(Photos by Peter Leibig) – Barona Drag Strip’s Nitro Night 3 has become a much awaited for event at the track in the hills north of San Diego. It’s an eighth mile carved out of the rocks with a very unforgiving shut down, basically an abrupt cliff. There are some imitations, but everyone has fun.
As southern California nitro racers have embraced these popular shows, they’ve also realized that a strong 330-foot run is a lot safer than a full pass, pulling the parachutes. It depends on the speed, but fans pack the place anytime the nitro flag is flown.
These events also provide a short test session for many NHRA Heritage Series racers, while patiently waiting for the next event or a Reunion on their schedule. Geoff Monise in Keith Clark’s “Quarter Pounder” Monza (above) is headed to the United Nitro Funny Cars “Nitro Spring Nationals” at Spokane County Raceway next week.
Barona is a cool track with an old school vibe, here’s a grandstand video of this year’s
Check out the Gallery of Peter Liebig’s trackside photos below!
Spent plenty of time at Barona when I was stationed there from 2002 – 2011 when I wasn’t deployed I crewed on Hell Bound ’50 Plymouth Business Coupe (featured on Bangshift) Widowmaker “64 Plymouth Savoy, and Fallen Angle Chrysler Conquest.
Why don’t they move the starting line back about 400 500 ft. They have the room. They could run 1/8 mile with that much more shutdown.
Look at https://www.google.com/maps/@32.9824274,-116.8359616,326m/data=!3m1!1e3
and tell me how that’s possible, and still have staging lanes when the grade goes uphill and there’s stuff on either side preventing a realignment.
Barona was never meant for fuel cars but man what a hoot that they still bring ’em in. I’m lucky to have as my local track, how they got that place built in the middle of an Indian rez’ is a wonderful thing.
A memory of my first run there was how I was taking my time getting on the brakes after the lights, and there was this guy jumping up and down in an apparent panic, waving toward the turn out like I was about to launch off the end of a cliff if I didn’t get on the pedal. An over-reaction maybe but I didn’t realize how close he was to being right.
Loren,
I didn’t mean pick up the tree and move it back 500 ft and race. Obviously there would need to be additional grade work, relocate the lanes, fill to create more pit area etc. involved.
Jeez