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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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