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Questions about Ontario Motor Speedway
- Thread starter The Swegian
- Start date
T.Smith
Nitro Member
Wow, those are some cool pictures.
The USAC Champ Car stuff is the best....love the shots of the late Art Pollard. I think Swede Savage took over that ride in 1973, both were killed at Indy that year.
Those Champ Car crowds weren't lacking.
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Z28LT1
Nitro Member
the tower that is in the backround of pic #14 and #15; is it the same building that is on the property at Pomona down by the spectator parking gate?
ColeCoonce
Nitro Member
That's quite a collection of photo albums, dude... What inspired you to hit the Natchez Trace?
You!
Nitro Member
Yup, but before it ended up at the L.A. County Fairgrounds, it was first moved to Riverside Raceway until it closed in July of '89.
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joe fuchita
Nitro Member
Yea, great shot of Linda!!
robinjackson
Nitro Member
Attended three races at OMS -- '74, '78, '80 (the last race).
For Pomona a couple of weeks ago, stayed in a very comfortable hotel (Ayres Suites, Milliken Ave.) just over the road from OMS Turn One, which now seems to be occupied by a Dennys and a Hooters, among many other buildings. Strange, trying to recall what the area was like 30 years ago.
Talked to a young woman serving at a Starbucks (around about Turn Two, I'd say). Said she was born and raised in Ontario but had never heard of the Speedway.
For Pomona a couple of weeks ago, stayed in a very comfortable hotel (Ayres Suites, Milliken Ave.) just over the road from OMS Turn One, which now seems to be occupied by a Dennys and a Hooters, among many other buildings. Strange, trying to recall what the area was like 30 years ago.
Talked to a young woman serving at a Starbucks (around about Turn Two, I'd say). Said she was born and raised in Ontario but had never heard of the Speedway.
I was there in '74 driving the "Hawiian"... It pushed the valve cover gaskets out just before the finish line [sheet metal covers], and the "thermos jacketed" headers didnt exist yet.. Needless to say, it became a huge inferno.. Just past the finish line, it had already burned off both the chutes, and a little ways further, burned off both the rear tires... The fire bottles barely bought me enough time to get off into the grass just before turn 1 on the Oval, and I bailed out the side window area while the car was still rolling... Thank God for the bulky, non fashionable, 9 layer Tri-Form suit that I was wearing.. It burned off 7 of the 9 layers, in areas I wont mention, but it saved my ASS from any serious burns..
The following year they mandated Cast valve covers, Jacketed headers, and roof hatches, or as "Coil" put it, "Pig Chutes"..
It's amazing to me, what we all got away with in those days, with the safety equipment that we had, AND didnt have....
Denny Savage
Denny, I've spoken to Dave Benjamin about this....All those Fires you guys endured back in the day have made the Sport 3X as Safe today!
My two favorite places to watch from at Ontario were at the end of the circular bridge in this shot of Abbott blowing up:
And in the seats just below the press box - the red and blue seats high above the track just below the glass windows in the shot of Bonin and the Snake.
I was at the end of the bridge in about 74 or 75 when Tom Toler, driving Dick Stahl's car had a fireball very similar to Abbott's right in front of us. I can still feel how hot it was, not to mention the junk that rained down around us.
And no mention of Ontario and fire can be complete without one of the "great" moments in drag race history. I'm sure anyone that was ever there can recall the huge Port-a-john "Farm" at the back of the pits. Probably 50 of them in one place. One Saturday night Beavis decided to light them on fire. I was up in the press box with Big Mac and we watched the whole thing. Trust me, you've never seen a fire until you've seen 40 portable ablaze.
And in the seats just below the press box - the red and blue seats high above the track just below the glass windows in the shot of Bonin and the Snake.
I was at the end of the bridge in about 74 or 75 when Tom Toler, driving Dick Stahl's car had a fireball very similar to Abbott's right in front of us. I can still feel how hot it was, not to mention the junk that rained down around us.
And no mention of Ontario and fire can be complete without one of the "great" moments in drag race history. I'm sure anyone that was ever there can recall the huge Port-a-john "Farm" at the back of the pits. Probably 50 of them in one place. One Saturday night Beavis decided to light them on fire. I was up in the press box with Big Mac and we watched the whole thing. Trust me, you've never seen a fire until you've seen 40 portable ablaze.
You!
Nitro Member
My dad and I were standing in that same spot when Dale Emery had his fairly famous blower explosion in Jeg's funny car that tore the body off of it. The blower must have been some 100' in the air and it just seemed to hang there forever.
The scariest part of those deals was when it hit the ground because you had no way of knowing which way it was going to go.
I know someone will come up with this right away, but what was the name of the event before the World Finals race was moved there?
Rajunz
Nitro Member
Not sure who she is, but ol' Buster is checking out her assets!
Thanks for the pictures guys, another great blast from the past!
Supernationals.
The 1971 race was the first race I went to in California. We had just got here the first week of November and the race was in mid-November.
Remembering Orange County Int. Raceway
Try the above link for a good history of OCIR. I picked this up on a website about ghost tracks that covers a lot of the old tracks that have disappeared over the years.
Try the above link for a good history of OCIR. I picked this up on a website about ghost tracks that covers a lot of the old tracks that have disappeared over the years.
