History Drag cars in motion.......picture thread.

Joe Winters, the strange driver position is so Joe could use hand-controls, as he lost his leg to cancer...nothing keeps a good drag racer down.

 

Is that why the extra bars from the front of the main hoop?

 

Anyone have any photo's of the old AA/FD (The Beast from the East)
Last time I say the dragster was around 1964 or 1965

Jimbo

 

Jimbo do you have a name to go along with that? I seem to remember it as a Lynwood or Henny's welding car but I don't know of any pictures.

Pat

 

This has to be Van Isle Dragways famous "shutdown hill", on Vancouver Island B.C.

 

Anyone have color pictures of Ontario Motor Speedway????

 

Bump......

 

Hey Dave,
Nice post on the origin of drag racing on the Westcoast. We have been down that road in Goleta on several of our Santa Barbara area trips. It is hard to designate, but it certainly looks close. As the term goes, "holy grail"...that is it. Just imagine driving down that road/strips in those days with nothing else around. Hope you had a great trip back to So Cal.

These days, almost every week we drive down the street that is near the old Santa Ana Dragstrip. Looking back toward the actual modern airport, it is a wonder that in the early days, Santa Ana held drag races here. The surrounding streets are very busy with people from the nearby industrial/business complex buildings. In Goleta, the airport is important, but not quite as busy in the surrounding area streets. Actually, that old drag race road is pretty barren during the day and night.

My mind wandered back to see how it was back then in Santa Ana, just like the feeling when we drove down that same road as you did in Goleta. Minds are a wonderful thing. Great post and history.

Junji

 

Yup, OMS-Ontario Motor Speedway, it was neat place, ahead of it times, stock car racing, indy cars, road racing, and Drag Racing, the Supernationals, Fridays night drag racing (1975-1979 ?) even sand drags at the east end dirt parking lot. Then the cost of land came quick, couldn't make money, bad management, ontario city hall no support. and then, it was history.

 

I am not sure if there are any of the members of The Santa Barbara Acceleration Association left, but if so maybe they would chime in or take some pics to validate. Arley Langlo may have some info. RIP Jay Roach.

 

Amazing this thread is still going

 

Hey R.S.
Welcome back! Long time no see....

 

Chris Karamesines / Don Maynard ""Elephant motor ""twin [pt A] ""the point of diminishing returns""the car was not competitive...formidable driver view.......twin ignition switches.......familiar raised Oswego starting line.....""Chizler""left

 

Chris & Don,s twin..[.pt B] lots of smoke & noise...car could have been exhibition vehicle like Ivo,s ""Showboat""..apparently,it was win or else...October Illinois corn crop [background]

 

Chris & Don,s twin [pt c] elevated view...car looked well crafted/powerful

 

Chris & Don,s twin [pt D] I saw a picture on the H.A.M.B. of Chris in a replica..of this car........was it finished ??

 

Hi, Junji, yes, it is sad to look back....I flew into John Wayne airport a couple of years ago, and, yes, it is unrecognizable from the Santa Ana Drag Strip days...as I was looking out the airplane window, I saw a stand of trees like those near the finish line, and an old familiar feeling came over me --- I've been there. The old snack bar at San Fernando remains, as does the ditch next to the track, but all else is gone. No traces of Saugus or Paradise Mesa, now entirely covered with houses...………...Dave