Tom ..... I haven't even checked this site out yet, but I am surprised
at
the title of World's OLDEST Drag Strip for Inyokern ........
I had always thought Goleta, California was the place where organized
dragging started, even before Saugas, Paradise Mesa, Santa Ana, Santa
Maria, or Colton( Morrow Field )were running regular meets ........
I guess I was misinformed ...... any input on the true facts of this
from some of you Left Coast Oldtimers who where there waaaay back
...... Rich, Jack, Glen, Wes, Doug K, Tom B, Skip ???
I didn't get to the West Coast until 1956 and only attended events
at the Santa Ana ( I remember those blimp hangers ), Lions, Pomona,
and San Gabriel strips . Sure do wish I had seen racing at a lot of the
other strips I had only read about in the pages of Hot Rod Mag ......
Can any of you guys provide us with any opening and 'last meet'
dates of any of these California strips, such as Fremont, Cotati,
Vacaville, Kingdon, Paradise Mesa, Half Moon Bay, etc ?
I have visited the locations where the HMB, Vaca Valley,
and Kingdon(Lodi) strips were on recent trips to visit Darrell in CA.
but I still haven't located the place where Cotati was ...... Is there a
trailer park there now ? Much Thanks to GoodGuy Rich Fox for
all the info and answers he had for me on my visit to see him this year,
and on my first visit to his very interesting salt racecar / engine emporium .
Rich also filled me in on the nearby 1/8 mile strip where he ran near
the Cow Palace on the south side of San Francisco ........
Thanks in advance for any dope on those old strips from
the "Golden Years " era of drag racing !!! I also dig up info on,
and visit the places where old roundy round racing occured in
days gone by here in the Northeast ...... found an abandoned asphalt
oval( third mile, I think )out in the woods of Maine this summer, still in
good shape except for some weeds between the cracks in the pavement,
and the neat thing was some guy had recently built a nice home very close
to this bygone oval, and had paved a ramp from his driveway / garage area
right to the track ..... seems he and his pals run their Go Karts there
now on his Own Personal Speedway ....... Very Very Cool !!!
Old Guy Bruce rambling on as usual ......
54* and sunny here in Connecticut
Glad NO snow yet ..... Jon W can have ALL of ours ......
|