Suffolk Raceway

This track opened in 1963 on an unused runway at Suffolk Municipal Airport. On Memorial Day, May 31, 1965, Tom “Smoker” Smith won the $1,200 top prize in a race for fiberglass Hemi ultra stockers, beating Don Nicholson, Huston Platt, Ronnie Sox and NASCAR drivers Tiny Lund and Buck Baker. By 1969 it was NHRA sanctioned and billed as the longest drag strip on the East Coast, with Hank Hankins as manager. Pee Wee Wallace set the strip record of 209.78 MPH in his funny car in August 1970, and a month later at the Dixie Drag Classic Gene Snow raised it to 211.26 MPH in 6.89 seconds.

In 1971 Tommy Ivo won three straight match race rounds on April 12 with a best of 6.90 seconds at 215.82 MPH, and Tommy Grove set a funny car record of 6.83 seconds at 212.26 MPH on May 10. On July 12 two four-engine dragsters met, and Jim Harwood beat Gary Weckesser with his Buick Wagonmaster at 8.70 seconds and 176.80 MPH. The Mattel “Hot Wheels” funny cars of Don Prudhomme and Tom McEwen match raced on August 23, and on September 12 Ronnie Sox tied the pro stock record with a 9.63. Grove broke the funny car record again on September 10, 1972, at 218.93 MPH. By 1991 the surface near the finish line was getting rough, and the track had to close that year when the FAA wanted the runway renovated and returned to aviation use.