Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! US 30 Drag Strip Reunion

In the 1960s, hot rods with names like “No Big Thing,” “Gearbox,” “Breakout,” and “Old Injun” would show their stuff at local race tracks. One of the best loved in the Midwest was the US30 Drag Strip.

On a cloudy Sunday in September, race fans gathered to honor the iconic drag strip. The track, which is no longer in existence, was located in Hobart, Indiana, and drew racers from across the Midwest.

The AHRA counted US30 as one of its flagship courses. Chicago’s WLS radio would enthusiastically advertise the event: “Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! At smokin’ US30 Drag Strip . . . where the great ones run!”

The track opened in 1957, some say maybe even 1954, in the early days of organized racing. Located near Chicago and in the race-crazed state of Indiana, US 30 became a social gathering for three decades of faithful fans until it closed in 1984.

The Sunday show was an anticipated reunion of old friends, as fans swapped stories and showed photos of the glory days of racing. Dave Janosz, now of Tampa, FL, said, “The track was special because it was my first introduction to the world of drag racing. For me it was magical. The sounds, sights, and smells were intoxicating to me.”

The reunion drew a variety of cars (and their owners) that used to race US30. On display was a 1941 blown Willys Coupe, “Gearbox,” owned by Tom Gearhart, of Griffith, IN, and Randy Tavoletti, South Chicago Heights, IL. The coupe was raced in the 60s and 70s. Gearhart said, “When we bought the car it was a basket case.” After restoration, “it has been racing ever since” at tracks like Wiley, KY; US 66 in Joliet; and Byron, IL.

Their buddy, Chris DeYoung, of Glenwood, IL, also raced US 30 in the 60s; he was 21-years-old. “It’s not like it is today,” said DeYoung. “We’d live in the back of our trucks for the three-day meets. I remember taking baths in the creek.”

One interesting fact about US30 Drag Strip is that a racer named Ron Pellegrini claims to have raced the first “funny car” there. At the reunion, Bruce Zirzow of LaPorte, IN, brought his orange Cougar funny car. Although the car was built in the mid-60s, Zirzow acquired it in 1988. “I didn’t know they made Cougars into funny cars when I was a kid.”

Tony and Sue VerHulst, owners of “Old Injun,” a 1956 Pontiac with a 389 engine, first met each other in a garage. Their Pontiac, a former race car, is now their daily driver. Curious about the name, the couple drove all the way to Oklahoma to meet the original owner. “Old Injun” was built in the 60s. In 1975, it had already garnered nearly 300 trophies. They want to restore it. “We’re trying to get it back to how it was in the early 60s,” said Tony.

A few sprinkles and overhanging clouds did little to dim the enthusiasm of the crowd. US30 may have disappeared from the racing circuit, but her memory lives strong in the hearts of these die-hard race fans.

Mary McLeod Bethune: She Has Given Her Best

I first heard about Mary McLeod Bethune when I was a student at Moody Bible Institute. She was an early graduate of my college - and an African American woman. I knew she had gone on to become one of the greatest women in our country. She was so well known that she earned the status of being featured on our postage stamps. But I didn't really know much about her. As I researched Mary McLeod Bethune for my book, When Others Shuddered: Eight Women Who Refused to Give Up . I learned a bit more about her remarkable life: She was the 15th of 17 children, born to former slaves. From an early age, she hungered for education. She graduated from Moody Bible Institute with a desire for missionary service to Africa - an opportunity she was denied because of her race. Undeterred, she started a school for African American girls in Daytona Beach, Florida, that went on to become Bethune Cookman University. She was asked to work with Franklin D. Roosevelt and led many African Am

Pacific Garden Mission: A Bed, A Meal and the Bright Light of Hope

In 1877, a woman named Sarah Dunn Clarke and her newly-wedded husband George started a rescue mission on Chicago’s south side. They were wealthy, but their hearts were broken by the men and women who struggled to survive on the city’s streets. The Pacific Garden Mission is the 2 nd oldest operating rescue mission in the United States. Now located on 14 th St and Canal – just south of Chicago’s loop – they offer shelter to as many as a thousand men and women on any given night. As part of my book research to understand how the work of Sarah Clarke continues today, I visited the mission with my friend Dawn Pulgine. Entering through the side, we felt a bit out of our element. Men, black and white, old and young, clustered near the doorway. Some carried bags of personal belongings. Others were working the desk and security. It was mid-day at the Mission. We were given a tour by one of the “program men” – residents who choose to stay and live at the

My Life as a Cosplay Mom

Cosplay?! What's that? When I tell people that my teenage daughter loves to cosplay, they often have no idea what I'm talking about. About five years ago, my daughter created her first costume to attend a cosplay convention. What I quickly learned is that her love for "cosplay" (defined as costume play) would definitely involve her mom! Together, we have made countless trips to the fabric and craft store as I learned to sew, trace, and glue, create patterns from scratch, and apply stage make-up. In the photo to the left, you can see my husband and I, with our daughter, in full Pokemon cosplay. Attending ACEN (Anime Central) at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, two mild-mannered parents were instantly transformed into Team Magma. Our daughter had full design control, helping me create our group costume. Apparently we did it right, because the moment we entered the conference center, we were stopped for photos. Milt and I had to fake i

Jamie Janosz

Search This Blog