Motion Pictures San Jose's "Little Bonneville" Drag Strip in the 1950s

YouTuber Steve Bunnell posted this vintage home movie of a drag racing event held at the "Little Bonneville" Drag Strip (aka Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose) in the '50s:

NOTE: This footage was shot by Jack Santos of Santa Clara, CA​

 

There's also some (circa 1956) "Little Bonneville" Drag Strip footage starting at the 1:00 mark and again at the 2:44 mark of this vintage home movie:

NOTE: This footage was shot by @Rod and Wheeler (Dennis Gomes)​

 

My first trip to the drags. Long time ago. Some guys rolled a Ford coupe. An Altered as I remember. Driver was OK but the roof was pretty bent. One of them told me that next time out it would be running as a roadster.

 

Thanks for posting these. Did anyone notice the girls looking and touching the mill in the T, they acted interested, and knew what they were talking about. That looked like so much fun. Ron...

 

No ... I didn't even notice the six girls in bathing suits discussing the finer points of the Olds engine in Rudy Heredia's T Coupe :

Still from the 6:46 mark of the "San Jose Reid Hillview Airport Drag Racing 1950's" video​

 

Here's a pic of the PACERS Car Club (of Daly City) and their Modified Coupe at "Little Bonneville":

image from the (Jim) McLennan Family Collection​

 

Cool - Thanks

 

Thanks for posting!!

 

Excellent, thanks for posting

 

That airport is still in use today, only now they have two (actually four-either way for takeoff-landings) parallel runways, Rt. and Lt. Looks like a pretty busy little airport via GoogleMaps.Com; lots of planes on the field. Too bad they could't close off one runway for an occasional drag strip, but the airport is also literally surrounded by homes. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

Ha! I drive by Reid-Hillview every other day on my way to the gym....had no idea they once held drag racing events there. Kinda makes me wonder if some of those old rods are local (and if they're still around here).....

 

A nice airport, but I think its days are numbered as few planes of hit the shopping center across the street over the years. Everything grew around the airport. I learned to fly a tail dragger there.

 

Here's a circa 1958 pic of Jerry DeVito's famous "MAZE" '57 Ford at "Little Bonneville":

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Here's an advertisement for a November 1958 event at "Little Bonneville":

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Just not sure what to say about the pink Ford . . . seems like it was a much bigger palette back in the day. Not that there's anything wrong with that. At least he put some flames on the front, but maybe a bit too subtle.
Good stuff, thanks Todd.

 

Just a bump to see if anyone has more pics and/or movie footage shot at "Little Bonneville" ... ???

 

I went there with my friend in his stock 40 ford coupe, I was 15, and he let me make a pass.
I was scared to death, I think I turned about 65 mph. But that started it.

 

hemi 32,
thanks for those historic films. back in 1965 those roads near that side of 101 freeway were long and flat. not too many homes if i can recall. i went all over the place on my college roomate's triumph 650 as i was testing out the tt pipes i installed on it. he gave me the ok to drive it for the weekend while he was visiting family back in so cal. those pipes sounded great on a flat out, tuck down, ride on those long roads. i wish i had found little bonneville, i must have ridden right by it in san jose. by the way, i drove about 400 miles all over the bay area from the top of the mts. behind berkeley up to fremont drags across the bridge to ocean beach and back.
thanks for the san jose memories.
jnaki

 

Yeah, I was racing that day. The girl in the red bathing suit was my GF and I sent her over to retard the timing on that Olds so I could beat the guy in my banger Model A.