Detroit Thunderbird Vs Corvette

Historical Photo

When tbirds beat Vetts in the good old days



SIBLEY AT DIX....The "Dirty D", as Detroit Dragway was affectionately known, was opened in 1959 by Gil Kohn. Over the years, different sanctioning bodies came and went, including the NHRA, AHRA, and Kohns own UHRA. Detroits auto factories ran their muscle cars here and the track hosted all of the big-name racers. Garlits, Muldowney, Prudhomme, Kalitta, Nicholson, and on and on. But, Detroit was also home for many Motor City racers for nearly 40 years. And, thousands of spectators who spent their Saturday evenings enjoying the roar of the quarter-mile warriors, the smell of nitro and the bright glow of Funny Cars under the night sky.

U.S. NATIONALS....It's amazing to think Detroit, the "Motor City", home to the Big-3 Automakers, doesn't have an NHRA National Event. It doesn't even have a dragstrip anymore, since Detroit Dragway was demolished a few years ago. Detroit did host the NHRA for a short time, many moons ago. In 1959 and 1960, when the NHRA only had one national event, the "U.S. Nationals" were held at Detroit. The U.S. Nationals moved in 1961, when the brand new Indianapolis Raceway Park opened, and Detroit forever lost it's time in the drag racing spotlight.

THE END....A 1994 plan by the NHRA to rebuild the track, and bring in a national event was by killed by local opponents, sealing Detroits fate. Detroit slowly died, and finally closed in 1998. The closure forcing racers to travel to Milan or further, or back onto the streets. Following the demolition, Detroit-area industrial real estate builder Ashley Capital, built their Brownstown Business Center warehouse complex on the grave of Detroit Dragway. How ironic is it that one of the first tenants to lease warehouse space there was none other than Ford Motor Company.

RIP Detroit Dragway.
 
Last edited:
Our cars miller murder 80's vette's! hell mine does and it doesent even run right.


Extreame Modified only

The only way an SC can ever beat a Vette of today is if its Extreame modified meaning 12's and the Vette driver spins off the line or is a bad driver. I beat a brand new than Vette in 2003 but I was running 11's at the time. Most Vettes of today would run over an SC hands down unless you run 12's

In the past 55-57 tbirds where racing and beating Vettes and 55 Chevys
 
Last edited:
Extreame Modified only

The only way an SC can ever beat a Vette of today is if its Extreame modified meaning 12's and the Vette driver spins off the line or is a bad driver. I beat a brand new than Vette in 2003 but I was running 11's at the time. Most Vettes of today would run over an SC hands down unless you run 12's

In the past 55-57 tbirds where racing and beating Vettes and 55 Chevys

Im saying 80's through early 90's vettes... they are slower than crap! my friend has an 82 i believe it is and geeez... I pulled away from him in my old TPI 305 firebird i used to have.. c4's are dog crap.. 12's in the 1/8th more like.. my poorly running sc spanked a few last time i went to the track! and im only running 10.01 1/8th miles.. My mustang would rape one like michael jackson in a room full of 10 year olds. Newer vettes... no way they are bad mofo's
 
Extreame Modified only

The only way an SC can ever beat a Vette of today is if its Extreame modified meaning 12's and the Vette driver spins off the line or is a bad driver. I beat a brand new than Vette in 2003 but I was running 11's at the time. Most Vettes of today would run over an SC hands down unless you run 12's

In the past 55-57 tbirds where racing and beating Vettes and 55 Chevys

True....even though my SC was over a 1/2 second quicker on the track, the guy at work with a Z06 could beat me on the street every time. Mainly because I couldn't get any traction, but also because he had better transmission gearing.

David
 
The last time I was at the track there where 2 new vettes there with a couple thousand dollars in exhaust, at least that is what the owner said, and a few other minor mods. These cars had been tuned on and where running low 11's and on actually ran a best of 10.98...... Hell I would be happy just being a car length behind.... LOL :D
 
Im saying 80's through early 90's vettes... they are slower than crap! my friend has an 82 i believe it is and geeez... I pulled away from him in my old TPI 305 firebird i used to have.. c4's are dog crap.. 12's in the 1/8th more like.. my poorly running sc spanked a few last time i went to the track! and im only running 10.01 1/8th miles.. My mustang would rape one like michael jackson in a room full of 10 year olds. Newer vettes... no way they are bad mofo's

Not all C4's are slow. They started with TPIs in them, but in 92, they put the LT1 in them. They ran high 13's and the LT4 C4 Vette ran high 12s. If YOU find an LT4 on the street, you may wanna leave it alone.
 
I agree. To say "80's through early 90's vettes" is painting with an awfully wide brush !

Cheers
DD
 
I am a little older than most on here, and when I lived in Detroit we all raced up at 26 mile rd in New Baltimore. I moved as the Detroit Strip was being built.
 
Drag strip posters

Here is some Detroit drag race posters they had some great match races back in the days
 
Last edited:
Back
Top