Draw 3D
Nitro Member
Hey Jeff, long time no talk. I see you painted your car red, looks real nice.
OCIR had some great FC meets, but so did Irwindale. The 'Dale also had some great Comp & AA/GS races.
Ah the good old days!
Nitromater
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Does anyone have a Time Machine?? - I want to go here......
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OCIR had some great FC meets, but so did Irwindale. The 'Dale also had some great Comp & AA/GS races.
Ah the good old days!
Mr. Jean
Nitro Member
Yup, great races for sure. I had some nice seats there too.
(behind the wheel)March Meet. Be there or be square.
I never made it to the West Coast until the 1990s, but I clearly remember my yearly trips to Indy in the 60s. The fuel shows lasted hours and hours between Funny Cars and TF. Unlike today, it wasn't that unusual to take a bathroom, food, or drink break during the session.
We'd come home and try to explain that there were so many fuel cars running that we would almost get bored before the session ended. Our buddies never understood...
Nick Name
Nitro Member
Does anyone have a Time Machine?? - I want to go back... way back... back into time!!
64 FUNNY CARS at OCIR!!
I was there for all of those. I am in the stands in to the left
Jay
Harry Mannback
Nitro Member
Great memories! Borrow Dads 66 442, hit up my future ex wife's Uncle for tickets and off the the races we go! OCIR, what great times.
As for the time machine, I dropped mine off at the shop in 1999. It's supposed to be ready in 2012, why do I have to wait to pick it up?
Dan
As for the time machine, I dropped mine off at the shop in 1999. It's supposed to be ready in 2012, why do I have to wait to pick it up?
Dan
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qtermile14
Nitro Member
Does anyone have a Time Machine?? - I want to go back... way back... back into time!!
64 FUNNY CARS at OCIR!!
For all of the Pro meets at OCIR. I was in the first stand on the left, just past the christmas tree. The pole with the wire in the bottom right was for hanging the christmas tree.
The best Manufacturers meets were under the original format in which four teams of eight cars qualified by manufacturer. All 32 cars would run three rounds, pairing one team against the other. Then the final would be the two cars that had the best ET of the three rounds. Friday qualifying under the original format, which was from noon until about 10 in the evening, was almost as good as eliminations back then. You would have about 50 cars trying to qualify into the 32 spots.
qtermile14
Nitro Member
Hey Jeff, I will not be able to make Bakersfield, but will be at Fontana for the Heritage race in September that will feature the nitro cars.
Sandy
Nitro Member
1980.... I was 4!!
Now thats enough of that. I was racing a 71 duster pro et car with "movin on" on the side of it. Sure do miss those days.
Darryl
Nitro Member
Damn guys, you just made me remember why I miss it ALL! Lions, Irwindale, Fontana, San Fernando and even Carlsbad! Most all of those tracks you could see a 'Pro' show EVERY week. Many times it was Lions on Saturday night and San Fernando on Sunday...for Top Fuel. Give me that freakin' Way Back machine Mr. Peabody!
Gutter Brain
Nitro Member
NHRA Photo of the Week, Beebe and Mulligan. Now this is cool. Just the look of the front engine dragster is ultimate cool to me. I may be a little biased after racing with my dad. 
This is what I want to use the time machine for. I want to go back and see the FED's in the hay day.
This is what I want to use the time machine for. I want to go back and see the FED's in the hay day.
none
Nitro Member
NHRA Photo of the Week, Beebe and Mulligan. Now this is cool. Just the look of the front engine dragster is ultimate cool to me. I may be a little biased after racing with my dad.
Not really back in the day, but still pretty damn cool...
YouTube - Beebe & Mulligan AA/FD March Meet 2007
coyotedale
Nitro Member
Not really back in the day, but still pretty damn cool...
YouTube - Beebe & Mulligan AA/FD March Meet 2007
riding in the push truck is the next best thing to actually being in the dragster. I've had the privilege to be in that truck at the patch. Such a *****en sound hearing it come to life while you are right behind it.
Randy
Nitro Member
I've got some night time pictures I took from probably that same event. I used to get a press pass. I have a neat shot of the Radici and Wise FC shot from the rear quarter, staged at night, header flames and full grand stands in the back round. I have a day time shot of the Soapy Sales Duster completely sideways on a burn out with the rear slick tucked under the rim. I need to scan and post them.
You can see that was a later photo of OCIR as evidenced by the Perfect Circle win lights. Each side was a large compass lit up in neon and probably 25 or 30 feet tall not counting the pole. In the early days each lane had a huge "Mr. T" where the "T" lit up like a Las Vegas casino in the lane that won.
Mike English and I learned to duck when the marines drank too much. One night it was the marines against the bikers, or better yet, the pit side grand stands against the spectator side grand stands with beer bottles flying back and forth over the track. One guy got killed. Then there was the streaker that jumped out of the back of an El Camino near the starting line. He ran toward the finish line waving his hands and everything else loosely attached. The guy in the El Camino followed him as if to pick him up when he reached the finish line, but changed his mind at about half track and left for the pits leaving the streaker on his own. Instead of hitching a ride back in the El Camino, the streaker got a ride in a police car.
With all the stories out there, they could make a movie like "American Graffiti."
RG
You can see that was a later photo of OCIR as evidenced by the Perfect Circle win lights. Each side was a large compass lit up in neon and probably 25 or 30 feet tall not counting the pole. In the early days each lane had a huge "Mr. T" where the "T" lit up like a Las Vegas casino in the lane that won.
Mike English and I learned to duck when the marines drank too much. One night it was the marines against the bikers, or better yet, the pit side grand stands against the spectator side grand stands with beer bottles flying back and forth over the track. One guy got killed. Then there was the streaker that jumped out of the back of an El Camino near the starting line. He ran toward the finish line waving his hands and everything else loosely attached. The guy in the El Camino followed him as if to pick him up when he reached the finish line, but changed his mind at about half track and left for the pits leaving the streaker on his own. Instead of hitching a ride back in the El Camino, the streaker got a ride in a police car.
With all the stories out there, they could make a movie like "American Graffiti."
RG
sammi
Nitro Member
We just gotta stop this. I am getting all seized up thinking about the top end grandstands.
This was absolutely the best place to watch old school drags. You could watch the drama of a top fuel team trying to get ready for a last minute push down the fireup road. You could hear the "tink tink" of magnesium parts landing in the gravel behind the grandstands. I can't think of how many times I burned my little 11 year old hands carrying coffee back from the concession area for my dad. (didn't those cheese burgers taste great after dark)
My dad was loosely affiliated with Ken's Automotive (sponsor on the bracket car) and I got to go down the fireup road with The Odd Couple T/G car once. We shot bottle rockets from those grandstands. I froze my little butt off in those grand stands on those 11p.m. semi final rounds.
I envy you people who have a track nearby that you can call home. Calif. Speedway, while I am thankful for it being there, doesn't have much of a homey feel. Maybe if they hire the right manager.
Mark
This was absolutely the best place to watch old school drags. You could watch the drama of a top fuel team trying to get ready for a last minute push down the fireup road. You could hear the "tink tink" of magnesium parts landing in the gravel behind the grandstands. I can't think of how many times I burned my little 11 year old hands carrying coffee back from the concession area for my dad. (didn't those cheese burgers taste great after dark)
My dad was loosely affiliated with Ken's Automotive (sponsor on the bracket car) and I got to go down the fireup road with The Odd Couple T/G car once. We shot bottle rockets from those grandstands. I froze my little butt off in those grand stands on those 11p.m. semi final rounds.
I envy you people who have a track nearby that you can call home. Calif. Speedway, while I am thankful for it being there, doesn't have much of a homey feel. Maybe if they hire the right manager.
Mark
Mr. Jean
Nitro Member
Here's a link to some of the cars that ran there back in the day.
Orange County International Raceway, Circa 1970. album | Drew Hierwarter | Fotki.com
Orange County International Raceway, Circa 1970. album | Drew Hierwarter | Fotki.com
