Abandoned drag srtip east of Phoenix

[Mark Hickman]

I have been lurking awhile, but this thread really caught my eye.

There is one in NE Ohio, was called Meander Dragway. You can point Google maps to 41.059874, -80.831180 and see its present state. You can zoom in and still see rubber on the track.

My cousin raced here when I was a kid. One cool thing is it was an airport as well. Occasionally they would stop the racing to let a plane land.

We also came close to losing Quaker City in Salem OH, but they are still running.

[Salvatore]

man that is a real nice 68 Chevelle you got! Lets see/here more about it. Sam

[Dog427435]

Fabulous aerials Bill and those vintage shots are GREAT!!







Not much left from all the strips I grew up with on the island - urban sprawl has pretty much obliterated all my old haunts many years ago!

[427TJ]

Paradise Mesa is east of San Diego and was one of dozens of drag strips that popped-up on disused WWII military airfields in the years after the war. The strip operated from 1951-59 on the abandoned runway of the former Sweetwater Dam Naval Outlying Field (OLF) which was built during WWII as an auxiliary airfield for nearby NAS North Island. Here's an excerpt from the history of the famous "Bean Bandits" drag racing team:

"Paradise Mesa Airfield, outside of San Diego was one place where the Bean Bandits built their memories. It became their home track. Paradise Mesa was a strip where illegal racing was restricted following what, in 1951, Hot Rod called "hazards of frequent uncontrolled drag meets." Bean Bandits' president, Mike Nagem, helped form the San Diego Timing Association (SDTA) and convinced property owner Henry Adams to create a legal venue for racers to show off their abilities. He agreed and the SDTA, with the help of local law enforcement officers, organized the country's first legal drag strips. SDTA brought needed order to a world of chaos. They instituted track rules, charged entrance fees and used Otto Crocker's reliable timers. The track officially opened in 1951 and before closing 8 years later, young Arnett and his friends cleaned up with the trophies. Arnett recalls hopping into his car and racing the fastest vehicles there, motorcycles."

San Diego at left and Paradise Mesa out to the east/right:













The Bean Bandits car, lower, faced off with Dode Martin's "A" dragster at the 1953 Pacific Southwest Championship Drags at Paradise Mesa. Martin won but the Bandits set low ET of the meet.



Receiving their Low ET trophy:



An Austin Bantam and an A (on Deuce rails) face off:



Neat '35 Ford with hole-punched fenders:



More information here: http://members.tripod.com/airfields_...SanDiego_S.htm

And here: http://members.aol.com/beanracers/history.html

[427TJ]

San Fernando Airport began operations in 1939 and the drag strip, located adjacent to the airport runway, opened in 1955 and was known as "The Pond." The airport closed in 1985 and was paved-over and is now an industrial site. I am pretty sure the cars ran from the south to the north--anyone remember?





1988 USGS topo map image after the airport had closed:



Pilot's VFR chart showing layout of runway and drag strip to the west of the runway along the large drainage canal:



Some great Tommy Ivo photos, found at this site:

http://www.standard1320.com/Ivo/Buic...ngleBuick.html

Ivo's first dragster, with an injected Nailhead, seen at San Fernando with builder Kent Fuller standing and Ivo in the seat:



And in color!







And a postwar Olds woody to finish off!

[Dog427435]

[b] This was originally West Hampton Drag Strip - then changed to Hampton Auto Raceway Inc., in the
early eighties - then Suffolk County Raceway - then in the nineties to Long Island Dragway until their
close in the early 2000s.




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Some shots from the sixties -
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[427TJ]

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Look closely--I think that '61 Impala convert is an SS!

[427TJ]

Since San Fernando, like Fontana and San Gabriel, had a drainage canal alongside the track, occasioanlly a racer would lose it and go under the fence and wind up in the canal. I read a story where Frank Pedregon went down into the canal at San Fernando, climbed out and "played dead" while the ambulance crews struggled to get to him. As they approached he jumped up and let everyone know he was okay. Here's a photo of a racer that had gone into the canal at San Fernando:

[427TJ]

Text from the Ontario City Library site:

"The Ontario Motor Speedway (the Big “O”) was designed as a replica of the 2.5 mile racetrack at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It also had an infield road course and a drag strip to maximize racing events. Designed by Walter Ted Tyler at a cost of $25.5 million, it opened on Sept. 3, 1970 with the inaugural California 500 on Sept. 6. This Labor Day event was to complement the Indy 500 traditionally held on Memorial Day. A second race, the Questor Grand Prix, was held in March 1971 and won by Mario Andretti. 86 separate days of racing, qualifying and practice for championship, sport, stock and drag races was anticipated with over one million persons in attendance per year. Although races were held each year, the actual monies coming in were below expectations. The management tried to improve attendance with three rock concerts – the California Jams I, II and III. Talks took place with promoters of the Expo ’81, a world’s fair-type extravaganza with pavilions on the racetrack grounds. By 1980, the track management company was bankrupt and the City of Ontario sold the property for $10 million to the Chevron Land Management Company. The track was demolished in 1981 at a cost of $3 million. Subsequent development, most recently the Piemonte mixed-use development of condominiums, offices and retail stores and the Citizens Business Bank Arena has largely covered the old racetrack grounds. Echoes still remain in the area’s street signs however: Concours Drive, Mercedes, Ferrari and Triumph Lanes, Porsche Way, Dusenberg and Corvette Drives, Lotus Ave, Shelby Street, Jaguar Way."


Note Fontana Drag City at upper right and the new California Speedway:





The asphalt and stucco beast overtakes the site:



The dragstrip was in the infield at far right: