SANTA BARBARA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
SEPTEMBER 6, 1953 After World War II, Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara reverted to a civilian airport-but with racing. On Labor Day weekend 1953, California's sports-car circus arrived to run on a 2.2-mile track across the taxiways and runways. It was a battle of backyard bombs and expensive imports. The 35-lap main competition was between Phil Hill, in a Ferrari 250 MM, and Bill Stroppe, driving a Mercury-powered Kurtis. Stroppe punted his Kurtis into a ditch, and Hill passed him for the win. The 1954 racing movie Johnny Dark includes footage of the event. When commercial jets came to the airport in 1967, racing ended.
LIONS DRAG STRIP
DECEMBER 2, 1972 Lions Drag Strip opened in 1955 on land leased from the Los Angeles Harbor Commission. Its events were promoted by Larry "Supermouth" Huffman's manic "Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!" radio and TV ads. Neighbors hated the noise, and the Harbor Commission wanted the land, so Lions was doomed. The strip had room for 10,000 spectators, and more than 20,000 showed up for the last race. Maybe 400 cars ran that raucous night. The Funny Car final had Don "the Snake" Prudhomme run against Tom "the Mongoose" McEwen on the track where their lucrative partnership and rivalry began. McEwen won, and the crowd left, taking with it everything it could swipe.
BEVERLY HILLS SPEEDWAY
Denne historien er fra June - July 2024-utgaven av Road & Track.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June - July 2024-utgaven av Road & Track.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
TURD ON THE RUN
IN THE LATE SIXTIES, THE ROLLING STONES BUILT A MOBILE RECORDING STUDIO ON THE BACK OF A FARM TRUCK AND CHANGED MUSIC FOREVER.
I Got a Guy..
There exist people with very particular sets of skills. Skills acquired over long careers. Skills that make them a godsend for people like us. They are the specialists.
LONG TAILS
THE BEAUTIFUL AND BIZARRE RACE CARS DESIGNED TO CONQUER A SINGLE STRIP OF PAVEMENT.
EVEN BETTER THAN THE REAL THING
Winner, Over $100,000: Porsche Taycan Turbo GT
THE GREAT PRETENDER
Winner, Under $100,000: Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
BREAKS, NOT BENDS
SINGER'S DIVETRACK TELLS A VERY NICHE KIND OF TIME.
RADIAL FLYER
A MEYERS MANX WITH AN AIRPLANE ENGINE IS A WEIRD FIX FOR SPEED ADDICTION.
THE BALLAD OF CRAZY ROCKETMAN
WHAT A BUILDER OF PULSE-JET-ENGINE VEHICLES CAN TELL US ABOUT MOTORING PASSION.
SOCIETÀ UTOPICA
THE PAGANI UTOPIA IS MORE THAN JUST A CAR. IT'S A HANDCRAFTED INVITATION TO ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST EXCLUSIVE MOTORING CLUBS.
ST.ELMO'S FIRE
AN INDIANAPOLIS RESTAURANT WITH FACEMELTING SHRIMP HAS BEEN A DE FACTO RACING CLUBHOUSE FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY.
