Okay all you old farts (me included) will you guys that have been around a while make a list of all the places that have held a drag boat race in California? Starting with places like Perris, Puddinstone, Ming etc and work you way up north.? When I was a kid in the 60s my cousin Gary Mills ran 95-100 class in a Sanger with blown 430 Lincoln. We went to some odd places I can't even remember the names of. One place I think was the Kern river, is that possible? 

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John Thompson

I'll get us started... (from South to North)

1. Mission Bay (San Diego)
2. Irvine Lake (Irvine)
3. Lake Elsinore (Elsinore)
4. Lake Perris (Perris)
5. Long Beach Marine Stadium (Long Beach)
6. Puddingstone Reservoir (San Dimas)
7. Lake Castaic (Castaic)
8. Lake Ming (Bakersfield)
9. Riverland/Kings River (Kingsburg)
10. Berenda Reservoir (Chowchilla)
11. Lake Madera (Madera)
12. Turlock Lake (Turlock)
13. Modesto Reservoir ?  (Waterford)
14. Woodward Reservoir (Oakdale)
15. Lake Camanche (Camanche)
16. Fremont (Water) Dragstrip (Fremont) 
17. Oakland Estuary (Oakland)
18. Aquatic Park (Berkeley)
19. Folsom Lake (Folsom)
20. Lake Oroville (Oroville)
21. Lake Red Bluff (Red Bluff)
22. Whiskeytown Lake (Redding)
23. x
24. x
25. x
26. x

 

 

John, I guess I could be considered an old fart by some. (47) and some days I feel really old. Many broken bones in the old days of motocross and flat track racing. Anyway as to your question, I have attended Drag boat races starting in the early eighties. I used to love to go to the car drags as a teenager at Fremont, Sacramento, Pomona and the old Ontario motor speedway until a guy named Gary Cox from Lincoln Automotive here in Stockton told me if I liked the car drags I would really like the Drag Boats. He told me to go to Chowchilla and see what I thought. Well that was it, I was hooked. So from then on it was Red Bluff, Oroville, Castaic, San Dimas (Puddingstone) Phoenix, Merced and the one race at  lake Camanche.

Oh yea I forgot about Bakersfield (Lake Ming) saw some kickass races there.

Thanks Mike and David,

I am getting flashbacks reading the places where races were/are held. I was just a kid and when my cousin would ask me if I wanted go, the answer was always yes, even though I had no idea where we were going. I lived just a few miles from Puddingstone and would ride my bike there to watch the races even if my cousin wasn't racing.

It was a sad day when Tom was killed, I am glad they made the rule changes when they did.

how come they don't race in places they used to anymore?

Needles, CA

Long Beach, CA (Marine Stadium)

I thought when I was little my dad raced somewhere in Indio, CA. I could be wrong, but I could have swore I remember my mom and I driving up there one weekend to meet him.

I'll keep racking my brain.

Renee

 

 

Mike,add Calero res. to your list!The cvdba use to race here in the 60's & 70's!!!!!!

Merced was a great place, lots of shade. I'd love to see another race held there.

Uglycustomer..are you sure you're not thinking of Skiland. Way back then it felt like it was in Indio.

To add to the list...what about where it all started? Hart Park....next to Ming. My uncle remembers racing there in the late 50's with his old guasti. Look at it now and it makes you wonder WHERE?

Somebody told me that long ago they used to have boats at the old Fremont drag strip in a man made lake area, I guess like phoenix is now. 

My dad told me they used to race in Fremont also late 50's early 60's. My dad also raced at Berkely eqautic park and Oakland Estaury.

Don't forget about WhiskyTown lake just West of Redding. They held two races there back in the e arly 70"s

Bill Cooper

Rapid Package/TFH

I'll get us started...

1. Mission Bay (San Diego)
2. Irvine Lake (Irvine)
3. Lake Elsinore (Elsinore)
4. Lake Perris (Perris)
5. Long Beach Marine Stadium (Long Beach)
6. Puddingstone Reservoir (San Dimas)
7. Lake Castaic (Castaic)
8. Lake Ming (Bakersfield)
9. Riverland/Kings River (Kingsburg)
10. Berenda Reservoir (Chowchilla)
11. Lake Madera (Madera)
12. Turlock Lake (Turlock)
13. Modesto Reservoir ?  (Waterford)
14. Woodward Reservoir (Oakdale)
15. Lake Camanche (Camanche)
16. Oakland Estuary (Oakland)
17. Folsom Lake (Folsom)
18. Lake Oroville (Oroville)
19. Lake Red Bluff (Red Bluff)
20. Lake Natomas (Folsom-American River)
21. Feather River (Yuba City/Oroville)
22. Whiskeytown (Redding)

 

Thats a great list of memories.  I've been to 14 and Natomas would be my favorite.  Whiskeytown the prettiest.

 

 

 

 

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Geral Laney

This is incredible, sure wish they would hold a race at some of these places.

It wasn't Kern river I was thinking of it was Kingsburg according to my Mom. We went there quite a few times.

Where are all the old boats that raced so many years ago.

A guy I knew a few years ago named Richard Marcel said he used to race a blown alcohol hydro until he crashed it racing at Fryant dam.

 Never saw  a boat there but "Uncle Joe B"tells about running on the infield lake at Marchbanks Speedway between Hanford and Corchran. Swab but her in the tulles every pass. hj 

Man i was trying to think of the name there HJ. Im glad someone can remember lol.

They did have a race in Indio at one time, a place called Lake Cahuilla

That race course is in your back yard Eddie. I belive NJBA ran 2 races there, the last in 1984. Renee, you were a little toddler back then when your dad drove his  Hondo"Rampage". I am looking at a picture of Denny Vachel driving his  Howard "Flat outa Sight" on my wall at this race course. And Fast Eddie, Jerry Collins was driving your soon to be  Cole flat "Rapacious"  '712', many moons ago.

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"Put it on the Trailer"

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Post Edited (WarDanc) : 2/2/2007 3:43:33 AM GMT

Ed your knowledge on history never ceases to amaze me. Good to see you back on the boards.

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I LOVE THE SMELL OF NITRO BURNING ON THE COOSA & SAVANNAH

                                      God Bless Our Troops

Depending on which side of the river you were on, NDBA raced on the Colorado river out of BlueWater in 1978. It is very obvious that this association was constantly looking for water 

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"Put it on the Trailer"

Ed, great to hear from you. You are absolutly right about the Rapacious flatty. My first drag boat!!! I didn't realize what a handfull she was 'till the stories of her past emerged. I do remember Jim Cole