Great video! Here is some more roadster footage (color) from Portland, Oregon, taken in '48. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hm_Dp-qvmY&feature=youtu.be
I just delivered two loads of jet fuel to the Oakland airport. I wonder were the track was? Could it have been near there?
The first one in the group with 5 window on its grill and you can see the guy inside is my screen saver
pretty awesome footage, i liked the music that was added..... right on the money crazy pic of the 5 window and the dude hanging on for dear life... haha
Was it Wally Parks that drove his roadster to the track. .. raced it and then drove it home? Posted using Full box of Crayons on the Kitchen Walls App!
Dana Photo took lots of photos of car events in the Bay Area Including the Oakland Roadster show. The great Eric Rikman worked at Dana Photo in those days.
The Oakland Stadium was actually located in San Leandro , it was tore down in 1955 to build the Bayfair shopping Mall.
in the late 40's, a wheel came off a Ford racer at the local 1/2 mile dirt track and crippled a guy for life. that was the end of racing in Harlan, Iowa for awhile. resumed in the mid 60's, when I started racing. no thrill like a 57 ford witha 430 lincoln heading into a turn at 90 plus MPH!! still miss it.
Harlan Iowa, Home of Tom's Diesel Parts, I sold him a ton a Sealed Power Diesel Parts over the years, great guy.
Oakland was famous for the steepest turn in the country...62 degrees ! The old timers told me it really took balls to put your car up top.
I have some pics of Eli vukovich that billy vukovich two time Indy winners brother running a 100 lap midget race at Oakland said he wone it
Can you imagine opening a race track to race open cars, no rollcage,no seatbelts, no firesuits with open wheels, in this day and age? The insurance company rep would die laughing. But to be honest about this, I did race gokarts in the 50's with short sleeves, and shorts. Then in the 60's raced motorcycles with a beenie helmet, jeans and a leather jacket. Gave that up when the non-guarded primary chain almost severed my foot off my leg. But then we did drive around in cars without seat belts, anti lock brakes, etc etc. Didn't need big cahunas, just the desire to race, and the opportunity to do so.