Twin City Dragway, Oldsmar Florida

[_Charles_]

MAny don't know about it, but it once existed. There were actually 2 dragstrips in Tampa back in the day, but both are now gone. Here is some interesting history though on Twin City Dragway...

Did you know that the recently “discontinued” Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was named for its founder, Ransom Eli Olds? His initials “REO” were also used as a nameplate for another car company and later, a company that built the “REO” line of medium and heavy trucks. Even more interesting are Ransom Olds’ ties to the state of Florida, and in particular, to the Daytona Beach area. Turns out that Olds, a Lansing, Michigan native, liked the balmy Florida weather so much that after moving to this area in 1913, he built a hotel/apartment building in Daytona Beach.. That building stands today and is located on Ridgewood Avenue (U.S. Highway 1), just south of U.S. 92, better known now as International Speedway Boulevard. It is currently being used as a retirement home for the elderly. Ransom E. Olds later sold the building and, with the proceeds, bought 34.541 acres of property in the Tampa Bay area. He planned to build a new community for 100,000 people and call it “R.E. Olds On-The-Bay.” (He was a big fan of naming things after himself!) His dream never fully materialized, and he abandoned the project in 1923 after dumping $4.5 million dollars into it! The town, however, refused to die, and today it’s known as “Oldsmar.” It at one time was home to Twin City Dragway and was once owned by “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, who used the track for private test runs in his “Swamp Rat” dragsters. (Source: Autoweek Magazine)

I have yet to find much info about 'Tampa' Drag Strip, but I do know that 1 of these was located on S Mobley road at a place now called 'Ed Radice Park'. I visited there back in 2000 in my search for Twin City Dragways, only to find what looked like an abandoned straightaway. The county has since built the location into a multi-million dollar sports complex, and what I once witness'ed is no longer.

Anybody having info to share, feel free to post.

Charles

[Slo_Si]

damn, wish they were still around....bradenton is just too far...

[limegreenneon]

Great post, you have anymore info about the above post.You get rep points

[Just Dave]

My dad used to race there. I'll see if he can come up with any more info. I'm not sure the park is built directly on the old dragstrip, I think its down the road a bit. I remember going down Mobley and seeing the strip and the base of the tower, but it was in the series of turns before the park.

[_Charles_]

http://speed-geeks.com/Speed_Zone/Gl.../snelgrove.htm

Henry Snelgrove, Sr. can be credited (Blamed?) for beginning the family’s racing career. Back in the late ‘60s, he began bracket racing his ’57 Chevy at dragstrips like Tampa Dragway, Sunshine Dragway, Lakeland Dragway and Twin City Dragway near his hometown of Seffner, Florida; also known as the home of the legendary “Big Daddy” Don Garlits. In fact, his family was within “hollerin’ distance” from Garlits, who lived across the lake from them.

[_Charles_]

http://www.dragracingonline.com/spec...sn-mazz-1.html

Any night of the week or weekend days would find me at Sunshine Dragstrip in St. Petersburg or Tampa Dragway or my favorite, Twin Cities Dragway in Oldsmar.

[_Charles_]

http://www.dragracingonline.com/lookback/ii_12d.html

1967
Dec. 2 - Hayden Proffitt's Grant SST Rambler Rebel won a two-out-of-three match over Larry Arnold's "Penetration" Charger at 1,200-foot Tampa Dragway (Fla.). Speeds were "guess-timated" at 171-mph.

[Slo_Si]

Why was it closed down?

[Scott]

Wow !

Great find, points for jooo.

how did you come across this ?

[_Charles_]

http://opelgt.com/forums/showthread.php?p=45270

I use to run my 70 gt with a 1.9 on the 1/4 mile back when it was new,Only slight mods like the muffler. if i remember right it ran in the high 15's but that was a long time ago. I remember i would go into 4th gear as i went through the end of the 1/4 mile, Never got beat in class,Q pure stock. That was at Tampa dragway on 301 in tampa Fl. thous were the days.

Well, that confirms it. Tampa Dragway was on 301, so it is Twin Cities on S Mobley Road. And yes, I am pretty sure it IS now ED RADICE PARK.

[_Charles_]

http://www.stagecoachfl.org/discuss/_disc2/00000095.htm

What the heck are you talking about? Are residents complaining? If so, don't brush off the idea that they can do something about it. Just ask the previous owners of Golden Gate Speedway or Tampa Dragway. They were around for many years before residents started moving into their area. Now neither of them exist. They were shut down by angry residents. Not that I am trying to do this to the airport, as it doesn't bother me one bit. But it can be done.

[Scott]

Oh snap I just thought of something !

My accountant does Big Daddy's taxes and they are good friends. I will see if I can get a number or e-mail and ask him about it. Big Daddy Garlits Shop was once located in Seffner.

Now you have peaked my interest.

[_Charles_]

http://www.talkaboutprofootball.com/...es/158688.html

You ever visit Tampa Dragway? It was out 92 just befre 579

[Slo_Si]

angry residents? thats a shame.....

[_Charles_]

http://www.talkaboutprofootball.com/...es/158660.html

There used to be a little drag strip down the road a piece that
was so cool. You could drive your car in and park it under the pine
trees along the strip which was below you a bit as the place to park was
on a small hill.

The strip (Tampa Dragway) ended a bit abruptly with a little ramp like
ending. One day a chute didn't open and it launched a rail job right
across the road at the end like a dart. Guy wasn't scratched but what a
site. I'll never forget how pathetic that rail looked with dirt crammed
in the blower.

> Theres nothing like being there.