’s 75-80 Dragway is the best thing you’ll see today

  1. Jim Miller

    Brings a tear to my Eye and a Smile to my face at the same time. Bill Wilcomm is a “Fine” Gentleman who never 4got anyone. His house is the one you can see at the 4:40 mark and his Brother ran the Bar that can be seen at the :17 mark. Ran there pretty steady from 1968-1972 in the Old “Pure Stock” class had the 1st PS car to go into the 12’s. Drove over 110 miles one way to get there went a entire year and was never beaten in Class .
    Saw some of the “Greats” run there Biil Jenkins, Larry Lombardo, Sox, Don Nickleson ,Bob Banning Dodge and Larry Kopp just to name a few.

    Jim

  2. Matt Walter

    I drive past this a couple times a week for work. I always pause as I’m driving by, wishing and wondering what it would be like if the track was still open. Jay Crawford managed to get this thing going again in 2010ish and ran through 2013, which is probably why the track appears to be in such good shape. Every other month there are rumors about this place reopening, but another local farmer has his sights on opening a town center/apartment complex type deal, even with large resistance from the local community. Mark Walter’s first drag strip passes were at this racetrack, and my dream had always been to make at least 1 pass at this place. We moved to the area just months before the closing and I simply couldn’t put it all together fast enough to make a pass before they shut the gates for good. I sincerely hope the place reopens, even in 1/8 mile form to run some fun outlaw heads up type stuff, but the likelihood of that happening is pretty slim these days. RIP 75&80.

  3. Don Raser

    Family raced there many times over the years. As Jim’s post said, Bill Wilcomm was well respected for his efforts. “Hometown” track that was loved by many! Video was neat, to “go down” the track, one more time..(but you better be on the brakes, as you cross the finish line)lol Thanks for the great memories!!

  4. Chris Powers

    Was an awesome track laid down some big numbers 4.20s back to back great prep and enjoyed the shut down the pits were a treat lol. Hopefully it reopens

  5. Janet Baden

    I only went there once after it re-opened, it was fun and different from our track..i’m told they had the BEST CHILI DOGS EVER!!! is there anyway i can get their recipe????? 🙂 🙂

  6. Jim Saunders

    Had a NHRA GOLD CARD in 1987 Iran there on Wednesday. Nights . Everyone was always so nice it was a great place sad to see it not running still . Why do they need more houses? and more town centers ? There are so many old shop and centers and strip malls sitting around with nothing in them . where are people to go want to have fun with cars ? Worn more older tracks are being torn down i out there … Few new are being built . all this is causing More more illegal street racing Endangering teenagers and other peoples lives.

  7. Bruce Greene

    I ran there for many many years raced ETK they had the greatest sloppy joes ever yes Janet I do have Betty’s recipe

  8. Bruce White

    Dad started taking us there in 1964 soon after we moved to Rockville. Remember the Musser Bros. gasser?….the screaming injected 289 Cobra?….Sox’s 427 Mercury Comet?….the AF/X match races?…..later on, the Auxier Bros. 427 Fords?..(we went to church near Aspen Hill right next to Sam Auxier’s place. It was so cool to hear them crank up one of their cars. It reminded us of the sounds coming from the San Fernando Raceway in California which was 1/2 mile from our church. Some wonderful coincidence! Then there was the instant throttle response from Ohio George Montgomery’s Olds powered Willys…..George Winkler’s and Lenny Shipe’s homebuilt cars….
    and yes, the best chili dogs and cheese burgers anywhere! So many great memories….especially sitting in the stands with my then 10 year old son betting on every race….he somehow always won!! Those were the days!

  9. Richie McGinnis

    Here’s what a heard a few days ago. They were planning to build houses there, but there’s so much oil soaked into the ground they the developers would either have to wait 15-20 years, or dig up all the dirt on the property going 6 feet down. Both of which just aren’t worth it. So the developers are going to sell the land again.

  10. Evan

    It’s crazy how this place looks like it’s somewhere in the middle of nowhere off Route 66 but in actuality it’s 45 min from the most powerful city on the globe.

  11. Tom Baughman

    This a neat video pictorial of a really great place.We raced my camaro there in 76,77 in stock eliminate. It was like racing at a national event!,you had Kenny Konce, lee Sherman the Leon mirirainin the list goes on.Got to the semi finals against. Tommy the who? Howes lost the engine in the lights,but have the memories.Speaking of Lee Sherman, one Friday night we were there and at that time you weren’t permitted to use any thing but water for burn outs, but Larry Kopp was using some sort of traction compound, so Lee switched his bottle of traction stuff with 90 weight gear oil, ole Larry went right around in a ring.I Don’t think he aver found out who switched it.lol Thanks for the memories 75-80!!!!!

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