Crites... anyone know?

[TomP]

Going through this ten thousand pages (or so) of information on old drag strip we have been searching for the past twenty years and I see one in Lima Ohio that lasted just a couple months in 1958. I was built in August, they intended to but never paved it, raced on the dirt surface. The track collapsed into the underground creek they built it over in October 58.

The track was on Ross Crites 140 acre farm on Route 117 between Kemp and Coon roads. Anyone know if that is a relation to our TBolt fiberglass guy, Charles Crites?

[cjshaker]

Hmm, this is just a few miles from me. I ain't old enough to remember back that far, but the Crites name is fairly familiar. I don't think he had anything to do with the Crites business guy, but can't say for sure. I recognize the road names and placement, but I've never heard anything about that track, but given it only lasted a couple months, that's not surprising.

[TomP]

Looking on Google Earth it would appear the track would have had to run north to south to even have any shutdown area on that property. So starting line must have been near Spencerville Rd/117 and probably midway between Coon and Kemp.

[cjshaker]

You're right, Tom. If I get a chance, I'll ask a few guys who were around back then and see if they remember anything about it.
The only other strip that's local to me, and it's been there for quite a while, is Marion County International Raceway....or what us locals call Larue Dragstrip. Not the greatest place, and traction isn't exactly friendly to anything that isn't a basic street car, but it still exists. There used to be another place called Kettlersville, but it closed down when I was just a kid. I think that was the first drag strip my Dad ever took me to.