Old Aquasco Speedway

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

Sorry, but I really doubt the 1950's & 1960's are America's darkest days of racism. I'd have to consider the time when slavery was being practiced as darker days than the 1950's & 1960's.

Oh, I'm sorry I didn't turn a simple photo caption into a long huge history lesson about the history of racism in America.

It's a simple photo caption of facilities at an old racetrack. Seriously, if you had nothing better to do than pick apart at every single word in a simple photo caption on an online photo album, you need to just do the world a favor and jump off the TJ Bridge because (from the looks of it) your life is pretty pathetic.

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

Well now that was really neat...I remember most of the old names...Been there a number of times when I was younger....Remember the Mori Brothers and their Chevywagon....Blue Volkswagon bug with a fat arse chevy V8...They always ran good....I remember Malcolm Durham too...The really big thing was when Jungle Jim Liberman came into town....

I made a few passes at Aquasco and I was around in the 50's and 60's the days werent all that dark for black people.

Certainly facilities were segregated,but that left a lot of opportunities for black entrepeneurs.

There were black owned bars and hotels, and places of amusement. I remember the old Shirley K hotel and the Graves hotel here in the 7th. All around the country there were similar black owned businesses making a profit from entertaining people of their own race. The Shirley K had the first swimming pool I remember in the 7th. I remember seeing busloads of blacks coming down to stay there and listen to the music and play games and go fishing.
Cadillacs stopping for gas in the local stores. The Club Paradise was rocking every weekend. There were black social halls here in the 7th. One at Hatchet Thicket Rd and one on Abell Rd. Black boat owners always had fishing parties out of the Shirley K and the music of top name black orchestra's floated out over St. Patricks Creek.

The Howard Theater in Washington DC was the center for black entertainment there.

When Segregation ended it was the end of these places. The Graves hotel was burned down last year to remove an eyesore it became, and the Shirley K is just left with one wing barely standing and the pool filled in , a crack house stands next to it.

Whites had Marshall Hall and Glen Echo park to go to and these too are gone. Casualties of desegregation. The feelings at the time was that whites wouldnt go with blacks the there, and there wasn't enough black business to keep them open. The riots that ensued at the gates didnt help any.

Now , before you go jumping in with both feet and condemning me for this post, I am not in any way saying segregation was right or better. Just saying that times werent all that bad. A lot of black businessmen suffered as blacks started going to white parks and their businesses folded. Times they changed .

I am not making judgements just passing on some history. I am sure many blacks remember things in a different way. That's the way it is with points of view.. Looking at things from a different perspective.

Have you seen Gene Mori's newest toy. He has a '07 HHR with a 350 in it. Its pretty wild.

I have some old video of Gene Mori making runs down the Aquasco dragstrip. It looks like, from the videos, that was quite the place to be. I wish I could've seen those tracks back in their prime. Ah, the days of drive-in movies (I miss these as well) and the like. I truly wish I had been in Southern Maryland back then. Now, southern PGC and Charles County have turned into . All we have now are shopping malls, ghetto bowling alleys and a baseball stadium for the entire region that our taxpayer dollars paid for to build (as opposed to spending the money in education, transportation needs, and the like).

 

[Dupontster]

I have some old video of Gene Mori making runs down the Aquasco dragstrip. It looks like, from the videos, that was quite the place to be. I wish I could've seen those tracks back in their prime. Ah, the days of drive-in movies (I miss these as well) and the like. I truly wish I had been in Southern Maryland back then. Now, southern PGC and Charles County have turned into . All we have now are shopping malls, ghetto bowling alleys and a baseball stadium for the entire region that our taxpayer dollars paid for to build (as opposed to spending the money in education, transportation needs, and the like).

See, if you were a little bit older you would have enjoyed all of it...

 

[huntr1]

Oh, I'm sorry I didn't turn a simple photo caption into a long huge history lesson about the history of racism in America.

It's a simple photo caption of facilities at an old racetrack. Seriously, if you had nothing better to do than pick apart at every single word in a simple photo caption on an online photo album, you need to just do the world a favor and jump off the TJ Bridge because (from the looks of it) your life is pretty pathetic.

Had you better captioned your photo, I would not have needed to spend the 30 seconds it took to correct you.

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

Had you better captioned your photo, I would not have needed to spend the 30 seconds it took to correct you.

Again, it doesn't effing matter. Everyone else, except for your carcas, understood what I meant. You're just making yourself look like an ass.

 

[ImAChvyGirl]

Again, it doesn't effing matter. Everyone else, except for your carcas, understood what I meant. You're just making yourself look like an ass.

Do not let him get to you. it is not worth getting kicked off of the forums.

 

[dave1959]

My god.......I just realized how old I am...I used to race there in mid-late 70's.

bings back a lot of memories.

IMHO...lets leave the racisim out of this discussion, thats not what its about.

 

[rich70]

My god.......I just realized how old I am...I used to race there in mid-late 70's.

bings back a lot of memories.

IMHO...lets leave the racisim out of this discussion, thats not what its about.

 

[willie]

No, it started out as 1/5 mile.

Re-check your data.
As late as 1960 it was 1/4 mile. I had to stop running there as mechanical brakes wouldn't keep the coupe out of the cornfield.

As far as the stupid segregation issue goes, it did not apply to drag racing. There was no such thing as crotch rockets and boomboxes were not in style yet. Several top contenders were "colored" guys and they were highly respected and deserved that respect. Malcom Durham being one of them that went on to be a national contender. Around 1960 racers were migrating toward Aquasco and 75 & 80 Dragway as Manassas shrank to 1/8 mile.

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

Re-check your data.
As late as 1960 it was 1/4 mile. I had to stop running there as mechanical brakes wouldn't keep the coupe out of the cornfield.

As far as the stupid segregation issue goes, it did not apply to drag racing. There was no such thing as crotch rockets and boomboxes were not in style yet. Several top contenders were "colored" guys and they were highly respected and deserved that respect. Malcom Durham being one of them that went on to be a national contender. Around 1960 racers were migrating toward Aquasco and 75 & 80 Dragway as Manassas shrank to 1/8 mile.

There were lots of black racers in the 60s. The segregation piece was just about facilities. But, you're right, let's not bring that up. It's not about segregation, that's nothing in comparrison to the history - it's about good ole' fashioned hard knuckle bar-none racing!

I'm pretty sure I'm right about Old Dominion though. Aquasco has always been known as the first quarter-mile dragstrip on the East Coast. :shrug:

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

photos1

 

[Hessian]

Never been to a race...

all my life,
But Andy, those photos are just great!
The link above: talk about a taste of the 1960's.

I drive by Aquasco every day (for 22 years)...why was the track abandoned?
I drove back there once but didn't get too far.
I will have a peek at it from Google earth.

Thanks for some great local history.

 

[willie]

There were lots of black racers in the 60s. The segregation piece was just about facilities. But, you're right, let's not bring that up. It's not about segregation, that's nothing in comparrison to the history - it's about good ole' fashioned hard knuckle bar-none racing!

I'm pretty sure I'm right about Old Dominion though. Aquasco has always been known as the first quarter-mile dragstrip on the East Coast. :shrug:

Washingtonpost.com: At Old Dominion, Gores Are a Brood on the Move

Al Gore owns Old Dominion Speedway/dragstrip so must have invented drag racing.

 

[Hessian]

Wait...

Algore owns a speedway?...read article,...older wiser Al Gore owns it.

When are they switching to solar powered races?
Will they auction carbon offsets?

This is rich....if only the environmentally sensitive one owned it..

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

all my life,
But Andy, those photos are just great!
The link above: talk about a taste of the 1960's.

I drive by Aquasco every day (for 22 years)...why was the track abandoned?
I drove back there once but didn't get too far.
I will have a peek at it from Google earth.

Thanks for some great local history.

I've already talked to Vrai, when I publish the article, it will be featured online at Southern Maryland Online. Going to work on it at the track this weekend, since I'll have the new laptop.

If anybody has any memories or stories about the Aquasco Speedway, PM me or email me at andymarquis@gmail.com or andymarquis@somd.us.

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

all my life,
But Andy, those photos are just great!
The link above: talk about a taste of the 1960's.

I drive by Aquasco every day (for 22 years)...why was the track abandoned?
I drove back there once but didn't get too far.
I will have a peek at it from Google earth.

Thanks for some great local history.

There are conflicting stories on what led to the demise of the Aquasco Speedway.

One says the town passed noise restrictions, and racing at the old speedway ended just like that. The other one, more likely, is that the track just couldn't compete with Budds Creek. The track closed in the 1970s.

The Aquasco Speedway is now privately owned. Like I said, I had no problem getting these photos or doing this story because I sought permission from the neighbors and did everything legally and ethically. The stories of people being shot at for entering that property will get to you. But, I made it a point to seek the owner of the property before I took any pictures or did anything else.

It's not worth re-opening either. As beautiful as it was, it's got to remain that way. It would cost millions to rebuild the speedway, and it would never be able to compete with Maryland International Raceway.

 

[clevalley]

There are conflicting stories on what led to the demise of the Aquasco Speedway.

One says the town passed noise restrictions, and racing at the old speedway ended just like that. The other one, more likely, is that the track just couldn't compete with Budds Creek. The track closed in the 1970s.

The Aquasco Speedway is now privately owned. Like I said, I had no problem getting these photos or doing this story because I sought permission from the neighbors and did everything legally and ethically. The stories of people being shot at for entering that property will get to you. But, I made it a point to seek the owner of the property before I took any pictures or did anything else.

It's not worth re-opening either. As beautiful as it was, it's got to remain that way. It would cost millions to rebuild the speedway, and it would never be able to compete with Maryland International Raceway.

I use to MX there in the late 80's, the place was neat and really family oriented.

I always heard it shut down because of noise restrictions with a biatchy neighbor... the first sentence kinda regurgitates what I always heard - the writer Tim Titcomb is an older experienced racer who knows this track...

Andy, if you could get hold of Tim Titcomb he might shed some light into the demise of Aquasco for your story. :shrug: His e-mail addy is at the bottom of this page... AHRMA-MA Masters of Motocross

 

[OldHillcrestGuy]

great pic thanks for sharing check these out too andy Aquasco Speedway

Great story.

Alot of the Procopio's lived in Hillcrest Heights, I delevered newspaper to Al Procopio lived next street over from me as a kid.

 

[6704gto]

ive got some pictures from a buddy of mine who i use to work with,im trying as we speak to scan them.he took these back in the late 60s/early 70s

 

[6704gto]

here is a couple,it is a 69 firebird ,65 gto,and malcom durhams 68 funny car,and his 69 camaro