Starting around 1972 the Porsche Owners Club and the Porsche Club of America San Diego Region started running "Time Trial" events using the drag race track and return road as a road course. SCCA then picked up on the track and started running "Solo One" events and then changed over to running SCCA Regional races, using the same course.
The narrow course had a half mile straight with some drastic elevation changes and needless to say was rather dangerous to run with no runoff areas...one mistake and it was history. However, having run there...it was a lot of fun!
This was openning day at the track in 1964.
Track map with turns 1 through 7, a 1.16 mile track.
An aerial view of the track.
Turn 5 exiting the dragstrip pit area, with a steep drop.
Cresting the hill to turn 7 and onto the straight.
An MGB at turn 1.
L to R, crewmembers Victor Ofner, myself, Pat Scanlan, and Don Jones with the new Alan Johnson Porsche 944 Turbo GTR at an SCCA Regional race in 1985. Also note the Bozzani and Rusnak 914s in the pit area.It's sad to say, the Raceway officially closed in August of 2004 and there have been no races there since that time. The Carlsbad Raceway Business Park now stands where we once raced.
I misspent my youth at Carlsbad Raceway. Larry used to pay me a case of oil for working the staging lanes. Raced a D Gas flathead dragster with the Scotchmen Car Club in 67 through 69. Got married on a Friday night and was racing on Sunday. Really miss the smell of the bleach and nitro and the sound of the uncapped race cars, probably why my sense of smell and my hearing are what they are today.
ReplyDeleteI love it
ReplyDeleteJohn-
ReplyDeleteYou still look the same!!
;-)
Great stories and blog! love it!
Felix
Just a few years olded.
ReplyDeleteI ran with the PCA at Carlsbad a few times back in the mid/late 80's...back then I remember the surface being very rough and (as you point out), no runoff at all. Ironically, for the last ten years I've lived less than two miles away, just in time to witness the closing of the track.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog, thanks!
Barry M.