Fremont Dragstrip (Baylands Raceway)

Scott Shafiroff goes head to head against Butch Leal, who went on to win the '73 AHRA World Finals at Fremont Dragstrip.

When the track lights came on it was always a treat any time Wild Bill Shrewsberry came to the line with his wheelstanding spark show!

Jim Terry's Mustang out of So Cal was the first fuuny car to run a Danekas 8-71 blower in 1974 and he immediately thundered! Shown here at Fremont Dragstrip with Neil Leffler in the seat Terry only ran this car for a couple of years, but he made an impact.

Phil Featherston in the Panella & Miner AA/GS Opel breaks an axle as Steve Woods Plymouth Cricket AA/GS streaks to a popular win in front of a packed house at Fremont Dragstrip.

In the '70's teams didn't travel with large pit crews, drivers like Don Prudhomme had to pitch in on every aspect of between rounds maintenance.

In a funny car career that lasted little more than a decade, Jungle Jim Liberman made an indelible mark on the sport that made him one of the most loved drag racers of all time!

There is nothing like a high winding door slammer yanking the wheels off the ground at the hit! At the '74 Northern Nationals at Fremont Dragstrip, Larry Spitali in the wheelstanding "Whatley Excavating" Camaro took home the honors in Street Eliminator.

Nothing will ever replace the anticipation and excitement of grudge race night, hanging with friends and waiting in the staging lanes for that call to pull your car forward to burn rubber and fly down the Fremont Dragstrip!

AA Fuel Altered drivers engaged in pedal-fests long before the name was invented. Nanook and Instant-T in a perfect example on and off the throttle under the lights at Fremont Dragstrip.

He wasn't known for having the best appearing car, doing 1/4 mile burnouts or having cute back up girls, in 1975 Don "The Snake" Prudhomme was known for annihilating the competition, winning the NHRA Championship and recording the first 5 second pass in funny car history!

Photographer Ron Burch, his name is synonymous with Fremont Dragstrip. There is nobody walking around today that carries more love and passion for what took place on that hallowed ground than Ron.

In a classic Rat motor vs Mouse motor battle, Mark Vasquez gets out on Rick Santos in the S&S Automotive TA/D, the quickest small block blown alcohol dragster in the nation at Fremont/Baylands Raceway.

It was like magic when at the hit of the throttle, huge drag slicks would go from wide and fat to tall and skinny in an instant, nearly growing off the rims at the start of the burnout. It was a sight I never got tired of seeing!

A crew chief warned them not to chrome the headers on the Davis, Alves & Tall-Chief TA/D. They did anyway and Tall-Chief was the first to suffer a hot header burn.

Enveloped by tire smoke Dominic Cardoza demonstrates how Top Fuel burnouts were done in '74, smoking the hides at the first hit of the throttle out of the water!

In a long forgotten image from a negative hidden away for 45 years, Joe Ortega makes a strong pass in the twin engine Brunelli & Dunn AA/D at Fremont Dragstrip.

Dandy Dick Landy vs Bill Grumpy Jenkins! How long has it been since a match race of two name Pro Stockers would pack the stands and generate double deep crowds lining the fences?! We thought those glorious days would never end.

If after a major meet at Fremont Dragstrip, you didn't go home with bits of rubber in your hair, your face spattered with black burnout water and traction compound, your cloths smelling like oil, nitro and tire smoke you just hadn't got close enough!

Drag racing at Fremont Dragstrip was loud, gritty and dusty and the T/F dragsters were beautiful, powerful and nitro motors loved the cool sea level air. It wasn't pretty, but it was our Disneyland!

James Warren makes the turnaround after being push started down the fire up lane at Fremont Dragstrip. Push starts in front of packed stands and fans lined up on the fence during the '60's and '70's added a tremendous amount drama and excitement to the racing that Top Fuel fans loved.