This one was called "San Diego Raceway" at Ramona, California. It began life in about 1963 after what was termed the "San Diego Rodders Riot." The location was just north-west outside the small town.
There was not much there except for a pit area, a few grandstands, a timing tower and a strip to race on. One good thing, it was a safe place for kids to race....but it not only drew the kids, it also drew the pros.
Back when I had just turned sixteen, I headed off to go racing. For a kid in that day really the only racing one could do was "drag racing." Ramona was the place. This is a photo of the first trophy I ever won, it reads "San Diego Dragway At Ramona"...still have the trophy...always will.
Here, the flagmen lets them go. This photo was taken before the use of the "Christmas Tree" lights.
Two front engined dragsters lite them up. Dragsters were still trying to hit the 200mph mark back then.
A Willys in the near lane sponsored by "Jacks Muffler Service...San Diego" gets the jump going against the Mercury Comet of "Dyno" Don Nicholson. Don was a very well known national drag racer back in the day, first driving Chevys then mostly Ford powered cars. Images via. A few days ago I was reminiscing about Ramona with a friend of mine, blog follower Keith Nelson. He had also raced there back then. He was telling me about the time a car called "The Green Monster," a jet powered exhibition racer built by Art Arfons blew down the fence behind the staging area on some cars as it fired up for a run down the drag strip.
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Related posts: Ramona Drags, As Talked About, The Accident
Thank you John, for the Ramona,"blast back to our past photo's", brings back great memories,from the most exciting era in automotive history,sure glad we were lucky enough to experience it. I raced against both Jack's Willys and Don's Comet. I will dig out some photo's to post real soon.Thank's again, Jon Guilmet
ReplyDeleteKings' Video of the Men Car Club gathering for a trip to the Ramona Drag strip in 1964. The yellow car with the enclosed parachute is TV (Tommy) Ivo And local record holder: Ted Cyr with his Lincoln: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aOX3cMfhtQ
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bill
L W Hughes III
1540 Goodwin Dr
Vista, CA 92084-3030
760-726-4694
LWBillHughes@sbcglobal.net
http://BillHughes.com/
Thanks Bill...that video is great!!!
ReplyDeleteJohn a friend of mine gave me your site and as a teenager (13) with an older brother I got to see Ramona on many occasions. One of my best friends at the time, his older brother was involved in the Carol & Flounders B/GS Willys, unfortunatly Vietnam came along and broke up the team. We even rode bikes to Ramona twice from Clairemont just to smell the fuel.I was there when Arfons blew the fence down and when John Wenderski made his last pass. Thanks for the memories!
ReplyDeleteThat's cool...if anyonehas more photos of Ramona, please let me know...I'll get them posted.
ReplyDeleteJohn:
ReplyDeleteI am just finishing up a pictorial history of Ramona for Arcadia Press and I really, really want to have some photos of the San Diego Raceway at Ramona in the book to get that part of rodding and dragging history out to the public. Can you provide me with any good quality tif of some of the photos on this blog or others that you may have? The requirement for good quality publication is that they need to be scanned in at 8" print mode so when they are reduced and printed they look really good. I will of course provide full credit to you as the provider of the images and will make sure when the book comes out in July 2011 that you get a copy.
Richard Carrico
Ramona CA rbrujo@sbcglobal.net
Richard, I'll contact you.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see this site. I raced my bright yellow 55 Chevy in 63/64 in CMP, called The Yellow Thang. 327 with Crower cam, Isky roller, dual AFBD carbs, alum flywheel, 538 posi rear gears. Loved racing there every chance I had and only lost one race to the Four Door Plum, another 55. Teamed up with Mendelson (sp) to race the 40 Willys, blue in color. Also raced Pomona, Fontana, and Riverside Hot Rod Championship inaugural year; lost in the finals to a sponsored Broadway Motors Ford, a sign of the future of sponsorship.
ReplyDeleteI remember the car, I think you lived in P.B. near Crown Point, always had a taxi drivers hat in the rear window. I had the white 63 Tempest in '64 and then the 65 GTO in '65. Raced at Ramona all the time against other GTO's, 442's and Buick GS. Beat most all of them.
DeleteThanks Tom, it was a simpler time back then. Please pass the blog along to others you think may enjoy it and if you have any old photos you would like to share, please email me.
ReplyDeleteJohn
I was recalling being at the Ramona Drags... the Four Door Plum (thought this was a Falcon)...and Willys' Pie Wagon, one of our favorites......the driver smoked a big stogie (like mr. horsepower)
ReplyDeleteI forgot about the "Pie Wagon."
ReplyDeleteI remember watching "TV" Tommy Ivo's 4 nailhead Buick engine powered rail, the "Showboat", run at Ramona...
ReplyDeleteI've never been the same since 8=)
can anyone tell me where san diego dragway at ramona was located? (address,nearest street,etc)my father john wenderski was killed there in feb.'64. thanks in advance! mike. www.blackbeautyracing.com
ReplyDeleteMike, I was there the day your father was killed and it was a sad day. The dragstrip was located on the south side of the Ramona airport.
DeleteDennis Nottingham
Lakeside, CA
As I recall...and at my age that can be tough....the Willys was owned by Jack Armstrong "JUMPIN JACK ARMSTRONG" then owner of Jack's Muffler on University Ave. Always loved watching him race
DeleteDennis Nottingham
Lakeside, CA
The track runs paralle to the Ramona Air Port. It is the small strip with overgrown weeds to the left of the tarmac.
ReplyDeleteRon
The first drag race I ever attended was at Ramona. I was about 13 or 14. My dad took me as a reward for cutting back all the weeds on our property. I saw Don Garlits match race Connie Kalitta. I also saw a little Junior Fuel dragster too and vowed to myself to someday to have one. It took me 30 years, but I got it. I am still drag racing and only race Junior Fuel. Thanks Dad.
ReplyDeleteI was present when the Green Monster blew down the fence. I will never forget that race. A double A fuel dragster was lined up with the Monster. The dragster was the first to line up, then the Green monster fired up its jet and it began to increase its noise level. Soon you couldn't even hear the dragster! The flagman had a fire suit on and he needed it. With the start the after burner kicked in and the Green Monster lit up the night creating an image that I will never forget, the monster beat the rail, but what an exhibition! I remember at the time thinking the guy driving the monster has more guts than anyone I could imagine.
ReplyDeleteWell, here it is 2013. I remember Ramona opened just after I graduated from Kearny High School. I remember the episodes on El Cajon Blvd, after the San Diego Dragstrip was dozed over to become a housing development. I remember racing my 57 Chevy at the old air strip near Montgomery Field. Vietnam came and many of use left to the war. I remember my buddy telling me about the new drag strip in Carlsbad. Thanks for the memories.
ReplyDelete