Kansas City Timing Association Drag Strip

The Kansas City Timing Association was made up of thirty-one hot rod clubs. To cut down on illegal street racing, businessmen and city officials spent $70,000 on a first-class strip north of the city near the Missouri River, in what newspapers called a lonely section of town and what is now the Northeast Industrial District. Kansas City native Brian McGuire placed it on today’s Southern Road north of Front Street, running north toward the river. Aerial photos confirm it ran north-south but show it sat farther east. Kansas City Southern Lines leased the land for $2 a year, and construction took four months. The asphaltic concrete strip was 3,850 feet long plus a 1,000-foot runoff and opened for quarter-mile racing in July 1955. The businessmen lent the money, and after seven weeks the association paid back $20,000. Some of the backers were disappointed that street racing went on anyway. Upbeat news stories ran across the country, which helped improve drag racing’s image and led other cities to allow or sponsor strips.

In 1956 NHRA moved its national championship from Great Bend, Kansas, to Kansas City. At what was billed as the Olympics of Drag Racing, Melvin Heath of Oklahoma won top eliminator at 10.53 and 144.23 mph. On opening day Art Arfons’ Allison-powered Green Monster No. 6 became the first member of Hot Rod’s new 150 mph Club with a 150.00 pass, and Bob Alsenz set a national record of 159.01 mph in Kenny Lindley’s ‘Misfire’ dragster. About 35,000 people attended. Of the 352 entrants, some thought the shutdown was too short and dangerous and left for the AHRA nationals running the same four days, August 31-September 3, at Great Bend.

Drag News reported in October 1957 that vandals, apparently longing for the days of street racing, had blown up the association’s tower with dynamite. The Falcons car club built a bigger, better one. In 1959 trophy races ran on the first and third Sundays and grudge races on the second and fourth, and the track was open seven days and nights a week for anyone who wanted to run. Between 60 and 100 cars showed up on summer evenings, which made a big dent in street racing. Walt Arfons ran his ‘Green Monster’ jet car at 7.10 and 206 mph on April 15, 1962. On May 19, 1962, a driver and two passengers died when their car overturned and burned.