There’s a dragstrip in Maine, just a few miles south of Bangor, called Winterport Dragway. It has the flavor of the hundreds of regional strips that once covered the country, and it’s doing its best to keep grassroots drag racing alive in New England.
On August 19-21, 2022, the second running of the Pinetree Jamboree is coming back to Winterport Dragway for three days of old-time drag racing.
Last year, more than 50 traditional roadsters, coupes, sedans, and pickups showed up at the first Pinetree Jamboree for three full days of heads-up drag racing exclusively for flathead-powered hot rods. Presented by the Tornados Car Club of New England, the event brings back the vibe of drag racing’s earliest days with a unique event for period-built four-, six-, eight-, and 12-cylinder rods, rail jobs, stock cars, and customs.
The Pinetree Jamboree is the brainchild of Tornados members Eli English and Pete Flaven. “We wanted to do something more than a parking lot show,” Flaven said. “We wanted a grassroots event with a relaxed, chill vibe—a family event, but also appealing to the hardcore hot-rod guys who are into drag racing.”
The first day of the Pinetree Jamboree was dedicated to tech inspections and test-and-tune passes down Winterport’s 1/8-mile strip. Competition commenced on Saturday, drawing approximately 50 racers from several well-known East Coast clubs, and from as far as North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Ohio. Saturday evening ended with live entertainment and, because it’s Maine, an authentic lobster bake. The flatheads fired up again on Sunday for a final full day of racing.
Drag Racing in New England
New England has a strong drag racing history. Regional tracks, many located at municipal airports, were testbeds for performance as well as places where local clubs could compete with each other while celebrating the camaraderie of hot-rodding. It’s this history that the Tornados brought back with the Pinetree Jamboree.
Winterport Dragway was established in 1967 on a former airfield that dates back to the early ’40s. Today, the weathered bleachers, classic timing tower, and old-time signage maintain the track’s heritage—and the sound of vintage engines warming up as they wait to battle it out on the drag strip completes the experience of a trip back in time.
Flatties Only
It was English’s idea to make it the event exclusively for flatheads. He and Flaven found that many tracks don’t welcome traditional cars due to strict tech requirements created for faster cars. Winterport Dragway is an unsanctioned independent track, “literally in middle-of-nowhere Maine,” as Flaven told us. The rules there promote safety, but accommodate early rods.
English calls Winterport a sacred place. “This is a part of drag racing that has been forgotten, the cars you would have seen running back at the beginning,” he said. “At other vintage races, a flathead car might run against a big-block Camaro. It’s no contest. We wanted to have a level field for flathead cars, where people could compete against each other with the same kind of car on the same playing field and just have a good time. It can be competitive, but it’s not about winning or losing. It’s about just being able to do this like it would have been done back in 1955.”
Back in Time
We asked why racing “like it was done in 1955” still appeals to hot-rodders.
“It’s simplicity,” Flaven said. “There is a huge part of the population that just wants to have a weekend of no technology. No phones. No laptops. That’s the appeal of flatheads. As the world of technology propels people forward, this event transports people back in time.”
Another big appeal is the camaraderie. English told us about racers breaking parts and getting help from other racers or from swap meet vendors at the event, then working all night to get their cars together so they could be back in the lanes the next day.
The Past Is Back for 2022
Rodders are already wrenching on their flathead-powered hot rods in preparation for the 2022 Pinetree Jamboree. This summer’s program will feature an eliminations runoff ladder, but racers can opt out and make noncompetitive passes all weekend just for fun or to dial-in their cars. “Racers who want to compete in the runoff can, and those who don’t can just get back in line and run as much as they want,” English explained. “We’ll have a way to mark the cars to let the tower know who is in eliminations and who is racing as a non-competitor.” Even the competitive eliminations races will be more relaxed than many racers are used to. “We don’t want this to be a ‘you lose and you’re done’ event. Racers will get three tries before they’re eliminated.”
Whether you’re a racer or a spectator, plan on heading to Winterport, Maine, for a weekend of good-old-days grassroots flathead drag racing. Just set your GPS for 1955 and follow the directions to the 2022 Pinetree Jamboree.
Keyword: Flathead Engines Only: Vintage ’50s-Style Hot Rod Drag Racing in Maine