(Words and Photos by Greg Rourke) – Recently, Bob Chiluk and I made the trek out to Seneca, Illinois to visit the remains of Seneca Dragstrip. Never heard of it? Not many people have, it was only in operation from 1954 through 1956. The track was sanctioned by the Illinois Valley Idlers car club and there is evidence that it was one of the first sanctioned drag strips east of the Mississippi.

Seneca was home to the Prairie Shipyard, which built the LST landing craft during World War II. The government built a small housing development to house the workers next to the shipyard. After the war the shipyard was closed, leaving the property and houses vacant. A local resident purchased the land and demolished the houses except for one, which he and his family lived in. Additionally, Albert Weinrich built Al’s Body Shop on the property. Being a car guy, he and his friend decided to see if they could race on the narrow streets that were left at the now abandoned facility. After more than a few entertaining races and the realization that some money could be made,  Seneca Dragstrip was open for business in 1954. It was an eighth mile track. Amazingly, it had curbs and sidewalks which made the track seem even narrower and a shut down area that must have really tested the drum brakes of cars in that era.Racers came from as far away as Peoria and Chicago to compete on the only track in northern Illinois. Arnie “The Farmer” Beswick was one notable early racer.

After the 1956 season it was decided that operating the track took too much work when the body shop business needed tending to. Plus, Oswego Drag Raceway went from a dirt drag strip to a paved quarter mile, and Cordova Dragway opened. The track faded into obscurity, surpassed by those newer and more advanced facilities.

In 2004 Willie Fessler and Jerry Eich, racers from the old track  decided a reunion was in order. They went to every car event in 100 miles passing out flyers. Property owner Al Weinreich and his sons Wes and Willy put in many hours clearing brush and trees from the old track. The event was a big success. It was promoted as the “Ghost Track Reunion” and invited cars and racers from Oswego, Meadowdale, US 30 and, of course, Seneca. They held reunions for a few years until it became too big and they were discontinued.

What’s left today is 70 year old concrete. The only structure ever built, a small snack stand, is long gone. We want to thank Al and his sons Wes and Willy for their hospitality and Willie Fessler, who recently passed away, for their efforts to preserve this early part of drag racing history.

Scroll down to see photos of what remains of the first drag plant to exist northern Illinois!