Orange County International Raceway-36 years (1 Viewer)

[TopFuel@Lions]

Today, October 29 2019 marks 36 years since drag racings first supertrack ran it's last nitro race. It was past 1:00am. on the final night, Mrs. TopFuel@LIons and myself were on hand. We were sitting on the spectator side, 1st grandstand, top row. Just before Gary beck soloed for the AA/FD title, with maybe a 1000 fans left, a fan on the pit side yelled, "the flakes are gone and the diehards are still here." The remaining crowd erupted. Beck made his run and for us it was all over. So on this day and date, I remember the awesome Orange County International Raceway. So many great times from opening day in August of 1967 that dad and I attended, to the last night of nitro with my wife. Cheeseburgers, strips, and some cold beer and those many Saturday nights and Sunday afternoon shows, great times.

In a few days I will review a race that set the tone, courtesy of O.C.I.R. I ca still hear the Champs singing that promo song.



TopFuel@Lions

 

[Al]

Today, October 29 2019 marks 36 years since drag racings first supertrack ran it's last nitro race. It was past 1:00am. on the final night, Mrs. TopFuel@LIons and myself were on hand. We were sitting on the spectator side, 1st grandstand, top row. Just before Gary beck soloed for the AA/FD title, with maybe a 1000 fans left, a fan on the pit side yelled, "the flakes are gone and the diehards are still here." The remaining crowd erupted. Beck made his run and for us it was all over. So on this day and date, I remember the awesome Orange County International Raceway. So many great times from opening day in August of 1967 that dad and I attended, to the last night of nitro with my wife. Cheeseburgers, strips, and some cold beer and those many Saturday nights and Sunday afternoon shows, great times.

In a few days I will review a race that set the tone, courtesy of O.C.I.R. I ca still hear the Champs singing that promo song.



TopFuel@Lions

Growing up as a kid in Canada I subscribed to Drag Racing USA and it seemed that every issue had coverage of a big event at OCIR . I always had a trip to OCIR on my bucket list. Finally when it was the track's last season in 1983 we made the trip for the World Finals. So glad I did ! The track was everything I thought it was going to be and the event was one for the ages ! Quickest-ever fields, record runs, etc. Great memories !
I'm hoping that NHRA.tv will air the coverage of that event in their classics line-up some day.

 

[Cliff]

That was the bad thing about growing up in So Calif. Every track that we went to is gone, except Pomona. I miss Lions the most, OCIR 2nd. I do remember going to OCIR the first time, for a Top Gas Dragster show. Could not believe that track. It was like being in another world compared to the other tracks back then. It would still look modern today. Two big memories to me from OCIR: Don Enriquez in the Adams & Enriquez A/FD ran the first injected nitro 6 second ET, 1973. And T/F final, at night, dew starting to come in. Don Garlits VS James Warren in the Warren-Coburn-Miller car in the final. Warren took him out & "the crowd went wild". The word was that Garlits "feared" Warren the most. I actually think they were friends, cuz Warren showed Garlits how to run a 6 second ET at Inday, and Garlits paid back the favor by beating Warren in the final. Heh

 

[tom]

16 years of great memories. I didn't make all the fantastic events, just most of them. The one thing that stands out for me was the top of the tower club where you could sit inside, be served cocktails, by I believe it was Gail, and see everything. Oh, and I used to make book on the races and sometimes help The Dones do pairings for his tremendous booked in shows. The membership was the greatest bargain of all time, I think it was around $500. per year, but my memory is not real good.

 

[TopFuel@Lions]

Keep those memories coming, in just a few days I will jog your memory banks big time.



TopFuel@Lions

 

[Cliff]

16 years of great memories. I didn't make all the fantastic events, just most of them. The one thing that stands out for me was the top of the tower club where you could sit inside, be served cocktails, by I believe it was Gail, and see everything. Oh, and I used to make book on the races and sometimes help The Dones do pairings for his tremendous booked in shows. The membership was the greatest bargain of all time, I think it was around $500. per year, but my memory is not real good.

$500 was a lot of $$ back then. Today we can spend $100 just going to the market.

 

[Nick Name]

We drove past it Sunday and was trying to place just where it was