Stories - Memories from Ken Thibodeaux

Someone told me about the Biloxi Dragway site recently. Viewing the site brought back many good memories. I grew up on the Westbank of New Orleans as a youngster. I started going to the strip in the late 50's. Around 1961 I belonged to a car club called the Westside Chariots. Harvey Walters, from Gretna, purchased or leased the track around that time. We had about 10-15 members in the club and Harvey payed the club $75.00 a race for us to come work the race. I was the flagman. It was some of the greatest times I had growing up. At the time I think I was in the 10th. or 11th. grade. Several of us used to go to the local drive-in, (Nelson's in Gretna, "Happy Days"). We would stay there till about midnight on Saturday and then head for Biloxi. The fog/smog was always so thick on the Chef Hwy coming out of New Orleans that it would take us hours to get to Biloxi. We would have to drive 15-20 mph it was so thick. There was a room above the consession stand and we would sleep in it until the next morning. I remember Glen Cupit was the man back then. I remember flagging both Boogie Scott and Paul Vanderley when they eached crashed their dragsters. I remember Don Gay just starting to race and coming to Biloxi to learn. I think his dad bought a car from Hayden Proffitt and they would tow to Biloxi from Houston and Proffitt would meet them there and toutor Gay. I dont have many pictures from the track at that time but The few I can identify are C.J. Kerney, I think Louis Carden from Alabama?, 4th Street Auto Wreckers from Harvey, La.,Andy Zanka's 53 Vette, Boogie Scott's 32 Coupe, Howard Harris' 31 Coupe from Bridge City. I also have some pics from Houma and Hammond Drags around 1962. At Houma they raced at the old wwII blimp base (Before Sauthland Dragway) and in Hammond they raced at the airport. Would love to send you pics but I am not that computer savey and these are old snapshots in an alblum I have. Will share any other memories I have later if anything pops up in this old brain. Keep up the good work with the web site.

- Ken Thibodeaux