So, I actually live in Riverside CA on the boarder of Corona, I've always known that Corona was home to a large circle track autorace, and one of the main streets, "Grand" was at one time actually the race track, and corona is known as "the circle city". Grand is actually a large circle and when driving you can still see some small embankment. I recently found this picture with some old race cars at the starting line... Does anyone have any history in their town?
KCIR was built in the '50s with help from the *KCTA. They closed it a few years back, rich people build homes by it and didn't like the noise, well that and they are trying to turn this into a NASCAR town. *KCTA = Kansas City Timing Association
We had the Langhorn Speedway,when I was a kid my Father took me a couple of times for my birthday .I got to see the demolition derby,and 1/8th mile drags.
That was gonna be my next point... Between Riverside raceway and Mickey Thompson using March AFB for time trials.. Broke a lot of records there... All Pontiac power if I might add...
The Inyokern Airport Dragstrip opened in 1954, and was the second oldest continuously operating dragstrip in the United States, behind Thornhill Dragstrip in Kenton, KY which opened in 1953. The drag strip closed during the 2005 season due to FAA regulations.
SEIRA (south eastern Idaho racing association) 1954 first drag strip in Idaho/Utah at Pocatello Idaho sanctioned by Safety Safari with Lee Wooleys straight 8 Buick powered dragster with 5 carbs turned 120 m.p.h.
I grew up in Nutley NJ ,a small town near near NYC ... The Nutley Velodrome board track was small and dangerous... Bicycles at first then midget racers...The track closed in the late 1930's when a racer was beheaded by a wire fence.....This was 10 years before I was born...After that the only racing was outrunning the town cops......
http://www.thehotrodsofdearborn.com/1953Drags.html From where I live....about 2 miles away....Tommy Foster raced there as well as Frank Mack....
I think that's March Field. None of those cars were LSR cars and a USAC trailer to boot. I couldn't see him dragging the cars and a trailer out to El Mirage for a photo. The ground doesn't look very El Mirage(ish) either.
Charlotte has always been a hot rodders paradise. It had one of the nicest board tracks in the world back in the 1920s and you know the rest of the story. I have enjoyed living close by for over 70 years.
Went to YORK US 30 drag way all the time as a kid, up to my early teens when it closed. Saw all the big names from back in the day there. Bruce Larson is from my area also, he still lives here. Lots of sprint car racing around the area to. Street racing still goes on !
The Jalopy Journal
