Michigan 1960s Drag Racing

Clips from various strips in Michigan around 1966 or so, when gassers and altereds were King and "funny cars" were just coming onto the scene.

[@datruth9872]

I purchased my first 1967 dodge cornet R/T 426 HEMI . just because of guys like this . SUPER HEROS EVERYONE OF THEM . Great time to be a teenager.

[@davez3838]

The best of times what great memories of days gone by!! Wish it was still that way.

[@joejoe-qn4hu]

Motor city dragway. 26mile & meldrum Rd. It's still there so over grown but amazing to walk back and see.

[@walterjones5300]

I LOVE YOUR FILM WORK. SEEING THE BARN ON SIBLEY RD BRINGS BACK HAPPY MEMORIES . MAN I WISH IT WAS STILL LIKE THAT. I GROW UP ABOUT 7 MILES AWAY . BEST WISHES WALLY.

[@gordonwd]

Thanks for the nice comment. I don't drive out 26 Mile much anymore and now have a hard time picking out the spot where the dragway used to be.

[@davidcook1166]

GREAT times! I remember crew chiefing at Motor City and racing myself at Detroit Dragway....those were some of the best times of my life....exciting!....walt...tulsa,ok

[@perfectfan2006]

gee wiz i miss the m/c dragway ... the best was the last day they were open my husband ran his moms mach 1 @ 13 flat and that old lady drove that car to work every day in new baltimore until she retired rip dallas jones rip pearl whitt and her ford rip m/c dragway sure do miss that place

[@reginalddentry7338]

Larry Payne’s sister I’d say we were. 12 or 13. Patty said want to see my brothers race car Right. Sure I peered through the little garage window and there was. a dragster with the blower slicks ect. It was so cool wow.(1965+66 era

[@gordonwd]

Larry did some work for my dragster in the early 70s.

[@reginalddentry7338]

You live the Oakland county area I grew up in Madison height near the Paynes

[@gordonwd]

@@reginalddentry7338 When I knew him he was out in Oxford or Lake Orion.

[@andersport]

I love this...this is great!! We need to build a new track to get the kids off the street and the freeways before somebody gets killed.

[@jimpuglisi7973]

The best days of drag racing ever today you have to be a millionaire just to compete

[@gordonwd]

You got that right!

[@artmchugh5644]

Detroit dragway " sibley at dix " been there !!!😄😄😄😄😄

[@reginalddentry7338]

My chevelle 396 turned 14.80 I thought it was pretty peppy . But there were a lot of guys out there with quicker cars .My friends brother down the street was the John Milner of Madison Heights Jozwiak had a 66 silver Nova capable of 11s which was crazy fast .

[@gordonwd]

I started off with my first new car: a '69 GTO that ran 14.3 in F/PS (Pure Stock). Won trophies at Lapeer and Motor City.

[@joejoe-qn4hu]

I grew up in Madison heights. Farnum and groveland right across from Carman's pizza Oakland motors was right behind my house.

[@dellawoodsracing7015]

Bernie running against smilin' george delorean///We have that picture at the shop

[@charlessage6684]

Doug, did you race an injected nitro dragster in the mid-70s? Purple Haze? North Central Fuelers?

[@gordonwd]

Of course -- the North Central Fuelers and the Sage Brothers! If you visit my dedicated site at haze.wdgordon.com/index.htm you'll find our "story" where I mention the NCF in the 1973-74 seasons. Be sure to check the video page where I have some '74-5 highlights set to the original song. BTW, I read about you and Garlits in Charles Post's "High Performance" a few years back!

[@charlessage6684]

@@gordonwd What a great memory site! Sometimes I wish we had documented more details like that for ourselves. I remembered that you guys worked at GM (Pontiac?) but missed the GMI connection. I graduated from "Tech" in 1977. Small world. We ran an alcohol funny car for a number of years with UDRA after junior fuel. LOTS of miles on those weekends. Mike crashed bad at Columbus in 1978. We then started the sidewinder experiment which lead to forming a company for tractor puller driveline parts. Check out SCSGearbox.com. Mike built it up nicely and his son runs it now. The Garlits car was an interesting experiment. Google "Unwinding the sidewinder" for an article in National Dragster with the story. It is a letter I wrote to Phil Burgess to clarify some details that had been misstated several times. I'm not familiar with Charles Post. Goggle didn't find him.

[@gordonwd]

Chuck, sounds like we could have an interesting discussion. Contact me at doug at wdgordon dot com and we can catch up on things. I'll dig through my files to see if I have anything left from the NCF days. Too bad there were no photos, but that really wasn't on my mind at the time.

[@MrSuzuki1187]

Notice there are no guard rails. The way we were!

[@dellawoodsracing7015]

N & S Automotive on the side of Seaton's Shaker.

[@gordonwd]

Just saw your comment. I remember racing against Dee at Marion County Dragway, then we all stopped for dinner on the way back along I-75.