As I type this, I’m still coming to terms with the final blowout that I got to witness at Rocky Mountain Raceway as part of the Night of Fire weekend. I can’t explain just how pissed-off I am that our streaming system was as problematic as it was, because words cannot express what went down late in the afternoon once the wildfire-driven winds calmed down. Jet car after jet car. A packed house. Parked cars freaking everywhere. Rocky Mountain Raceway is going to be missed…it’s fifty years of history that is about to go away in favor of new development and words cannot express just how much that blows.
I have two dead tracks under my belt as a driver: Speedworld in Arizona and Spanaway Speedway in Spanaway, Washington. Spanaway was where I first drove in competition outside of a go-kart track, in a 1979 Pontiac Bonneville that I’d been racing through dirt trails with for months. I was comfortable, a bit nervous, and more than a bit underage. If I wasn’t such a tall kid I would’ve never been on that track, but in a suit and helmet, I fit right in for a bump-pass race. Speedworld was where I took the car that became the Mock One Mustang to test maybe a week after I purchased it. With the paper tag still on the bumper and not one thing touched (that I did, anyways…the car was already hopped up), I rang bells that night and didn’t get taken down, even in the face of competition that should’ve handed me my lunch. Sadly, Spanaway is now tract housing and Speedworld, last I checked, was derelict and growing Palo Verde trees and piles of tumbleweeds.
Those are my memories…what are yours? Think about it as you enjoy some old footage from my Speedworld run back in 2011..
Wednesday nights at FREMONT with my friends, racin’ street cars that got a little faster as time went by, GREAT MEMORIES
Forgot to mention tuning up on Christy Rd. Wednesday afternoons
Went to the “Atlanta Speed Shop” drag strip in Covington, GA in the late ’80’s to see Lamar Walden in the “worlds fastest 409”. I was a total old school track and I will always remember that race.
Mid America Raceway in wentzville Missouri.
Was a time capsule of a place it was opened back up in the 1980s for nostalga shows which rivaled the meltdown drags of today.
I made my first pass there. In a FED at 16 i might add
It became a sub division sadly
At U.S. 30 dragstrip in northwest Indiana,now gone. It was about 1978 . We were standing with our knees against the guard rail at the starting line .Art Arfons was there with his jet car. We couldn’t have been more that 25 feet from his car. The line starter pushed his button and ran to the other side of the track. I tried to ask my buddy standing next to me.”Why did he run away” .Art hit the afterburner,knocked all 4 of us on our ass pop cans popcorn bags flying everywhere . we stumble up grab the guard rail look down track,parachutes is all we see. Stood there all nite to see him rum .Got down real close so we could see it all first hand .And got blowed on our asses ,and missed it all.
Totally remember Speedworld, driving our Chevelle with a near stock 350, turning 14’s all night. It’s where my grandkids grew up and had fun, it was a very family oriented place with my friends out there and there kids also. Ironically I was talking to my youngest granddaughter about that very place a couple of days ago, she had wonderful memories as well.
The meet at the ‘Dale at which they gave away an oil painting of the Hawaiin.
Easy, 1964 and a 14 yr old kid from the Alabama backwoods on a rare family vacation to CA. Unlce took us to Lion’s Dragstrip, The Beach, Danny Ongnais beats The Snake in an 8 car qualified field and previously unheard of Jeb Allen wins Jr. Fuel.
L.A. county raceway in Palmdale Ca. Every Friday was grudge racing where you could bring just about anything and race. Show up, pass tech, and make as many passes as you wanted for $15 if I remember right. Me and my friends would drive our junk out there, race, and drive home again around 11pm. We always had a fun time and it was a great group of people out there.
I-55 Dragstrip in Pevely, Mo. took second place in bracket racing class with my ’73 Dart Sport with a 225 up against a white ’69 Camaro, I broke out when the Dart Sport slowed down during its run, I had a great time though.
The I-55 dragstrip is now used for the late model pits and parking.
Englishtown even though the track is still there. Been going to that track to either watch (started in 1974) or raced (started in 1981) till I left NJ in 2013. Many, many memories, good and bad.
The Friendships that I had at Carlsbad Raceway, Carlsbad Cali
Great days of drag racing and great memories with great people..
Closed in 2004.
Sometimes it was Wednesday night TnT, and Friday night grudge match. I can still remember the pepper bellies. It was just nachos topped with sliced jalapenos and chili. It was fun. It was worth the hour long drives to LACR and back home. If LACR ever returns, I’m going again.
Greatest memory was seeing the the FIRST of what would eventually later become funny cars at Deer Park Drag strip near Spokane in 1961-1963.
Nitro Coupe: Mooneyham-Sharp 554
Nitro Sedan: Wilbur-Massey’s DESTROYER Model A Vicky
Circle track racing at Riverside Park in Agawam Massachusetts.
My friends Dad used to race strictly stocks and super stocks and took us there as kids. It’s now 6 Flags New England, and it sucks.
Getting a blow job from my new girlfriend in my 67 Vette, in the pits at OCIR.
64 funny car’s at Irwindale and bracket one… And OCIR..
As a AHRA Stock Class RECORD HOLDER at FREMONT coming down South to SAN FERNANDO and being the SACRIFICAL LAMB to have to RUN against DENNIS WILSON of the BEACH BOYS BAND. In his BLOWN / SUPERCHARGED 427 SHELBY COBRA !! That was a BUMMER !!
Sorry got SIDE TRACKED from the point of Question ? FREMONT Too many Great Memories to list !! Just one of the most HISTORIC Drag Strips EVER . San Fernando NOT SO MUCH Lumpy Bumpy WASHBOARD Teeth Rattler !!
Going out to Grudge Night with my dad at Sacramento Raceway. It’s not gone quite yet but it’s rumored it’s getting closed down within the next couple years.
New York National Speedway June 20, 1970 saw the Ramchargers run the first ever 6 second Funny Car pass.
Also saw Kurt Johnson run the first 6 second Pro Stock pass May 20, 1994
@ Englishtown
Good memories from 2 of my favorite tracks.
Lions drag strip early \’72. I remember the pre race parade with the Pro Stocks driving slow under their own power. Dick Landy\’s Challenger sticks out in my mind. Still get goosebumps.
Englishtown…… saw my first ever funny car, 1968. Match race, Swenson&Lani Cuda against the Buick Dealers Group Skylark. Been hooked ever since! I was 10 years old. My Dad would drop me at the gate at noon with $5…….$2.50 to get in, $2.50 for a burger, soda, and fries. He would pick me up at 5pm. Cheap babysitter! Made my first runs there in 1976 with a street legal 1955 Chevy gasser.