Thread: Tucson Dragway Reunion event!!!

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Saturday our new drag strip... Southwestern International Raceway... held a "reunion" event to celebrate the old track, that closed in the eighties. The old track was an AHRA sanction, which hosted the AHRA Winternationals... and also the Fuel Altered Nationals, for many many years.

The event featured a car show... many vintage racecars... and many of those cars "cackled" or did burnouts. The few currently legal cars made full passes!!! :-)

In the afternoon, a band called the Retro Rockets entertained... and the Arizona Museum Of Drag Racing held induction ceremonies.

I was surprised at the number of early cars on display... and you could also meet some of the heros of that era! All-in-all a great event!

More interesting cars...

The former McEwen Coors Corvette was for sale....

one of the original Arfons Green Monster cars attended, which has belonged to a local owner since the '50s...

and one of those twin engined diggers, which were so popular in the sixties.

The yellow Jeep may be the "Holy Toledo" car, that raced at the old track with the Secret Weapon and Destroyer Jeeps.

Yes! The Tempest has a "gennie" injected Pontiac motor!

The famous Speed Sport Roadsters have raced out of Tucson since the '50s! ...and still do! :-)

More good ones!

The Stone-Woods & Cook funny was being driven by Doug "Cooki" Cooks grandson... Mike Cook Junior!!!

The Hemi powered Willys is still owned by local racer Don Toia... and was the AHRA BB/GS record holder! It now is used... ON THE STREET!

The way it was!

The Buick straight eight engine was often run in D/Dragster...

as was the GMC six cylinder. This one had a 12-port head! :-)

The '33 Willys Gasser was running a blown Olds engine... which was popular in mid-sixties Gas classes.

WOW, a lot of great cars! That must've been a blast to walk around and see'em again! And thanks again for sharing the pics!

My pleasure. This is a rare event, and many don't have the chance to see many of the old cars... so I will share when I can.

It was a great day up there, I guess I just missed Jay, he was getting there
as I was leaving. I drove the old 57 Plymouth up and put it in the car show. I didn't want to get too much sun as I had to get ready for a colonoscopy yesterday (what fun that is).

The main reason I was up there is that a friends wife was taking her BB 64 Chevy II to run for the first time. She had a ball, she was just getting used to the car so times weren't great, but from the grin on her face I suspect it won't be the last time the car goes up there.

Mike, Sorry I missed you. I saw you pulling out of the show area.

Got any more pictures? My camera ran out of space before I got all of them! :-)

that's some good looking ride's wish I could have been there.
thanks for sharing

Early Drag Racing history as it should be enjoyed and seen. Thanks for the coverage and the little stories about the different cars as that was an added bonus,thanks again guys.

Great stuff there Jay!!!! I sincerely believe we should all feel privileged to have grown up in that era!!!! I still love drag racin' and really appreciate the technology that goes into today's cars but at the same time I'll never forget how things were!!!! Events like this and organizations like the NMRA is a chance for the younguns to understand where and how drag racing was and maybe learn to appreciate just how nice things are for them at the track today!!!!!

I remember the first time I saw the Speed Sport roadster run at Lions in the early 60's. It was the noisy and loudest thing I'd had the pleasure of hearing since the High and Mighty in Detroit in 59

You are my "brother from another mother". :-)

You won't be surprised, but the Speed Sport roadster has a nickname. Since at least the sixties, it has been called "Old Noisey". It could be because of the header pipes that ran all of the way to the back edge of the body!!!

I saw one of the roadsters run at Indy in the sixties. I also saw the Speed Sport dragster with the three JATO rockets in the back. Now I will make you jealous. I bought one of the very earliest steel 26-27 bodies from the roadster for $25. It had been modified to pull a fiberglass mold for the new blown version. I tried to give it to Garlits museum, but he didn't want it. I eventually helped to get it back into the hands of Red Greth, who still has it today.

I also was lucky enough to see "The High & Mighty" run at Indy in '62 or '63. Love those wild headers! Great memories!!! :-)