i've just transferred some neato old 16mm film to digital. its from a HOT ROD race (see the sign at 0:14) in California. there's shots of a glider landing and regular cars at the beginning - but the racing starts at 0:31. A couple of questions i have? Does anyone know this track location? Also any help pinpointing the year would be greatly appreciated? And...what are those crazy 3 wheelers at the 2:00 mark?!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niAj1m0-Xu0 Enjoy. Rob.
That was a great video...music didn't suck either. Looks like it was filmed in 1941...a '41 Plymouth was the newest car I saw. I don't even mind that you didn't do an Intro. Hey Ryan, check this out!
I would guess that this is 1946.. just by the build of the racecars... by 1947 they were a bit more serious looking.. these appear more like street hot rods. if this is southern california, that is...
I'm pretty sure thats at the old Saugus race track, from the background hills, etc. Across from what is now Macic Mountain.
Appears that more than one track is shown, hard to say what they are. The background at one does kinda look like Bonelli stadium (Saugus)
I could be wrong, but looks like this car on the track? Manual Ayoula ran #44 '32 roadster in '46 with the CRA... I'd guess is this is Saugus it is before Labor Day 1946, which was the first CRA race. Also, Saugus was stripped back down to dirt after 46... Zach
<iframe width="640" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/niAj1m0-Xu0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Cool, that was fun.
There was an earlier thread from Bonelli Speedway in Saugus, showing track roadster, these are earlier, when 29 and 32 roadsters were track-raced. I think Don is correct, here is an overhead view from 1950 of Bonelli, seems to line up with the background in the video: Thanks for posting these old videos!!
My thought as well as the banking in the one corner and the looks of the hills topped with thick trees.
Here's a shot of Bob Sweikert at Oakland stadium a few years later. Looking at the grandstands, the chances of that configuration and spacing of the walkways at two different tracks is well....slim.
I think we are looking at the roadsters running on the 1/4 mile that was located inside the 5/8 mile Oakland Stadium. In the video you will notice the grandstands extend past the turns on the left. If the video had panned left you would have seen the turns for the 5/8. Here is an aerial that should explain.
What no roll bars and fire suites... Ha, great video! Wish I could be there in person! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
thank you for the great information and feedback on the video. some super-sleuthing going on here..esp. regarding the year and track location... tho' no mention of the 3-wheelers yet? i'm going to repost the video at hi-res, and try and correct the film speed...however before i do, i've had some gripes that the music is too old for the vid, which it is, so before i repost if anyone has suggestions for cool, exciting & yet, more time-appropriate (1946 or earlier) songs lemme know!! Rob.
The best I can come up with on dates is that the track opend in June of '46 and ran until '55 or '56. The mall that was built on that lot opened in '57. If you look above the grandstand on the video you can see the skeleton of what I assume is a projection screen for one of the drive in theaters that you see in the aerial photo. The car number 44 is quite possibly Manuel "Manny" Ayulo who along with Jack McGrath, the Rathmans, Bob Sweikert, Pat Flaherty and several others would move on from track roadsters to race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the rest of the "Championship Trail".
How could anyone possibly think this was Bonelli Stadium? With that banking? Bonelli (Saugus) was flatter than flat. It's clearly the 1/4 mile at Oakland Stadium with the one flat turn and one banked turn. I'm thinking the footage is from just immediately after WWII, perhaps even late 1945. I'll have to check the book on Oakland Stadium to see if more can be identified, either car or date. Great footage.
just do a search of billboard top ten (or 20) songs of the 40's. listen to them, this should only take 2 or 3 hours, maybe more now that youtube wants to make you look at ads first, pick one. this was war time and the songs might be a bit sentimental, or patriotic to fit right.also there were alot of novelty songs out too, but don't put "yes we have no bananas" in it, it's just not hot rod. i'm going to make a suggestion. don't rule it out right away, dub it in and watch it a few times maybe with the speed spead up a bit will help. ready? sir mix-a -lots "I like big butts". seamless.
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