Linden Airport

Linden Airport was built in 1942 to test Grumman Wildcat planes and turned over to the city after the war. More than 2,500 people watched the first quarter-mile drag race there on July 25, 1954, with 45 motorcycles and 110 cars entered. The New Jersey Timing Association ran a race in August 1954 that reportedly drew more than 8,000 spectators. Races were sponsored by the Linden Auto Club and timed over a fifth of a mile. Hot Rod ran photos of the meet in its November 1954 issue.

In 1956 the NHRA Safety Safari held a major meet on the runways. Bob Doerrer, later known as “Berserko” Bob, was 10 and talked his Uncle Carl into driving him there for a tank of gas. He remembered rail dragsters everywhere, along with gassers, modifieds, altereds, stockers and even sports cars, and shooting photos in the pits with his Brownie camera. His uncle got so fired up that he put his ‘55 Chevy hardtop with its power-pack 265 through tech, pulled off the fake wire-wheel hubcaps and shoe-polished numbers on the windows. Bob rode with him to the line, then watched him smoke the right rear tire for what felt like half the track. Carl decided he was outclassed and skipped eliminations, and they watched every run until evening. On the drive home they agreed to build a real race car.