Kellogg Air Field (Battle Creek)

The Battle Creek Rod and Custom ‘Rod Benders’ club got city commission approval in early August 1955 to hold a couple of quarter-mile drag races on the west jet return taxi strip at Kellogg Field. Spectators reached it on a one-lane dirt road outside the Air National Guard fence off Dickman Road. The first race, August 21, had trophies in thirteen classes, and the Urbandale Kiwanis Club cleared $257 running the concession stand. The October 23, 1955 race, billed as the Michigan Championship Drag Races, drew 140 racers from three states and almost 2,000 spectators. Otis Smith of Akron, Ohio, took the grand trophy at 109.75 mph in his roadster, Shinoda, a Chinese-American racer from Detroit, had top speed at 124.87 mph, and eight drivers topped 100.

On June 19, 1960, the Cereal City Rod & Custom Club drew 10,000 people to watch 600 cars and motorcycles and netted about $3,000. Konrad Jockus of Otsego had top speed at 105.882 mph and 13.58 in his C dragster. On July 17, 9,500 people watched more than 400 cars, and a Portage dragster driver entered as Indian Joe had top speed at 117 mph, winning top eliminator, $100 and $17 for each mph over 100. That event grossed $4,200 for a fund to build a permanent strip. A Speed Craft of Chicago twin-Buick dragster set the strip record of 10.07 and 160 mph on October 2, 1960. A rough stretch of pavement near the end of the shutdown had the club thinking about cutting races to an eighth mile. It also took an option on land for a permanent strip and set an $80,000 goal to buy and build it.