MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY......

Posted By: 52savoy

MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/26/10 04:41 PM

I was searching for another Michigan track and ran across this...
Really cool.

http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com/drags.asp?id=1334&type=6

Posted By: 52savoy

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/26/10 04:43 PM

I've never seen a few of the mopars before. Anyone know them?

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/26/10 05:01 PM

Quote:

I've never seen a few of the mopars before. Anyone know them?

I remember the LAWMAN out there... that was the first
place I raced my 62 Dodge... most of the time I went
to Detroit Dragway....... that was when I was a
16 year old kid... about a thousand years ago

Posted By: maximus

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/26/10 05:38 PM

Raced there myself in the mid 1970's with a small block Duster. The Top Fuelers were running in the 7's back then at the track. We thought that was screaming. My friend was there last year and took some pictures. The track and the concession stand is covered with grass and weeds.

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/26/10 06:23 PM

Quote:

Raced there myself in the mid 1970's with a small block Duster. The Top Fuelers were running in the 7's back then at the track. We thought that was screaming. My friend was there last year and took some pictures. The track and the concession stand is covered with grass and weeds.

They tried to re-open that track a few years back BUT
it could only be opened up by the original owers
due to it being a grandfather thing... so the guys
that WERE going to buy it backed out... it was a
shame that the township wanted to play that way

Posted By: bigsbigelow

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/26/10 07:54 PM

I live 10 minutes from the what was Motor City Dragway. It is in ruins now and there is no hope for it ever being a dragway again. My high school was build within a mile of it.

Posted By: dOoC

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/26/10 07:58 PM

Mike ... how did those TWP people "spin-that" ? .... original owners ??

Isn't that area now pretty well built-up with higher-end-priced residences?

Posted By: 52savoy

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/26/10 08:01 PM

Quote:

Quote:

I've never seen a few of the mopars before. Anyone know them?

I remember the LAWMAN out there... that was the first
place I raced my 62 Dodge... most of the time I went
to Detroit Dragway....... that was when I was a
16 year old kid... about a thousand years ago

Detroit Dragway was what I was looking for and then I ran across Motor City.. What ever happened to Bee-Line?

Detroit Dragway today....

http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com/drags.asp?ID=1335&type=6

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/26/10 08:17 PM

Quote:

Mike ... how did those TWP people "spin-that" ? .... original owners ??

Isn't that area now pretty well built-up with higher-end-priced residences?

Its been a few years since I was by there but at
that time it was still vacant... there was some homes
about a mile away(maybe less)... but thats the way
they pushed it... the only way it could be re-opened
was under the original (back when it closed) ownership...
must have worked... there isnt any track but as far
as I know the ground hasnt sold

Posted By: maximus

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/26/10 08:59 PM

It all had to do with zoning. As long as the original family owned the track the old zoning laws applied or grandfathered. If sold outside the family the new zoning rules applied, which does not allow dragstrips.

Posted By: dOoC

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/26/10 09:07 PM

Guys ....just HOW are they spinning-this ? ... I am not real-estate attorney ... but if the property was zoned a certain way ... and it stays the same operation ... the same zoning should apply.

And even IF this could be spun-this-way ... why not have a relative of the "family"(or something like that) ...as a "partner" in the operation.

Posted By: 52savoy

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/26/10 09:15 PM

Just the opposite happened nearby in Bellefontaine, Oh.. 3 years ago, group of people wanted to turn a country airstrip into a dragstrip but it could only be done by the original owners. It was sold to Waste Management for a land fill.

IMO..I think it was the county and WM in cohoots$$$$

Posted By: dOoC

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/26/10 09:19 PM

I can definately SEE THAT ....the-man NIXing going from a air-strip to a drag-strip ...even when the original owners are still in-the-mix ...

But this - IMO - is way diff.

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/26/10 09:26 PM

Quote:

Guys ....just HOW are they spinning-this ? ... I am not real-estate attorney ... but if the property was zoned a certain way ... and it stays the same operation ... the same zoning should apply.

And even IF this could be spun-this-way ... why not have a relative of the "family"(or something like that) ...as a "partner" in the operation.

Dont know but thats the way it went down... I guess
the guys that wanted to open it tried to get the
family into it but I guess they didnt want to...
from what I heard... now days to me its all hear say

Posted By: rbstroker

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/26/10 11:23 PM

Back in '64 and '65 I raced my '58 Belvedere at Detroit. Always had fun. Usually ended up street racing on Telegraph on the way home.

Posted By: drbill

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/27/10 12:02 AM

Quote:

Guys ....just HOW are they spinning-this ? ... I am not real-estate attorney ... but if the property was zoned a certain way ... and it stays the same operation ... the same zoning should apply.

And even IF this could be spun-this-way ... why not have a relative of the "family"(or something like that) ...as a "partner" in the operation.

This happens all the time.
There was a Radiator Hospital in my small town, it was zoned for automotive repair a long time ago and the city changed the zoning to eliminate auto repair in that area. When the Radiator Hospital decided to close it's business the building could no longer be used for auto repair.
It's been close to 10 years that building has stayed vacant and is slowly falling apart. It's become a eye sore.
We have a A&W that still serves food at your car, the owner got the business from his father and if he ever sells it they will no longer allow a drive in restaurant to operate because of the same zoning changes as what happened to the drag strip and repair facility.

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/27/10 12:52 AM

Quote:

Back in '64 and '65 I raced my '58 Belvedere at Detroit. Always had fun. Usually ended up street racing on Telegraph on the way home.

The first pass I made with my P-Body was at Detroit
and I raced quite a bit there over the years... the
old dirt pit was a blast... they would come through
the pits with a water truck and sprinkle water on the
dust to keep the dust down and if the truck had to
stop for a race car you would end up with a MUD puddle

Posted By: rbstroker

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/27/10 11:07 AM

Deja Vu. I retired over 10 years ago and moved south from Michigan. The local 1/8 mile track here has a dirt pit, but no water down (red clay gets slippery).

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/27/10 11:18 AM

Quote:

Deja Vu. I retired over 10 years ago and moved south from Michigan. The local 1/8 mile track here has a dirt pit, but no water down (red clay gets slippery).

You must be down in Georgia... I did see a car get stuck
once in a while in the mud with slicks at Detroit...
a couple guys would push them out and away they would
go taking mud with them... ah yes... the good old days

Posted By: dOoC

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/27/10 05:22 PM

Quote:

(red clay gets slippery).

You in TN ...in or around the K-ville area ? ... RED CLAY will load-up a set of tires in NOTHING-flat.

Posted By: rbstroker

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/27/10 10:53 PM

Quote:

Quote:

(red clay gets slippery).

You in TN ...in or around the K-ville area ? ... RED CLAY will load-up a set of tires in NOTHING-flat.

I'm between Nashville and Memphis. I should have said "red grease" instead of red clay.

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/27/10 11:34 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

(red clay gets slippery).

You in TN ...in or around the K-ville area ? ... RED CLAY will load-up a set of tires in NOTHING-flat.

I'm between Nashville and Memphis. I should have said "red grease" instead of red clay.

Ok.... the northern red stuff

Posted By: rbstroker

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/29/10 12:39 PM

Hey Mr. P Body. Thanks for the ride in the "way-back" machine.

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: MOTOR CITY DRAGWAY...... - 05/29/10 01:15 PM

Quote:

Hey Mr. P Body. Thanks for the ride in the "way-back" machine.

LOL.... thats good "the way back machine"