Couple interesting stories / videos (1 Viewer)

[FC138fan]

TV NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER In Black And White With One Eye Closed: 02- The Jet Car Crash

That one is a pretty detailed story on the legendary Art Arfon's tragic crash back in 1971. Art had a passenger in his jet car that died, along with two spectators. Interesting how the track security took one photographer's film and ripped it out of the camera... isn't that borderline criminal considering an investigation should have followed.

Luckiest Man Alive? - YouTube

Watch that one closely, after the crash there's a guy standing beside the track as the wrecked car comes to rest outside the track. I didn't realize later that the guy was the driver of the car.

 

[Nick Name]

Always thought Fremont was a cool track for not having walls or guard rails right up nest to the track.

 

[Paul]

I was racing at the race with that "luckiest man" crash video from Fremont and I was originally lined up to down the track next to that car (this was during time trials) but for some reason I don't remember they stopped me from pulling into the staging area and they sent the 55 down by itself.

To be candid, towards the end that track was being very loose on tech inspections and that car was a nightmare waiting to happen, the seat was just tacked welded in and that's why it flew out.

I do remember someone watching the wreck yelling out, "holy ****, why was that guy standing on the track, and why does he have a helmet on?"

Nobody realized that it was the driver standing there, everybody thought he has still in the car and was very worried about his fate, including his son who was on the starting line and was very upset until he found out that his dad was ok.

But he was still upset even after finding out his dad was ok because it turned out it was his car his dad was making the run on.

 

[Treeshaker]

In another thread it was suggested that all tracks be configured like Fremont, i.e. guard rails moved back and grass in between. That moved out guard rail didn't do much good in this video.

If the guard rail had been next to the asphalt in this instance, the car was sliding on it's side, would have hit the guardrail and bounced back without the barrel rolls or near as much damage.

 

[FC138fan]

I was racing at the race with that "luckiest man" crash video from Fremont and I was originally lined up to down the track next to that car (this was during time trials) but for some reason I don't remember they stopped me from pulling into the staging area and they sent the 55 down by itself.

What a small world! Nice addition to the background of that video.

 

[troy boy]

A friend of mine said his dad went off the track at fremont once. He said he was hard on the brakes and when he hit the grass he picked up 10 mph

 

[Nick Name]

In another thread it was suggested that all tracks be configured like Fremont, i.e. guard rails moved back and grass in between. That moved out guard rail didn't do much good in this video.

If the guard rail had been next to the asphalt in this instance, the car was sliding on it's side, would have hit the guardrail and bounced back without the barrel rolls or near as much damage.

Virgil;
I can't begin to tell you how many times I saw both cars and motorcycles leave the track at Fremont and save it and get back on with no damage.

Same with the right side on old San Fernando.

 

[Dragracer]

I saw Jimmy Nix at the original San Gabriel get off the left side of the track - which was dirt. He never took his foot out of it. Believe it or not he got back onto the track and finished his run without crashing.

 

[DrRocket]

After I graduated from high school in '71, I visited my aunt and uncle for they summer. They lived in Milpitas Ca. Fremont was just a stones throw from their house. You could hear the nitro cars from the house. I spent quite a bit of time there that summer. Had a ball. Even took my uncle's '64 Dynamic 88 for a couple of laps. I've since lost the time slips. Sure wish I still had them.

I saw most of the major cars there that summer, but the one that stands out in my mind is the Mallicoat Bros twin turbo Barracuda funny car. This was a really unique car for its time, and the build quality was superb. While not silent, it was quiet enough that you could hear the slick squalling as the driver did the burnout. I remember standing near the finish line during one run. While the car didn't excel off of the line, by the time it neared the finish line, the turbos had caught up that that car really hauled the mail at the finish.

 

[Paul]

I remembered a couple of other things about that race night and the '56 crash.

It was one of the last races at Baylands/Fremont and lot of cars that I hadn't ever seen there were coming out for a last shot at track.

I remember a buddy of mine commenting "Man, every horror story that's been sitting in a garage some where is out here tonight."

The tech guys were backed up since a lot of cars were there and were hardly looking at the cars at all before writing a number on them with shoe polish and waving them through.

I remember they passed a car right in line in front of me, a small older beat up import, that only had 2 lug nuts holding the right front wheel on, at least it was a 4 lug and the nuts were across from each other.

I also remembered that the 55 during the burnout was only spinning the right wheel so either it had a shot posi or maybe the left axle had already snapped. The driver's son had noticed this was yelling at his dad but his dad couldn't hear him.

The driver had a sore back but other than that he was ok.

 

[n/a]

I remembered a couple of other things about that race night and the '56 crash.

It was one of the last races at Baylands/Fremont and lot of cars that I hadn't ever seen there were coming out for a last shot at track.

I remember a buddy of mine commenting "Man, every horror story that's been sitting in a garage some where is out here tonight."

The tech guys were backed up since a lot of cars were there and were hardly looking at the cars at all before writing a number on them with shoe polish and waving them through.

I remember they passed a car right in line in front of me, a small older beat up import, that only had 2 lug nuts holding the right front wheel on, at least it was a 4 lug and the nuts were across from each other.

I also remembered that the 55 during the burnout was only spinning the right wheel so either it had a shot posi or maybe the left axle had already snapped. The driver's son had noticed this was yelling at his dad but his dad couldn't hear him.

The driver had a sore back but other than that he was ok.

I was there too Paul and pretty much grew up on that track since it opened in 1961. Besides the tack welded seat I was told that the seatbelt was attached to the floor using valve cover bolts. That thing was more of a coffin than a race car.

 

[Paul]

I was there too Paul and pretty much grew up on that track since it opened in 1961. Besides the tack welded seat I was told that the seatbelt was attached to the floor using valve cover bolts. That thing was more of a coffin than a race car.

Dan, did you race a car there, I raced a black '67 Chevelle, did we ever race against each other?