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Danny's Corner

Danny's Spring Vacation

by Danny White (4/97)

Before I tell you about my vacation excursion, I need to mention, under penalty of death, that my good friends Billy and Mary Helen Hughes of Tyler, Texas, are due to have a baby in August. Congratulations! The last day of my vacation was today. I was just killing time and started driving west. I went to Denton and checked out the drag strip built late last year. It is the shortest drag strip I have seen in a while, probably has 1000 ft of shutdown area. I heard the track records were 3.69 jet dragster by Marvin Celsur and 5.02 Pro Modified by Gaylen Smith. I had the bright idea of heading south to see what Green Valley looks like and on the way, I got to see the new super speedway Texas Motor Speedway. I personally believed Bruton Smith spent more Money on his sign than he spent on the entire new drag strip and the building is still going on at Bruton's track! After BS'ing my way to find Green Valley from the north side I got on Loop 820 and went the way I knew by memory. I made it there finally, but not before passing Texas Harley Davidson of Don Smith who ironically had his truck and trailer setting outside in Euless.

I got to North Richland Hills and turned north by Hudiburg Chevrolet. I took a left on Davis Blvd (it used to be 'Road') and went north farther 'til I came to this old store that has been there for years but has been updated severely. I took a left on Smithville Road to go to Smithville, a town that no longer exists due to the zoning change that closed down Green Valley. I drive north on this road that used to be a two-lane road, now four lanes. I begin to wonder if I am on the wrong road because it is all houses now...'til I get to Green Valley Road. I breathe I sigh of relief because I know I am close. I turn a corner and see the end of the track.

The house there has been torn down and the road narrows in to the old two-lane after passing the new school built on one corner of the track. There are new houses where it used to be all woods across the drag strip. Being a Valley, you see everything that used to be drag strip. Sixty percent of the track is still there. The strip itself is there, but at the finish line, concrete barriers left over from the road racing course are across the track, blocking the shutdown hill. The cattle still are on the spectator side and houses take up one half of the pit area. A road has been built on the north side of the track where the north staging lanes were. A gravel and culvert contractor is on part of the old staging lanes. Mesquite trees are growing all over the place now. It was sad to see it that way. The tower was gone -- so were the stands -- but the infamous overpass is still there. Green Valley, even depleted, is still as large as Ennis, which is just amazing. 

Danny ddgw@valornet.com

 




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