Hot Rods Winters Cal. drag strip

Anyone old enough to remember the 1/2 mile drag strip by Winters Cal?

It would have been there mid 50's. I think it was an abandoned air strip between Davis and Winters.

 

I'm not old enough, but I'd like to know more. Possibly try to find it. Do you know where it was exactly?

 

Never heard of one up there. I only know of the Vaca Valley Raceway in Vacaville.

 

Just found this in a google search, the airport is still there.


Red Case

Born: September 10, 1935
Died: June 3, 1959
Buried: Hillcrest Cemetery, Porterville, California

Age: 23
Full Name: Eugene Richard Case
Nickname:
Drag Strip: Yolo County Airport, near Winters, California
Event:
Accident Date: May 24, 1959
Car: self-built Chrysler-powered AA/FD
Biographical: His throttle stuck as he sped across the finish line, flipping end over end, he suffered massive injuries. He struggled through three days of intensive care at Woodland Clinic before succumbing. He was survived by his wife and three children. A resident of Bellflower, he worked as a mechanic and semi-professional driver for the Sanchez & Cagle salt flats racing team. His best time in his own AA/FD was 9.06 and 170 MPH.

 

wow, now thats a real bummer

 

I live right down the road from there and never knew it. I know they had vaca valley drag strip but never herd of that one. I know the the airport is still open.


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Been working on paving Hwy 113 between Davis and Woodland for a couple months- in fact 13-1/2 hrs today, just got home at 9:30PM, and have seen the offramp "Airport" sign many times- also have driven that road between Winters and Davis a few times.
This is Vaca Valley Raceway a couple months ago

 

That is the where the vaca valley drag strip was. They had a drag strip and an oval track.


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I used to run on that track. It is partly covered up now by improvements to the area. It was fun for all of us locals. The fun part was when Kay Sissell would come up on a campaign swing from the L.A. area and show everyone just how tough the Chevy inline 292 could be. That is his blue front engine rail leaving the starting line on a record backup run.
Normbc9

 

That's not Kay Sissell, its Mike Kirby in Kay's car.

 

AS I remember: in 1954 it was a 1/2 mile time runs. I can't remember any side by side runs.
When would it have went to 1/4 mile??

 

Never heard of any drag strip at the Yolo County Airport, I grew up in Winters and we used to go race out on the country roads. I'll ask some of the old timers from Winters, see if I can dig up a little history on it.