Fresno Dragways (Raisin City)

J. C. “Jake” Andresen built Fresno Dragways on his farm in 1962, reportedly for $100,000. It sat sixteen miles southwest of Fresno on Manning Avenue. His son Don was briefly the promoter, and H. L. “Jake” Jacobs managed the strip for Andresen until 1968. That year Andresen leased it to Blackie Gajeian, who managed and promoted the races until Andresen sold the strip to rancher M. L. Fries in 1974.

The first races, with trophies for class winners, were held in April 1962. The AHRA California State championship drag races followed on June 9-10, with more than 300 entries expected to race for $2,000 in cash. In September the Hylton-Crossley-Williams A/FD set the strip record of 8.38 at 185.18 mph, and the West Coast Region Championships on September 30, 1962, drew pre-entries including the Warren-Coburn-Warren dragster from Bakersfield and the Dragmaster Dart. Racer Dave Rocha drove Joey Alves’ A Altered T-roadster there many times, using his own ‘23 T-roadster pickup as a push car. They’d fire the roadster coming off the top end, head to the line, turn around for a burnout and then make the run. The car went 10.56 at 158 mph the first day he drove it in 1965.

The Winter Race of Champions started in 1963. The April 3, 1966 edition drew fuel dragster drivers like Mike Sorokin and Jim Davis. Jim Warren won it in 1966 and again in 1973 with a quick 6.04, Tony Waters won in 1967 and Jerry Glenn in 1968. On April 16, 1967, racing Waters, Warren, the “Ridge Route Terror,” set an AA/FD world record of 7.18 at 230.17 mph. Big names who raced there included Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, Tom McEwen and Craig Breedlove. Blackie sometimes staged races with four top fuelers side by side, and once even four jet dragsters.