Westhampton Raceway

This 1947 Ford convertible belonged to a friend of Ken Bausert from the 116th Street Garages. "On the west side of the 116th street and Atlantic Avenue in Richmond Hill was a repair shop called "Doggler's Repair Shop." A couple of my friends in the area worked there. A lot of the houses that were on Atlantic Avenue had garages on the east side of 116th Street. My friends would rent those garages to work on their cars. One of them was always there working on their cars, so people would often stop by there to have a look or hang out." Built to go, the 47 Ford was powered by a late model Buick OHV 8 engine. Ken snapped this photo on his way to the Westhampton Drags. Photo from The Ken Bausert Photo Collection.

A photo of the first incarnation of Ken Bausert's "Mint Julep," taken at Westhampton Speedway in 1961. Back in the 1950s and the 1960s, anyone with a hot rod or custom car on Long Island headed to a dragstrip at Westhampton most Sundays. Westhampton Speedway was a ¼ mile track where cars raced in classes outlined by the car's type and weight, engine size, and extent of modifications overall. Billy Stein and Ed Talerine are sitting in the Merc in the photo. Photo from The Ken Bausert Collection.