Post by dragnews on Aug 20, 2012 20:34:29 GMT -5
As we near the Ardmore Dragway Reunion take a trip back in time with me and take a look of just how we got here.
Late 1954 and early 1955 a group of local Hot Rodders formed a car club calling themselves the Slow Poke club of Ardmore.
( Above photo taken at a early club meeting at the parents house of member Jim Ragland)
Spring of 1955 with the help of airmen stationed at the Gene Autry air base the club convinced local authorities to donate land to build a dragstrip.
(Photo of first track president Bob Bishop, with Joe Carrell and Robert Fast)
Summer of 1955 the Slow Poke club holds it's first drag race on a all dirt track at the location of today's downtown airport.
1960 and the dagstrip is moved to it's location today.
After just one race the track came apart from the fast machines.
With no place now to race, the Ardmore Timing Association was formed by Joe Carrell, Dennis Lavers & J.R. Shaw who borrowed money from a local bank to repave the strip and convert it to a
commercially operated track.
A single photo cell and flag starter was high tech in 1962.
Well that's all for tonight-next we visit the 70's, see you in the staging lanes Rob.
Late 1954 and early 1955 a group of local Hot Rodders formed a car club calling themselves the Slow Poke club of Ardmore.
( Above photo taken at a early club meeting at the parents house of member Jim Ragland)
Spring of 1955 with the help of airmen stationed at the Gene Autry air base the club convinced local authorities to donate land to build a dragstrip.
(Photo of first track president Bob Bishop, with Joe Carrell and Robert Fast)
Summer of 1955 the Slow Poke club holds it's first drag race on a all dirt track at the location of today's downtown airport.
1960 and the dagstrip is moved to it's location today.
After just one race the track came apart from the fast machines.
With no place now to race, the Ardmore Timing Association was formed by Joe Carrell, Dennis Lavers & J.R. Shaw who borrowed money from a local bank to repave the strip and convert it to a
commercially operated track.
A single photo cell and flag starter was high tech in 1962.
Well that's all for tonight-next we visit the 70's, see you in the staging lanes Rob.