History Drag cars in motion.......picture thread.

Don't know, either...none of my old haunts....

Anybody...?????

 

Look at Google Earth, "foothill and East blvd, Fontana, and compare with this map...nothing left except drainage ditch that seems to run the same direction as the old Fontana strip...when you go to street view the high tension power lines that ran to the west of the track are still there, but now covered with houses...

 

I took some new photos about 18 months ago so I could try to match them with the old photos...

but first, her's a photo I shot out of a moving car as I was traveling west on Foothill Blvd. (Route 66).
This was in 1980-81....the track had been shut down a long time by this time

the dirt road in the foreground was he "entrance" to the pits





Below, the camera is looking south...that stand of Eucalyptus trees in the background is Foothill Blvd. (Route 66)
Right is west...



just past that station wagon in the background is Foothill Blvd.



this wood Fontana sign would be right about where the yellow dot is on the next photo taken in 2009





also 2009, looking north on East St...that row of trees that was behind the west grandstands is still there



camera is looking west...that row of trees on the far left is the trees in the photo posted before this one...(above)



here's a better shot showing the fire-up lane...the grandstands are on the "pit side", "east side"......racers headed north



fire-up lane heads south...in the background is the "San Bernardino Range", to the right would be "Cajon Pass" and directly over those mountains would be "El Mirage Dry Lakes".







Lot of great times at Fontana...bare bones track, the way they ought to be...splintery wood bleachers. dusty, windy after 2PM, hot as hell and cold as ice. No electricity from the street except for the tower. All the lights were powered by diesel generators. Dean will tell us how he used to stay warm standing next to them. He was there many of the days and nights that I was. Too bad we didn't know each other back then.
They raced four jets, four abreast one day...cracked the windows in the timing tower...fun


The only trophy that I ever got that didn't get tossed out was this one from Fontana. I just couldn't bear to chuck it out...

 

What if the negative had been printed in reverse, would match up the mountains in the background

 

no, wouldn't work...the mountains were on the north and the racers drove north, so if they were flipped it would just make it worse.
Actually, the way it is now is a dead ringer of Fontana with the direction of the cars and the mountains. What gives us fits is the rise in the background and the fire-up lane...

 

I had used your recent photo taken on Foothill going West and was comparing the mountain range in the background of both photo's, I know what you mean about the rise behind the cars. Fun trying to play detective at our ages

 

Santa Maria or Colton in its very last days?

 

Same trailer?

 

Fontana was also one of the first places to host what was then the new sport known as moto-cross. If you ever see the classic motorcycle sport film On Any Sunday, the portion of the film devoted to MX depicts amatuer riders struggling through a course. One of the scenes is from when they raced behind the Fontana pits. I had a school mate who raced there 70-71 or so.

 

It's not Colton, the stands were much closer to the track and the pits would have been behind them, also flat behind the track, and trees closer...I think that the trees were also closer to the Santa Maria track, guess we keep guessing??

 

Could have been, I think that the orange coupe belonged to Jim Miles, who later raced the Fiat coupe that puked its bottom end at Lions, Jim ran the wires on both his 34 and the Fiat...Roadster looks like the Cederquist bros, weren't they from the San Fernando valley, as was Miles?

 

Lots of great shots here, thanks for posting (had an Argus once too, great camera)..

34 coupe is Jim Miles, Delta Machine shop roadster is Jerry Norek (I think), from Long Beach, and the Dragmaster with "Blair's" on the cowl made the rounds, I think this was Steve Evan's version, even Les Hawkins and Lyle Webster ran their "15oz coupe" motor in it briefly, I once hauled it though Bob's drive in in Pasadena to show off, but car never handled, think it finally got cut up...

 

Lots of bench racing history here !! You guys are great !!

 

I would say this is Fontana Doug. The layout looks right, and so does the power generator.

 

And this would be the Vernon policeman, Gary Cagle before the car received it's tradmark yellow paint job. I always liked the Ford wagon push car.

 

...where's Troy?...I wonder if he was born when this picture was taken?

 

Dean, you could be right, the Cederquist Bros built both cars, but I think that this photo shows the car after Jim Miles got it (the Cederquist Bros and Miles were both Road Kings members), and traded cars...I think that Miles first ran the Cederquist Bros roadster on gas in the late 50s...can't find a picture of it, but found this reference under "greatest blower explosions":

Another 1959 breakthrough came when Jim Miles lost the puffer on his '34 Ford coupe, lifting the hood some 150 feet in the air, with the blower under it. (think he went to the Fiat after this)

but, as you point out, the same trailer sits under both cars??

 

Anyone know anthing about the Hall Special in post #29323. PM'd mgrant (the poster) and he said all that was on the slide frame was "Hall Special Allard"? He and I couldn't find any matches on Google. Maybe a street tamed Indy car or an old Auburn Speedster body?? I love that car!

 

Man..it has the topography features of what is common in the Fontana/Ranch Cucamonga area. And its not Riverside either. I was thinking a central Calif venue, but all those were located in the flatlands.

 

Mazooma, easy there. This is the second time I have gotten a little misty after reading one of your posts. Keep up the good work:

 

Not Santa Maria. The trees were closer and I will drive by tomorrow on my way to work but I don't recall a hillside. Flat land from what I remember. But as we get older, who knows. If nothing else I owe Art Foster a visit so I'll run it by him.
Dan

 

Here's another picture with cars in motion, or soon to be.

 

of course...I was using that photo compared to the photo in question to illustrate that very point. Go take a nap .
I added the arrow to show the fire-up lane and the difference

 

Didn't the Walker & Geary car change bodies and run in two different classes?
Mike

 

They ran a T roadster in 1966. It ran a SBC hooked up to a B&M torque flight. Walker later hooked with Gary Densham in 1972 and partnered with the Pinto flopper.

 

I am even more confused now. Please note that plates on the push vehilces appear white. Back in the 60's I recall California vehicle license plates as being black. Maybe its not in California.

 

Quintessential setup from 1964....any idea as to who it is?

 

Rick Stewart and Gene Adams?

 

I really don't know, but I sure love the simplicity.