5th Annual Dover Drag Strip Nostalgia Drags & Car Show
Aug. 10-11 Lebanon Valley Dragway
Dover days are on my mind. That sounds like a song. Wait a minute, it is. You can hear it, when you go to the home page of
www.doverdragstrip.com . A song about that quarter mile of asphalt in Wingdale, N.Y., where every Sunday, from 1961 until 1976, a lot of guys and gals, competed with each other….and had a ton of fun. When it opened in May of ’61, it was touted as the most modern racing facility of its time in the northeast. A patented special mix of new ‘Hi-traction” asphalt was used, and
‘Modern’ timing equipment was installed. It filled the gap left by the closing of racing at the Montgomery, N.Y. Airport drawing racers from 6 states. Chet Anderson, of Brookfield, Ct. and Joe Archire, of Germantown, Ct, were the two main original founders that worked to convince the town, for a year, that a safe, organized venue, would benefit the area, and supply a place to get street racers off the public highways. For fifteen years, it enjoyed a fantastic run, hosting the stars of the sport, including Don Garlits (Four times), Don Prudhomne, T.V. Tommy Ivo, Ronnie Sox, Dick Landy, and the fastest Fuel Dragsters and Funny cars of the period. Fans even witnessed jet cars, wheelstanders, and the Batmobile. Many notables started their racing career at Dover like Dick Moroso, Al Hoffman and scores of Record holders, Division Champions and National Event Winners. The track finally closed in early 1976, for a variety of reasons. And all that’s left is a strip of the asphalt shut down area.
But memories fade away, unless you find a way to keep them alive. How do you remember the cars, the people, the action at that favorite Sunday Haunt over three decades after it closed? Well, you mix in a lot of communication, using the internet to full advantage, by starting a tribute site with a forum. Then you hatch the idea of a ‘revival race’, one where you can get the old gang back together to party like a youngster, drag out the old racer, and recapture your youth. Next find a safe place to take you back in time and its Dover, All Over. Just like the lyrics in the song states; “in the other lane, you’re the enemy, but back in the pits, you’re family”. That’s the difference Dover had over the other pay and run tracks. Friendships and bonds were established that still hold today. The website Forum now boasts over 1480 registered, since going online in 2008.There, Dover Guys got the idea to go racing again and have now, each year, since the first race at Island Dragway in 2009. This will be the fifth year of the event, now two days, and the third at their new home, Lebanon Valley Dragway, in New Lebanon, N.Y. Seems in the old days, if Dover rained out, there would be a convoy of race cars and fans heading north on Rt.22 to a dry track. That track was Lebanon Valley. So mark your calendars …for the fifth straight year, the gang does it again, Aug 10-11. The event runs two days now, to accommodate a full Fun Family Nostalgia Weekend, with new features being added every year. This will be the third year a Car Show & swap meet is included on Sunday, featuring the finest Rods & Customs in the Northeast. Last years entries were up 30% from the previous year. Top 40 Favorite awards are given out, with the show presided over by the capable Capital Area Rods. Racing? Of course! With two days of action. Saturday is Test n Tune, unlimited time trials, a gamblers race and ‘fun & grudge’. Sunday Is Eliminations day, along with the Car Show. Expect to see many actual Dover era Cars, racing and on display. To keep the Dover Race revival flavor, 6 eliminator brackets are utilized, for bragging rights trophies, just like it was in the old days. These have grown popular with the racers and fans with separate categories’ including: Comp (Altereds, Dragsters and Gassers), Dover Vintage for pre 1973, and the crowd favorite, Dover 4-Speed. Others are included to include the entire “Dover Family” of racers, with their current race car, and where sons, daughters, nieces and nephews are all in the mix. As if that’s not enough…various racing groups have added the Dover event to their calendars to bring in even more diversity to the Old School Party. Scheduled to compete with their own points races each day are The Northeast Timing Association (NETO), and The East Coast Gassers. Joining them for Sat. racing is the East Coast Nostalgia Super Stock Association, and the North East Nostalgia Drag Racing Association. Oh, There’s more…on Sunday, will be the “Time Warp” parade of still running Dover Cars. Last years Grand Marshalls were Mark Mastrianni, and James Grove, who ran the Dover Reunion in Danbury for 22 years. Real Vintage authentic Dover Trophies will be awarded for: Top Speed, Long Distance, Best Club or Team Participation, and Oldest running Dover Car. Special Exhibition Runs Both days will be afforded by Old Style 180mph Funny Cars, and other surprise feature cars are planned. Add to that, all four Dover ‘No Box” eliminator winners will run for the prestigious title of “King of The Hill” in memorial to Bill Casey and Ralph Feola,the two last racers that ran it at Dover on its Last Day. And the girls can compete in the fun “Powder Puff” race.
For Complete Details on the Race, Show, Swap Meet, directions, schedule, sponsor opportunities, commercial vendors and updates, Visit the website Forum Event heading with all its topics at:
http://www.doverdragstrip.com/phpBB3/index.php OR Contact Dino Lawrence -910-997-4444
We invite everyone with a passion for the Glory Days of Racing and Hot Rodding, to Join the ‘Dover Revival Party’ to race, show, or wander and reminisce…..Lets Break some records this
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