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Introduction
In A Nutshell
THE ERA
Mission Statement
Aerial Views
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
# Car Clubs
# Aurora Autocrats
# Chrome Czars
# Illinois Valley Idlers
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Biography
James Dean
Don Garlits
Norb Locke
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The Era of the Oswego Dragway

Mission Statement: To research, record, document and preserve the personal histories of the young people from here in the Fox Valley and the Midwest who played a vital role in merging land speed racing and hot rodding creating modern drag racing. And also to simultaneously note the myriad of positive benefits that accrued to the lives and avocations of these young people by the very nature of their activities and labors at the track. Whew! Jay Thompson

"Safety was not a factor." - Sam Miske

"Checked all the records I have and can not find the exact results. Being the type of person I am I do not remember my wins, as I expected to win them all.

I do remember my losses and I don't remember losing to the Pontiacs. I almost sound like Prudhomme. If you notice in the picture Eddie had not mastered the slipping clutch yet, so I assume that I won. I raced every local hero (including Garlits, with the 4 engined car) and won the vast majority. As a matter of fact I do not remember losing any.

Last but not least, remember they are BUICKS and Eddie only had Blown Pontiacs."

- Ron Pellegrini

Coming!

The ‘Era’ Exhibit at the Oswego Drag Strip Festival, Downtown Oswego. Fri 4 - 8pm, Sat 12 - 8pm, Sun 12 - 4pm,  September 15-17, 2006. The next “Era” event will be held in conjunction with the 1st Annual Oswego Drag Strip Days that is September 16-17, 2006. The “Era” is an interactive, multi-media, guest racers, volunteer-enhanced exhibit recalling the 1950’s when young people from Fox Valley played a vital role in the evolution of land-speed racing and hot rodding to create modern drag racing. In fact we now believe that the Oswego Dragway is either the first, or one of the very first, privately-owned, purpose-built drag strips in the U.S. Note that for convenience the “Era” exhibit will also be open 4-8pm on Friday in addition to the Saturday and Sunday of the Drag Strip Days Festival in the middle of all of the Drag Days activities.

1st Annual Official Village of Oswego Drag Strip Days Festival Official t-shirt & Oswego Seneca Reunion Events. Call or email for more details.

Tell Us Your Story!

Email: jaysspeedshop@gmail.com

The Official Headquarters & Home Website of Oswego Dragway.

 DVD's of The Instigators, The Competitors, & The Barbarians available!

Oswego Antique Market - Historic Downtown Oswego

Wholesale Tire & Ground Effects - Yorkville

Official "The ERA" Biography Forms are available free at Oswego Antique Market - Oswego