Along For The Ride: Just a Day on the Strip... / Barona Antique Drags

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Just a Day on the Strip... / Barona Antique Drags

The pungent smell of burning rubber wafted through the air. As the smoke cleared, another run of 6.45 was layed down on the black as tar strip. Barona’s Antique Drags were well launched into the day with over 150 entrants, the 42^nd installment. This twice yearly event grows larger time and again. The rides on the track are ’75 and older, so this totally retro event takes one back to the day before the corporate spitting drivers with cars that barely resemble their ancestors.

The cars had pulled in early and were bound to leave late as plenty of rubber had been vaporized. It is truly a run what ya’ brung gathering with straight axle gassers, old school dragsters, rods, even muscle cars. As usual for this event, there were air filling burnouts, side by side strip long battles, and sky reaching wheelies.

Barona Antique Drags. Image © "Along For The Ride"

One of the cool oldies that showed up to run, was the dragster named “Antique Doll” sporting its Chassis Research TE-440 frame with a flathead. These original rails could be purchased in kit form for $149.50 back in 1958. Gordon “Scotty” Fern founded the company and became the first production builder of a drag racing chassis. The dragster was sporting Hurst white wall slicks…how bitchin is that? The car is now owned by Dimitri Lazaris.

If you happen to try this event on…you’ll find a great fit!