30 Most Recent Information Updates

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Latest Information Updates

Spartan Twin Theater
Entry Date: 5/13/2008 - Scott: This was a good theater, with large screens. In the early 70''s it was very popular. I saw "The Sting", there and the place was packed.

Elmwood Plaza 8 Theaters
Entry Date: 5/13/2008 - Aaron Irvine: The Theater is now a Zap Zone, A place for laser tag and so on. The Building looks almost exactly like it did when it was a theater.

Flint Cinema
Entry Date: 5/13/2008 - Scott: This theater had only 2 screens, which were wide-screens, and made for great viewing. I saw Patton and Raiders of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom here. I would have rated the theater 5 stars, but the popcorn was terrible.

US-131 Dragway
Entry Date: 5/12/2008 - Vicky Lietzke: We just went to the Thunder Nationals this past Saturday at what used to be the US131 Dragstrip. It''s called the Knoll Gas Motorplex now, but it is an awesome place to be! Great racing, great facilities! Very clean and extremely family friendly! Would recommend this place to anyone who wants to go out and have some fun with the family!

Ubly Dragway
Entry Date: 5/12/2008 - Bill: How about if we just have the the BAY CITY ROLLERS all go up to NORTHERN DRAGWAY and have a race.

Ubly Dragway
Entry Date: 5/12/2008 - DENNIS AND LINDA JANOWIAK: ATTENTION UBLY DRAG WAY FANS AND RACERS...WE HATE TO INFORM YOU BUT...THE BAY CITY ROLLERS HAVE BEEN CANCELED FOR THE 18TH OF MAY, WE ARE PLANNING ON RESCHEDULING.

Motor City Dragway
Entry Date: 5/12/2008 - Doug Pentzien: I worked from 1966 until the closing of Detroit Dragway and MCD as a starter and fire crew for any of the fuel shows at both tracks. Contact me as I have numerous photos and memories of all the years and fun times at the tracks.

Shelby Theater
Entry Date: 5/12/2008 - Brad Cook: I managed this theatre when it first opened in the Spring of 1974. It opened with "9 Lives of Fritz the Cat" which was an X rated cartoon and it did not go over with the people of Shelby Township. Because of that opening the people would not patronize the theatre, therefore the Shelby Theatre was short lived. I believe it stayed opened 2 or 3 years at most. It was a nice small twin theatre and I had a great crew working for me, good luck to all of you, where ever you may be, specially Steve Dudock. Hope you are doing well.

Auto City Speedway
Entry Date: 5/12/2008 - Sean Fitzgerald: Better field of cars last night (Friday). Went here instead of Toledo, because the Factory Stocks and Led sleds and Modifieds at AC are every bit as fun as the supers at Toledo and I was rewarded with great, sometimes 4 wide racing. The 1/3 mile in the center is awesome. Camaro fighting broke out in the factory Stocks and it was a great show. On the waty there I stopped at the whistle Stop Diner in Clio, had a great sandwhich and the older waitress, who was a doll, told me how her girlfriend was engaged to Al Kookla and broke it off casue he refused to quit racing. He got in an accident right after that she says, and she thought he was killed. He is alive as I saw him race there last year. the only driver still racing there that raced there on opening night according to larry Lyons.
Stop in at teh whistle Stop for dinner on the way to the track. I guarantee you like it a lot better than Mickie Dees or Subway

Gem Theater
Entry Date: 5/12/2008 - Sean Fitzgerald: i stopped in at the Whistle Stop cafe next door and had a sandwhich on my way to Auto City Speedway last night. the older waitress had great info on the theatre which she wrote down and i will post. She also had great info on Al Kookla who raced at AC. The Whistle Stop has a great Turkey on Rye w swiss. mmmmm

Spartan Speedway
Entry Date: 5/12/2008 - Ron Gross: We made our first visit this year, had a great time as expected. The Super Late Model race was won by a very fast 16 year old, Chad Finley. The Modified race had a driver getting a little fired up, after getting spun out, he jumped out and whipped his helmet at the offender. The fans loved it! The pony stocks were as wild as ever, beatin'' and bangin'' and going five-wide on the back stretch. Other than the pony stocks, the fields were pretty small. Must be Michigans economy and gas prices.

Silverdome Drive-In Theater
Entry Date: 5/10/2008 - Roy Munson: Tear down the dome, build a Walmart, CVS, Rite-Aid and Walgreens there. Can''t get enough of those. Maybe a bowling allley too. Move those those drive-in screens out in the sticks somewhere AWAY from Pontiac and all that light pollution.

Ubly Dragway
Entry Date: 5/10/2008 - DENNIS AND LINDA JANOWIAK: FINALLY.....................WE HAVE SOME NEWS!!!! THE TIMING SYSTEM WILL BE HERE MAY19TH THEY FIGURE 4 DAYS TO INSTALL................THEN WE CAN OPEN!!!! WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE GUARD RAIL, ANYBODY WHO HAS A FREE SATURDAY OR SUNDAY AND WANTS TO HELP YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME. JUST GIVE US A CALL YOUR HELP WILL BE APPRECIATED VERY MUCH. WE HAVE RACERS DROPPING BY OFF AND ON HELPING...THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE...OURS WAS RUNNNING PRETTY SLIM. WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THE SYSTEM AS IT GOES ALONG. AGAIN THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE. ANY QUESTIONS GIVE US A CALL.

Northern Michigan Dragway
Entry Date: 5/10/2008 - Brian Ledford: Thanks Nick.. at $4 a gallon I don''t imagine too many northern racers will be driving all the way down there. Wish you guys the best of luck though!

NMD opens season with AFTER HOURS STREET DRAGS this FRIDAY! First BRACKET RACE of the season Saturday!

www.northernmichigandragway.net

Ubly Dragway
Entry Date: 5/10/2008 - Brian Ledford: TSI is located in Kentucky - they have great timing systems and Tom Haggin has always treated us well, traveling to Michigan to help us get going quite a few years ago. Hope all goes great for Ubly - will always have fond memories of the place and hope to get back there for a visit sometime!

Auto City Speedway
Entry Date: 5/10/2008 - Sean Fitzgerald: That is great to hear John, thanks. I live near the D and I haven''t heard anything on our sports stations, one of which does a nascar show. WDFN on Tuesday Nights. I constantly call in and try and pimp AC to the listeners, but AC needs to advertise outside it''s limited market. i drive 200 miles round trip to AC and if more people knew about it , they would too. But keep listening and keep me posted please. I was going to go to Toledo this friday for the supers, but that place just feels wrong compared to the friendly confines of AC. See you friday at AC.

Livonia Mall Cinema
Entry Date: 5/8/2008 - Matt: The theater is now closed. Livonia Mall will now be demolished except for Sears and Joann Fabric store. The free standing Bakers Square restaurant will allso remain.

There are sign on the Lionvia Mall doors with this message.

Livonia Mall is closing on May 31, 2008. Thank you for 44 years of business.

Here is a story from the Livonia Observer....

http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080507/NEWS10/80507023/1027

Sears to stay open during mall demolition
Alex Lundberg

The Livonia Mall, which has been in decline for many years, is about to get a radical facelift and its biggest tenant, Sears, will be open throughout the mall’s demolition and reconstruction.

“There was an agreement that the demolition and rebuilding of the mall property can occur without disrupting the onoing operations of the Sears store,” said Livonia Mayor Jack Kirksey. “Sears will continue to be a valued part of the new mall.”

According to representatives of Konover South, the company that owns and manages the Livonia Mall, the remainder of the tenant stores have been given until the end of May to move on.
Kirksey said demolition will start soon.
“Probably sometime in mid-June there will be work there,” he said. “But just on the west side of the mall.”
What that means is that the east side of the mall, the Sears side, will not be touched at all. Sears owns not only the building it operates in but also the ground it sits on.
Konover South officials have said in the past they planned to raze everything but the Sears site to begin redeveloping the property.
Kirksey, during his State of the City address earlier this year, urged residents to join a letter-writing campaign that quickly got the attention of Sears management. The idea was to urge the retailer to participate in the renovation or to sell and leave the property.
Since then, Kirksey called off the letter-writing campaign and joined with other city officials to visit with Sears representatives in Chicago try to come to an agreement about the future of the Livonia store.
“I couldn’t have been more pleased with the progress and spirit of cooperation of the Sears management and the developers,” Kirksey said.
The exact details of what will be built on the rest of the mall site are still being fleshed out.
Two other businesses on the mall property that are not part of the physical structure are going to stay open. Both Baker’s Square and Jo-Ann Fabrics will not be touched and are not closing during the demolition, Kirksey said.

Bayland Speedway
Entry Date: 5/8/2008 - Sean Fitzgerald: Oh my goddness, enclosed grandstands with real seats? Sweet

Silverdome Drive-In Theater
Entry Date: 5/8/2008 - Sean Fitzgerald: Tear down the dome, build a drive in slash 1/2 mile stockcar track.

Mid-Michigan Motorplex
Entry Date: 5/8/2008 - Pat: Rod, you was way to low on your figures,last week i hauled up to the track ,spent over $200 for gas to make it there and back. i''m all done for the year.I just can''t afford to waste my money like that.sorry

Auto City Speedway
Entry Date: 5/8/2008 - josh: I just heard a radio ad for Auto City the other day advertising the legends. I think Saturday was when I heard it, not sure. I don''t remember what station.

Woods 6
Entry Date: 5/8/2008 - tootsie: With my friends, we rode our bicycles (about 11:30am) from Mack/Brys to the Woods Theater...approx. two/three miles?

We''d lock our bikes to one of the racks and it was not uncommon for at least one or more of us to lack the $.25 admission fee.
One of us would pay to get in, then sneak to either of the exit doors next to the movie screen that opened up to the parking lot at the rear, and crack the door for the others.
We got away with it virtually every time we tried.

My mother used to give me $.30 or .35.
A quarter for admission, and a nickel for candy.
This was summertime 1963/64/65.

Like an earlier poster said, us kids spent the whole afternoon at the show.
Three Stooges & other various shorts, cartoons, and two movies. (one was the ''main feature'')

Just a side note, Suzy Quattro (Happy Days) family lived right on Mack Ave., about a block or two down from the theater on the other side of the street.
Her father was the organist at Olympia hockey games.

Edgewater Park
Entry Date: 5/8/2008 - tootsie: At age 12, I have to admit the Wild Mouse at Edgewater kind of scared me.

Watching from below, the Mouse cars travelled at breakneck speed directly at a 90 degree corner 30 or 40 feet off the ground.
All the weight & momentum of the cars & passengers had to make a left or right turn at full speed.
It seemed unnatural & fought against the laws of physics (to a 12 yr old).

While standing in line observing the ride worker loading a car which seated 10 passengers (2 x 2, side-by-side), the employee made sure everybody''s ''handlebar'' had moved toward the rear, effectively pinning each car''s occupants to their seat. That handlebar also gave passengers something to hold onto.

He then walked over to a lever and pulled...the Mouse car began to move, it''s railroad-style wheels proceeding along the ''track''.
Having only travelled a few feet the car began to come off the track.
The worker saw this & hurried over to the slowly moving Mouse car, he gave the car a ''smack'' with his hip & the car went back on track.

Two minutes later that same car was taking those 90 degree turns at breakneck speed.
I got out of line and never rode the Wild Mouse again.

East Side Drive-In Theater
Entry Date: 5/8/2008 - Brad Cook: I worked at the East Side in the early 70''s. It was my first job and I loved it only making a $1.00 an hour. I work during the day doing maintenance and at night as an usher. I also gave kids a ride on the train in the play ground before the movie started. I worked there when Summer of 42 first came out and it was a sell out. Cars backed up to 7 mile road waiting to get in. Those years will always be the best years of my life.

Auto City Speedway
Entry Date: 5/8/2008 - Randy: it is deamed to be great weather for the weekend and AUTO CITY SPEEDWAY will be racing FRI & SAT this weekend (9th & 10th).
Two great nights of racing.
Friday will be Modifieds and other classes and Saturday will be the fire breathing winged warriors of the AUTO VALUE SUPER SPRINTS plus regular racing as well.
Hope to see you there.....

Mt. Clemens Race Track
Entry Date: 5/8/2008 - Shane Pennington: Mt. Clemens Raceway is my dad''s favorite track. He virtually grew up there, as my grandfather raced there every once in a while (as far as I know). My dad even drove a Stroh''s pace car around the track! I was wondering if anyone had any pictures of Jerry Pennington at Mt. Clemens Raceway, it would be great to see those again! Thanks!

Ubly Dragway
Entry Date: 5/8/2008 - Shane Pennington: My dad CANNOT wait to test out his new dragster. It''s like it''s Christmas time again! Lol. BTW, my family plans on goin to Ubly even if it costs us $5 for regular unleaded!!

Motor City Dragway
Entry Date: 5/6/2008 - tootsie: It''s really a shock to see a picture of the Funny Car - Cougar Country.
Although, the picture doesn''t do justice to just how beautiful that Cougar was.

I sat in the stands breathing the sweet smell of nitro-methane fuel/exhaust emitted by the two contestants (I don''t remember who the opponent was).
As the light turned green & tires sent their clouds of burning rubber into the air they both did wheelies.
The competitor regained four-tire traction & roared down the 1/4 mile track.
But that''s not who we were watching.

Cougar Country accelerated before the front wheels landed. The tires bounced as the vehicle continued to pick up speed. Suddenly, it lost control careening from side-to-side. At over 100 mph it''s fiberglas body started breaking apart.

The car edged toward the stands. Pieces of fender & hood flung into the air, landing among the spectators. Traversing the small barrier fence it slammed into the front of the bleachers. Little chunks of Funny Car flying everywhere.

Finally it rolled & flipped & skidded to a stop. Only the frame/cage remained.
To everybody''s amazement, the driver (with a little help from rescuers) walked away unharmed.

Thankfully, (to my knowledge) nobody sitting in the stands were injured either.

If I remember correctly, admission was only $4 and parking free.
Best $$$ I ever spent.

Northern Michigan Dragway
Entry Date: 5/6/2008 - nick: Just want to let everyone know THE UBLY DRAGWAY will be open may 18

Airport Drive-In Theater
Entry Date: 5/6/2008 - Chris Walk: I used to catch movies at this drive-in back in the late 60s. After the screen was torn down, the projection house was used for office space by Simmons Airlines. I worked there until 1991 when I was transferred to Texas when AMR bought the airline.

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