Central Michigan Dragway/Mid-Michigan Motorplex (Stanton)

History

Central Michigan Dragway started at McBride Airport, four miles north of Stanton, possibly as early as 1955 by later accounts. Jon Lundberg, who became the most sought-after drag racing announcer of the 1960s, got his start at one of those early races, calling the action through a megaphone from atop a 55-gallon drum for about 300 spectators. The records found point to 1956 as the first year. The second race, October 14, 1956, drew almost fifty cars, with trophies in five classes, and Glen Brown of Mason won top eliminator in a ‘55 Chevy. Tom Gallagher won a gold cup for top eliminator the next week in his Cadillac-powered coupe, and the 1956 state championship ran October 28. Early races were on gravel until the strip was paved in September 1957. News reports in the early years placed it south of Edmore or in McBride, and 1958 articles called it McBride Drag Strip.

The first half of the World Series of Drag Racing, sanctioned by the ATHA (also given as the American Timing Activities Association or ATTA), ran there July 4-6, 1958, with 500 racers expected. Bob Gerph of Tucson set a state record of 155 mph. The 1957 World Series had been in Texas but moved to Michigan because of growing Midwest interest, the second half was set for Moline, Illinois, in August, and the event returned for years. Laylin Lloyd Jewett, 33, of Mason was killed there on September 14, 1958 after a reported 125 mph run. On September 28, 1958, the strip held the first of its yearly U.S. National Championship Drag Races, posting $2,000 in bonds for class and eliminator winners.

Bob George was race director by 1959, when new bleachers went up. Bill Robbins drove Al Turner’s new Detroit dragster to the year’s best speed of 128.31 mph on June 7, 1959. At that year’s World Series, Don Maynard won top eliminator at 9.03 and 163 mph before 6,000 people. The track closed for a week of resurfacing in mid-August, and Don Garlits set a strip record of 171 mph on August 30. Lyle Fisher raised it to 176.5 mph on May 29, 1960. On July 2-4, 1960, Chris Karamesines beat Garlits’ car, driven by Art Malone, with both running identical 180 mph strip records. A rock and roll show with Bobby Rydell and others added to the racing that July. The 1961 World Series, July 1-4, paid $6,000 across 77 classes. Connie Swingle, driving for Garlits, beat Art Malone in a match race on July 30, 1961, setting a track record of 191.050 mph and 8.64. On October 15, 1961, Akron, Ohio, schoolteacher Nick Bakewell set a Michigan record of 228.187 mph in his Jet Star jet dragster. By 1961 news reports gave the location as Stanton.

The strip, return road and staging area were completely resurfaced in 1964. The track closed in 1968 and sat empty until Jim and Mary Ledford bought and renovated it, reopening in September 1975. On August 2, 1987, old wooden bleachers collapsed under 1,000 people, injuring 35 and sending 18 to hospitals. After major upgrades the Ledfords renamed it Mid-Michigan Motorplex in 1993. It ran under IHRA for most of the 1990s and switched to NHRA after 2000. It’s at 2589 N. Wyman Road in Stanton.