Driving My Abandoned Dodge "Daytona" Wing Car to An Abandoned Dragstrip!

[@867diesel]

last burnout at old drag strip . first burnout in new neighborhood 🤟🤟🤣

[@brandonpriest3604]

My Dad also used to rule that track in the 70's. Great memories there. Thanks for sharing Man !!!

[@chrisw.p5665]

That would be an awesome series to watch "Abandoned Dragstrips featuring Mike Finnegan". I'd watch every episode.

[@brandonpriest3604]

I lived a 1/2 mile away from that track in the 90's. I used to sneak my son in the passenger seat an blast down the track. He was 3 an loved it. Good times. Hate to see it go !!!!

[@Derricksgaragetoys]

Anyone ever send you pics of these cars in their prime?

[@brandonpriest3604]

My Mom has some Old pics. My dad wad Michael Priest. He drove A camaro ss. Back in 70's. Lol

[@MrR6guy]

Merica!

[@lamarw9901]

Pro mod was a blast to watch go down that bumpy old track. My mother made a pass down that track in her Uncle's black 4spd 66 SS396 Chevelle way back in the day. Her parents never knew. Burnout box and, starting line was uphill.

[@ericdunn1255]

For last 5 years of operation of that track, I rode a 4 wheeler from my mothers house a mile down the street and thru the woods into that track every weekend without fail until it closed - one of the saddest days of my life when it closed. But I do have a lot of memories to carry with me as well as some nice photos of cars at that track. Sorry you didn’t get to experience it guys!

[@DownEastSaw]

Were you paying admission when you went down on your 4 wheeler? Or did you sneak in?

[@philipjohnson2608]

Mike that car is tooo damn freaking cool. That is what great times are all about. It doesn't matter how or if it's original get the bugs out of it. And enjoy life brother it's awesome

[@JaredR1996]

It breaks my heart to see abandoned race tracks. So much history can be told from this former track

[@sporty196071]

The reason I like this car so much is you drive it. You don't care that it's not a real Daytona or numbers matching or original window crank handle. The guys that nit pik our classic fun machine can ruin my day,

[@HotRodDave]

I grew up going to that track. We called it Dallas. Made many hits down the track and made many life long friends

[@mikebrown8065]

Great video. Classic screen shot: "Dumpster Fire" shooting "fire" 🔥 from the carbs😂. So up north of you, in Atco, New Jersey, ATCO DRAGWAY just this past year permanently closed in July of 2023😢. Originally opened in 1960, they screwed us in the middle of the season to race. We don't have much left to race at up here, and now peeps are starting to street race, in overpopulated areas, with not so great results; especially accidents and innocent bystanders going to hospitals. My favorite was Raceway Park, Englishtown NJ. Last time by, there was still a little of that track left. Originally opened July 1965, and part of NHRA started 1971, and also the first Summer Nationals at Raceway Park 1971, moving from York, PA to Raceway Park. 😢 It's a shame to see all these tracks closed. Thanks for another great video Mikie!! 😎🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲

[@ihavenocluewhatoput]

York PA had a drag strip? Where? I live there. I don't care if it is gone I just need a ballpark location

[@mikebrown8065]

@@ihavenocluewhatoput York Airport in Thomasville

[@mikebrown8065]

@@ihavenocluewhatoput It was called the York U.S. 30 drag strip. It doubled as a dragstrip and an air strip, sharing the "runways" with air traffic from 1960 until 1979.

[@pgmurray76]

Gahhh! ATCO is gone too!? It is always insurance issues, lack of profit, owners retire, and last but not least...idiots in new housing developments complaining about the noise from something that was there when they were born. Dumbasses with unsafe/unfinished cars and no skills crash and try to sue too.

[@pgmurray76]

Drifting is lame btw (Englishtown now).

[@justinwatch]

In 10 years there's only going to be one drag strip left in the Southeast and you and Cleetus and KSR and Alex Taylor are going to own it. Damn contractors.

[@79huddy]

It's not the contractors it's the real estate developers

[@PHILLY214]

What 💀

[@will2-b150]

Yeah, but we get all this awesome inflation, climate activist, and new Americans in exchange. Good trade👍

[@leroyraatz5650]

yeah, up here in Mn. theyre tearing up good farmland to build walmarts. while in the cities ,you can't walk buy some of the old buildings without worrying ,whether it will fall on your head.@@Aduki65

[@chucktaylor2772]

Close the tracks and the streets become the place....😑

[@timrobertson299]

y'all should make a trip north to Alton Il. there is still an abandoned Drag strip existing in the middle of a trailer park, it;s the old Alton Dragway, its where the 1st 200 mph 1/4 mile pass was ever laid down It closed down in the 70's and a trailer court built on and around the grounds, the 2 original lanes of the drag strip still exist as a divided roadway at the entrance of the trailer park, the return road is very decayed and can still be seen during the winter months.

[@araybeezy1653]

yo brother what trailer park? where at in alton exactly. you talking about off fosterburg road?

[@timrobertson299]

@@araybeezy1653 yes off fosterburg road. It’s now enchanted village trailer park.

[@timrobertson299]

@@araybeezy1653 I live nearby and know the previous owners son, he put a lot of memorabilia in a nearby museum in fosterburg I have yet to go check it out , but about 5 or so years ago Mike made a book telling the story and loaded with pictures of the track and famous race cars and drivers, he hosted a reunion for everyone who used to attend and there were several drag cars and drivers who had raced there back in the day , it was good to see many of them still alive and keeping their old cars in running condition.

[@oldrustycars]

Yellow River dragstrip is the same situation. It's the track where Huston Platt crashed into the crowd after an idiot dropped his beer and got caught up in Platt's chute.

[@zach2263]

I remember hearing the cars run on Fri and Sat nights. Grew up about 2 miles from that track and yes, it was a slight downhill run. When it closed they tried to build a grocery store, then a shopping center, and when I moved in 2011 they scrapped everything. It was a sad day when that strip closed

[@robertwalling5173]

Glad to see so many remember that track, I grew up about 2 miles from the track to, in the 70s, used to sneak in thru the woods as a young teenager.

[@macgyver03ga]

Spent my teenage years running Dallas. I remember one time I decided to strip the interior out of my Honda Accord on a Friday after school to improve my times, then heading over to Dallas that night with my buddies.

[@95riosnake]

Just what the world needs… another housing development full of McMansions. Such a bummer the track is gone and you didn’t make it in time Super nice contractor though, glad he was at least there to show you around!

[@Gerald5000]

Here in Australia on the Gold Coast, there was a Drag strip that later became an air strip, that's now man-made waterfront property. Records were broken where there's now water.

[@MJTAUTOMOTIVE]

It was a Airstrip long before it was a Drag strip.

[@Gerald5000]

@@MJTAUTOMOTIVE well it was used as an air strip after it was a drag strip, was my point.

[@scottsmallwood8965]

I took my truck back in there about a year and a half ago and reminisced. I used to run my cars there in my teens into my early twenties until it closed.

[@vanstechcorral]

Wish they still published Car Toons with art like your Tees!

[@robertwest3093]

MAN I remember those! A great time to be alive.

[@stevevanpatten1372]

Mike Finnegan thank you for bringing that Dodge Daytona back to Life.❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@johnmarsh8597]

The banter in this episode is great! Favorite part was for sure calling out marketplace! 😂

[@TheMiningCabinet]

I live near the old Lakeland, TN dragstrip. It was around in the 60's and 70's national event 1/4 mile track. Parts of the strip lasted until just a couple years ago when they started clearing it off for a huge new development. In the 90's my friend lived in a trailer park across the street from it...we used to walk over and check out the drag strip.

[@brettgoelz8005]

I lived 1/2 mile away in the 90s. I loved listening to the music of our people every Friday night. Funny thing East Paulding Drive used to be literally named Dragstrip road.

[@wagonmaster6997]

I grew up in Fremont Ca. home of Fremont Dragstrip/Baylands Dragstrip. My wife lived less than a 1/4 mile away and it shook their house when the top fuel cars ran. After it was shut down, they. took a backhoe and cut trenches across the track to keep people from sneaking in and driving on it. It's now a Target store.

[@bmwpete65s55]

what. a. waste.

[@kh40yr]

KZbin came to be in 2005, when that strip closed. There is A TON of clips out there, just hasn't been shared yet. Now,, we wait. You guys were standing in the runoff from const. Very damp and liquidy/squishy. Georgia Quicksand sometimes, be careful in those const runoff areas. Fresh Black Stripes on Green blacktop!!. Nice!. Very cool of the Const company to allow that, for one time only. Funny, a Dallas Texas, Dallas Georgia and Dallas Oregon. Alot of the live California Christmas trees come from Dallas Oregon, shipped to north and south Cali.

[@mtnman1984]

Seeing all of these tracks closing makes me feel blessed to have what we have nearby. Two road courses and a very nice quarter mile and they are nowhere near where anyone would want to put a development.

[@pcash1864]

Give them time. Ask Cleetus about how developers work. He will tell you that nothing is impossible when it comes to money.

[@mtnman1984]

@@pcash1864 I've watched that whole deal. The Freedom Factory is on prime land 15 miles from a city center that is growing fast. The three tracks I'm talking about are on absolutely nothing at least double from any development at all with a lot of options for land in between. It's possible, but much less likely.

[@musclecarcamaroman9092]

Good memories out there at Dallas Dragstrip. They closed it up and bulldozed three strips across the racing surface at approximate 1/3 points to keep people from going out there and racing and then it sat for almost 20 years unutilized (what a shame). Rumor has it that the soils were contaminated and proved to costly to develop which is why several attempts to develop the land failed. I had always held out a little hope that maybe they would just reopen it one day but looks like that time has now passed. To bad we couldn’t have got 20 more years of racing out of it. It was a cool mom & pop style track. Cash money at the gate and it was always busy! Though to see it go.

[@UncleManuel]

That startup reminded me of an experience 4 years ago. In Germany you simply don't see '70s American lead sleds out in the wild, let alone at the supermarket. And yet here it was, propably a blue Chevy Impala from what I remember. This HUGE American iron rumbled by me and even with the engine idling you could SMELL the fuel! 😁 But yeah, for us European folks it's a rare thing to see these automotive icons in real life. ✌️

[@pgmurray76]

Pb for real! Not just lead substitute in the gasoline, but leaded roof pillar joints of course. Ok, ok. There are hardened valve seats readily available for many decades now, and I am positive every marque used lead for seam work of panels. Low, somewhat heavy, and long beasts - NOT the Mercedes, VAG, or BMW way!

[@IanMoone-bl7le]

Glad You're Bringing Awareness of the Desecration of our Former Motorsports Locations it's a Big Problem Especially at LAGUNA SECA

[@jeffmooers2174]

My memory of the Dallas track is the hill climb to the starting line, you didnt need a line lock to do a quality burnout! Also the red clay in the pits would get muddy from all the cars cooling down with cold water.

[@hurstguy73]

Just bought the Dumpster Fire Shirt .Can't wait to get it !It will be added to my Finnegan's Garage Collection

[@jeffmooers2174]

Next forgotten track site you can visit: Yellow River Dragstrip, near Covington GA right off I-20 just east of Atlanta. You can recount the tragic day when 13 died in a funny car crash. I remember Hot Rod doing a write up on it many years ago.

[@scottimusgarrett15]

Ah, the cold start on a tunnel-ram. Better have a jump ready! Cool road trip, guys, even if it was kind of a bust. Keep havin' fun for our enjoyment, gentlemen! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦

[@2fast4you423]

4:27 that was the longest most hideous 4 minutes of my life 😂

[@jeffl300]

Dumpster Fire is a just a better exhaust system away from perfection, IMO. I Love It! It makes me smile.

[@garrybowling1691]

We used to live in Dallas GA from 1989 to 1995. We could hear the drag races on the weekend from our house.

[@billvanderpol]

When flooded, I always found that giving full open throttle was most effective as the extra air would help clear out the gas and also closer to stoichiometric ratio. Seems counterintuitive but it works. No throttle pumping obviously.

[@johnmoore9031]

So many Saturday night spent there. Thanks for the memories.

[@frankdavis2225]

I raced at Southeastern the last ten years it was open. I miss it a lot. No other place had the reputation or mystic that place had. A lot of the big names came through there at one time or another. The local racers were something else too. If you could win there, you could win anywhere.

[@saltracer1]

I just went on Historic Aerials and entered the dragstrip address East Paulding Drive Dallas Georgia and it shows up clear as day. By 2019 the track was getting pretty well grown over.

[@jord9308]

Saw many racers here in the ‘60s- Arnie Beswick, the Platt Brothers, saw Richard Petty’s fatal crash. Don Nicholson and many others. The shutoff was short and the fuel dragsters went to 1000 ft long before the rest of the country. Local shootouts with no tech-“ run what you brung”

[@gasratzcustoms]

Yeah, we are losing drag strips left and right. Gotta find a way to keep them open..... Thanks for the cool video

[@ChaoticDetour]

The quickest way to start a flooded engine is Full Throttle. It has to much fuel so you need to balance with more air. So get those blades open and clear it out.

[@ronjones-6977]

As soon as he hit the throttle AFTER Mike had closed the choke, I said "And now you flooded it."

[@overyonderjustapiece]

I personally feel that developments should be restricted NATIONWIDE from being able to build within a certain distance of an existing motorsports arena/track/venue. It ain't like they can't go out west and develop the desert areas into residential. Look at the place Finnegan's parents left him out in Commiefornia where Freiburger compressed his spine with the wagon!! Only thing they normally have to dick with is getting a reliable water source. Which is usually accomplished by drilling down or piping in the required water supply.

[@haroldmordt4421]

I spent many days at that track as a spectator from the early 70's into the 90's.At one point I lived in a subdivision about two miles from there [Lost Mtn. Estates ]. Main road was named Dragstrip Rd.Now East Paulding rd. About 12 years ago my wife and I were in her VW Cabrolet and drove by . Noticed the gate was unlocked and drove on in.Strip surface was still there but all guardrails and support buildings were gone.Always regret not rushing home and taking my Fox body Mustang on the old track while I had the chance.BTW, we always called it Dallas dragstrip ,Southestern was it's official name. Believe the Hardy family owned it and ran the track. Sorry to see it gone.

[@frankdavis2225]

The Hardy family leased it from Red Jones. When he passed away his family didn't want to continue the lease.

[@matthewguilford9340]

I'm waiting for you guys to return to the Dallas area, you guys re-light my love for badass cars

[@ivisonr]

Similar and Dis-similar at the same time. Back in 07' I lived in Memphis and came across a paved road that had come apart. When I lookded into the pothole I hit one night I found the original road bricks that were laid down in the early 1900's.

[@ikeysatterfield2024]

Spent the night there in 2001 didn't leave till 3:00 in the morning. Man what it was like before noise restrictions. Thats the same problem ol cleeter is going to face in Florida. Miss that up hill dragstrip.

[@JamesJones-ec9fp]

That was the drag strip where I saw my very first funny car; Jungle Jim and Jungle Pam. Made quite an impression on an 18 year old away from home for the first summer

[@gregpiecuch3802]

I went there a couple of times, to bad the subdivisions complained and it was shit down. The road even was called Dragstrip now its east Paulding Dr.

[@tripprogers4814]

It like watching Charlie Brown.."I got Candy Corn!" "I got a chocolate bar!" "I got a rock."

[@pgmurray76]

Didn't some aholes ban Charlie Brown specials!? I still cannot find the Garfield special where he is looking for a relative or is lost in the city and gives an under chin finger brush to Clyde the cat. "Hey Clyde, look at this!" Only saw that scene once on TV back in the mid to late 80's. No way in hell I will ever find it. I KNOW what I saw and laughed in disbelief while asking my father if that really happened. I use that gesture every day while driving around all the moron, rushed aholes that really cannot drive.

[@sethosborne4464]

This cool Chager

[@scottwhitmire6577]

You boys are BLESSED. Cali = $$$$ Gas, Few Tracks but..... NO RUST😎

[@overyonderjustapiece]

Glad you made it out there!! George Ray's in Paragould, AR that you and David Freiburger were at either last year or year before got bought out last year by a local Farm owner. Supposed to be several upgrades done but haven't seen anything yet other that some property clean up.

[@radbanshee4508]

That was a great episode guys. I have always enjoyed these laid back something different types. I would like to see more junkyard search for automotive gold / rebuildables and barn finds.

[@vdubguy55]

How have I missed the 57 wagon hiding in the back of the storage shop? That’s dream car stuff! Hunting for something like that for me and the kids. Looking forward to seeing that one on the show

[@michaeldeas1969]

I used to go to that track when I was a kid, lots of memories 😊

[@kcsavers]

Thanks for the video, even as a bust. Still enjoyable.

[@robertjohnson4784]

Even though it was a bus we appreciate you bringing us along always enjoy your videos wish we found some true memorabilia but it was fun anyway

[@demonspawnable]

I took a piss on the side of a banked portion of Thompson speedway in CT, standing there I see a windshield kinda poking out of the leaves, I take it out and it’s about a teens maybe even earlier split windshield from like a brass era model t, still have it things over 100 years old and badass as hell. Didn’t expect to find that at a race track🤣

[@buckykattguitar]

I used to go there a ton in the 80s!

[@demonspawnable]

@@buckykattguitar I go there for every swap meet, place is awesome

[@TheKilladub]

Loved the ending burnout...

[@forterierocks]

I love the Praytona... Pray it's gonna make it, Pray it ain't gonna fall apart and Pray you don't get arrested for driving it 😂

[@TotallyHuckedGarage]

The audio from inside while y’all are running down the road talking makes the car sound like an old Detroit Diesel 😂

[@happyzun9519]

Dude become the first ever person to do a burnout in that neighborhood

[@regal105]

Warm weather folk can’t cold start

[@csj9619]

ya got that right!

[@John_Conner222]

This is why the Freedom Factory is fighting so hard. So many tracks are going away to suburban sprawl.

[@tomeickhorst6787]

Need to send a pc of the asphalt to Freiburger for his collection of old race tracks

[@WyoCutlass71]

I know I’m in the minority here, but 30 minute videos are the best videos! My attention span stays, and I know I can finish it in one sitting!

[@BIllMcCambridge]

Thanks for sharing y'all's adventures!!

[@CM-sy6ud]

Thats sad you missed out on seeing it. I hate seeing old strips get turned into stupid housing developments

[@sandwichbar8226]

Southern border is wide open. They gotta put 'em somewhere 😕

[@CM-sy6ud]

@@sandwichbar8226 true smh

[@StephenMcMillan-zs9ri]

Dually four barrel carbs on a tunnel ram, plus a manual trans. No one under 45 will be able to steal it 😀

[@ericstaehlin727]

I could an would I'm 34

[@IGrocker]

I’m 26 and I could. I’d argue more people under 50 could start it than over 50.

[@andrewceulemans9696]

Big Daddy probably built his barbeque from a blown up Hemi. 😆

[@crazyd1377]

Proper way to send off a legend

[@iadc43]

3:30 anybody else besides me screaming at the screen for Joe to keep the gas pedal floored while cranking?

[@patgilliam6138]

I use to run on that track in the 80s. Great memories

[@Richie144]

Dang on that fuel @finnegan. Up here in northern BC we are 1.55/liter for regular. Works out to about 5.89/gallon. That’s just regular. 😳 love seeing y’all out playing and having fun!

[@OneMoreBolt]

Yeah, the exhaust on that car sounded absolutely terrible in the burnout at the end. Perfect for the "dumpster fire"! Fun adventure, if only you had done it a bit sooner.

[@jimhmod]

We raced there once in the early 90's. Sad to know that another one is gone.

[@ronjones-6977]

Sacramento Raceway Park just closed this past November, too. My first pass down a dragstrip was on that track in '79 when I was 16 on a '75 Kawi Z1b. My last time was in the mid-90s in a '69 Roadrunner with a 440 and a 4-speed. Seeing it close hurt my soul.

[@wi.dave3812]

I hope you sent some swag to the equipment operator for getting you permission to wander the “drag strip “ Cool video, thanks Mike and crew

[@michaelheaton1596]

I have been down that track 100 times ,I started going there in the late 70'sto watch and when i got my drivers license .me and my bubby went a lot, it was very bumpy they repaved it with concrete, but a fun Friday test and tune you could make a run come back to the staging lane and be the next cat to run and Saturday night racing . I never saw top fuel but lots of alcohol funny cars and Pro Mod ,super Comp dragsters.

[@whiskerzbmf4634]

I have been there a few times in the late 80's . Now go find Atlanta Speed shop. It was out past Conyers.

[@murphyslaw1967]

I am very familiar with this track, every car I ever owned I took it down it until it closed. It was sold to a “ entrepreneur” who wanted to build a strip mall there but the epa said they had to take the top 8” or 8 feet, I can’t remember the exact measurements of top soil off due to years of contamination with fuel and oil. Whom ever bought it thought they could just bring dirt in and cover it but the epa said nope. That’s why there was a massive pile of dirt at the end of the strip.

[@billpace3489]

Just got to watch this video on my TV. And it was bad ass that they let you do a burn out. At the end, sucks that all these different tracks are closing down. And they want us to stay off The streets . But street racing will always be a thing because of all the tracks closing.

[@davidbrewster7444]

Hey down here in the panhandle of Florida is a lil town called holt . There is a old abandoned drag strip called emerald coast drag way , the track is still there if you are looking for one close to visit.

[@debbiebermudez5890]

Mr. B. Here ! 👀😎👍. Mike has found what I stated to a viewer the land is more valuable. I Rest my case ! 😢😢😢😢

[@stevevanpatten1372]

I wish that I was closer Mike Finnegan. Because I could turn those Cardboard Panel's into Fiberglass Panel's. To make them fit better in it.

[@jaykay78666]

Always look forward to your videos. Very entertaining, that's for damn sure.

[@donhill5724]

if all you guys [dave,david ,yourself] had 5x shirts...would`ve already bought them ALL....REALLY WOULD`VE WANTED ONE OF THESE!

[@egodeathplease]

Mr Finnegan. Your a genius. They probly want a stack a cash to get rid of your old slicks at the dump in Georgia? Leave it at the abandoned racetrack. Its "memorabilia" genius. 😂

[@kevinsavard5998]

Haha christening the new asphalt Mr Finnegan! 😂👍

[@thespicemelange.1]

That's funny you said that I saw three piglets yesterday on indiantown road right next to the Old moroso drag strip in Palm Beach county. It's closed now too.

[@andrewgorniak6173]

That is looking good Kevin and I can't wait for the next great video you put out

[@bvonsvideos]

Atlanta dragstrip, former home of the NHRA Southern Nationals in Commerce, GA unfortunately met the same fate ironically to housing built for the S&K battery plant which manufacturers electric car batteries.

[@axisgarm]

I use to race there every Friday and Saturday night in high school… I remember when they sold the drag strip, it was supposed to be developed into a neighborhood:… I think it was a development company called “brothers” but they went bust before they got started….

[@richardharvey8939]

Great video 🎉

[@sean199142]

these are the best kinda finns garage vids

[@ntpt2022]

Southeastern International Dragway(

[@JoseMartinez-tc9pr]

Good to see you back on YT.

[@JonStein-mu5eb]

Those rocks you found look like quartz. You might have some gold.

[@willnzsurf]

When you find a cool rock & show your friend.😁Don Garlits' Bbq hahaha

[@toddsmith4015]

Joe....the stunt double.... leaping for Memorabilia....where's Cotton when you need him....😂

[@overyonderjustapiece]

Doing a show for Motor Trend after leaving Finnegan because of a "hectic schedule" Just to get a more hectic schedule!