Irwindale Raceway, Irwindale Ca 1968 home movie.

[71dime]

was this in the same place as today's irwindale drag strip???

[RathbunDan]

@71dime

No, Back in the 60s and early 70s it was about a mile or so down the road where the old stone quarry was.

[71dime]

@RathbunDan oh i see, thanks for the reply!

[tbmccoywesterndesign]

I loved the 41 Willies. Big John Mazmainian and Stone Woods and Cook...cool cars.I remember AMT models had a model of the latter. Happy times ..thanks DAD!

[steveholett]

Grew up in Covina. My dad raced and worked in Irwindale pits in 60's and maybe earlier. Garlits, Colleta and Prudhomme were always in conversation. I'm looking for early video and photos from Irwindale. Any suggestions on searching out video or photos?

[RathbunDan]

@steveholett I wish I could help you. But I have no idea other than Google.

[tbmccoywesterndesign]

@steveholett We were lucky to live in so.cal in those days! Raised in Lakewood and loved hearing lions dragstrip on saturdays about 10 miles away. Ascot in Gardena was also a favorite.

[RathbunDan]

@tbmccoywesterndesign I lived in Van Nuys back then. I used to go to Irwindale or Wilmington (Lions) on saturday night and to San Fernando on Sunday afternoon. I have seen all the greats at any one of those places back then. Great memories

[cowabungadude100]

sure like to know the name of the group playing the music, i raced irwindale in the 65 to 70 in super stock and c/m how about it RathbunDan whats the name of the music?

[RathbunDan]

@cowabungadude100 To tell you the truth, I don't know. I downloaded the music back near the end of 2008 from a list of music on YouTube selections. I tried to look at it in edit but all edit want's me to do is change the music and it is not telling me what I have now. I like it too. I would like to find the band playing it.

[FSTORNG]

Thanks for posting this. Cool footage of Marv Eldredges Javelin with my friend Rusty Delling at the wheel (2:30-2:54)

[joham22]

Great Video, brings back memories.

[RJDCR]

spent alot of fridays and saturdays there....totally remember the stagin' lanes and the loudspeakers...and , the smog....kool , thanx 4 the do over ☺ R.J.

[reelar1]

Got to thinking about the good ole days today, grew up in La Puente and always loved going to Irwindale. Enjoyed running my 70 Cuda at the Wednesday night grudge matches and nothing like an East vs West Funny Car show with an IN-N-OUT burger in hand.

Thanks for the video!

[SaintVitus808]

I grew up in north El Monte, not far from the strip. I could hear the top fuelers from my house. we were young kids and we would sneak in thru the rock quarry. you would go thru a huge pit filled with cactus and rattlesnakes. you would emerge at the end of the strip pit side. we would find pit passes on the ground and sell them grandstand side. buy a program, burgers and come home with money in our pockets. oh yeah, get our programs signed by Don Prudhomme, big John Mazmanian, Don Garlits etc.

[RJDCR]

@SaintVitus808 HEH HEH....KOOL ☺

[WizardOfChicamunga]

Great video! I lived in Azusa at that time. Graduated from high school in '68 (Gladstone). Spent many a Saturday nite at the strip. Used to race my '55 Chevy all around the valley. Damn! Those were the days! ~~~ Bruce Beaven

[rockyPants4000]

There's actually software out there now that will totally remove that jitter in the video. I don't know the names, but a websearch should find it for you.

Model helicopter pilots sometimes use it on their "in-flight" videos. It's amazing - footage looks totally stable after processing. Some remove flicker too.

Great footage youi have here to start with.

[RathbunDan]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to do a search for that software. Sounds good.

[RathbunDan]

@rockyPants4000 You Tube will not let me alter the video because It has too many views. I can only change the music. (which I'm not doing)

[bs1320]

August...

Irwindale...

... 2:30 in the afternoon, Sunday, Monday...

Funny Cars!

Walnut!

Friday

City of Industry...

Big John Mazmanian!

From "Billy The Mountain" by Frank Zappa on the album, "Juat Another Band From LA". This video really captures the essence of the "Golden Age of Drag Racing". Cool music too!

[unclebobisms]

great vids you have, thank goodness someone had a camera at that time, been to all the race tracks you have film of ,family still has the old race car we would race all over southern ca thanks for the post

[dexamyl]

I grew up not too far from the ORIGINAL Irwindale Raceway . Back in the Summer of 1993 , my friend & I were poking-around just south of the defunct strip ( trying to find a way to sneak into Lollapoluza ... lol ) when I literally tripped on an old remaining section of the shutoff lanes !

Good times !

[PCP68]

cool video lame song though