Where've ya been?

Where've ya been? - 08/20/13 10:03 PM

I saw a friend's post on facebook today with a picture of a trailer park off of I77 in Princeton WV. While there are many trailer parks in WV, this happens to be a former drag strip. It made her a bit sad because that was the first drag strip she ever went to. So, I got to thinking, what was everyone's first track you attended, your first track you raced at, and where else have you gone. Even being in racing my whole life, I'm not that well travelled compared to many:
First Track
Dragway 42, OH (spectator, racer, announcer)
First Pass:
Norwalk, OH (spectator, racer, announcer)
Others:
Marion County, OH (spectator)
Thompson, OH (spectator, racer)
Quaker City, OH (spectator, racer, announcer)
National Trail, OH (spectator)
Pacemakers, OH (announcer)
Keystone Dragway, PA (Now Pittsburgh Raceway Park, spectator)
Coastal Plains, NC (announcer)

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Where've ya been? - 08/20/13 10:13 PM

Good OLD Detroit Dragway... I was about 13 years old
when I went there the first time... and raced there
when I was 15.. driving my friends car(they didnt know
I wasnt legal)... My P-body made its maiden voyage there
then a month later it closed

Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: Where've ya been? - 08/20/13 10:38 PM

The first for me is Edgewater Park 4 miles from where I live. It's still there better than ever.

I raced all the NHRA division 3 tracks plus many others around the country and have no idea how many I have been to?

Posted By: '72CudaRacer

Re: Where've ya been? - 08/20/13 11:45 PM

Kinda funny that you should ask that question. just over a week ago I answered that for a friend.
The first drag strip I went to was Union Hill Dragway, now known as Music City Raceway, just north of Nashville, Tn. It was also the first track that I raced at a few years later. The list of other tracks that I have competed at is long, (I started racing in 1984) but here goes...

* denotes tracks that I have won on

*Music City Raceway, Nashville, Tn
Beech Bend Raceway, Bowling Green, Ky
Clarksville Dragway, Clarksville, Tn
US 43 Dragway, Lawenceburg, Tn (old track)
Dragway in Jackson, Tn (saw Bill "Golden" Mavrick there)
Dragway in Gleason, Tn
Huntsville Dragway, Huntsville, Ala
Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Ga
Windy Hollow Dragway, Owensboro, Ky
Indianapolis Raceway Park, Ind, Ind
Z-Max Dragway, Charlotte, NC
*I40 Dragway, Crossville, Tn
*Middle Tennessee Dragway, Buffalo Valley, Tn (1st S/P win!)
Brainerd Optomist Dragway, Chattanoga, Tn
*English Mountain Dragway, Newport, Tn
Knoxville Dragway, Knoxville, Tn
*Cherokee Raceway Park, Rogersville, Tn
*London Dragway, London, Ky
Mountain Park Dragway, Clay City, Ky
*Thunder Valley Dragway, Bristol, Tn

I think thats all

Brian Dunnigan

Posted By: Bad340fish

Re: Where've ya been? - 08/21/13 12:11 AM

I have a pretty short list but thanks to drag week it's grown and will grow by three more tracks this year.

First track and first pass
Tulsa raceway park
Then
Heartland park Topeka
Mokan dragway
Thunder valley in noble ok
Texas motorplex ennis tx
Thunder road Gilliam LA
Memphis

If drag week goes through I will be adding
Bowling Green KY
Indianapolis Raceway Park
Gateway raceway St. Louis.

Posted By: Hailtheleaf538

Re: Where've ya been? - 08/21/13 12:39 AM

Quote:

Kinda funny that you should ask that question. just over a week ago I answered that for a friend.
The first drag strip I went to was Union Hill Dragway, now known as Music City Raceway, just north of Nashville, Tn. It was also the first track that I raced at a few years later. The list of other tracks that I have competed at is long, (I started racing in 1984) but here goes...

* denotes tracks that I have won on

*Music City Raceway, Nashville, Tn
Beech Bend Raceway, Bowling Green, Ky
Clarksville Dragway, Clarksville, Tn
US 43 Dragway, Lawenceburg, Tn (old track)
Dragway in Jackson, Tn (saw Bill "Golden" Mavrick there)
Dragway in Gleason, Tn
Huntsville Dragway, Huntsville, Ala
Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Ga
Windy Hollow Dragway, Owensboro, Ky
Indianapolis Raceway Park, Ind, Ind
Z-Max Dragway, Charlotte, NC
*I40 Dragway, Crossville, Tn
*Middle Tennessee Dragway, Buffalo Valley, Tn (1st S/P win!)
Brainerd Optomist Dragway, Chattanoga, Tn
*English Mountain Dragway, Newport, Tn
Knoxville Dragway, Knoxville, Tn
*Cherokee Raceway Park, Rogersville, Tn
*London Dragway, London, Ky
Mountain Park Dragway, Clay City, Ky
*Thunder Valley Dragway, Bristol, Tn

I think thats all
Brian Dunnigan

..Ah Cherokee. The memories. Just like running on the street, except a little bit more narrow, and a little bit rougher.

I don't know if it's still like that, haven't been in years. Used to love it though.

Posted By: Blucuda413

Re: Where've ya been? - 08/21/13 01:11 AM

I love answering this question but I wish I had saved the list previously because the memory is not what it used to be.

The first drag race I attended was in 1954 at a strip in South Louisiana. My Father carried myself and two other friends to the race. At that race a belly tank dragster ran into the crowd and killed a young woman. I thought sure he would never let me race but it didn't seem to bother him at all.

The tracks I've raced at include the following in somewhat order.

Esler Field, Pineville, LA
Pollock AirPort, Pollock, LA,
Airport, Opoluses, LA
Airport, Hammond, LA
Chenault Air Force Base, Lake Charles, LA
Airport, Mansfield, LA
Fishing Lodge Runway, Karnack, TX (Raced Eddie Hill for Top Eliminator)
Thunder Valley, Springfield, TX (AHRA Nationals)
Airport, Biloxi/Gulfport, MS
Albuquerque Dragway, Albuquerque, NM
Taxiway, Clark AB, Phillipines
Brandimere Dragway, Colorado
Seattle International Raceway, Seattle, WA
Somewhere around Oklahoma City, OK
LACR, CA
Barona, CA
Huntsville Dragway, Huntsville, AL
HWY 43 Dragway, Tn
Alabama Dragway, Steele, AL
Outlaw track, North of Birmingham, AL
Monroe, Dragway, Monroe, LA
Eunice Dragway, Eunice, LA
Capitol Dragway, Baton Rouge, LA
Thunder Road Dragway, Gilliam, LA
No Problem Dragway, Belle Rose, LA

I think that's about it!!!

Posted By: cudaboy

Re: Where've ya been? - 08/21/13 01:48 AM

First track: Carlsbad Raceway

First and only passes (8): Milan Dragway

Others: Indy, Norwalk, Mid-Michigan, Beech Bend, NTR.

Not very many for me at all. I hope to change that in the next few years.

Dennis

Posted By: '72CudaRacer

Re: Where've ya been? - 08/21/13 02:00 AM

Quote:

..Ah Cherokee. The memories. Just like running on the street, except a little bit more narrow, and a little bit rougher.

I don't know if it's still like that, haven't been in years. Used to love it though.

It probably hasn't changed much since then. Heres a video of the final round at Cherokee oct 2010 I think. It was at late at night, but you still get picture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT-8H6rKDE4

Brian

Posted By: cudasteve68

Re: Where've ya been? - 08/21/13 05:02 PM

First Track attended & raced Norwalk (first pass was in a 22 second Plymouth Horizon at 16 years old)
Dragway 42
Milan Michigan
Pacemakers
Columbus
Mount Vernon
Indy

Posted By: bonefish

Re: Where've ya been? - 08/21/13 05:06 PM

Buckingham FL way back in the early 60,s till about 69.then i got a free vacation curtisy of uncle sam and it was closed when i got back.

Posted By: kissmyaspen

Re: Where've ya been? - 08/21/13 06:08 PM

First pass down the track.. Pacemakers dragway Mt Vernon. I think I was 13 on a pit bike race.
Been to
Magnolia (spec)
Indy (race/work)
National trails (race/work)
Norwalk (race/work)
Indy(race/work)
Edgewater(spec)
Brainerd,MN (work) got to love the zoo

Maplegrove (work)
Z-Max (work)
Dallas (work)
Vegas (work)
Memphis (work)
Pomona (work)

Posted By: RonTheAnnouncer

Re: Where've ya been? - 08/23/13 12:23 PM

Quote:

I have a pretty short list but thanks to drag week it's grown and will grow by three more tracks this year.

I'll get to add Farmington and Piedmont in NC to mine if all goes right in November.

Posted By: slantzilla

Re: Where've ya been? - 08/23/13 06:37 PM

First pass:

Smokin' US 30 Dragstrip The drag racing capital of Chicagolannndd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Long gone)

2. Motion Raceway, Assumption, IL (long gone)
3. Seattle International Raceway, Kent, WA
4. Mason County, Havana, IL
5. Indianapolis Raceway Park, Speedway, IN
6. Coles County Dragstrip, Charleston, IL
7. US 41 Raceway, Morrocco, IN
8. Great Lakes Dragaway, Union Grove, WI
9. RT 66, Joliet, IL
10. Byron Dragway, Byron, IL
11. Cordova Raceway, Cordova, IL
12. Graham's New Hope, Where Christ lost his overshoes, IN
13. Bristol International Raceway, Bristol, TN
14. Mountain Parkway Motorplex, Clay City, KY
15. Beech Bend, Bowling Green, KY
16. Owingsville Raceway, Owingsville, KY
17. US 131, Martin, MI
18. Tri State, Earlville, IA
19. KCIR, Kansas City, MO (gone)
20. KRPI, Kearney, NE
21. National Trails, Columbus, OH
22. The Strip, Las Vegas, NV