The History of CROSSVILLE DRAGWAY - Back Track Ep. 1
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- My new "Back Track" series is going to document the history of drag strips across the country, starting with tracks that are near and dear to me personally. This idea started years ago, when I wrote the book Lost Drag Strips. I'm kicking off this video series with the history of Crossville Dragway in Crossville, Tennessee. The track opened in 1978 and my dad actually raced at the first event there in his Henry J gasser. He continued to race there into the 1980's and took me to my first drag race there in the 1990's. Follow along as the track changes from Crossville Dragstrip, Cumberland Raceway Park, I-40 Dragway and finally Crossville Dragway...a lot has changed in this track's history, so let's take a look!
#backtrack #hotrodhoarder #dragracing
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We definitely need more of the backtrack series...
I am absolutely gonna love this series...thank you sir
Hope to see English mountain on here! I live in WNC and drive down when I can. And when I travel further I always love seeing crossville.
My local track is Ozark Raceway Park. I have seen a lot of great cars and motorcycles race there and always have a bunch of super sharp cars when Street Car National is in Springfield Missouri. Maybe you could include it in the series. Loved the pictures of you as a kid!! Always a great video and story 😁👍🏻
Thanks Steve, I plan to cover some of my local tracks in the first few installments and then work my way outward. Finding the history and old photos is sometimes tough, but I absolutely love doing the research, so this will be a fun series.
Man my dad had a bike he used to run it was a 1972 kaw 900 3 cylinder 2 stoke back in the early 80s fastest pass by 10.0 on the back wheel he forgot to lower the wheeler bar and cranked on it off the line he said he jumped side ways and he said all he knew to do was shift and shift. RIP DAD
You should check out abandoned dragstrip in Huntsville Alabama before it is destroyed
Best piece of Drag Racing History I've seen in a long time. I enjoyed that.
Custom paint, car names, teams and sponsors on cars were common if not mandatory. I miss that on today’s drag cars.
Me too!
Great job 👍 , I just recently saw your episode on Denny being from Pikeville that definitely caught my eye, I don't believe I have ever met your dad but always try to catch a quick look when passing by the shop to see what cool project might be sitting around,. The piece on Denny was great , and this one as well , now I've got to get on the web and check the status of the Crossville track I'm ready to go now. Keep up the good work. And thanks
There is a track 30 miles from me I know very well from years ago. It was a nice place, ran well, lots of races and 1/4 mile. The place just went to hell an gone. It was a big place, road course, dirt bike track, off road even. Paved 6 staging lanes even jet cars. Miss it.
Really enjoyed the very informative video brother!! I’ve passed that track a ton of times but have never made the trip up there to watch it..I’m in Ashland City and think it would be awesome if you could do one on Union Hill in Goodlettsville,the official name is Music City Raceway, unfortunately it’s been on the “downhill “Slide side of things and it would be really heart breaking for it to close but mighty afraid that’s what’s gonna happen,anyways.... great job again and keep em coming and I’ll be watching
Man, I remember that T-Bird pro mod! Hmmm, Funny Car Chaos just might fit well at this venue.
This is going to be a great series
Thank you for watching!
I was there opening day crewing for Super Stock racer Richard Brooks ,, 65 Chevelle SS/K4 car ! We set the IHRA 1/8 mile ET record that day !! I remember that day very well !!
Now that's cool!
Staying at a motel up there and dragging the dresser in front of the door to keep from being robbed lol. '89 or '90, I believe.
Bounty race was the best
I don't think there will ever be anything quite like it again. Every single pass was exciting, even the index cars put on a show, especially as it got later in the night.
Your one of the few youtubers I can hit the like button before I watch the video. Wheres the best place to find your book?
Amazon is the easiest, but since the book it out of standard production it fluctuates in price quite a bit. Sometimes you can find them for $30 and sometimes it's something crazy like $80. Not sure why that happens. But you can also find them on Bay from time to time. Thank you for the continued support Darrin!
Very interesting, cool track for sure, keep these track history videos coming! 👍🏻
You should get with Garrett Barker in Dunlap TN about the Super Toy!! He bought it back about 6 or 7 years ago and got it looking and sounding good!!!
Cool story and cars! Just yesterday I found this 1978 movie here on YT about rebel street racers starring a 68 Charger and Firebird and many other cars and trucks called Hi-Riders
Loved the video I've been to that track many times it's in my neighborhood lol
Love these old dragstrips, just wish they were long enough to run 1/4 mile...
Awesome series. My local track I grew up going to just closed. Broke my heart. Richmond Dragway was an old track with a really cool heritage. Guys like Sox & Martin, Rickie Smith, Bunny Burkett, etc. We are lucky enough to have Virginia Motorsports Park close by as well which is a top notch track but I'll miss the good old fashioned grass roots "run what you brung" racing.
I use to race back in early, mid 90,s had 70 Chevelle, run 7.90s that all that fast but whole lot fun.one night they had a run were first 510 light an win got extra 350 dollars,lucky me I 🏆won. Sure like to go back 30 years, great memories. 👍
Look just like your Daddy!
Crossville dragway was great back in the day with Jim and bunny! I did a lot of funny car shows on your video the old crazy horse car I used to own it after Tommy Payne, Perry holt, Jimmy rector Monty Todd a whole bunch of us used to go there in the 90s and have a big time!great fan base used to pull in thousands of people I still got some videos on UA-cam from my lunch mob car I believe and maybe the outlaw car? I run down in the threes back before they redid it when Jim had it! Think it was 2004 I'm actually going to match race up there this year sometime when I talk to Mike!Yeah I can tell you about some old tracks around Nashville Riverside dragway West in Nashville the old drag City off of Fairview exit 182 they shut it down in 74 did a lot of funny car match racing, Southeast I miss it!! My old buddy's a lot of them are gone now! From those days! If you ever need any help with some of the old stuff let me know you're doing a great job buddy thanks for the memories
Enjoyed your video. Looking forward to seeing more. Spent a lot of Race time And Spectator time at Firebird Race way. 1/4 mile track, Idaho. They also had a 1/4 mile oval track on site. Please place this track on your hit list. Lots of history too.
Check out Redding CA strip. Established 1955, still open. 😎
Love the video. Seen Scotty Cannon and the Quick 8 Door Slammers many many times at Wilkesboro Dragway which is Wilkesboro Raceway Park now. Its located in the foothills of NC west of ........you guessed it Wilkesboro. Its one of those tracks that is up in the air right now. \It was for sale last year for 1M but it has a house on the property where the owners live and the strip is your front yard
Good morning buddy, its been awhile since ive commented to you. Im still in Alabama, and still wanting to come an visit you. My health has been a problem, but think ive got it under control now. Have you an Carley been on any more junk yard excursions? That was a stupid question im sure, lol. Take care an holler when u can. Im going back to some guy explaining bout ole drag strips. God bless you an family! One more thing, i bet ur baby boy is a big boy now, huh!!
What's crazy and me not even knowing until now I've been there once coming back from my sister's house in Tennessee?? Lol I forget the name but the street outlaws had just finished racing there not even an hour before I got there in 2020 or 2021
If you ever want some old photos let me know I can email you some I'll probably do a show with Rocky Flanagan think it's called open outlaw I've got two funny cars I'll probably run with him a couple times maybe LOL you're doing a good job buddy keeping the dream alive!!
At 7:11 minutes into video your wearing a Benny Vickers t-shirt, Benny is a good friend in NC and has started Jr. dragster racing with his grandson. Herb McCandless Mr.4 speed also lives a few miles away. Great video.
Thanks
You look just like your dad...
Was just wondering I raced there a couple times in 81 I had a front engine dragster called Tennessee thunder when I was in high school would you happen to have any pictures of my car 8:25 pm
We use to race on this track till 3-4:00 in the morning in the late 80s (87-89?)when it was closed down, run what you brought and hope you brought enough. The law didn't mind because it got us off the streets. Weeds on the return road where taller than the car and trucks that raced lol. I worked for Bob Clark when he purchased it and work the time ticket booth at the end of the track. Then started doing some racing on the track itself. Thanks to that track it got me hooked on hot rods for life, and i still have them today.
Great subject matter. The Geargoyle Car Club in Greenville SC put on a annual show at the Union Dragway in Union SC. Do not know much about it's history, but it a very nice facility. Might be one to check out. Our local strips are Greer Dragway and Ware Shoals. Then there's Shady Side. Thanks for your research. Good day. 🇺🇲
Yes sir, South Carolina has TONS of great, historic drag strips. I hope to visit some of them.
Love Greer dragway! When I lived around Greenville, went there every chance I got. ! Lot of great racing there. !
@@kevinsnyder4425 There sure are Kevin. A friend of mine has hand lettered a number of the South East Gassers cars along with asphalt and dirt round trackers. I'm a oldster and seen some great events at Greer over the years. Another friend has Bantam Altered that we'll take to Greer on occasions. 👍
I'm from Oregon, seen this track on a trip to see family in VA. Checked it out on our way home. Looked line a fun place to race. You mention Scotty Cannons On Sat 41 Willy's . A friend of mine bought that car after it had been turned into a show car. It's a local car that they do cruises in and show's. BBC with a blower.
If you get to anything in Illinois you might want to reach out to Mike Story on Facebook as him and his father owned and operated the Alton Dragway back in the 60s and 70s. This is the drag strip we’re the first 200 mph pass was recorded The dragway is still actually there. The 2 lane’s of the drag strip are now the main road (still divided in 2 lanes) of a trailer court. And the return road is crumbling and has grass and weeds growing through it. It was an alley running behind some of the trailers. Mike had also written a book and had space in a local museum with memorabilia in it. Look him up.
Spent many weekends there. I was there for the first bounty races remember them being announced over the intercom when they were planning them out. Jim Sweet and his son Jimmy wayne out of jamestown may have raced with your dad back in the day also Mickey Stevens. Great video.
Fantastic bro watching that old footage, unfortunately in Australia a lot of the old tracks got bulldozed Calder Park runs street racing in Melbourne Friday night's but the owner's refuse to bring it up to standard for Nationals racing and we have the 1/8th mile at Heathcote Park which has had a refurbishment, Portland in Victoria has a track but not Nationals standard, it's a disgrace that the 2 premier track's the Perth Motorplex and Willowbank Raceway always get the Nationals when back in the day each state had track's,progress and housing has ruined a lot of these great track's of the past but none of the government's of the time put there efforts into securing land for a purpose built track thus we get lots of illegal street racing some resulting in damage to property and some have died in uncontrolled events,government's here need to start listening to the masses here they need more places to race.I just love how this track is situated to the highway it's the perfect setup we need to look at something like this thanks bro,keep these great clips coming,🤘👍
Good video! Could you do one of Lakeland International Raceway that was located outside of Memphis? Lots of history there.
If you Google; Mike Gibbs outlaw funny car! There's a lot of videos I did I still have that one car outlaw I plan on running brainerd a little bit this year I used to do a lot of shows down there back in the nineties I miss that when Steve longley owned it with Scotty can in the old killer tomato! Killer crowds on Friday and Saturday Good times
I raced there a few times in the early 80’s I had a front engine rail called Tennessee Thunder all my pics got destroyed and was wondering if you might have a pic of it at the track
Paradise San Diego Ca Home of the Bean Bandits in the 50’s and 60’ First Clocked Drag Strip and the SCTA
Can’t wait until the $250000 race. I will be there
I helped a buddy who had bought a pro stock 70 maverick. He put a motor and a 4 speed in it. It was fast.this was late seventies. We had a cooler full of coors beer before you could buy it east of the Mississippi. We went for a time trial and came back and our cooler was gone. We reported it and they played the Colorado cool aid song on the loudspeaker. We never recovered our beer but we had a good time
Nice series. Love watching your video. We got a track up in northern Ontario that got some history. If you be interested in I would love to help out on it.
A big No prep race was just held last weekend at Crossville. It's a good track except a few bumps in the left lane that is hairy when you hit them the right way
I’ve been looking for years for history and pictures of the 1/8 mile strip between Dillsboro and Cherokee N.C. Used go there late 60s early 70s , seem like it was called Smoky Mt. Dragway
The HOWE family ruined this track. Thank God there's new ownership
The blue corvette at 4:57 was my dads car. Charlie Muncey from Knoxville.
Nice shot of Doug McMackin's Mustang. Local legend here to me in central KY
The cautious step-father willy trap because cappelletti nutritionally remember round a green grey grieving cocktail. tense, ugliest cap
This is cool man.. Thanks for this, keep em coming I'll keep watching
Thank you for the history about this dragstrip and would love to hear more about places like this ! Take care , stay safe and healthy with whatever you maybe doing next ! Doing okay here in Kansas just trying to stay warm .
Thanks for sharing this. Please look into Maryville and 411. I live in Maryville and my dad raced at Maryville and I ran some and attended 411.
Side note the Atlanta dragway in commerce ga is now up for sale really hate to see it paved over not sure but the white gen one camaro really looks like the one my two brothers bought in the early 1980's no motor and no pink strip we raced small block car was originally big block really miss the people racing was great the racers were better
I hope someone buys the track in Gleason TN. It's old and run down and would take a lot of money to bring it back. I just hate to see the sport die.
That 250,000 no prep ( the come up ) is happening now nov 13 2021 ... Huge turn out!
Awesome video, you ever do anything on the old Detroit dragway it's long gone now but the memories I have there as a kid, that's the place that got my addiction for drag racing going for sure!!
My grandparents owend the big farm on the corner of Allen and Sibley and I use to sneaking the pits from the farm when I was a kid on the weekends also when I got older I would sell ice cream in the pits from a cart i would pull around..
@@dotell3359 that's awesome I remember that farm, grew up at sibley and telegraph area
@@313yankee do you know where the cemetery is?? They owend that property to. Before it opened i use to race my gocart there and I build it all by myself i even turned it in to a dragster rail i wish I would've tooken pictures of it I probably was the first one that ever made one
Unfortunately here in nj we lost two track raceway park in in Englishtown years ago and just last year we lost atco dragway last year all leaft in nj is island dragway
Baileyton Good time drag strip. Baileyton Alabama. Check it out.
Great job, Great video! Wish we had a track like this on long island.
Halfbreed! Saw this car in many different paint schemes! RIP Larry
You should look in a a drag strip called tricity dragway in Saginaw mi it was a nhra track and it closed ok like 1978 or something like that
U should do thornhill dragway kenton ky it's the oldest still functional dragstrip in the country was opened in 53 and still runs to this day I grew up at the gate of it it is 30 mins outside of cincinatti ohio its auctly an outlaw track as well non sanctioned
Been watching a lot of old footage from here, crazy you post this
That's pretty cool! How old is the footage you have?
Your work and effort the document this history is much appreciated
Thank you for the kind words!
Old drag strip in Corpus Christi, Tx. Was a 1/4 mile NHRA sanctioned track. It was about a mile from my home in the late 60's and early 70's. Remember seeing some big names there.
Back then, I had a 65 NovaSS that left with lf wheel in air.. n loved the sounds of Edgewater dragstrip on Sundays. My first home was just a few mi away👊😎👍
I used to ride my bike to Irwindale raceway in the mid sixty's . Socal
Man love the story's i live in ohio edge water drag way is where i grew up as a liitle kid and it was the first time buying beer under age at 19 lol still go there today
Love see you do a story on Suffolk Raceway. In VA. It was a great dragstrip in the 60s and 70s.
I think I've got your book. Great but sad.
There’s a little town in Wisconsin I grew up in called Minong with an abandoned dirt track been closed for I’m guessing 40 maybe 50 years part of stands are still there the foundation for the tower is still there. You can still see the concrete pits but the track itself is completely grown over
Oh wow, those abandoned tracks are cool. I hate that they closed down, but there's a special feeling when you're at an old race track. Even though most of my focus is on drag racing, I may throw in a few round tracks from time to time.
Hey there you need to do a story on my home track us 13 Dragway in Delmar Delaware
Jim and Bunny Howe owned my track up here in Michigan, central Michigan dragway👍🏻
The Howe's are a great family. Loved it when they ran this place....always awesome racing!
@@HotRodHoarder yes they were, loved them , and they ran a really good show up here! Had a lot of good racing there👍🏻
You should do middle Tennessee drag way or Buffalo valley.
Yes do 1 on they valley
That's the plan. I definitely want to do these local tracks, because they have so much history. My dad used to race at Buffalo Valley back in the day.
Mine did as well in the late 70s I have a few pictures from than and Garry is pretty awesome about that stuff and has alot of historical pictures and maybe videos as well I'm definitely looking forward to it man keep up the good work.
Very Cool . I am blessed that I got to race in this era. I ran in 1971-1979.
That's awesome. Definitely a cool era to race in...wish I could've been around back then. Sure seemed like a lot of fun!
I'm for 1320 bracket racing!
OMG. Wow. I raced the first IHRA points meet at the track. I actually won Super Stock beating Roy Johnson (his son, Allen ran ProStock for several years) in the final. I Raced a big Green 1969 Chevy Impala. "Cain & Nunn" on the side of it. Yes, the track was a mess for the first race. They had just asphalted the whole track and no rubber at all on the starting line. The first pass on the car it spun so bad I started walking to tower to see if I could get my money back and go home. I meet Jesse Balew who owned the Ohio Valley track (my home track in Kentucky) coming out of tower. he talked me out of going home. Every pass the car kept getting a little quicker. I eventually set the record that first day. Won the race the second day. After walking from tower to get win money I saw Jesse again. He grinned and said "now, aren't you glad you didn't leave. Very fond memories of Crossville
OH, if you have any pictures I would love to see them
My old hot rod made it in this video!
Bounty race days were a good time!
I was born in Crossville in 1987. My uncle was Bob Clark, my dad did IHRA tech, and my mom worked in the tower, where I was brought as a baby.
Oh wow that’s cool!
I love race track history, so much so I started a Facebook page for Mid America Raceways, the road course/drag strip I grew up at in Wentzville, MO. So heck yeah, bring on more race tracks history videos! I’m also going to look up your book, had no idea you were published.
Damn! Tommy, your book is bring $69 or more used on Amazon! That’s amazing, it shows the quality of your work combined with demand since it’s out of print. I own a few books like that, where there retail price has been exceeded on the used market by many $$$. I know you don’t get any of that but it’s still a reflection on the strength of your work.
Great idea man!! I'm not a big drag racing fan myself. Poorboy😏 but what a great way to pay tribute and document some history. Keep it up man 🤙💚
1/4 mile tracks are so much more fun...
Super drag, riverside all in west nashville tn
Me and my father in law passed that track on I 40 driving to terlingua tx back In feb 17 it looked like a all new facility my buddy lived right behind it at that time his girlfriend had been transferred to a hospital down there for 3 yrs to we’re all from upstate New York
I love that it's so visible from the interstate. Sometimes people will pull over to watch a little bit of racing, but usually the State Troopers don't like that very much haha.
Very cool vid!!!!!!!!!!! 👍👍👍
Thank you!
I was at the Dallas Georgia dragstrip when Bill Elliott race the Ford Lightning against the Chevy 454 Bill Elliott won that race and I even got his signature that night I wish they would have never closed it down
I plan to do a Back Track episode on Dallas. I visited the remains of the track about 10 years ago.
Started out in Buffalo valley and Carossville Saturday night Carossville Sunday Buffalo
That's awesome. Love how the tracks used to work together on their schedules, so people could race on Saturday and Sunday.
We use to run there years ago. Went their for 250 race this weekend. It has changed a lot. It's a really nice track. Looking for another car and will be going back to race.
That $250k race was wild! Hard to imagine putting so much horsepower down on an unprepped surface.
Awesome video, my name is Jesse A. I love your enthusiasm about drag racing but more I like how you talk about the history. I live in Ferndale, WA I I just bought a front engine dragster and would like to send pictures. Let me know how...thank you for all you do
Jesse A
Wow, that sounds awesome Jesse! Send me an email at byrdrods@yahoo.com. Thanks!
I knew Jim Howe when he was up here in Michigan. Good guy
For sure, a great family that are diehard drag racers.
What is that a go-kart you're sitting in front of the white and yellow one I think I remember seeing that in the past where is it from? Thanks for the good content
Yes sir, it's a little monster truck go kart that I got when I was 5. My daughter and I recently rebuilt it...here's the video: ua-cam.com/video/v5C7Z-2WB74/v-deo.html
Love this idea can't wait to watch more
another great track is great lakes dragway in union grove wi
I would love to see a "Back Track " on the old Suffletown drag strip which was in Charlotte NC. I was introduced to in person drag racing at this track.
Jolene, I plan to do an episode on Shuffletown. I visited the remains of the track about 10 years ago when I was writing my Lost Drag Strips book. Neat old track with TONS of history.
This is an awesome series keep these coming
Love your books have both of em 👌🏼
Great video! Hope the old Southeastern Dragway that was in Dallas Georgia is in your plans. It opened I believe in the 50’s and closed in 2005. Was my home track less than 20 miles away, and I miss it. Fun times were had for sure. Thanks for the great stories, very enjoyable.
Thank you Curt! Yes, Dallas is most definitely on my to-do list. I visited the remains of the track about 10 years ago.
Hot Rod Hoarder Looking forward to it!