Found these prints in a drawer and scanned them in. The old tower, Prudhomme in the dragster, Pat Austen wheeling the top fueler and the alcohol funny...

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m34/KevinG58/old%20school%20sears%20point/th_oldschool_019.jpg (http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m34/KevinG58/old%20school%20sears%20point/?action=view&current=oldschool_019.jpg)

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m34/KevinG58/old%20school%20sears%20point/th_oldschool_026-1.jpg (http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m34/KevinG58/old%20school%20sears%20point/?action=view&current=oldschool_026-1.jpg)

More Here (http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m34/KevinG58/old%20school%20sears%20point/)

niice pics

Look at how high up those wings are!

This is one of my Favorite Alky FC"s of all time!

old school sears point :: oldschool_028.jpg picture by KevinG58 - Photobucket (http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m34/KevinG58/old%20school%20sears%20point/?action=view&current=oldschool_028.jpg)

Nice stuff Kevin. Thanks for ending with Papa Joe's Car.

d'kid

I loved standing at the fence on the start line.
Remember the bridge over the track?

any set of pics with the JP-1 Special is great.
thanks.

My favorite part was having to back in to the water box to do a burnout in the right lane. I almost hit the tower doing it one time.

I loved how close the spectator seats where to the track! If you stood next to the fence, you can get a big dose of nitro while they backed up from the burnout. those was the days...Still got my ticket stub from the 1st annual.

One of the nicest looking TF dragsters of all time in my opinion.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m34/KevinG58/old%20school%20sears%20point/oldschool_022.jpg

Seats close to the strip was a gigantic "plus" at that drag strip, for sure!!!

Texas' Green Valley Raceway was even better, with the "fire-up lane" the only thing separating the seats from the strip, and man, when they'd let out the clutch (they were being pushed about 30 mph) and, light up that fuel motor directly in front of you, it would raise you up about 6-inches off your seat! :)

Bruton ruined Sears Point (excuse me; Infineon) when he built the stands so far from the strip that you almost need binoculars to watch the cars. I only returned there once, after he did that. Too far from the action...

IMHO, they should pay whatever the insurance premiums are to ensure that the stands are close to the strip, like these used to be. The enhanced "show" would attract enough extra people to make it a sound business investment, I think.
Your mileage may vary....

Bill

My favorite part was having to back in to the water box to do a burnout in the right lane. I almost hit the tower doing it one time.

Ah, I had forgotten watching that maneuver ;)

I might have more old prints somewhere around here or in the "vault" at the ex's. As I find em I'll share them.

Seeing Wayne Stoekel's "Boogie Man" car is classic, i remember the Ghoulish looking face on it.

One of the nicest looking TF dragsters of all time in my opinion.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m34/KevinG58/old%20school%20sears%20point/oldschool_022.jpg

1) That is one of the best mullets I've ever seen
2) How GREAT would that be to be those fans in the background - 100% nitro that close with enough space in the stands to lay down if you wanted to.

I remember you could get dangerously close to the track at Norwalk back when it was IHRA in late 90's.

Case in point:
YouTube - IHRA World Nationals Qualifying (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiHU5rsZUe4)

[QUOTE=Nick Dobda;217184]1)
2) How GREAT would that be to be those fans in the background - 100% nitro that close with enough space in the stands to lay down if you wanted to.

That and the bridge that crossed over the track allowed for a view that few probably experienced. I'll still take Fremont in the 60's and 70's though. :(

bandimere seats on east side very close also?
were these old seats @ s.p. even closer?

Nothing was as close as the left side grandstands at Lions.

I was stationed at Travis AFB at nearby Fairfield back in 75/76.
Most beautiful drive to a dragstrip/racetrack ever and I made it several times ...back in the day.
I wonder where those old pics are?

Have to do some diggin' this weekend.

Nothing was as close as the left side grandstands at Lions.

That's what I was going to say. Close enough that by the time the run was over, bits of hot rubber would sprinkle down on you.

What happened to the front tires?











J/K

That's what I was going to say. Close enough that by the time the run was over, bits of hot rubber would sprinkle down on you.


As I recall, right side front row seats were about 15 feet from the race cars.

http://cacklefest.com/images/305.jpg

Courtesy Cacklefest.com

1) That is one of the best mullets I've ever seen
2) How GREAT would that be to be those fans in the background - 100% nitro that close with enough space in the stands to lay down if you wanted to.

I remember you could get dangerously close to the track at Norwalk back when it was IHRA in late 90's.

Case in point:
YouTube - IHRA World Nationals Qualifying (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiHU5rsZUe4)

Those were the seats to be in on the Friday Night Qualifying sessions !!! Unless you had too much sun, too much beer and no jacket when the temps dropped from 95 to 60 degrees as the sun went down, then those 50.00 sweatshirts were selling fast !