Hey Jim!
Thanks for the CDR memories. I remember the Trans Ams well. The Mustang Corral for the Ford dealers and the fan sections for Donohue's Camaro and the red, white and blue decorations for the AMC dealers cheering on their Javelins.
The Stock and Super Stock classes were huge then. Do you remember Herman Chapman and those unbeatable small block Chevies of his?
I watched the "Pete's Patriot" AMX beat Judy Lilly and Gary Ostrich in their SS/ Barracudas. Dick Landy's Dodge was just beautiful. He of the omnipresent unlit cigar.
I watched Parnelli Jones, in a Mercury Marauder, win that USAC road race the week before the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. Jones drove everywhere but on the pavement - what a wildman. He won on Pikes Peak, too.
(By the bye, the Indy 500 is the only race in the country older than the Pikes Peak Hill Climb).
No one who ever watched the Chapparals will ever forget them, particularly with the great view from the grandstands. When there was no racing activity, the scenery alone was worth the price of the ticket.
I missed the 6 hour sedan Enduro won by a Rambler American.
I also missed the USAC race for open wheel cars that the Rocky Mountain News sponsored when the fatalities occurred. I was driving up for the race when I heard that the "Assasination" Corvair was running two out of three against the Grant Rebel Funny Car at Erie. I zoomed right on by CDR that day. Funny cars were, and are, the best racing there is.
Did you notice the excitement in those ads? I wonder what we could do today with some regular promotion of our local heroes and a bit of hyperbole. Might work . . .
Our CIFCA-style funny car (Firefighter) is on display this weekend in the car show at the National Western Complex.
Thanks again for the memories.
Cheers,
Ed
P.S. Century 21, east of Denver on I-70, was home to an AHRA National event for a couple of years.

Never been to Denver, but I hear we will have a strip in Charlotte next year.

Assuming you're somewhat familiar with Lowe's, do you think they'll be able to use most of the "infrastructure" for the drag strip? I mean like concessions, bathrooms, ticket sales, etc. Or will it be a whole new facility within a facility?

Based on what I saw of the new Strip in the making I don't know if they will be able to use the current Infrastructure.

I was in Concord on Saturday and we drove right up to the site. The dirt work is started however at this point you cannot tell which way the strip will go or where anything will be at this point.

The area where they are doing the dirt work is next to the Dirt Track which is adjacent to the Speedway.

I heard they would like to have a Divisional in April and a National in September??? Again this is what I heard, not a fact. When I sign up for a race there we will know for sure.

Pat

Mssr's Smith and Gossage...PLEASE build one of those $60M drag racing facilities at TMS!!!!!!!! I'll even "volunteer" to manage it for you.

Maybe it'll be the first covered strip! Just kidding, I think.