Visalia Airport
ClosedClosed No longer racing, but some of the track is still there.
- Darrell Wineman set an NHRA B gas coupe and sedan national record here in 1954
- Raced
- 1954-61
- State
- California
- What's left
- A good length of the old track surface is still there, in poor to good condition.
- Raced on
- An airport runway
- First race
- 1954
- Location
- Visalia Airport
- People
- Vapor Trailers car club, sponsor (1959)
- Sanction
- NHRA
- Elevation
- 293 ft (89 m)
- Coordinates
- 36.31846, -119.39336
Races were held at this airport as early as 1954, when Darrell Wineman set an NHRA national record in the B gas coupe and sedan class in his ‘39 Ford that still stood on October 13, 1954. From 1955 a drag race was held every May at Visalia Airport, with proceeds going to various charities. The 1959 race, NHRA sanctioned and sponsored by the Vapor Trailers car club, ran May 24, and other races that year ran July 26 and September 27. In 1960-61 races were held on the fourth Sunday of each month.
Background
Visalia Municipal was the first airport designated in Tulare County, back in 1929. It's five miles west of downtown and is now a general aviation field without scheduled airline service.
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