So I am finally getting to this series of drag strip visit stories from our family road trip in December. I am going to run them mostly in the order that we visited but I may mess with that a little along the way. The first track we stopped to visit was a closed one that operated from 1963-1972 and was called Pocono Drag Lodge. Located off Bear Creek Blvd and PA RT2038 in the woods of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The only way you’d ever find this place is to spot the checkered flower pot on the side of the road that marks the spot where thousands of racers and fans entered the facility during its near 10-year run of operation. As you will see in the photos below, the gate was locked when we pulled in so we abandoned the family truckster at the gate, installed our winter gear and trudged the near quarter mile through the ice and snow to get to the actual track. Once we got to the clearing everyone (even my wife who was questioning the sanity of her husband) was breathless. The track is still there as well as some buildings, a “refurbished” version of the original tower, and other reminders of better days. The place opens up once a year for a reunion but other than that it sits and nature quietly creeps closer and closer to reclaiming the track where Joe Amato got his start in drag racing.
Pocono Drag Lodge may be one of the most well-known “lost” tracks for the simple fact that its reunion event happens on the actual race track where so few others actually do and it gets pretty good coverage every year. Some unique features of the facility include and uphill shutdown area which was not some visionary safety idea but rather the cheap solution when construction crews ran into a big mound of shale in the ground. It was either go through it or over it and over was the far cheaper solution. Being that the track was built and operated by the Perugino family who were heavily in the construction business, some thought went into that. While it was a boon to have a construction family build the track it would also prove to be the place’s undoing in 1972. Before we rush ahead to that, understand that Pocono was not really a track that garnered lots of national headlines but the touring pros of the day raced down the track as they did in many place during the match racing era of the 1960s. As mentioned, Joe Amato cut his teeth at Pocono and cemented a life long love with the sport that he took to heights even he could not have imagined possible as a kid racing a 1940 Chevy coupe.
The end came in 1972 for the track and it came swiftly. Hurricane Agnes came through the area and while the track didn’t get smashed up, lots of other stuff did and that meant that the construction side of the Perugino family business needed to have all the attention to build, repair, remove, and fix structures that the storm had either blown down or drown in massive flooding. Add that to the first gasoline shock and the death of the muscle car era and you have a formula for drag strip death. It should be noted that the early 1970s ushered in a period where more drag strips closed than any other time in the sport’s history. Pocono was one of many that would be shuttered and never see the light of active racing every again.
The family still owns the property and they are happy partners in the Pocono Drag Lodge reunion that happens each and every year on the track. Could the place be reopened? Anything is possible I guess but it would require a massive infusion of money and there are people now living in close proximity to the place so there would be those issues as well. As “close” as this place looks to functional, it’ll stand as a quiet monument to the sport of drag racing in this area. Now….let’s look at the place through the photos I blasted at our visit!
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE PHOTOS FROM OUR FAMILY VISIT TO POCONO DRAG LODGE –
This diesel Jeep will be seen in lots of the strip trip photos because it was our steed the whole way. Full review coming soon. You can see the flower box/planter I mentioned on the right.
So here’s the one thing you need to be looking for after you turn down 2038 off of Bear Creek Blvd. Once you see this thing, land on the brakes and understand that you are about a quarter mile from the track. It was a frigid day with high winds when we saw the place. Fitting I suppose.
After making the walk and coming to the clearing, this is what you’ll see. Eerie and awesome. The snow certainly added some dramatic effect, right?
Peering down the course you can see the uphill shutdown that was the result of paving up and over a shale deposit rather than through it. This was a wide track! no evidence of walls or guardrails though.
Another look down course. We don’t know the gradient of this place it it sure seemed to have a pretty good drop from start to finish line.
Looking back up towards the starting line.
The remnants of the center line are cool and the kids got a kick out of seeing a true reminder that this was once a thundering strip.
Sorry, no hot dogs will be available from the concession stand….ever again.
This was an interesting reminder of how long the place has been closed. In 1972 we bet that the birch tree growing through this tire was a tiny sapling. Were those tires there to mark the edge of the track for spectators? We don’t know but it is cool to see it has been there for decades.
The only thing left of the original tower after a 2012 wind storm was the first floor. The second floor was added later to fully recreate the original. The windows are just painted onto the plywood sheeting.
How neat is that?!
If you squint hard enough you can almost see the flagman.
A look from the starting line right down on through the shutdown area.
Here’s the road coming in from where the pits used to be. Because the place has “only” been closed since ’72 and virtually undisturbed, everything is still pretty much identifiable.
The return road looks like more of a nature walking trail now!
Pocono marketed their uphill braking (or shut down) area as the “Super Stocker Stopper”. It was a big thing in their advertising back in the say. I still have some Eastern Drag News magazines that have them in it.
Love it! Can’t wait for the rest!
Great article! I’m really looking forward to the rest!
Awesome stuff. Looking forward to the rest.
Very timely article Brian, I just read a book called Ford Total Performance, Drag Racing in the 1960’s. This track is mentioned several times in the book and I had never heard of it, which is unusual, I thought I knew them all. Mucho Gracias, Amigo.
I love that you love the history of the sport as so many of us do! Keep up the good work and look forward to seeing more!
That;s not too far from me.
Heard about this track when I was searching for info on Pocono Raceway a few years back. Went to one of the reunions a couple of years ago. Amazing been in drag racing 40 years and never hearing about this track.
A trip back in time worth attending!
my father told me me his uncles used to run superstock there back in the days he told me it got closed because of the farmers ho live close to it where fighting because they where say there live stock where getting hurt by the noises n smell of the cars. there is all so another closed drag strip my father to me to in p.a. but i for got the name its a 1/8 track that is still there to this day that is used for camping now look it up n you will find it …..
the1/8 strip i think you are talking about was called WIND GAP i raced there in 1960 61. some of the other racers i remember from then THE TIMBER MAN { PONT } MR CHIPS { 55 CHEV } LITTLE EGIPT {62 CHEV } also MICKY COFFEE RAN THERE A COUPLE OF TIMES WITH WHAT I THINK WAS ONE IF NOT THE FIRST BILLBOW CHASSIS
Many thanks for posting.
Great photos and interesting story…
Over the years we have lost too many of the old drag strips..
I’ve heard so many stories about the drag lodge from my manager, who use to race their himself, Joe Amato himself and from tons of other people who used to race their. The reason the track isn’t opened back up is because of a feud with the property owners and the surrounding neighbors. It would be great to have it opened again and not just once a year.
Thanks for the PR Brian. I worked there several years and was there opening day. All the big stars of the day were there in the match race era, far too many to list here. Please join us at our reunions. For more contact Charlie Hulsizer at [email protected].
My brother Stan” Mondo” Mirin was the announcer there got many years. His colorful delivery is well remembered
I won a trophy in K or L stock with family 68 Olds Cutlass. Only car in class ha ha
I was score keeper couple times. Wasn t my bag. Bob Strunk good buddie ran an altered there
Good old days
Mark Mirin
Thanks for this terrific Article, hope you and your cool family enjoyed the trip. Please come back in better weather and explore the 300 acres. Being associated with such a Cool place and super bunch of folks has been a dream come true!! See you at the reunion, August 8, 2015!!
Charlie Hulsizer
Promotor, Pocono Drag Lodge reunions
first raced there in my 34 chevy coupe back in 66, last ime i raced there was in 1970….the reunions sure bring back fun memories – thanks charlie!
I remember when Tom Driebe was racing, I think it was a sixty olds, it started to rain but they let Tom and the other car go. About half way down the track the wheel came off Tom car and crossed over into the other lane just missing the other driver. It was so lucky, they both would have been severly injured. Safety regulations back then were non existented.
why don’t we all chip in and buy old racetrack and reopen it for all the locals
I live about a half hour from where this is located and would love to see it opened again. It would be great to get the community back into this and update it to have vintage races and big car shows. Anything to get Pocono Drag Lodge back on the map.
I raced there in 1970 with my 62 Chevy 283 Nova. A few of us would come down from the Tunkhannock area on Wednesday night for the “grudge” races. You just lined up along side another car to see if you could beat him and you also got timed on how quick your run was. I almost beat my buddies 66 GTO (he missed a shift) but he got me by a door at the end!