San Fernando Drags Pictures, Show & Tell

This is the only shot of San Ferndando that I've got. This particular kart ran low 11s in the late 60s, was rescued from a dumpster awhile back and was just rebuilt last year. Still has original paint an upholstery.

 

When I was in High School in the sixties all of us gearheads made the trek from Simi Valley to the drags at San Fernando almost every weekend. We always raced something...even it was only our stock street machines. It was sad when they shut it down. That was some really fun times. That one photo with a bunch of people lined up at the fence...that was where we watched the "fast cars" from, then we'd run back to the pits to coax another tenth from one of our cars. The cool thing to have was one of the trophy decals stuck on your 1/4 windows, as many as you could get.

 

Probably a 100-point Pebble Beach car now with surfing decals plastered all over the windows?

 

You're not even close. Currently being restored by Thom Taylor as it appeared in R&C in '69

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=365205

 

A few more -- the "Hot Pits" were between the stands and the track. These were taken about 1970 with a little Kodak Instamatic camera. Looks like the Allison engined Mustang went to school with me in my back pocket.

John von B

 

Look at the drastic change in stance in the 2 pics of the Woodie

 

Great photos on this thread.

 

Excellent!

 

TV Tommy Ivo after winning Top Eliminator at San Fernando....a victory lap, of sorts.

 

Cool pics

 

This thread on a 55 Chevy Gasser " White Lightnin " has some San Fernando pic's in it. It's more of a " Tell " thread of a 55 that ran there.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=306408&highlight=white+lightnin

 

well the red roadster in the set of pictures (Pg 1..Panneton posted 3 pix of the car) is Dennis Ford's (was) car back then. From Burbank.

below that was pictures of Ivo in one of his first dragsters. And to the left (pix) was tony Nancy's car.


the red coupe coming back down the return road behind the 55? Vette had to be taken in about...uhh 57? 58/ because the time slip booth was not there yet.

Yes and Cowdry's Healey. There was Sam Parriot and also Max Balchowski in their AS cars also.

Remeber well the noon uncorking....wasn't too well recieved when it was implemented. No runs in the morning without mufflers....ugh!

I ran across this site because a friend was asking about lakesters.....he saw " a car made from a drop tank with a V8 motor that had only three exhaust pipes on each side..." at Irvine Cars and Coffee last weekend. I dug up some articles on the internet about Tom Beatty to show him.....the king of belt drive blowers. Also in that Google section was a link the Pond. and here I am...............reminiscing. Hell ...I forgot most of this!!

 

A couple more including a 3-wide stocker race.

 

Sorry, the 3-wide has to many pixels, I try another way later.

 

Retrorod is right about the San Fernando drag Strip decals impressing the troops...

I have some great memories of going to Sand Fernando (this from a Lions' fanatic - I considered The Beach my home track): Great people (thanks, Harry!), great racing and a laid-back atmosphere. Navigating under Foothill bridge could be challenging for the really fast cars.

Thanks to all for sharing. (Would love to know more about the wild go-kart digger - any more info on that machine around?)

 

INTRESTING!!! Where was the track located, does anyone have a arial map

 

For a map, try Abandoned and Little-Used Airfields, there is a map of San Fernando drag strip right next to San Fernando Airport, at:
http://www.airfields-freeman.com/CA/Airfields_CA_SanFernan.htm#sanfernando

scroll down until you find it...it was right south of Foothill Blvd

 

groucho, looked at both pictures and it never clicked that one was a gasser look and the other was all hotrod rake..

 

Since you didn't attach this post to mine, I have no idea what you're talking about

 

Couple more.

 

Way to go, keep em coming.

 

Jim Brissette raced at San Fernando alot with wild Bill Alexander and Paul Sutherland hauling ass.

 

Any more info on this beast? I'd love to build a replica.

 

bump

 

Love the '40 Packard meat wagon.

 

Classic shot. Ivo, banned from driving by his studio, got a ride in the Ernie's Camera Pontiac, then painted black and running on gas...story I heard was that Ivo tried nitro, and Ernie Alvarado, who found out about it, fired him.

 

Here's one of Dad getting the Trophy at an early outing at The Pond, (its still in primer and no lettering). Y ou can just make
out the car behind him and the other folks.

 

Anything new discovered? Bumpty bump bump

 

Please check out the photos of San Fernando Drag Strip from the 60's.

http://www.specialtycarlocators.com/60s drags.htm

 

Awesome pictures!!!