Author Topic: Those were the days  (Read 1197 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

shady

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1001
    • View Profile
Those were the days
« on: November 18, 2021, 09:07:55 AM »
What goes fast doesn't go fast long'
What goes fast takes your money with it.
So I'm slow & broke, what went wrong?
2021 FERR cool FE Winner
2022 FERR cool FE Winner
2023 FERR cool FE Winner

gregaba

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 927
    • View Profile
Re: Those were the days
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2021, 11:28:26 AM »
Thanks for the video.
Brings backs lots of memory's as I was in the So Cal drag racing scene in the 60's and 70's.
The crowd's were like that even at the smaller tracks and the stands were filled for every race, if you didn't get there early then you had to stand up for the whole race.
I was never in the stand's as my dad was a racer and when I got old enough I started racing.
Sure was a good time.
Greg

winr1

  • Guest
Re: Those were the days
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2021, 08:57:09 PM »
60's an 70's for me as well

Drag strip in Dickinson, Texas ...   Houston International Speedway

Was always lots of folks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVaP0xP9z0Q
...............................................................

Porter Texas .... Eastex Dragway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4V7GUp2Dr0



Ricky



Falcon67

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2151
    • View Profile
    • Kelly's Hot Rod Page
Re: Those were the days
« Reply #3 on: November 19, 2021, 02:33:43 PM »
Got to see Eastex one time just before Kingwood ate it up.  I worked in the business park more or less across 59 when they started chewing up the track.

Tommy-T

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 313
    • View Profile
Re: Those were the days
« Reply #4 on: November 20, 2021, 11:49:30 AM »
"The County" was certainly a more modern track than any other SoCal drag strip.
That film looks to be about 1970. Very cool.
I was about 10 years old and dad would load up the family wagon and go to the drags when a big Funny Car meet was local. Irwindale was our home track as we lived up in the foothills, but we'd venture to Orange County or Lions on occasion.
Those really were the days. Funny Cars actually looked like cars and they usually had an engine that was the same make as the body. Imagine that!
But the writing was on the wall.
Lions closed December of 1972
Irwindale in 1977
The County made it until October of 1983 and actually hosted an NHRA national event. I went to the last drag race there.
Bakersfield is our last quarter mile track unless you count the on and off track at Fontana.
Irwindale is eighth mile and the shut down is a little "iffy" for cars quicker than 6 seconds. Barona is an eighth mile track kind'a sort'a near where Carlsbad used to be.

Just to clarify, the "old Irwindale" and the "new Irwindale" are not the same track.
Indeed, those were the days.
« Last Edit: November 20, 2021, 11:56:34 AM by Tommy-T »

frnkeore

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1128
    • View Profile
Re: Those were the days
« Reply #5 on: November 20, 2021, 02:30:14 PM »
I just turn 77 yesterday and I actually raced at OCIR, from '68 - '74. I would have raced in '67 but, I didn't get out of the Army, until Nov of '67.

Most of the guys I knew, in OC, called it San Canyon. That was the name of the fwy exit. I held the H/PS record there, in March of '69, with my K code, '64 Fairlane Sports Coupe and the last time I was there, in '74, it was to jet the Hilborn injection on my pictured Formula Atlantic.

While at the far end of the track, a pair of Pro Stock cars ran and one of them broke the steering, hit the outside guard rail and rolled threw the lights, still in the 10 second bracket! He hit the inside rail, down from the lights and then did a fairly genital roll over that, at probably 60 mph. Got out, unhurt.

I didn't know Danny Ongias, as a drag racer but, met him in Nov of '73, when both of us started Formula car racing, he in a Lola 300 that Parnelli loaned him. F5000 and Atlantic ran in the same races so, I got to know him while he was getting his Pro license. He was a really nice guy and very humble and shy but FAST!

The only other drag strip I went to was Lions, I didn't race there but saw my only jet drag car there. It was Art Arfons. It took a while to start it and they weren't all that fast but, they warmed the spectator area, for a while :)
Frank

frnkeore

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1128
    • View Profile
Re: Those were the days
« Reply #6 on: November 20, 2021, 02:54:41 PM »
One more thing about OCIR, it had the best speed shop that I knew of, in those days. I bought my MT X-ram manifold and twin 3310's there and they had lots of race tires. I bought the front road race tires on 8.5 wheels and the stock car tires on 10" wheels on my K code Mustang there, as well as many other things.
Frank