Abandoned Tri-City Dragway: Saginaw, Michigan

Stand by for a disclaimer:

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

The Tri-City Dragway is listed as being in two cities (Saginaw and Freeland), yet located in the same spot. The address is 7840 Sarle Road which is a Freeland address, but many still say Saginaw. So, for the sake of avoiding any argument, I'm dropping it.

Tri-City Dragway was a quarter-mile dragstrip built in 1965 by a Saginaw car dealer and located on the east end of the Tri-City Airport (currently known as MBS International). It opened for business in 1966.

All the big time drivers came to Tri-City, many believing it was Michigan's best strip. Main races took place on Sundays from April thru October.

As to why they closed, that's a story in itself. An event was scheduled in the spring of 1978, and racers had paid their entry fees to participate. Unfortunately, rain caused cancellation of the event and the racers believed their already-paid fees would carry over to the next event. They were wrong. The strip management denied their request for a fee carry-over and demanded they had to pay an additional fee for the following event. The track was boycotted by the drivers but the manager didn't care...he was not gonna change his mind. No drivers meant no races...no races meant no customers...no customers meant no money. Therefore, management closed the track down for good – whether it was due to lack of income, or stubbornness, the drags were gone.

FAST FACTS:
4500 feet long
60 feet wide
1966: The track opens
1978: The track closes
GM uses the track for test drives
1990: Efforts to re-open failed
Late 1990s: The airport buys the strip and its surrounding land
The strip occasionally holds classic car events

Now take a look at the abandoned strip!