History The Day Organized Drag Racing Was Born?

Saw this about the supposed first organized drags at Santa Ana on June 2, 1950. Didn't see it posted here and I thought it was interesting. Mods, if not proper to post please delete.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/ent...Kd?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=U483DHP#image=BB16hMKd_1|1

 

Cool story

 

Good find.

 

Hello,

Nice early photos of the drag racing action at the Santa Ana Dragstrip. It has been documented in various sources about the first official dragstrip. This story hit close to home.. My wife and I used to drive by the Southern Santa Ana portion of Redhill Ave. and cross traffic road near the current, Santa Ana Airport, almost weekly prior to the pandemic crisis. Every time we drove by, I got the funny feeling that we were at the spot where it was once just open fields and an airstrip, prior to the build-up of housing and business boom.

Then seeing the monument for the Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa on a corner of a beach side parking area on a sunny day, one wonders how that got built and placed as a historic spot. That was a historic part of So Cal era of music, lifestyles, cruising, and teenagers. But, what about pinpointing a historical marker for the spot of the original official drag racing event that took place in 1950?

We all know the earliest drag races took place in Goleta, CA and possibly elsewhere in the dark of night. But, it has been verified that the first official drag race was at Santa Ana Airport in 1950. So, this is a milestone and with all of the hoopla about important things about Orange County and the whole historic identities/locations, where is a monument about this historic place near the current Santa Ana Airport complex? (SNA on luggage tags)

Jnaki

In looking at the photos from the article, one stands out as being somewhat close to home. When we lived in Laguna Beach during our 20 something days, we read the local newspapers as well as the big name So Cal newspapers. The local ones told more of what was going on in the actual city. It was a must read for all locals. The original newspaper that was being distributed to all in the downtown areas was once owned and started by John Weld. Prior to starting a Ford Dealership in downtown Laguna Beach, the newspaper gained notoriety for its local reporting.

Whether this photo is of John Weld, remains to be seen as historic research provided no answers. But, at the Santa Ana Dragstrip, these cool, odd looking vehicles were in their home environment. It was just a few miles up a lonely two lane road through the Laguna Canyon or the bustling PCH Highway North to Newport Beach.

This 1946-48 Crosley body is one of the first “Targa” top models from the home made garage. It looks like it could have been driven from Laguna Beach to the Santa Ana Airport for the races. A beach Buggy, perhaps?

“The Welds moved to Laguna Beach in 1937, where John eventually opened a Ford dealership in 1948, after years as chief copywriter for Ford Motor Co.”

“John Weld owned a Ford Dealership in South Orange County, the main one was located in Laguna Beach. He and his wife also ran the local newspaper for many years. They published the Laguna Beach Post from 1949 to 1965”

“The paper later was sold to Vern Spitaleri, who merged it with the South Coast News to form the Laguna News Post.”

When we were reading the local Laguna Beach newspaper, it was called the Laguna News Post. But, history was preserved at the local downtown, Laguna Beach library.