"Older" Midwesterners will enjoy this

[Kingbee]

Remembering U.S.30.wmv

[junior]

that was pretty cool thanks walt

[Capt. Morgan]

Yep, I remember. I was there a few times and even took my '66 Chevy to race. (Chickened out though when I thought if I blow it up, I'm walking home)

[Gear Jammer]

I'm neither Midwesterner nor "older", but I enjoyed it just the same Walt !  Well, older maybe    , but the soundtrack was killer man   

[wiggydotcom]

I never went to US 30, but as a kid, I sure remember Jan Gabriel's commercials. You might remember Oswego Drag Strip. I grew up about a mile and a half from it. As 13 yr olds, a buddy and myself would walk down the cornfield in back of our house and then hide in the corn. When everyone was looking up at the flag for the national anthem, we'd make a mad dash for the pits. We'd get away with it, but it'd suck wearing long sleeve shirts in the dead of summer because we didn't have the pit pass stamp on our wrists.

It was great seeing the top cars in their day at Oswego...such as...the Hawaiian, Color Me Gone, Mr Norm's, Arnie the Farmer Beswick, Don Garlits, Little Red Wagon, Hemi Under Glass, Ray Beadles Blue Max Mustang...and on and on.

Back in the day, when cars first broke the 200 mph barrier, it was said they couldn't go much faster because of traction issues(or lack thereof). But that was before the day's of electronic clutches, etc.
Up to a couple years ago, when they changed to 1000 foot racing for Nitro class, cars were going 330 mph. Drag racing...nuttin like it!!

[R J]

Raced on that track a few times.

I couldn't get a good enough look at the Henry J (Hemi) to tell if it was my old one.  I doubt it, but anything is possible.

Also spent a lot of time on the Drag Strips in the LA area.......

[John Schmidt]

"Pressed between the pages of my mind."  Walt, that took me waaaay back, my in-laws lived the Chicago area(Downers Grove) and when I was home on leave I'd always try to make it over there to the strip. As I recall, that may have been the first place I saw the car called Hemi Under Glass. Later, when I was stationed in New Hampshire we used to go up to Sanford, Maine and run/watch. I saw it again up there. I tried to find some original pictures of it but the ones I saw weren't the same car. This was the late 50's or early 60's, a bright orange car(Cuda I believe) with the engine transverse mounted under that huge rear window. Hence the name I guess.

I remember when Ford first came out with the 390 and the announcer at Sanford made fun of it, saying it rattled like a Ford. A few seconds later after dusting the favored GM product, the driver went up to the booth and over the loudspeaker asked for a public apology. Was all for show and planned ahead, but sure was a show stopper. Turned out the race was for real.

[Challenger]

Thanks KingBee, enjoyed that alot, ran my 67 GTO there once, Mr Norm & Arnie the farmer put on quite a show. Run what ya brung. Aint the same anymore is it?

[Spirited-6]

Thanks Walt. Enjoyed that. Reminded me of a 1/8 mile DIRT track in Clarksville, Tn. back in the 50`s. It was a "run what ya brung" kind of a track. One problem was you had to shut it down pretty quick at the end because the river was about 50 yards away.  One guy running a 55 Chevy with FI did not heed the warnings and  kinda dunked it a little in the shallows.     

[Sourdough]

I was born in suburban Chgo and lived there for 40 years. Went to US30 alot in the 60's to race a friends 57 Chev. That clip brought back a ton of memories.. thanks for sharing it.