1952-59 Ford Fords from the past.

I looked at a lot of the movie but, not all, I skipped through a lot of it, using the bar, at the bottom and I think all the scenes with the '56 are at Ascot. They showed the figure 8 track and you could see the 405 fwy, in some scenes.

The asphalt track, with the high banks, was Irwndale but, I didn't see the '56, in those scenes. As I remember, Irwindale is a 1/2 mi oval and pretty fast with the high banks. A friend of mine, ran there in the early 70's.

 

More from Ascot Park

 

The large Irwindale speedway with the high banks opened March 27, 1999. Before that it was a much smaller facility and not so fast. I used to run at Irwindale drag strip when it was up near the 210 Freeway, I ran bracket races there every Wednesday night and sometimes on the weekends. Miller brewery wanted the land the dragstrip was on because of the freeway access and the railroad tracks that ran through the property as well. A group of people that were drag racers went to several meetings with the city of Irwindale and Miller to express concerns that the drag strip would be torn down and not come back. This would have been in the early 70's. We were****ured by Miller that they supported car racing and that they would build another dragstrip in another location close by but they needed that particular piece of property. Huge lies were told by their execs and the city, and the dragstrip was gone, period! Never bought another Miller product for the rest of my life and have told that story 100 times since.

 

I don't know about 1999 but, I was there between 1970 & 1973. The banking was pretty steep but, it may have been a 1/3 mi, at that time, I can't say, for sure, as I never ran it and wasn't a stock car racer. I only went there because my buddy raced it. It was also call the 605 Speedway. I don't think the 210 was finished in '70, because I don't remember taking the 210 to get there but, it was near the 605/210 junction.

I started my Formula car racing in '73 and have a similar feelings about Standard Oil. SCCA ran the road course at Ontario Motor Speedway. The best race track, I ever raced at!! Standard Oil bought it and tore it down in '80, to build a industrial complex. I was a HUGE loss to racing. I've not bought Chevron products since.

Although I drag raced before getting into road racing, I've always had a RR mentality and got to see the
1971 Questor Grand Prix there. The only time, I think American engined cars, ran against F1 cars.

 

A buddy got hurt bad at Raceway 605 in a modified. Went LSR after he recovered.

 

I too saw that Questor race in 71 and I think it was a high point in racing of any type, I enjoyed it and it is a good memory.

 

Watched a modified race today on MAVTV from last year at Irwindale on the half mile track the inside track is 1/3 mile and they also combo them for figure eight races. Little bit of history https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-25-sp-20965-story.html Seems like the place gets tossed about a lot over the years with sellers and owners. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irwindale_Event_Center

 

Looks like another one will "bite the dust" https://www.dragzine.com/news/wild-horse-pass-in-phoenix-slated-for-commercial-redevelopment/ A couple years ago they killed off Speedworld in Arizona there was always a H.A.M.B. tent when they had the Nostalgia Drags there now it looks like our only Strip may be in Tucson in the future at least for now they used to be IHRA but changed owners and went to NHRA it seems like politics are using Covid to kill off the Strips. https://tucson.com/sports/local/tuc...cle_4f12597a-89b4-587f-97b6-e752033337db.html

 

This is the track that I attended. I left SoCal, for NorCal, in '76 but, moved back for the year of '85 (to sub-contract for a electronics co.), before moving to Oregon in '86.
Quote from the LA Times:
"The only oval track in the area was Speedway 605, a paved half-mile with 5,000 seats, on Rivergrade Road, across the 605 Freeway from the new Irwindale Speedway. It was closed and torn down in 1977."

 

Dressed up in their Sunday best to wish everyone a HAPPY EASTER!

 

First year of operation at the San Jose, CA plant

 

I love old dealership pictures. They show a much better side of life.

 

My neighborhood in the early 60s, me in the back, photo bombing. Looks like a 58 wagon across the street. The family in the picture had a 57 Ford wagon, the dad was a mechanic at a Ford dealership.

 

This one is from my local area, I'm told that my 54 would have been prowling the streets in these days.

 

Eddie's in Meadville, PA

 

Whoaa Nelly!! (Dick Lane)

 

54 with 55 side trim?

 

I heard that Ford put '55 side trim on a few '54s and drove 'em around to see how well it would play in Peoria. That doesn't explain the '55 Packard in the background, though...

 

Or the Conestoga

 

Maybe the pilot for Back To The Future?

 

Must be the First Day. Looks like they dropped a couple. Lol
BTW, this plant is now a shopping mall.
They had an old car and some other items from the plant on display for years.
Due to current customers complete lack of interest, everything related to the plant was removed a couple years ago.

 

Not to take away from the focal point of the picture, but that V8 emblem is in an odd spot.