ssk@drupa.UUCP (KingSS) (08/16/84)
From Sky King (AT&T-IS, Denver) <Line eater> -- Street racing was one of my favorite Friday and Saturday night pass-times during the late 60's and the early 70's. We had a few places to go however I frequently went to one of the hottest street raceways on the west side. The Fiesta Drive-in on North Avenue in Maywood Park. On the weekends just going to the drive-in would be as good as the latest race-car show downtown. Every street machine would be out ready to run for the money. At the Fiesta, the racing was for $50 however the loser would loose $100, $50 for the winner and $50 for the police. The Maywood Park Police were very cooperative. They would start the race, time it, and then make sure the looser paid up. The racing went like this, North ave. from the Fiesta runs four lanes for about 1/2 mile east along a forest preserve till you hit the first stop light. One block past that was a Manny Berger Shoe store where the police would be waiting to collect their share of the money. The police would start you and wait for you to show at the end, if you didn't pay you didn't show up at the Fiesta again. The hay-day for the Fiesta was about 1967-69 after that the police didn't do there part in helping however did start passing out the tickets left and right. the racing stopped and in about '74 or '75 the drive-in closed. I was sorry to see it go just because of all the great looking machines that would hang out there (not to mention the women). Almost all the cars ran street legal (or close to it) with the exception of some running with open headers and (almost) street slicks. I raced a bit in a 1965 ET Cobra, and a 1966 Chevy SuperSport, and later in I bought a 1970 Cuda 440 six-pack and tested it there also. I miss those days however, I don't miss the tickets (over 16 in three years, I'm lucky I had a State Senator for a uncle). Now I drive a '62 Rambler Station Wagon, its not fast but it's safe. Sky King "off we go into the wild blue yonder" --