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Nostalgia racing in CA central valley

3K views 17 replies 10 participants last post by  cboy 
#1 ·
Eagle Field is true nostalgia racing at a converted air strip in CA's Central Valley (about half way between Fresno and Merced, west of Hwy 99.) Normally they even have flag starters for all their racing. But for this Sat. (Feb 9) which is a big fundraising race to raise money for repairs on the shut-off area, they are going to bring in a christmas tree. Details are here Home Page.

If you are anywhere in CA, please try to get out and support this effort to maintain good old fashioned, run-what-ya-brung, drag racing. The guy who spearheads the strip and races, Rocky Phillips, is a great fellow and I got to know him through my wife's church. Everything here is a non-profit labor of love to keep alive the spirit of old time racing.

There is also a little treat in store if you click the above link. You can see Rocky's hand built twin engine digger make a nice smokey pass.
 
#2 ·
Dewey, good to hear from you! Been thinking of where have you been...
I will try to make it and I will certainly put the word out to the guys around here. That's only a little over an hour from home.
 
#5 ·
Just got an email from Rocky and the Eagle Field fundraising race has been postponed one week due to track conditions (still too much dampness in the ground from winter rains.) The event has been set for Feb. 16. Unfortunately, I can't make the 16th myself but sure hope some of you can.

And you are right Brian. There will hopefully be many more events at this strip. Particularly fun for us older guys who grew up with this type of racing.

Also, Brian, totally off the subject but since your son is also in the business, thought I would pass along that my son, Vaughn, (who you met when we all went to the Half Moon Bay show) will be playing the Fillmore on Feb. 22. Sort of a nostalgia event of a little different nature. He'll be playing on the same stage as did The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Elton John, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead about every a zillion other bands in the years since. It's a major milestone for the band so Dorothy and I already have our tickets.
 
#13 ·
hole shot

the old timing lights wouldn't give you a red lite until the light shined thru the wheels and hit the elect eye again the second time . Joe Davis figured that out on his funny car mustang ,Colt 45 and ran moon hubcaps and wheelie bars to keep the light out , then he off set the front axle. so both wheels rolled thru, one behind the other , before he would get a red light. there are picts on the web of his T bucker altered, Jewel T with Moon hubcaps so some of the strips kept the old lites for quite a few years. When competitors looked at his cars,, they would ask and he said with kids needing braces and college funds he couldn't buy a new chassis. just keep screwing with his old one so he could keep it on the track at 150 mph.
 
#14 ·
Just got a note from Rocky saying the show is definitely on for this Saturday, the 16th.

And to wet your whistle, here is some footage from one of last year's events. For you youngins who have never seen flag starting...where's what it was all about in the old days.

There some great looking nostalgia cars in this footage...almost hard to believe the film is from just last year and not 50 years ago.

Eagle field on Vimeo
 
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