Dragstrips and Other Stuff

This is an attempt to list most of the tracks that we ran at in the 1972-75 timeframe. I may have left a few off, but these are certainly the more memorable ones. Many are no longer in operation.

Ubly Dragway

Ubly, MI

A real small-time operation in an obscure little town in Michigan's Thumb area. We went there once, before I had my license, and had our first "match race" against our friends Ogle & Robinson.

Tri-City Dragway

Saginaw, MI

An excellent track, and the place where we went a number of times to make our license runs. Also had at least one WCS meet there.

Onondaga Dragway

Onondaga, MI

Small, local track with a 50's feel to it. Ran an open "top eliminator" event every Saturday, paying $50 for each round that you made.

Milan Dragway

Milan, MI

A good, sanctioned track, but with unfriendly management. Ran some NHRA and other events there.

Keystone Raceway

Pittsburgh, PA

Made Ubly look like a superstrip. This was the track where the first 200mph run was supposedly made, but it was hard to believe. What we thought was the return road turned out to be the track!

Marion County Raceway

Marion, OH

A nice, wide, long track in the flatlands of northern Ohio. Scene of our first "event" win with the North Central Fuelers.

US-131 Dragway

Martin, MI

Site of the "Popular Hot Rodding" meet each year.

Sanair Raceway

Montreal, Que.

Our first appearance at an NHRA national event, we qualified for it in '74 and '75.

National Trails Raceway

Columbus, OH

I never did like this place. It was out in the flats of a big cornfield, and always seemed too hot and too dry - no shade in sight.

Edgewater Park

Cincinnati, OH

This is actually where it all started for me. I grew up in the area, and spent most every Saturday night when I was 16 and 17 standing by the fence to watch the drags. We only ran there once in 1975 at a WCS meet.

Ohio Valley Raceway

Louisville, KY

An eighth-mile strip that hosted an NHRA meet. We had fun running the short distance, going almost 160 in 4.5 seconds.

Bunker Hill Dragstrip

Bunker Hill, IN

Another eighth-mile track where we raced once with the NCF circuit.

Beach Bend Raceway

Bowling Green, KY

Site of the Sportsnationals. Pro Comp was the top class at this event. We didn't qualify either year, but did get our car sorted out each time.

Quaker City Dragway

Salem, OH

A unique layout, as we burned out going uphill before leveling out at the starting line, and the shutoff also ran uphill. Ran there once with the North Central Fuelers.

Indianapolis Raceway Park

Indianapolis, IN

Host of the U.S. Nationals, which I attended as a spectator from about 1964-1973. We competed in '74 and '75, finally qualifying on our last trip.

Cayuga Raceway

Cayuga, Ont., Canada

Scene of our best results, winning Pro Comp in a Northeast Division WCS meet in '75.

Gainesville Dragway

Gainesville, FL

This was a good place to escape the Michigan winters. We debuted our rear-engined car here at the '75 Gatornationals.

 


The license that we spent most of '72 trying to qualify for.
From our first event with the North Central Fuelers in '73.

Hey, we did break into the 4's! Of course, it was an eighth-mile track. Note the speed was only 40mph off our quarter-mile speeds.
Possibly the last time slip for the "Purple Haze".

Some rare ink in the NHRA news.