All that was missing were the Nitro fumes!! On Saturday, May 10 the IMRRC’s first Center Conversation program of the season was presented to a large, enthusiastic crowd of ‘Straight Line’ fans. Dean Johnson, the promoter of the track from 1964 to the track’s closing in 1974 and Jim Oddy, long time competitor at the track as well as drag strips around the country – and a member of both the NHRA and the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame – were the featured speakers and both took the audience back to the “Golden Age” of drag racing.
The iconic SUNDAY…NIAGARA radio ad boomed throughout the auditorium to both open and close the program. Camaro and Corvette competition drag cars were displayed outside the Center by the folks from Skyline Dragway in Tioga Center. Dean generously donated a huge collection of photo albums and other Niagara Dragway memorabilia to the Research Center several years ago, and those fantastic images and the commentary from Dean and Jim took the audience back to another era of racing as well as a very entertaining few hours. A great program and a fun afternoon enjoyed by many. If you weren’t there in person, the entire program can be found on the IMRRC’s YouTube channel.