Southeast Michigan drag racers gathered at Milan Dragway this weekend to remember one of the area’s great race tracks, legendary Detroit Dragway. Here’s a report.
Known as The Ditch and the Dirty D, tough and gritty as the city it served, Detroit Dragway operated from 1959 to 1998. The track is long gone now, but area racers gather every spring at Milan Dragway, about 20 miles west, to remember the glory days at Sibley and Dix.
A few of the great attractions at this year’s show:
+ Two racing legends, Big Daddy Don Garlits and Roger Lindamood of Color Me Gone fame, were on hand to greet fans and sign memorabilia.
+ The Great Lakes Gassers, an association of authentic, 60s style gassers, put on their usual stellar wheels-up show.
+ Detroit drag racing pioneer Walt Knoch brought two of his famed Fiat Altereds, Walt’s Puffer II and Walt’s Puffer III.
+ Members of the Great Lakes Nostalgia Funny Car Circuit shook the pavement with their colorful fliptop funny cars.
+ For the second year, the Reunion shared the facility with Billetproof Michigan, the traditional hot rod event, which featured a big car show over on the spectator side of the track. You can find full coverage of Billetproof Michigan 2014, including a big photo gallery, here at Mac’s Motor City Garage.
Photo gallery below.
Great photo’s. Thank you for the commentary & for labeling the photo’s. I’ve been part of it since the very 1st reunion in 2011. I digitized my father, Professional Sports Photographer, Joe Stevens, Detroit Dragway 1960’s Photographic Collection near the end of 2007 & began doing exhibits at the local downriver libraries but then in 2010, I was asked to set up the Photo Exhibit at the Detroit Autorama. I had met so many people in the drag racing community by then & had set up at several car shows so I was part of the 1st reunion. The following year, I started my own website with the Vintage Collection & have been involved with the reunion ever since except for this year so I really enjoy seeing your photo’s.
Thanks for writing. I admire your Dad’s photos a great deal. Would love to do a story sometime.
Thanks MCG, next to Top Fuel and Funny cars, gassers are my favorite.