HOXXOH Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 Sad to see this. It's what happens with 4 years of neglect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94transamgt Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 Wow, I can't believe it has been that long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOXXOH Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 2 hours ago, 94transamgt said: Wow, I can't believe it has been that long. Jan 19, 2013 was the last time it was open. It was an ADRA & TnT daytime meet that ended at 3 PM. I have a timeslip dated 1/19/13 at 2:53:10 PM, so I was nearly the last car on that track. I loved Speedworld and first raced there in 1971. Ran at Beeline until they closed and once at the old Tucson Dragway. Firebird wasn't great, but it was a whole lot better than WHP. The Vette has run on 10 different tracks around the country and some of my other cars bring the total to 23. Sad to say that 9 of them don't exist anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRbob Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 I was just thinking about Speed world. Was going to take a ride out there to take a look.. What a shame. Thanks for the pics, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94transamgt Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 I ran TnT at the hangover nationals, best track prep I have run on. street tires wouldn't spin dropping the clutch at almost 4k rpms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chameleon Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 Wasn't Speed World called Mel Larson's back in the 70's? Or, was that a different location? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOXXOH Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 55 minutes ago, Chameleon said: Wasn't Speed World called Mel Larson's back in the 70's? Or, was that a different location? Yes it was. Originally named Phoenix Dragway when it opened in 1961, then later called Mel Larson's Phoenix Dragway after he bought it. It changed hands a few more times and eventually was renamed Speedworld. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chameleon Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 Cool! Glad to know my long term memory is still working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P51tj Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 Sad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
y2krtaf Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 Miss that place....wish it would find it’s way back into action,but don’t think that will ever happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertdawg Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Tom should buy it and we can help him by running there all the time !!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aenigma Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 That is depressing. We were there very shortly before it closed. Sad sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCMSH Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 I figured that would be a subdivision by now, me thinks there is back story here. I'd venture a guess that there was some environmental soil sampling performed and the results not favorable. No doubt a lot of dumped oil and chemicals on that site over the years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOXXOH Posted January 14, 2017 Author Share Posted January 14, 2017 I just ran across a review or history of the first NHRA National Championships. It was at Great Bend KS on Sept 29th to Oct 2nd,1955. Due to a heavy storm on the last day, the ran the finals of the event on the Perryville airport runway on Nov 19th/20th. Here's a site that lists all the drag strips in AZ except the 2 currently running. http://dragstriplist.com/arizona Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOXXOH Posted January 15, 2017 Author Share Posted January 15, 2017 More info regarding early drag racing in Arizona. http://dragracingonline.com/columns/baker/xiii_1-1.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOXXOH Posted January 15, 2017 Author Share Posted January 15, 2017 More old stuff about AZ dragstrips. Especially why Tucson was shut down on post #15. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/arizona-drag-strips.138835/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOXXOH Posted January 15, 2017 Author Share Posted January 15, 2017 More racing history and a comment on post #12 that was 11 years ahead of it's time. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/a-bit-of-AZ-drag-racing-history.80821/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOXXOH Posted January 15, 2017 Author Share Posted January 15, 2017 And a piece of history about one of AZ's more famous racing pioneers. Lots of pics on this one too. http://www.deansgarage.com/2011/carl-grimes-wild-wagon/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOXXOH Posted January 15, 2017 Author Share Posted January 15, 2017 Here's a site that has some racing history, but lot's of other stuff including GM and Corvettes in particular. Don't look unless you have the time to see a ton of cool stuff. http://www.deansgarage.com/about/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOXXOH Posted January 15, 2017 Author Share Posted January 15, 2017 The first NHRA Nationals and the AZ connection. https://www.nationaldragster.net/daily-features/photographic-memories/item/3476-the-first-nationals.html A bit about one of the pioneers who was the first to top 150 mph. http://bangshift.com/general-news/vintage-race-car-of-the-week-lloyd-scott-s-bustle-bomb/ A later in depth story about Lloyd Scott's wild and innovative creations that set the trend for things that are still used today. http://www.hotrod.com/articles/the-legendary-bustle-bomb/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chameleon Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 Wow, lots of really cool stuff in here, Tom. Brings back memories of my first trip to a drag strip as a teenager. Beeline Dragway, a funny car "grudge" match between Don "The Snake" Prudhomme and Tom "The Mongoose" McEwen. Stood at the starting line with nothing between the spectators and the cars but a few feet wide strip of dirt and a 4-foot high chain link fence. Flames were shooting out of the exhaust pipes, the fence shook, the ground shook, and I was HOOKED! LOL! Thanks for sharing all this cool information and bringing back some great memories! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRbob Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 Thank you, Tom This should be a sticky in either here or the racing forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chameleon Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Moved to Racing area; pinned; renamed Speedworld; AZ & NHRA History. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOXXOH Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 6 hours ago, Chameleon said: Moved to Racing area; pinned; renamed Speedworld; AZ & NHRA History. Thanks Donna I'll add this for anyone who wants to review/research dragstrips in other States. http://dragstriplist.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest racingchester Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Worked at Minnesota Dragways 1959-60. Had a 59 BelAir 2dr. Ran 15.30 93 mph. Ran my 60 Vette but do not recall times on it. Also ran at New Brighton. Really short shutdown........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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