Although three other racing series beat them Thar’,
Boy Howdy!
Unfortunately, this weekend’s NASCAR race is on
Amazon Prime, meaning we won’t get to hear Mike Joy pontificating over NASCAR
being the first series to race at a San Diego Naval Base. After all, wasn’t it
Joy who proclaimed that NASCAR invented the SAFER Barrier, Oh Never Mind!
NASCAR is hosting its inaugural Street Race
this June 21st at Naval Air Station (NAS) Coronado, part of San Diego’s active
Naval base. Since originally, the Naval Training Center (NTC) was built in the
early 1920’s before finally being closed in 1997.
Yet in 2000, the SCCA Pro Racing Trans Am
Series hosted a race on a 1.65 mile, 14 Turns racecourse upon the streets of
the Naval Training Center.
What I’ve wondered for awhile, since I first
fell down this Wabbit’ Hole in mid-January! Is what’s the distance between the Naval
Training Center (NTC) and the Naval Base Coronado (NZY) on North Island?
According to Al Gore’s wonderous invention, the
All knowing Intrawoods’. As the crow or Seagulls fly is three miles. By car
between nine and twelve miles, depending upon starting location.
Thus, these two separate entities are very
close to one another indeed. And is it just CoInky-dense that NTC closed in
1997 and today’s consolidated Navel Base Coranado; and not the television
company, Hya! (NBC) began in 1997, eh?
While I’m told that today the remaining NTC
infrastructure is known as Liberty Station. With many acres turned into parks
and recreation areas, along with housing…
As I find it pretty funny that I seem to be one
of the extremely few that remembers this previous Trans Am race now over a
quarter century ago. While details on the new race were very sketchy when I was
tryin’ to stop my mind from wonderin’. (Where it will go?”
As Johnny Miller in a Chevrolet Corvette won
the 60 lap (99 miles) race held on November 5th, 2000 ahead of Boris Said in a
Ford Mustang. Followed by Brian Simo in the Tommy Bahamas Qval DeTomaso
Mangusta.
Other notable names, or those I recognize from
the past include Willy t. Ribbs, Chris Neville, Lou gigliotti, Tony Drissi,
Leighton Reese, Stu Hayner, Randy Ruhlman, Michael Lewis and Paul Meatheadz’
Gentilozzi.
With a perusal of the 34 car entry grid, with
33 starters revealed the name Linda Pobst, who’s totally unknown to Mwah.
Although that last name set off claxon bells ,
since I remember Randy Pobst being a Bad Arse racer in the long forgotten,
defunct North American Touring Car championship. (NATCC) Which He won the
second and final championship driving for Honda thirty years ago.
Randy
Pobst: A legendary Racing Driver
Although I wasn’t aware there was a Bruce
Qvale, who naturally was entered in a second Qvale Mangusta team entry. Yet
retired with zero laps due to ignition failure.
While “Bad Boy” Tony Drissi, the 2005 Trans Am
Champion was still causing waves in last year’s Trans Am series
With the race paying a quaint $18,850 to the
winner.
San Diego Grand
Prix: Naval Training Center, Coranado
This year’s three day NASCAR weekend of Trucks,
Grand National and Cup takes place on the Coranado Street Course, a 3.4-mile,
19 Turns layout. Having first hosted the Mazda MX-5 Cup series between
2012-2013, followed by Robby Gordon’s Stadium Trucks series in 2014.
Two prominent names will be making cameo
appearances over the weekend. Having learned that seven times NASCAR Champion
Jimmie Johnson would contest the Trucks and Cup race Wayback’ in February
during the Day-Toner’ 500.
Whilst only recently stumbling upon the news
that Kevin Bacon’ Magnussen will run Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 entry at
San Diego. Which has previously run “Wildcard” entries for thee original
“Iceman” Kimi Raikkonen, the Gis’, aka Shane van Gisbergen and ‘Ol Dancin’ fool
Hulio’, nee Helio Castroneves.
Meaning Trackhouse will field four Chevrolet
Camaro entries with it’s No. 1 of Ross Chastain, No. 88 for rookie connor
Zilisch, and No. 97 for Shane van Gisbergen, plus Magnussen.
As it’s all Johnson’s fault! That I learned
about the Sand Diego Street race when reading His press release for this year’s
Daytona 500. Noting He’d be pulling “Double Duty” in San Diego. Driving the No.
1 Tricom Garage’s Toyota Tundra PickEmUp’ Truck in the inaugural Craftsman Truc
Series race. And His No. 84 Legacy Motor Club’s Toy-Yoter’ Camry in the Cup
event.
While Jimmie’s dream of chauffeuring the fabled
“Blue blaster”, Atlas Van Lines Unlimited Hydroplane at last year’s Seafair
race got me wonderin’ how far Fiesta Island and Mission Bay are from either the
former NTC, or North Island Naval Air Station Coranado?
HYDROS:
Atlas Van Lines latest Hotschue’
Reputedly, Fiesta Island and NAS Coranado are 12-13 miles as the Seagulls flock. Or 14-15 miles by automobile.
