Thorn Hill?

I keep asking everyone but no one seems they want to go. I'm game for Tri State but I just have a feeling that Thorn Hill won't be around long. I wouldn't mind getting some guys and hitting it one time just for old time sake.
I'm sure there will be plenty of time spent at Tri State. If we hit Edgewater I may go but won't run. After sitting in the lanes for an hour to race the last time I swore never again.

Lets do it. Thats the first place i ever drag raced. We should all try to hit it at least one more time.

IM IN.

depends on when, but I really want to at least go

I haven't raced out there in years man. Sounds good I can't wat!

sounds like fun count me in .......lol

I need to make the trip up. I have nothing to race but I just want to be there.

No matter what, I suggest taking alot of pictures. Many cool nostalgic places are going away and I feel it's our responsibility to document them for future generations. Don't get me wrong, first order of business should be to attempt to save them, but just in case it's not possible. Take the pictures now.

We're living the future's history right now.

Last time I was there it was like racing on a gravel road, and with a nice bump in the right lane always made for some interesting steeringwheel play .....

That bump was there in the 80's the first time i raced, it just makes it that much more interesting.

hp77skylark wrote:Lets do it. Thats the first place i ever drag raced. We should all try to hit it at least one more time.

My first place was on Rt. 8 what a ride that was

If my memory is correct, wasn't there a pretty big dip out there too?

Dip and steer to the left

I don't even have the nards to try that again.

Turn around at the train over pass and head back. What a ride RT 8 was. lol I cut that 34 loose right there by myself the night before I took the stall, rearend and intake set up off. Only place to cut it loose and no one around. Fun times!
I remember we had like 8 cars out there racing one Saturday night. Those boys in the 70? Chevelle from Covington with the hidden NOS that ran under the intake was out there that night. I don't think they won a race other than beating Dave Ackerson's Buick wagon. And that wasn't by much.

They beat me in that chevelle once. Didn't know about the nitrous at the time. It was close then too.

They got me twice back then in an old 73 Nova i had a 350 with a 4 speed.....i had them all the way til the end and they would pass me just before the line......I was so pissed and when i found out they were sprayin and lying about thats when i got my first NOS kit good times

LOL I didn't think anyone would remember them guys. I wondered later how much spray they was shooting through that car. Taking off it bogged so bad I thought it was going to stall out a few times. I thought the motor was junk but I think they had the timing so far retard in that thing it wouldn't jet off the line without spray. Wonder what happened to those guys?

The one boy was who i got my 2nd 66 Chevelle SS from.....he was a real burnout if ya remember.....i kept calling him Yo-man-dude because thats how he talked

Shelly's SS wrote:The one boy was who i got my 2nd 66 Chevelle SS from.....he was a real burnout if ya remember.....i kept calling him Yo-man-dude because thats how he talked

My bad thats my post......i jumped on the computer and didnt reallize she was logged on here Had ya wondering though didnt it

That wasn't my old nova was it?

yes it was After that was when i put my first Velle back together with NOS.....i gave that car back to ya if i remember

Jim Werthington seen this post and called me today. He was giving me a pretty cool history lession on it. Ralph Pain I think he said was who owned the property years and years ago. During WWII They were worried about getting planes in and out. I'm not sure because of too many or worrying about a bombing on Lunkin in case it happened. Anyway they made a deal with this Ralph and built Thorn Hill. It was an air plane landing strip during the war. Planes used it. Around 1953 to 55 a car club help Ralph turn it into a drag strip as we know it now. Not too much was said but it sounded like this Ralph kind of screwed the car club over when they got it into drag strip form. Jim said it was a car club from Covington. I ask if it was the Clutch Jumpers from Newport but he said no that he thought they were from Covington. I wonder if the Clutch Jumpers had anything to do with it or if the clubs worked together. I have some old letter here where the Clutch Jumpers Car Club was asking Newport for money to donate towards opening a drag strip. I'll see if I can find that stuff. Thorn Hill has a cool history. I had heard that Garlits race there once but have never been able to confirm it. I know he ended up with the old speed dails we use to race against. They are in his museum.

RebStew wrote:Jim Werthington seen this post and called me today. He was giving me a pretty cool history lession on it. Ralph Pain I think he said was who owned the property years and years ago. During WWII They were worried about getting planes in and out. I'm not sure because of too many or worrying about a bombing on Lunkin in case it happened. Anyway they made a deal with this Ralph and built Thorn Hill. It was an air plane landing strip during the war. Planes used it. Around 1953 to 55 a car club help Ralph turn it into a drag strip as we know it now. Not too much was said but it sounded like this Ralph kind of screwed the car club over when they got it into drag strip form. Jim said it was a car club from Covington. I ask if it was the Clutch Jumpers from Newport but he said no that he thought they were from Covington. I wonder if the Clutch Jumpers had anything to do with it or if the clubs worked together. I have some old letter here where the Clutch Jumpers Car Club was asking Newport for money to donate towards opening a drag strip. I'll see if I can find that stuff. Thorn Hill has a cool history. I had heard that Garlits race there once but have never been able to confirm it. I know he ended up with the old speed dails we use to race against. They are in his museum.

Yea i been to Garlits place in Fl....back in the 80s Car Craft Mag had some pictures of Thorn Hill and Florence Ky on one of their Tours.....back when the water tower said Florence Mall.....They raced a Camero they built at Thorn Hill....i wish i still had the Magizine.....it was around 83-84

What did I do with that car I can't remember? I do remember Bill nearly blowing both of us up in that garage trying to lite that old gas heater, it blew his (BEEP) all the way under that nova, never laughed so hard in my life.

I found it. Wasn't asking for donations but close. Here is the letter and a pic from the track. I wonder if this was Thorn Hill back in the 50's?