Ryan, The trophies at Bonneville, don't have the location,,, I think most know where it is And with the Orange County, true, is it New York? Florida? Or So Cal???
I don't know anything about Barrow Goldberg, but I checked the self-published book by Leslie Long and Don Tuttle, which has the results of all the races at Orange County Airport Drag Races from 1950 thru 1956. (I think the track closed in 1959.) The results were published the following Monday in the Orange County Register. The book is basically copies of all those clippings. On March 13, 1955, it lists a winning coupe with a time of 123.95, same as on the trophy. It only lists the winner as "Howard Cans (sic) Special", so it looks like Mr. Goldberg was sponsored by Howard Cams. Maybe that can help sleuth out who he was. The trophies are gorgeous, quite an upgrade from the ones my dad won in 1951. Although the image on the trophies isn't exactly the same, it's quite similar to the image on the lapel pin that was given to all racers on the first anniversary of the drag strip's opening: The background story about this car was posted here, if you haven't already seen it: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/fathers-day-tribute.1231770/
That's why all of mine were given away 5 years ago. I knew I was the only one they meant anything to.
Same here gave them all away to a local kid about 12 that was the son of a friend of mine. The kid was a hellion and headed for big trouble so my friend asked it I could talk with him LOL. So I gave it a shot and took him along with me on a drag racing Sunday and gave him little things he could help out with while I ran, like picking up the time slips, spraying the radiator with water things like that. He was having a blast and I gave him the trophy I won that afternoon. I dropped the bomb on him on the way home ............... told him if he enjoyed what we did and he wanted to do it himself some day he would have to start trying in school and stay out of trouble or he would never get his drivers license. Happy to report his dad called a couple weeks later and said "what the hell did you do with him he is a completely different kid no problems from him anymore" He stayed on the straight and narrow and grew up to be a champion motorcycle racer and has a great family. One of my better moments over my lifetime.
Thanks for helping the youngster. Too many of us old timers won't take the time, and, or, effort to impart our knowledge to the younger crowd. A couple of years ago I attended a hot rod parts auction, and re-connected with an old acquaintance. After the auction we were talking about old times and what we had done. There were 3 younger guys, late 20's, early 30's listening to us for a couple of hours. Later when I got home, I got an e-mail from one of the young guys thanking us for letting them be with us and to enjoy our tales from days gone by. He said that most of the older guys would not even let them partake in any form at all. This e-mail means a lot to me, and I will always keep it in my computer. I feel that I am trying to do my part for the next group of people coming up. I am 80 years old, now it is their turn
Hello, The airport drags at the Santa Ana Dragstrip drew a lot of people from all over So Cal. My brother and his friends attended the races as it was the only show in town. (other than the Cherry Avenue performance drags location in Bixby Knolls.) The Santa Ana Drags location was one in a wide open space with nothing but orange tree groves surrounding it for miles. Today, on the opposite end of development, the only orange tree still around is in a nearby nursery/garden grounds, for sale, to be planted in a custom home’s backyard. In the 1955-65 era, those orange tree groves were still around, but disappearing fast. In doing some research, the only listed information comes from a 1955 copy of the local So Cal “Drag News” paper that was a favorite weekly publication. Sometimes, information gets lost or the copy editor leaves off some pertinent information. Other local city papers usually sends a cub reporter to showcase drag racing as an interesting side show going on in those orange groves, next to the real airport. The local Long Beach newspapers always had someone doing a similar report on occasion. So, information does wander in/out during all of the activity that goes on “at the drags.” Jnaki So, as different publications have their own reporting saga, the little guys that work so hard to win something or set a record or two, gets lost in the shuffle. The mystery continues even with information from the most wide read reporting from a local So Cal drag racing only newspaper. In August 1960, the reporter at the time, wrote that a C/Altered coupe blew a clutch and caught on fire, only to be wedged into the spectator’s side fence. That so called C/Altered was our own C/Gas 1940 Willys Coupe with a 671 SBC motor. It had just made a near class record setting run and was in the final race of the night to be the class champion. So, history provides us with memories, reported facts just gets “lost in translation.”
I would like to blend a little about OCIR raceway California, and trophies. What I have learned over the last many decades is that a trophy is earned for an accomplishment, the blood , sweat and tears that go into the accomplishment means something to that individual or individuals with that accomplishment, it means nothing to those that see a little marble and medal object that they have NO SKIN in the game.. I live by the MOTTO it is better to have been a competitor for a moment then a spectator for a life time, you were there, you were a part of something. It may have taken all your time , your money, your sanity, but OOOH the memories are what we look back at. Its never too late to make some good memories. A had rooms full of accomplishment rewarders- Dust Collectors, so over the past 10-20 years I decided to give back to the Bicycle, Motorcycle, Car , Boat communities by Re purposing these trophies. Watching the smiles of accomplishments from this next up and coming group was priceless! Remember when you got your first trophy for something? Back to trophies and family members, My father inlaw was one of the greatest motorcycle racers from the 40s - 60s when he passed His daughter threw away a dumpster load full... Made me sick but no vested interest and no effort was put forth on their part.
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