Our man Greg Rourke was on the scene of a totally bitchin’ event last weekend. The 2011 Oswego Drag Strip days event serves as a yearly celebration of the memory of Oswego Dragway, a strip that operated from 1955 to 1980 in Oswego, Illinois. The irony that the city which essentially legislated the track out of business now holds a big car show in the downtown area to celebrate it does not escape us, but the show rules nonetheless.
Greg was there for the good times and we’re glad he was there this year to captiure the show action with a gallery of nearly 150 photos. There were lots of old race cars that competed on the track when it was open, more than a few “repopped” gassers, a totally bad ass tribute Grumpy Jenkins Camaro and lots of generally historic cars on hand.
Greg said that the crumbling remains of the track are still there and the land has never been developed. Time to get moving Oswego area racers! Build it and they will come!
Click the link below to see the gallery!
SHOW GALLERY: THE 2011 OSWEGO DRAG STRIP DAYS – OSWEGO, ILLINOIS
That SWC Willys is either the original Swindler II or a heck of a good reproduction. It looks like the real deal in the pictures.
It is claimed to be the real deal. The owner lives in Oswego, and doesnt take it out often. Incredible Hulk, and Daddy’s Thing are original Oswego cars. Mr. Hyde claimed to be an old gasser from California. The Glass’s Gasser 55 was a very rough original gasser, they just re-did it. The blown Vette is an old drag car, built from a one-of-ten prototype 59 vette. The 63 Vette was modeled after these. The owner tells me his is not welcome at Corvette events.
Good info. The slant 4 Pontiac and V12 Model A are pretty cool too. Are you Greg?
Yes I am, trying to be the Illinois correspondent for Bangshift.
I think I met you a while back. Todd and I happened to stop by your house when I was in town because Todd was going to paint your hood (or sumthin’) for your Chevelle and Santri was building your engine. I saw Todd’s Impala and Henry’s Model A at the Sycamore bash along with a few other familiar cars. Nice pictures. Thanks for posting them. I hope you do get the Illinois correspondent position.
Lots of neat iron in the area.
Glenn
The car is NOT from cali..it was a friends car years back that was converted into a gasser..i know the history well on that car.
I’m curious as to the source of information which spawned the comment “the city… essentially legislated the track out of business”. I lived in the area at the time and don’t recall that being the case. As I recall, it basically died a slow death due to a lack of interest on the part of the owner and/or operator of the facility not wishing to put any money into it for improvements. Even in the late 60’s and early 70’s, the facility was not up to par with many of the other Chicago-area strips.
Excellent coverage and photos of the event…thank you!
As I recall it was urban encroachment that was a slow death to the track. Restrictions on the days and hours of operation because of neighbor noise complaints. I grew up in the SW suburbs and Oswego was the closest track. Just an hour “straight” down Ogden avenue (pun intended).
April of 1980 the following short article appeared in the paper:
After 5 years of rumors and 25 years of continous operation,
Oswego Dragstrip will not reopen this season. It was the oldest
operating dragstrip in the US. The property has been sold for a
nursing home. All of us, the Oswego Crew, Manager Bub Thurlby,
and his wife Debbie, and Operator Ben Christ were saddened by the
closing of the Big “O”.
No nursing home was ever built. It was a tree farm for years, and now just sits vacant. Suburbia did encroach, and you may recall the staging lanes were parallel to US34, aka Ogden Ave, and were only a few feet off the road. The burnout box was also close to the road, traffic was always messed up by the cheapskates who wouldn’t pay the $5 or whatever to get in. They would park in the ditch and watch, slowing traffic to a crawl. I have photos taken this year of what’s left if anyone wants to see them.
As far as the Mr. Hyde Nova, I overheard who I assumed was the owner telling how it was found in Cali, and based on lettering of shops in Cali it seemed plausible. It’s now owned by someone in Plano, Il. according to the show card. It did have an original Sun Automotive (Animal Jim Feurer’s shop) sticker on it, so Illinois heritage seems likely.
Absolutely correct about the nursing home and the tree farm. Also correct about the staging lanes and burnout area being way too close to the highway…..again, this goes to the fact that the owner/operator of the facility did not want to update ($$$$$$$) the place. I can remember occasions when they had jet powered cars making exhibition runs and the Kendall Co. Sheriff’s deputies would stop traffic on Rt. 34 for fear of passing traffic being burned by the flames from the jet cars! It was basically the exact same layout as it was in the 50’s, when the cars racing were much tamer and traffic on Rt. 34 was much lighter.
The track originally ran the opposite way, when it first opened. It was also partially dirt. To me, Oswego was the best track I’ve ever been to. Watching 12 second cars bang 4 speed transmission was better than any NHRA show. I like the old timey tracks, not many left.