Fontana Drag City, California, mid ‘60s: An unknown Top Fuel car smokes ‘em as the 45 degree tower stands guard. We raced Pro Stock there in 1970 before it closed permanently. As you can see, there was lots of ‘smog’ in those days east of Los Angeles.

During my traveling time in drag racing, we visited many areas of the United States. Certain locations seem to have special meaning. Some of my favorites were the tracks in the Pacific Northwest, Oregon & Washington. From Grants Pass in southern Ore. to Portland International in the north, there were seven strips which held Pro Stock races during the ‘70s.

My favorite is Woodburn Dragway. It is located just south of Portland along Interstate 5 and has served area racers for many years. During the ‘70s, they ran Pro Stock shows there on a regular basis, and we traveled there willingly. Further south, at Eugene, was Balboa Drag Strip, an eighth-mile plant looking directly into the setting sun during evening hours. I remember watching Larry Johnson at 9pm, and seeing the entire ball of the sun between the strip and Larry’s car in the shut off area.

Woodburn Drag Strip, Woodburn, Oregon: Looking down the return road and the starting line on the right is the functional tower at Woodburn. Joey Sevrence doubles as an NHRA Top Alcohol racer and track manager. This was always a great track for me during several Pro Stock shows held there.