Old Drag Strips

[super]

I don't know about any of you, but I have always enjoyed history of old dragstrips. It seems as if many of these tracks have closed over the years for a lot of different reasons. Financial problems, land development, etc.

Missouri at one time had several tracks, everything from IHRA, AHRA, outlaw, etc. that have all closed due to many factors. Just to name a few, Sullivan Raceway, Salem Raceway, Wentzville MAR (Mid-America Raceway), Pevely I-55 Raceway, Pacific Raceway, etc. Many of these tracks have been gone for years, but it is the simple idea that they are seldom rebuilt or replaced.

Some of the bigger car magazine publications will publish photos of these once great tracks that no longer exist.

I was happy to hear the once closed Benton, MO racetrack has opened for business again. Great news in my book!! The track is about 10 miles away from Sikeston, MO. A person can race the Saturday program at Sikeston's 1/8-mile facility and then travel up the road to compete at Benton's 1/8-mile facility on Sunday. To me, that is good news for us racers.

As time permits, I am going to snap some pictures of some of the great tracks that strived in Missouri years ago. I am going to visit all the tracks I mentioned above. Sullivan (now used to store farm equipment on the track surface), Wentzville MAR (now being developed in to a subdivision), Pacific (already developed in to a subdivision), Pevely (closed to concentrate on the dirt track).

If any of you have any pictures of abandoned drag strips, I would like to see them. It is sad to see these tracks vanish, but there is a lot of historical significance to some of them. Numerous tracks opened up in Missouri during the early 1960's, but most of them vanished by the 70's and 80's.

Maybe some day we will get some new developments of drag strips in Missouri and other states. I look forward to this.

Some people like to say they have been to "X" amount of ball-parks, I like to say I have been to "X' amount of drag strips.

Look forward to hearing from some of you.

[Larry]

I hope some of our members will share their thoughts... and hopefully some photos... from these old tracks.

Let's not rule out neat old shots from tracks that might still be around today too. I'll bet the shots from "back then" and now are quite a bit different.

CALLING ALL OLD PONTIAC RACE CAR SHOTS! Be sure to keep checking the "Pontiac Racing" section listed under the "Pontiac Information" tab above. We are always trying to add more old race history under the Pontiac Racers and Pontiac Race Photos. If you have any PLEASE share them and once they are up, they will be there forever, for everyone to enjoy.

[super]

I had an oppurtunity today to visit an old abandoned drag strip located just outside of Pacific, MO.

From I-44, take the Union, MO exit to highway O. Continue on highway O for several miles until you run in to highway HH. Follow highway HH to Nike Base Road. Continue on Nike Base Road until you arrive at Evergreen Estates. Once you run on this road, it will immediately take you to the track.

It was a great feeling to run down the old drag strip. I took some pictures of the track that was established back in the 60's. Drag Racing Legends such as Dick Harrell match-raced at this facility.

I also snapped a few shots of some beautiful scenary.

I plan to visit a few more tracks as my work schedule permits.

[super]

I had an oppurtunity today to visit an old abandoned drag strip located just outside of Pacific, MO.

From I-44, take the Union, MO exit to highway O. Continue on highway O for several miles until you run in to highway HH. Follow highway HH to Nike Base Road. Continue on Nike Base Road until you arrive at Evergreen Estates. Once you run on this road, it will immediately take you to the track.

It was a great feeling to run down the old drag strip. I took some pictures of the track that was established back in the 60's. Drag Racing Legends such as Dick Harrell match-raced at this facility.

I also snapped a few shots of some beautiful scenary.

I plan to visit a few more tracks as my work schedule permits.

[Larry]

Is the old strip sitting as a seperate stretch of pavement, or is it now utilized as a part of the Evergreen Estates' road system? I wonder who got the house by the christmas tree?!

Back in Wisconsin manyyears ago there was a road racing track west of Milwaukee (I think it was west, could have been north... oh well....) called Lyndale Farms. We used to go out there as young teens and help a neighbor whose Lions Club (or something) manned the concession stand at the track. It was really fun, lots of food to eat (back when you were young enpugh that it didn't immediately go around your "waste" line), and when nobody was looking, a sip of beer hear and there.

It was an old bus with a hatch in the roof, so you could climb a ladder, stick your hread out and really get a good view of the races. It was so cool watching a Corvette fly into a turn with a Mini Cooper right on its heals!

It closed down soon after our trips out there, probably in the late-60s or early-70s. Later it was turned into a kind of high-end subdivision- still called Lyndale Farms- and the road course was used for much of the subdivision roads. People love the history connection it has.

[super]

The sad thing about the subdivision is that they essentially tied in a small road (about 100ft or so) from Nike Base road to connect to the track. There is only one house on the entire drag strip. What a waste.

There are only a couple of streets that branch from the track. I think only two streets branched off the track.

I told you my wife's best friend Cindy and her husband are the only home off the drag strip. They could care less. I told my wife I would trade homes with them. The first time I went to their house it blew me away when we came off the small road to a long straight stretch. I immediately knew it was a drag strip.

The track surface has probably never had any maintenance done to it. Small trees have infested much of the area around the track.

I will try to stop and visit MAR in Wentzville next.

Hard to believe, but Missouri only has 5 drag strips in the entire state. All are located on the farthest portions of the east and west borders of the state. Two are strictly 1/8-mile, one runs 1000ft and the others are 1/4-mile. Benton just opened this year. None are state-of -the-art, but at least they are still open. Sikeston is probably the best of all the tracks.

[super]

A shot of the old Pacific drag strip.

[pontithad]

I've made the rounds to several of the strips, My favorite will always be MAR, it had a lot of room to spread out along the old road course, and the nostalia drags brought in a lot of great people. Here are a couple of pics:

In line waiting a nice shot of the announcers tower

Does anyone remember this guy from the nostalgia drags I think he won the burnout contest this year, he brought a special tire to do a one wheel roast till it blew out

My brother at the line in his 79 TA


A nice photo of the camping area, thats my cousins chevelle and my brothers T/A

Heres how we hauled my brothers trans am to the last nostalgia drags at MAR

Below is the only pic worth showing from the Cowtown Reunion at KC the next year (after MAR closed down) the facility was OK but there wasn't much of a crowd that year. I did beat the kid in the camaro with the bonnie while sporting a hitch!



Heres a couple of shots from the the POCI drags at the 2004 convention in Joplin, its just across the border in KS

[Larry]

Some great shots from the drags. Love those full-size '68s stompin'!

Viewers, be sure to check these out with your forum opened in the "Power User" mode for full-screen pictures. It makes you feel like you were right on the sidelines watching the action.

Thanks for sharing. Everyone please be invited to share their favorite shots-- you know, the ones full of Pontiacs beating everything else!

[super]

The silver '65 Tempest is my good friend Scott Barton from Sullivan, MO. We were having trouble with the change over from race gas to alcohol that day. We were still able to ring out some low 10's. Car ran consistent 9.60's once we got it lined out.

Thanks for sharing the pictures at MAR. It really was a great race facility.