By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

HELENA–Many Helena residents know the history behind the Old Town area, the railroad tracks and the devastating Helena tornado in 1933, but some might not recall the quarter-mile drag strip that was used in the city for nearly a decade in the 1950s and 1960s.

The Helena Museum, located at 5260 Helena Road, houses thousands of old Helena photographs, artifacts, exhibits and more depicting the way of life in Helena dating as far back as the 1800s.

Over the last few months, Helena Museum director and curator Ken Penhale, along with the help of many others, recently added an exciting new exhibit commemorating the old Helena Drag Strip at the museum.

The actual location of the old Helena Drag Strip used to sit behind what is currently Gospel Light Baptist Church in Helena on Roy Drive right off Shelby County 58, according to Penhale.

The exhibit features photos of the old drag strip, photos and names of former drivers, old newspaper clippings revealing results of races, pictures of old model wagons and funny cars and more.

“One of the guys who really started it was Charles Griffin,” said Penhale. “He donated a trophy and a brochure and it just grew from there. We started contacting the other guys who use to race there and they came up with old photographs and trophies and it kept growing.”

Another driver who contributed a large portion to the Helena Drag Strip exhibit was Charles Portera, according to Penhale. Portera donated numerous photographs and trophies.

“None of these guys here are from Helena and most live in Birmingham, Anniston, Gadsden,” Penhale said regarding the photos of the drivers at the museum.

The names of the old cars in the photos had a variety of names including White Lightnin’, Redneck, Slow Poke and Swamp Rat.

Penhale said that near the end of the month, the former drivers would come back and meet at the Helena Museum to share old memories and photographs.

The Helena Museum is open every Saturday and by reservation. To reserve a time to tour the museum and the new Helena Drag Strip exhibit, call 369-1448.