Ontario Dragstrips of the 1970s

poncho62 · ADMINISTRATOR

Ontario Dragstrips of the 1970s

VirgilHilts · BELWOOD, ONT

Cool site. I used to live just up the road from there on highway 7 outside Acton. It was closed by then but the locals used to tell me about it, including when they dug ruts in it to stop some amatuer action!

http://www.canadianracer.com/acton-photos.asp

I pass this place everyday going to work. You can just barely see it's remains from highway 25 near Ospringe.

-- Edited by poncho62 on Thursday 23rd of February 2012 05:28:36 AM

sasquatch · NORTH BAY, ONT

Poncho, thanks for that site, good memories there!!

poncho62 · ADMINISTRATOR

Stu...What you are seeing near Ospringe is not the drag strip...It is the old Acton Speedway......It was closed in the late 60s I believe. I lived at Ospringe for a few years in the early 80s and you could still see it quite clearly.
The drag strip was just off highway 7 at the 4th line, I believe. I have to confess that I was part of the reason that they dug ruts in the track about 1980......lol..We used to go up there and have impromptu races up there. When we managed to get about 300 people up there, trailered in race cars etc...the powers that be decided that it was too much....First, the just dug the entrance out, so we couldnt get in...We made a new one....Then, they brought in the equipment and finished her off........Heres a few pics from when we were racing there after it was closed.......Looking at the pics now, I can see how someone could have got hurt. The worst that happened, was some guy broke a leg, he fell off his bike......Thats my 55 Chevy in the pic

-- Edited by poncho62 on Saturday 16th of September 2017 06:50:00 AM

Asphalt Angel · STRATHROY, ONT

Jeez-Chilly Willy with a Kenny Kay "tufted" paint job,Gapp and Rousch, Hawley vs Noakes,Jungle Jim Lieberman,Shirley Muldowney....brother-that's all the "good stuff"

dualquadpete · BLACKSTOCK, ONT

And they wonder why theres so much "street racin" going on???? The few strips that are still running are too far from the GTA & I would amagin the neighbours of those are complaining about the noise. I'm not that far from Mossport [15min drive] & used to be able to hear the stock cars on a Sat night [ if wind was right] right here in the backyard. Then they "had" to put mufflers on!!!! There was "talk" of putting in a Drag strip, but think that got "canned" due to the complaints on the 1/2 mile oval track. I loved going to the Sat. night Stock car races but the "OL BACK" just couldn't take the bleachers any more!!! Funny how racing is way more popular in the US?? Up here even the TV & radio stations hardly ever give anything on auto sports?? "If it "ain't' Ball, Stick, or Bat" sports they don't mention it,other than the Daytona winner, thats it!!!! Don't think they "realize" how many race fans there are in Canada.

sasquatch · NORTH BAY, ONT

Re: The noise and neighbours:

Serious problems there at a lot of strips, (And stock car tracks,) as the suberbs keep advancing out into the country , the golfers, retired people etc, start getting very annoyed when they're barbecueing on the deck, and can hear engines winding up and down.

(Music to a lot of our ears!!) Lol

Yup, as dualquadpete states the hockey, soccer, basketball etc dominate the TV and news broadcasts, big money involved there with the sponsors!!

Remember years back going to the stock car races, -every week, Tuesday was Nilestown,
Delaware friday, Flambourough saturday nite and Cayuga i think sunday at one time.

The North Bay stock car track closed a few years ago due to noise problems, (too close to residential areas building up), Now we have a new dragstrip under construction, that fought quite a battle with locals, that hopefully will be open this year.

Problem now is if a track closes, to ever open another one costs MEGA $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

poncho62 · ADMINISTRATOR

The land at the Georgetown track sat for over 20 years before any housing went up....It is still a basically rural area.

flatduck · SUDBURY, ONT

i seen that happen a lot here to people complaining about noise grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr i was at the Brickyard this year ............ houses next to the track????????? think they complain lolllllllllllllllllllll every yard is full of cars park and some have their sign up the closer you are the higher is the parking spot i seen them at $30.00 per day and believe me there wasn t any spot left unless you were there early the thursday before to reserve .........sure you get lot of people complain for the increase traffic and lot of other thing.........but they won t shut down indy anytime soon......................for backyard barbecues the houses close by lol.............. i seen one yard with 5 barbecues going and selling food all day ...............and there were plenty of them .........like that making money

flatduck · SUDBURY, ONT

over here if you want to put and event if it as to do with motorsport .chances are the city hall won t even listen to you ............but mention opera .......theater dance or anything else lollllll you ll probably get your event license free ..............they may even give you money to support the event

rodmaster · HAMILTON, ONT

Speaking of Kenny Kay i chatted with him just last week at Princess Auto in Hamilton, he is working on a 32 roadster pickup, he hopes to have ready in time for Syracuse.

heres a pic of a car that was rebuilt in the Rodmaster Car Club mid 70s and painted by Kenny Kay twice as it was flip/flop white pearl 1st, it has a interesting racing history it was once called "The Street Sweeper in the 60s, its hidden somewhere in the Guelph area in someones collection and still the same as in the picture

-- Edited by rodmaster on Friday 24th of February 2012 02:49:21 AM

spinner43 · NEW DUNDEE, ONT

I have raced in the US and found the support nothing like up here. When we would launch the boat here the marina would complain of the noise, stick boat sailors would bitch about the wake but down south they would help us cast off or moor. When we raced circle track in the 80's the stands were full but by 1990 they were starting to get thin. In the US the stands are still full at most short tracks you go to. Tracks around here have to run according to an 11 o'clock curfew such as Flamboro. Even after the track had been running it seems forever a dog kennel was built beside it and started complaining. Even after building a berm to divert the noise John and Frank still have to abide by the curfew. Too many bleeding hearts catering to artful past times. Years ago when we were running modified, we canvassed for sponsorship hoping to go racing more in the US and a beer company in Waterloo declined in order to sponsor curling. Curling? Not to downgrade curling but what exposure did they get? None. The same with drag racing. A local guy I know here runs a Pro Mod car on his own dime. What about Rob Atchison? A multi time alcohol funny car champion, no big support. What about the many guys that have gone south to run Nationwide, Trucks, Mods or Midgets? No money or support. I wished that Balsillie would take the money he has for a hockey team and go racing with some of the talent from around here. It is a sore spot since I didn't go south years ago and my wife won't let me forget it. Enough of my ranting.

INDIAN RIVER, ONT

Not a drag strip but this was Sandy's Speedway, photo taken in 1967. It was across the road from our place when I was a kid. My mom ran the concession stand for a while.

Image (8).jpg

sasquatch · NORTH BAY, ONT

If you google "Ghost tracks of Ontario, " there are an amazing number listed on there that have closed over the years.

The Nilestown track i went to a lot is now a Polish soccer field!! ---sigh.

poncho62 · ADMINISTRATOR

Here is a list of Ontario tracks...open and closed

http://www.canadianracer.com/track-display.asp?status=both&province=ON&querytype=byother&Submit22=Submit

meoracing · SAULT STE MARIE, ONT

Racing is not dead yet. Elliot Lake raceway every year now (eventhough it is only once a year) at the airport. This year Wawa is going to do their first race. I am a glass half full guy. Things are looking up. LG boys....life is good. A few bumps....but good.

VirgilHilts · BELWOOD, ONT

poncho62 wrote:
Stu...What you are seeing near Ospringe is not the drag strip...It is the old Acton Speedway......It was closed in the late 60s I believe. I lived at Ospringe for a few years in the early 80s and you could still see it quite clearly.
The drag strip was just off highway 7 at the 4th line,

Yeah I know I was just pointing out that there's another bit of track history nearby I just didn' make myself very clear now that I reread my post! confuse I used to live at the corner of 4th Line and 7 in the one room school house. That corner was known as Bannochburn way way back.

dualquadpete · BLACKSTOCK, ONT

Due to the "media's " non coverage of auto sports in Canada, think this is why potential sponsors are un- aware of how big it really is here. Theres alot of 'closet' fans thet "need to come out"!!!! I'm about to e-mail AM 640 & 680 CTV etc & complain about lack of coverage, need some back-up here as 1 person won't get noticed??????

poncho62 · ADMINISTRATOR

I know that one of the radio stations up here, Owen Sound...or it might even be the local Hanover radio station has the "Raceline Radio" program on weekly....It aint much, but its something

flatblack55delivery · PORT HOPE, ONT

We have been drag racing at at the Picton Airport the last couple of years.The Armdropdragracing guys out of the Ktownracescene put on a great show 2or 3 times a year and they also have races at Shannonville on the weekends for street cars .You just show up pay your entry fee and race whoever you want all day long or in my case lately untill I break something .Got to race my son last year and other friends had a blast ,More and more cars and people at every event .I guess we will be O.K. till the YUPPIE tree hugging Prias owners start bitching ,but there is a lot of money going into that area on race days and councils do like to be able to keep local taxes down,so till someone does something stupid I look forward to it every month. Ed

dualquadpete · BLACKSTOCK, ONT

dualquadpete wrote:
Due to the "media's " non coverage of auto sports in Canada, think this is why potential sponsors are un- aware of how big it really is here. Theres alot of 'closet' fans thet "need to come out"!!!! I'm about to e-mail AM 640 & 680 CTV etc & complain about lack of coverage, need some back-up here as 1 person won't get noticed??????

Got a answer back from AM 640. Sports director, said "they are not snubbing racing or any other sport, but they "only" have alotted time for "major league" teams, & thats the most popular with listeners" Curling,golf, soccer & racing,etc. take a "back seat" & if time permits they will try to squeeze in some of the others.

rodmaster · HAMILTON, ONT

Does anyone remember a 39 Pontiac Coupe called Rico's Rat it was a drag car, Blue Metal Flake and owned by B&H Automotive in the Hamilton Area, i am looking for pics of it (early 70s)

sasquatch · NORTH BAY, ONT

Lance Hill AKA "Ice Man" on colsey's site would know that.

1939fiat · New Member

Speaking of old tracks, StThomas Raceway will be celebrating it's 50 th year with an event June 30..July 1. If any of you raced back in the early days ,drop them a line,they would like to do a "reunion " style event.
Check out their web site at St Thomas Raceway .

Rick
ONDR INC

sasquatch · NORTH BAY, ONT

Re: St. Thomas track:

I was there back in the early days when one side of the pits was part of an old apple orchard,, no fun layin on the ground under your car trying to do something , and lying on old rotten apples!!

(awww, the good old days!)Lol

JPB · AYLMER, ONT

sasquatch wrote:
Re: St. Thomas track:

I was there back in the early days when one side of the pits was part of an old apple orchard,, no fun layin on the ground under your car trying to do something , and lying on old rotten apples!!

(awww, the good old days!)Lol

Them apples are all gone now,some trees are left for shade!! smile

sasquatch · NORTH BAY, ONT

Good to know John,, back then you'd get home, "T' Shirt all greasy on the front,, and the back with Brown stains from lying on those rotten apples !! Lol
A lot of fun though just the same!!
Can't remember was Dave Mathers the starter or Tech guy back then. (A LONG time ago!!)

" Bert Straus" and Chilly Willy,, , he could shift that trans! Interesting guy.

FALLSGUY1955 · ST CATHARINES, ONT

I can remember going to Toronto international dragway before I had a licence. I grew up just south of there and I would get my mom to drop me and my friends at the gate in the morning and pick us up in the evening. Then when I did learn to drive I would sneak the family car up on a friday night (1971 pinto)I think they used a calendar to time me. My mom never did figure out why just the right rear tire needed to be replaced so often as compared to the remaining three until her mechanic saw me racing the car there one night and that ended that in a big hurry.

parklane · St THOMAS, ONT

sasquatch wrote:Can't remember was Dave Mathers the starter or Tech guy back then. (A LONG time ago!!)

Dave (Porky) was the Tech guy, and he also ran (leased/rented) the track for a few years until 2 years ago

sasquatch · NORTH BAY, ONT

Great , thanks. Who was the cigar smokin guy with the model A coupe with the olds engine that ended up in Cascar? Man this is decades ago, my mind is getting feeble!! Lol

oldkoot · BROCKVILLE, ONT

Dave Mathers was the announcer/color commentary

Bob T · BRANTFORD, ONT

Doug Kennington [spl?]

sasquatch · NORTH BAY, ONT

Thanks, that is him!!

road ruler · New Member

I ran my brand new 1970 AMC Gremlin at the Golden Horseshoe Dragway back when it first opened. Raced there twice and the 3rd time we went there was a line up of cars lined up on the road to get in but it turned out it was closed. We then headed down to Cayuga to race down there.

Someone mentioned Chilly Whilly. That car cruised by me on Main st in Hamilton around 1980. Sweet!

-- Edited by road ruler on Monday 11th of September 2017 06:27:38 AM

flatduck · SUDBURY, ONT

we used to have drag racing behind capreol on saturday night in the 1970 S completely illegal track but big crowde very time till the cops showup lollllllllllllllll

road ruler · New Member

Here in St. Catharines Coon Road which was over by the old Horse Race Track (now the new Outlet mall) was used quite often as an illegal Saturday night dragstrip. After a 1970 340 Swinger crashed there racing
one late night the police patrolled the road regularly so no more street racing. I recall pics of the destroyed car and story was in the local newspaper.

poncho62 · ADMINISTRATOR

Found these sites a while back one on Facebook

www.facebook.com/Friends.Of.TID/

www.thegeorgetownvault.com/toronto-international-speedway---ruins.html

Hywayhauler · SUDBURY, ONT

flatduck wrote:
we used to have drag racing behind capreol on saturday night in the 1970 S completely illegal track but big crowde very time till the cops showup lollllllllllllllll

It's not the cops that was the buzz kill out there...My uncles best friend was the one that got killed out there on "Jack Pine Stretch" behind Capreol. Got out of his car at the end of a race, and got hit and killed by the next guy running... I was way too young to remember, but looking at that stretch of road now, you'd have to be half retarded to think that was a good spot to race anything...