Abandonded drag strips

[el dub]

 Lions drag strip, Calif. and a link, maybe , to Riverside Raceway.

http://youtu.be/zakPard0iKI

[RIDELIKEHELL]

I took a visit to the old MOTORCITY Dragstrip in northern Detroit area about 5+ years ago. It's located near expressway I-94 & 26 mile rd. It was all weeds & run down, not much left of it. My old uncle in his 70's told me some cool stories about it from the 1970's. I'd post some Pictures but they are on my old computer. LEON.

I know that area well as we hit the Meijer there..is it East or West of 94 on 26 mile?

[Shakey]

How about abandon airports that turned into drag strips that turned (temporarily) back to airports?   

In 1983 an Air Canada plane runs out of fuel and tries to land at an old airport (Gimli, MB) the pilot had done some training on years earlier as they could not make it to Winnipeg.  Unbeknownst to him, the airport runway was now a racing facility and was in use that day.  Can you imagine!

Learned about this watching an episode of Mayday a while back.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Motorsports_Park

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTRAQAzey4w

[Aero426]

How about abandon airports that turned into drag strips that turned (temporarily) back to airports?   

In 1983 an Air Canada plane runs out of fuel and tries to land at an old airport (Gimli, MB) the pilot had done some training on years earlier as they could not make it to Winnipeg.  Unbeknownst to him, the airport runway was now a racing facility and was in use that day.  Can you imagine!

I remember that.

[RECHRGD]

Great stuff Doug!  I remember taking my original R/T to riverside raceway when they held 1/2 mile drags.  God, I sure wish I had pictures of that now.......

[Aero426]

Aerial footage from North Wilkesboro.   Excellent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyfn-_AW1h4

[moparnation74]

This was a drag strip in the Edwardsville, IL area.  In the GTX is my father.  He bought this car new and was his daily driver.  When weekends came around he raced it.  The second pic shows the rat roaster intake.  His buddy was a max wedge racer and on one weekend and a few beers.  They dropped it onto the X's 440.  This was in 1967 when these pics were taken.  He was one of the top dog's in IL with his rat roasting Gittick!

The track as far as I know no longer exists.

[AKcharger]

Super cool!

[Musicman]

The old Ct Dragway... last I heard, Consumer Reports was using it for an Automotive Test facility

[Ghoste]

Yes, I've heard of it and CR are very careful about letting no one on the property.

[66FBCharger]

The old Ct Dragway... last I heard, Consumer Reports was using for an Automotive Test facility

I raced there a few times in the early 80s when it was called Ct. International Raceway. I'll have to see if I can dig some pictures up.

[Daytona R/T SE]

This was a drag strip in Edwardsville, IL.  In the GTX is my father.  He bought this car new and was his daily driver.  When weekends came around he raced it.  The second pic shows the rat roaster intake.  His buddy was a max wedge racer and on one weekend and a few beers.  They dropped it onto the X's 440.  This was in 1967 when these pics were taken.  He was one of the top dog's in IL with his rat roasting Gittick!

The track as far as I know no longer exists.

I'm about 15 miles from Edwardsville, Illinois.

I've never heard of a drag strip in Edwardsville. 

I asked three of the guys I work with about it today.

They are all in their 60's and have been into cars for decades.

None of them can remember a drag strip in Edwardsville.

Are you sure it wasn't Alton ?

That was big back then.

Or...

The track that's now called "Gateway" in Madison, Illinois? 

[moparnation74]

This was a drag strip in Edwardsville, IL.  In the GTX is my father.  He bought this car new and was his daily driver.  When weekends came around he raced it.  The second pic shows the rat roaster intake.  His buddy was a max wedge racer and on one weekend and a few beers.  They dropped it onto the X's 440.  This was in 1967 when these pics were taken.  He was one of the top dog's in IL with his rat roasting Gittick!

The track as far as I know no longer exists.

I'm about 15 miles from Edwardsville, Illinois.

I've never heard of a drag strip in Edwardsville.  

I asked three of the guys I work with about it today.

They are all in their 60's and have been into cars for decades.

None of them can remember a drag strip in Edwardsville.

Are you sure it wasn't Alton ?

That was big back then.

Or...

The track that's now called "Gateway" in Madison, Illinois?  

Daytona, thanks for clarifying that.  You are right, it was in that area.  My mistake