Thread: I miss real drag racing

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Looks like a blast, Jeff!!! Ran the 1/8 a couple seasons, then they shut the dang place down. Bummer, Never broke anything though, you're right.. The last 1/8 just builds speed and wears out parts... I think my time on the short track also made me really work on 60' times, learned a lot about launching right and consistent. With no big end to pull it out on you had to have great short times!!!

As a kid in the late sixties, I lived in central Illinois. I went to the Nationals every year, but grew to love the short tracks. We would go to Paris or Charleston Illinois, for the 1/8th mile digs, and there was also the 1/5th mile in Terra Haute Indiana.

Even though the tracks were short, the cars ran steep gears and big tires, so the real action was on the bottom end of the track. Even sitting near the starting line you could easily see the whole race. Gassers, Altereds, Pro Stocks, SupeStocks, and early funnycars were the main racing attraction, though we would get a fueler or two. We saw many name touring racers, jets, the Chuck Wagon, L.A. Dart, Nicholson, Jenkins, Sox, and even Willy Borsche ran there... and crashed!

It was a great time, partly because the racers could not use power to save them from a bad start. It was "sudden death" if you weren't out on time! I miss those days.

I am gonna go back there soon, and hang the video camera off the back bumper for some fun video's...
Just goofin' around stuff...
Sorta like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnjP_oURGoc

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Looks like a blast, Jeff!!! Ran the 1/8 a couple seasons, then they shut the dang place down. Bummer, Never broke anything though, you're right.. The last 1/8 just builds speed and wears out parts... I think my time on the short track also made me really work on 60' times, learned a lot about launching right and consistent. With no big end to pull it out on you had to have great short times!!!

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I agree with Big Tracks although I wasn't as articulate as the flagman at Caddo Mills, I had a blast. As Edith and Archie sang, "Those Were The Days".