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Re: Santa Maria Drags

To: ARDUNDOUG@aol.com
Subject: Re: Santa Maria Drags
From: "Thomas E. Bryant" <saltracer@awwwsome.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Nov 1999 09:23:00 -0800
Small world isn't it? Great picture.


ARDUNDOUG@aol.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 11/26/1999 8:31:11 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> saltracer@awwwsome.com writes:
> 
> <<
>  Guys,
>  I ran at the Santa Maria Drag Strip in 1960. Won a $25 U.S. Bond as Top
>  Eliminator (the only top eliminator of my career). I beat a Cadillac
>  powered Slingshot for the title. At that time they were using a red and
>  green light  hung over the middle of the starting line as a start
>  signal. We were facing into the sun, we started and the dragster
>  stopped, so I stopped, and we returned to the line. The driver of the
>  dragster told the starter he couldn't see the light, so next time he
>  started us with a flag. What had really happened was that he had lost
>  second gear. On the second start, he tried to make it in high gear only,
>  but failed to get to the finish line in time. Bye the way, the shut off
>  area ended up in someone's front yard.
> 
>  We stopped in Santa Maria when we went to the Gas Up in 1994, and tried
>  to find the old drag strip, I think I located it, but boy things have
>  changed since 1960.
> 
>  I'm trying to include a picture of us at Santa Maria, hope it comes
>  through.
> 
>  Tom, Redding CA
>   >>
> Tom & Group,
>     Great pic of Santa Maria and your roadster in 1960. I have a pic of my
> car vs "Wild Bill" Collier running for Top Eliminator in about 1956-57. It
> was taken from the little grandstands that are visible in the right
> background of your pic. On start-up we had broken the Flatty that belonged to
> the guy leaning over the car. Collier was waiting to see if we could start.
>     I'll see if the pic is on my ZIP drive and attach it if I can.....Ardun
> Doug in CA
> 
>   ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  [Image]

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