History Hot Rodder Mob Battles Police in San Diego Riot

The local asphalt circle track has Thursday night drags, just running against a clock but still allows a kid to run with no legal repercussions
Dan

 

But Gary wasn't just another dim-witted dreamer. He had the foresight to enlist a heavyweight - Wally Parks. Wally brought in the cavalry. This act of guerrilla diplomacy paid off big time. The end result? Two shiny new drag strips: San Diego Raceway and Carlsbad Raceway.

Actually, San Diego Raceway was a landing strip in Ramona, about 30 miles north east of San Diego. Carlsbad raceway on the other hand was a major project that included a world class motocross track that hosted several world championship events. Local developers put big bucks into Carlsbad and Sandy Belond was the general manager. Because of the way Carlsbad was laid out and the natural terrain, there was a certain amount of security that allowed various manufacturers like Chrysler, Honda, Yamaha, etc to do testing in secret. The town of Carlsbad bent over backwards to make sure that Carlsbad Raceway was a happy camper. I still have a permanent pit pass under the glass on my desk signed by Sandy Belond. Also spent a lot of time there when I was doing the advertising and marketing for Husqvarna.

 

Folks moving outside of town next to a track, then complain. Some people are just that stupid.
I live about 5 miles from the local circle track.
Saturday evenings on the porch hearing the engines roar is great.

 

The Selinsgrove dirt rack is across the highway from my animal hospital. Dusty as all get out on Monday mornings, but I have no complaints.

 

Being born and raised in San diego I have heard many variations of this story. The only one I heard directly from someone that was there was Jack Armstrong owner of Jacks Muffler on University Ave for many years. We used to hang out there as teenagers. He said he made a blast down El Cajon blvd that night in his Willys and was thrown in Jail, I believe he did it in a 33 not the Willys pictured. He was a bad ass guy who didn't suffer fools and a great mentor.

 

You know $200 in 1960 is equivalent to over &2000 in 2024 so $100 is still a little over a grand -shit- for loud fucking pipes, hell at those rates I’d still be paying my 70s tickets to this day. Damn hoodlums and their loud exhaust!
Dan

 

billy clubs and tear gas, that's my kind of party!

 

It would be my guess that after the reporters pictures were developed they came to Jacks shop on Tuesday and took him in...

 

The shop is still there

 

No they hated it....

HAHAHAHAHAHA, that's exactly why I hated pre war Fords. I couldn't see past that image.....until I saw my first little book.

 

I've had this on my garage wall for over 40 years.

 

I lived one block away from El Cajon Blvd when all this was taking place. I could smell tear gas in the air, hear tires screeching, and motors revving. I wanted out of the house bad. Unfortunately, my mother had other ideas, and refused to reason with me. At that time, there was a Coke a Cola bottling plant near the area of the riots. Kids had climbed over the fences, and obtained Coke bottles to throw at police. We found baskets full of bottles that were not broken, so we returned them to a neighborhood store for the recycling fund of three cents a piece. Oh happy days...

 

........Yes, it does, and I don't see a problem with that. This site is dedicated to "Hoodlums" worldwide. I'm far too old now to be out there street racing, but did my fair share back in my youth. Those were heady times back then. We would find places to race where we would limit the danger to the public and try to elude the cops when they would show up. It was fun, it was exciting, it was an adrenalin rush. All of the stuff that you find as a bit "romantic" in a sense. I get the feeling from your posts that you may have never felt these emotions. I hope that's not the case as that would be a rather boring life to have lived.

 

Interesting how we can delude ourselves by romanticizing, rationalizing and embellishing civil disorder when it suits our personal bias. Had there been a post about the cops rousting a bunch of guys with Challengers, Mustangs, Supras, etc.. at a street takeover at 2 AM, everyone would be high-fiving and cheering.

 

Dang. Early “punk”
Now I got to go listen to some The Kinks, MC5, Kingsmen, early The Who and a few others
Maybe toss in some rockabilly predecessors.
Both are the “kill billet” of pop music


On a side note:
Decades from now, will some form of message board subculture discuss todays “take overs” or modern hooliganism involving customized rides?

 

Interesting that the Navy kicked them off due to the accident. Assuming they had permission to be there in the first place, I would have also assumed that the Navy made them sign waivers?

This incident happened well after General "Bombs Away" Lemay began allowing organized sports car racing on Air Force bases, which I am pretty sure incorporated waivers to limit the liability of the government.

TBH, the Navy's was a knee-jerk reaction and they could have anticipated the response.

 

BUT, this is a great example of the madness we are dissecting here... That little rush of dopamine you felt when you spat out your opinion, and again when you delighted in telling me how utterly misguided I am? That tiny spike of adrenaline? That's your rebellious streak kicking in, your middle finger to conformity. You’re alive, goddammit. Good for you!
In the end that’s what hot Rodding, punk rock, hard rock…Street racing is all about, the rush !!
I’m guessing most on us this sight have or do street race. Can’t speak for everyone but when I was young and dumb I raced, likewise most of my friends, cars, bikes, trucks, didn’t matter run what ya brung. The cops weren’t dumb and knew what we up to. We raced on desolate roads. Usually they warned us with sirens way off in the distance but not always. Once in my early 20s a friend and I lined up at a stop light on an empty street in the business district at 2:00 AM, light to light was just shy of a 1/4 mile. At the light we started from was a Pizza Hut. Light turned green and off we went before we got to the next light -flashing yellow- I saw pretty blue lights in mirror Shit, I pulled over my buddy continued on. The first thing the officer says to me”didn’t you see me?” I bit my tongue and didn’t respond with the smart assed remark in my mind. Anyway after getting my license and registration he invites me to sit up front with him. Hmmmm this is good no back seat at least not yet. When I get in I notice tickets from one end of dash to the next. SSShiiiit He says to me “tonight’s your lucky night I’m thinking sure!!! He then tells me he is only going to give me one ticket and I get to choose Oh boy, I reach for one he says”I don’t think you want that one 105 in a 35” yep NO! Next one next one,same thing but different citation, down the line I go Got a careless driving $105 That right there was more adrenaline than the racing. Dan go home!!! If I see you again tonight I’ll lock you up. YES Sir, good night
Dan

 

@Ryan can I steal”I’m an unhinged maniac with the maturity of a fruit fly”
Dan

 

Thanks

 

*Swap to my screen reading glasses - return disappointed...*

 

back up

 

I probably would have been right beside you.