us 30 drag strip became my parents baby sitter. They would drop my brother and me at the track in the morning ,pick use up in the evening, The best childhood one could have. thanks for the up load
Seen races with 64(!) Top Fuel funny cars or Top Fuel dragsters a number of times there. My brother and I went sometimes 3 times a week- Wednesday night, Friday night, and Sunday afternoon. U.S. 30 Dragstrip also installed a roller starting system to get the cars started. Before that they push started them with tow vehicles, drove them down the quarter mile, turned around, and came back to race. I think they were the second track to install the roller starter system and Bunker Hill Dragstrip in Indiana was the first. Had a lot of good times at both U.S. 30 and Great Lakes Dragaway.
5 minute mark is super Mustang- body built by Charlie Vesly. 12 minute mark Time Bomb II Hillcrest Automotive out of Aurora Ken Nelson and Bill Youkom. Gabby Bleaker in the bantam with the orange hood and so many more
Growing up in the late 70s.....my friend Ken Zajac from Highland had a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T with a New Yorker 440 with a w bbl. carb in it.The car was always black primer.Nice body but nothing shiny on it at all.That car would smoke every Chevy and Ford big block he ever raced.Don't know why but it did many times.Then....he decided to paint it like the Dukes of Hazzard orange.He did a good job and one time he came over and the passenger side was all scratched up from some car in a parking lot in Griffith.Oh well...he said.Now that its nice.....someone has to fu*k up my paint job....lol. RIP Ken
The farm field and trees you see at the grove at the starting line was part of my grandmothers farm property. We as kids would have our uncle take us back by the starting line and drop us off to watch the racing. We would even climb those oak trees to get a better view. Great times!!!
@@indianaslim4971 Gary isn't. The rest of the region is. The us 30 dragstrip was never in Gary . It's nowhere near it. The Beer Barrel saloon was close though
@@jackkerouac6186 bs, the region is blue collar, the only cities that could even be considered yuppie are Highland, Munster and Crown Point and even those three have a high number of blue collar workers. Mind you that I'm not saying that urban sprawl and noise complaints weren't the demise of the track, just that Merrillville is a yuppie city, it isn't, it's made up of former Gary residents.
@@jackkerouac6186 If you are as old as I am you should remember all the ads for U S.30 mentioned Gary all through the 60's and 70's, also I could hear the cars from where I lived in Glen Park.
My dad used to race his 440 coronet r/t i know at union grove, im sure at us dragway as well since we live in Chicago,but his buddy that used to work on his car drove pontiacs and is now the nhra hall of fame, Ray Bisig. I remember going to his house when we were kids and hanging out in the garage with the race cars, i think my dad probably missed it at that time, he had been out of it for a few years by then because he had me my brother and baby sister, and i think he didn’t want anything to happen at that time with so many mouths to feed, plus he was working 2 jobs so there wasnt much free time. But as a kid in late 70’s early 80’s it was awesome!!
us 30 drag strip became my parents baby sitter. They would drop my brother and me at the track in the morning ,pick use up in the evening, The best childhood one could have. thanks for the up load
Recognized many of the cars I used to see at U.S.30, such as “No Big Thing”.
growing up in Chicago in the 60's and early 70's WLS and WCFL, great stuff and trips to the Grove and US 30 were big time fun, thanks for the meories!
Thanks for the upload, I've never see so many 1966 dodge coronet 2 Dr sedan drag cars in my life, made my day.
Seen races with 64(!) Top Fuel funny cars or Top Fuel dragsters a number of times there. My brother and I went sometimes 3 times a week- Wednesday night, Friday night, and Sunday afternoon. U.S. 30 Dragstrip also installed a roller starting system to get the cars started. Before that they push started them with tow vehicles, drove them down the quarter mile, turned around, and came back to race. I think they were the second track to install the roller starter system and Bunker Hill Dragstrip in Indiana was the first. Had a lot of good times at both U.S. 30 and Great Lakes Dragaway.
I remember the commercials on WLS am. Talk about a blast from the past...
5 minute mark is super Mustang- body built by Charlie Vesly. 12 minute mark Time Bomb II Hillcrest Automotive out of Aurora Ken Nelson and Bill Youkom. Gabby Bleaker in the bantam with the orange hood and so many more
This was a great time to be alive. Thank you for the share. From Ohio.
Growing up in the late 70s.....my friend Ken Zajac from Highland had a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T with a New Yorker 440 with a w bbl. carb in it.The car was always black primer.Nice body but nothing shiny on it at all.That car would smoke every Chevy and Ford big block he ever raced.Don't know why but it did many times.Then....he decided to paint it like the Dukes of Hazzard orange.He did a good job and one time he came over and the passenger side was all scratched up from some car in a parking lot in Griffith.Oh well...he said.Now that its nice.....someone has to fu*k up my paint job....lol. RIP Ken
"NO big thing " that was so cool , if I remember right it had a 427 stuffed in it. I know it was a handful to get down the track.
I remember the grate US 30 drag strip, the year I went , I saw the snake 🐍 and mongoose race each other down the quarter mile track
SUNDAY SUNDAY at US30 DRAGSTRIP where THE GREAT ONES RUNNNN from 10:15 the action is from GREAT LAKES DRAGWAY Union groove wisconson
good eye there, holmesie!
Didn't catch that! It was advertised as all U.S. 30. I need to change the title. Thanks.
Fixed the title.
I could be wrong, but the way I remember it is- SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY AT SMOKIN' U.S.30 DRAGSTRIP, WHERE THE BIG ONES RUN, RUN, RUN, RUN!
The farm field and trees you see at the grove at the starting line was part of my grandmothers farm property. We as kids would have our
uncle take us back by the starting line and drop us off to watch the racing. We would even climb those oak trees to get a better view. Great times!!!
Thanks for the video, It brought back fantastic memories
The yuppies moved in and complained about the noise. The end
Yeah, cause Gary and Ross Township, which became Merrillville in 1970 are known for being a bastion for yuppies.
@@indianaslim4971 Gary isn't. The rest of the region is. The us 30 dragstrip was never in Gary . It's nowhere near it. The Beer Barrel saloon was close though
@@jackkerouac6186 bs, the region is blue collar, the only cities that could even be considered yuppie are Highland, Munster and Crown Point and even those three have a high number of blue collar workers. Mind you that I'm not saying that urban sprawl and noise complaints weren't the demise of the track, just that Merrillville is a yuppie city, it isn't, it's made up of former Gary residents.
@@jackkerouac6186 If you are as old as I am you should remember all the ads for U S.30 mentioned Gary all through the 60's and 70's, also I could hear the cars from where I lived in Glen Park.
If they where going to complain correctly. The sounds of the cars is pure music not noise!!
Why do they keep referring to US 30 drag strip as being in Gary???
13.33 Sox n Martin GTX and 15.28 Hemi Dart. How cool is that... Thank you
My dad used to race his 440 coronet r/t i know at union grove, im sure at us dragway as well since we live in Chicago,but his buddy that used to work on his car drove pontiacs and is now the nhra hall of fame, Ray Bisig. I remember going to his house when we were kids and hanging out in the garage with the race cars, i think my dad probably missed it at that time, he had been out of it for a few years by then because he had me my brother and baby sister, and i think he didn’t want anything to happen at that time with so many mouths to feed, plus he was working 2 jobs so there wasnt much free time. But as a kid in late 70’s early 80’s it was awesome!!
HOW DO YOU GET THOSE RADIO ADS LOOKING TO GET AS MANY AS I CAN
Us 30 drag strip was in Merrillville Indiana. Now it’s a part of Hobart.Jungle Jim. Big daddy. Oh those were the days.
HALF OF THESE PICS ARE FROM OTHER DRAGSTRIPS....
Title fixed!!