[SG57]

I've been here in Tierra Verde for 4 months and have never managed to get up to Sunshine Dragstrip for the Wednesday night Test, Tune and Grudge Racing. The weather is warming up so I thought that I would talk a couple of Septics into making a night of it.
Lucky me I got picked up so it's a drinking night for me. The three of us set out from TV in a new 4WD high riding Chevy Truck, Sue had made us Margaritas to go so we had an entertaining drive up good old 49th Street.
Wednesday night is 'Bike Night' at Quaker Steak and Lube so we called in for refills. Easier said than done, the place was packed but we know a back way in! With Margarita refills (not a patch on Sue's) we headed north to 126th Avenue and into the Drag Strip. We parked right next the Strip ready for some action!
The guys in the Truck next to us told us there was a serious oil down and that they were going out to eat. We joined them leaving our Truck to block both spaces!
Within a couple of miles of the Dragstrip Gates there are a dozen Restaurants our driver ignored all advice and went to Taco Bell, at least me and him were happy. IMHO Taco Bell is the best fast food joint in the US, I had the Chicken Chalupa Combo, super!
Eventually we got back to the Strip, parked up and got ourselves beers, a 20oz Bud (English pint) was $3.50 but track prices are always high!
I nipped around with the camera and the mix of cars and bikes has to be seen to be believed, from the mega bucks never turned a wheel Gerry Haas Camaro, to the rough as a dead bears bum '69 Nova I love em all. There were several Mega Money Haulers from the northern States down for warm weather testing. One Hauler had 4 identical Junior Dragsters in it, the driver was a young girl but i bet she had no more pleasure than Taffs son with his Soapbox Derby car.
There was an unbelievable VW, the crews shirts said 'The Worlds Fastest VW Doorslammer.' It may be, it may not be but it was a superbly built and painted car.
The fastest time, unsurprisingly was the new Jerry Haas Pro Mod with a 4.72 @ 142mph. Which brings us to the only down side to the place 1/8 mile! The atmosphere reminds me of an early eighties Gary's Doorslammer's or Picnic. Drinking beer in the stands with Ron and Bob watching the Swedes run. Happy days!!

JUST FOR BARRY DACEY

Rog.

 

[capriac]

Wow Rog, the VW is the mutts nuts!!!!. Can you imagine going off from the Pod to get a meal if there was an oil down (NOT!) Well done, and with Margurita's too :tup:

 

[KerbycrewGary]

Excellent Pics, as usual Rog............
Jealous, Moi ?????
Absolutely !!!

 

[32' Deuce]

Hi Rog,
great pics mate, you can't beat a night like that cars, bikes ,beer & a few mates.:tup:
see you soon
Dean

 

[bigjob]

Briliant mate -like being there !

 

[40Stude]

Great story, great pics.

 

[NoJive 55]

[email protected] the Cars........For God sake show us a Pic, of the Chicken Chalupa Combo, super!..................:rofl:

Bob....:tup:

 

[dogface]

lovely pics roger and wow some right nice cars:tup:

 

[LUCKY777]

I have spent many a happy Wenesday evening there , dont sit on the bottom row of the stands Rog , the ants bite !!

Rumour has it , the track was a full 1/4 but as years went on and cars got quicker , they had to make it 1/8 only. A few guys , including Garlits ended up on the freeway!!! Hence the change to 1/8.

When my good friends Jim and Mary Bailey were racing they ALWAYS won when we were there with them , Mary was far better than most of her opponents , she still says we always brought some "English Luck" to the track at Sunshine.

Thanks for posting Rog , some great memories for me.

 

[wakesupremo]

I was there last August and them pics have bought back some good memories. I remember the 4 girl junior dragster brigade and Little Tom, my son, still has fond memories of them. There was a bloke with a right tatty old S10 that made me feel that I was his best friend and had known him for years. And YES them ants did bite. Unfortunately my time there was cut short as I was with the inlaws who 'didn't get it'.
For a smallish venue there certainly were some big boys out to play.

 

[Dig these feet]

Stumbled upon the Sunshine Dreagstriop myself a couple of years ago. What a great place. Drag racing on a baking hot evening with a cold beer.

Managed to catch a tee shirt fired into the crowd from some sort of rocket launcher. Happy memories.

Thanks for posting. :tup:

 

[JackGriffin]

Cool pics, thanks for the story behind them. Love that yellow Nova.

 

[SG57]

Not to show my age but when I first went to Sunshine back in the late seventies the main attraction was a 1/4 mile dirt oval and Friday nights were wild! As Wayne says the Strip was 1/4 mile back then, I think that it started back from where it is now (the top end of it makes a T junction with the really busy Ulmerton Road!).
The State bouught all of the land for a big road junction plan, they closed it all down immediately and built a Toll Booth for training purposes on the dirt track FFS! After a lot of street racing problems, they used to race on the long bridges which had the advantage of starting in Pinellas County and ending in Hillsborough County (different Police Departments). So after, I think, a couple of years the Drag Strip reopened.
It's a little piece of real America, there's not a lot left!

Rog.

 

[fucknuckle]

Superb pics Roger.

 

[Hotrodder]

Oh Rog now your really making us jealous!!

 

[blocckhead 1996]

Great Pictues , i wish i could have been .
George

 

[ThomasHarris]

that vw looks wild!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:shocked:

 

[Britdragster]

I do like the look of the gold/bronze 65 Chevelle. Certainly looks purposeful for a street car and one of my favourite body shapes too. Great pics by the way Rog. Roger.

 

[challenger-440]

here you go rog, we were there to in sept, what a great old time track with some friendly folk as you well know, that lad with the hose pipe gets a bit carried away tho, also have you been in to the body shop just before the entrance to sunshine strip ? he was building a drag car, stude or henry j ?

 

[SG57]

Yes, when we came out they were still working at the Garage on the left on the way out. There was a '65ish Tbird and an old English car outside. If I am by there again i'll take a couple of pics.
It's amazing there are still loads of projects/junk laying around St Pete.

Rog.