Toymaker, I love that white `57 Ford Custom in the background of that picture of the purple FED...awesome.
I left Fresno in 1966 to join the service, but I still remember watching Denver Schutz running a 30 Model A PU against his local nemesis who ran a Deuce I think, (old brain that's full, CRS). I seem to remember a hill that we spectators could sit on. Does that seem right? My high school friend and I took his '64 Chevy SS 409 there one Saturday, and I think it ran low 14's on street tires with the cut-outs opened and the air cleaner off. Still remember the first chopped, channeled, fenderless hot rod sedan that I fell in love with there. Big shifter, slicks, chromed wheels, white tuck-n-roll, man, all of the good stuff! I just purchased a "Raisin City" Tee shirt at the LARS two weeks ago.
Denver still has the pick-up, he gave me a honk and a wave when he drove it by my house a couple of Sundays ago. I coached a couple of little league teams with his brother a few years back. Denver also ran the "Raisin Express 2" f.e.d. at the last march meets.Still goes fast!
One more post -it's all I got. Part of the old dragstrip still lives! After it closed, some of the lights and bleachers were donated by the new landowner to the Raisin City ballpark. The old lights have since been replaced with better ones, but 2 of the 3 ball diamonds still use the bleachers from Fresno Dragways.
Thanks for the memories, I never raced at Raisin City, but spectated there once, it was a really nice facility, lots of room, good food, etc....went up to see match race between Goss & Yates and Williams and Swan, forgot who won.
This is Great, thanx for the post, I've often wondered about the place. The tower was from the airport and had some big kinda green tinted glass as I remember. Does Eagle Field have a tower? It would be great if it could be moved somewhere and be restored to some degree. I could donate some time. I was from Visalia and the homies at the time were the Boudakian Bros. in an altered Fiat w/blown DeSoto hemi. Saw a match race between my two faves at the time Ivo's "Barnstormer" and Wenderski & Winkel's "Black Beauty." I think it was just a matter of a few weeks that John Wenderski was killed in that car. I'm surprised that no-one has made a recreation of it. I would if I had all the stuff, I think the chassis was the same as in Ivo's car, he built it. Saw the 4 Dragsters, Mazmanian's Willys before the candy paint, etc., great times. I have slides that I want to post on here, but no scanner w/ good slide attachment.
Rocky gave me a DVD yesterday that has this fiat in it......cool stuff.y dad ran at Raisin City alot.....he said that DVD was turning his hair brown....
Thanks for thread Rocky. the main guy in the tower back in the 60s was Johnny Warnet. He knew all the racers and was Blackie's brother in law. We raced there with a Jr Fuel car (Bloching and Winger, Proud American), and an A/Fuel Roadster. Blackish would stand at the gates and yell at Johnny to "Sell Hot Dogs". Great times,
The tower is still standing today. (3/22/20) https://www.google.com/maps/@36.604...376&pitch=0&thumbfov=100!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en
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