MAY 14 1961 THE HILLS OF WINGDALE CAME ALIVE

[babycakesParticipant]

Dino,I’m trying to remember where I was ‘opening’ day at ‘Dover’,probably ‘Island’ Dragway with my good friend Bill and his 34 Ford 3 window coupe A/GS.Could have been ‘Atco’ also.I.m almost sure it was around late July in 61 we first went there.It took a while ‘flat’ towing from where I lived in Jersey back then.Always good competition and friendly guys from N.Y.,CT. and MASS.If we could only turn back time,huh?

[rcgarrenParticipant]

WHERE WERE YOU 50 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEARS AGO TODAY.
I WAS AT DOVER FOR THE FIRST OF MANY YEARS AND WHO WOULD OF THOUGH THAT 15 YEARS LATER IT WOULD CLOSE FOR EVER !!!. THANKS TO DINO THE MEMORY IS SILL ALIVE.

[dinoKeymaster]

Found this little report, the Thurs. after first Sunday In Amenia Paper (See: http://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html for tons more takes some searching…put “Dover Drag Strip” in search feature)

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[dinoKeymaster]

Hey ….Nobody Noticed …The anniversary of the Real Day Dover opened ,previous to the “Grand Opening”…And New this year to sponsor our Nostalgia Drags Is a Man that Was There that day racing ….Don Gallant in his Roadster. I missed it ,being in 8th grade in Cross River ,N.Y. -John Jay High School …probably sleepng late after a party Sat. night …But I Did Notice all the weird cars going right by my house on North Bedford Rd. In Katonah,N.Y.

[dinoKeymaster]

Nobody Noticed …Yesterday was the anniversary of the ‘formal’ Grand Opening….July 16,1961 Rogers Ultimate ‘Relic”

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[vbobParticipant]

HEY
HAPPY 51st ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!
Gotta love the nonskid pavement surface!!!!!!!

‘V’

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[dinoKeymaster]

Ok …plenty to read about Dover….Now looking for documentation on Lebanon Valley’s Opening info …Will Start A NEW TOPIC …leave this for DOVER only

[rcgarrenParticipant]

WOO, 54 years later and I still remember the CARS, EXCITEMENT, SOUNDS & THE DUST!!!!!!!
I often wonder WHAT IF they had fixed the shut down area, scoreboards and promoted the track or sold it instead of turning it into a gravel pit.
That’s just my 2 cents, what do you expect from a ODF

[vbobParticipant]

HEY

Yeah, it sure was candy for the senses!!

‘V’

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[patinaParticipant]

Looks like the ass end of the “Eastern Automotive” Willys coupe

Pat

[babycakesParticipant]

You got it Pat! Bob Lombardi’s ( once BB/GS ‘record’ holder) ‘Eastern Automotive’ Willys! Like you Pat,miss them ole ‘gasser’ days!!! 😥 Pete.

[dinoKeymaster]

The Rumble still echos in our minds…Thanks Roger,for always bringing up the Date.

[rcgarrenParticipant]

1961 – 2016 55 Years since the track opened. My memory is fading like my hair line. There was and will only be ONE dover to remember, the sights, sounds and People all made it the greatest track!
Thank you Dino for helping US keep the Memory’s alive.

PS I hope every thing works out for Bob Gordon ( Stackowitz ), 48 years on the run NOW that’s a record

[dinoKeymaster]

Roger Always remembers …amazing ,most locals there clueless there was ever a track. Here’s one of YOUR shots from ’61. Oh,by the way…still have “Determination” ? get it and your Butt up to Lebanon this year.

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[rcgarrenParticipant]

56 Years ago Dover opened, If you drove to the track , youngest 16 would make your age 72 wow. I am sad to hear about all the Dover family have made there last run. I remember ( I THINK ) the excitement, confusion, what class do I run , how do I stage. Some of the cars ( Loosely ) used that showed up to run should not have been allowed to drive on the return road , no less down the track. lets turn back the time to 1961 so I could take pictures with my phone, oh that’s right they weren’t invented yet, so many things have changed , I don’t know if things are better, 1961 was a lot simpler, Happy anniversary to the Dover family.

[Author]

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