Dave Crane, he of the cool drag racing museum in Michigan, has reported the passing of Ken Sears a member of Onondaga Dragway's founding family after a long cancer battle. This is really sad news.I worked at Onondaga beginning in 1962. One Sunday in 63, the Greek calls Ken Sears. Seems he'd had a disagreement with Detroit Dragway's Gil Kohn over a pass made by the Loukas & Priesing coupe there and had proceeded to mow down Gil's clocks on his next pass! Greek tells Sears that if he'll hold the crowd for 2 more hours, the Greek will tow to Onondaga and run the track's first 200 - off the trailer! It was already 5PM but I did and he did.The entire Sears family - three generations of them - were involved in that track. Straight-forward, hard working people of modest means who had a dream and made it work. Many good memories of that place. This is a sad day for me. Ken Sears was my friend.The track was closed and abandoned in 1982; it became a feedlot. Just below is a URL to an amatuer video of recent very laid back drag racing there. Very fundamental racing and nothing organized, no clocks and "Pinks" style starts; but racing nonetheless. Kinda neat. http://www.blip.tv/file/2639551
updated by @jon-w-lundberg-sr: 12/05/16 08:51:01AM
