Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: Vic Hubbard Drag Racing Footage Continue reading the Original Blog Post
Hey JB, Great footage of racing at what looked like the first Bakersfield Smokers March Meet in 1959. The Forsberg Family played a prominent part of that Bay Area legendary speed shop, Vic Hubbard. When I was attending college in 1965, Fremont was just up the freeway from San Jose. I spent a couple of times at the Fremont drags and at Vic Hubbard's Speed Shop(just a few miles north in Hayward.)...if not for parts, just because we read of them from our times at Lions Dragstrip in So Cal. I just had to see the famous place. We missed that first Bakersfield race, but attended the next one in 1960. Some of the race cars were in their early versions and were very fast for the times. Most of them came back the next year in 1960. Art Chrisman vs Tony Waters (in 1959)for the title was well documented. (in the film, there was the Speed Sport Roadster vs Mickey Brown in the Albertson Olds FED...that was a great race, I wish I had seen that one! The Mickey Brown/Albertson Olds race car was a terror at Lions in 59...) Jnaki Great history, great place and the Forsberg Family contributed quite a bit of Bay Area lore from way back then. Isn't history grand???
Jay - There's no conclusive evidence that any of the footage was shot at Fremont or Half Moon Bay ... Perhaps some was shot at Kingdon (in Lodi)? ... As Junji Nakamura already stated, some of the footage was definitely shot at Bakersfield.
On a somewhat related note, here's some footage of the "Vic Hubbard Special" (injected Chevy, Woody Gilmore) dragster at Fremont: ... and there's some more footage of it at Pomona in this video: ... and some stills of the car over the years: photographers unknown ... and on a side-note to this "somewhat related note" : In 1967 (i.e., beyond the scope of the H.A.M.B.), the "Vic Hubbard Special" Woody dragster ran a Don Stortroen prepared 426 Chrysler HEMI (borrowed from Ron Williams' "SHAKEY" flat bottom boat). In 1962, Don had moved from Spokane, WA to Fremont, CA ... he worked as a counterman at Vic Hubbard's Speed and Marine in Hayward ... continued to build engines and fabricate chassis ... and started his own company ("DONZ Enterprises") manufacturing custom oil pans, etc. (he was also a gifted heliarc welder). Don was a close family friend from the mid '60s until 1977 (when he moved from Fremont) ... in fact, in '74-'75, we built the 392 HEMI that our coupe still runs today in his Fremont (Warm Springs district) shop ... I have fond memories of those days! NOTE: Here's a cool (H.A.M.B. friendly) story about Don Stortroen driving the Thirfty Auto Supply Top Fuel dragster at the 1961 March Meet: The First Drag Racers to Ever Use Nitrous Oxide
One of my favorite Speed shops. Growing up in the valley the trip over to Hayward to look/buy cool speed stuff was always fun. Saw them race at both Freemont and Kingdon. Cool video. Early part looks like Kingdon with the hay bales, but that was the way many early tracks were.
At the end of the video noticed an Orange duel slick dragster, wonder how that worked out? wonder if he was any inspiration for the slicks used in today's dragsters Cool video
A customer of mine (late composer Al Illick, Aptos, CA.) had Jerry Light build him a 301 C.I. SBC for his '60 Corvette, mid-'60s. Many miles later, in 1972, I had the pleasure of rebuilding the 'tired' 301! Al's advanced age dictated lower compression pistons, milder cam, cast exhaust manifolds. (I drooled over the parts being removed, the VH pistons: 12:1s.)
Near the beginning of this you see a yellow Kaiser Darren. Had the dreaded SBC in it. I was in love with that car at the time. The story I heard at the time, was that the Darren had been bought, new by Frank Sinatra. Liked the car but thought it was a little slow. So he had a "warmed" Chevy installed. Liked it a lot better and drove it for the next few years. Moved on and the new owner started running it regularly around the Bay Area. I saw it at Half Moon Bay. It was a class car then and would be a class car now.