Dick,
Your post brings back a ton of great memories! I went to Arizona Automotive Institute in Glendale back in 1972 and went to both Manzanita and Beeline. Saw Dyno Don Nicholson and Grumpy Jenkins in the Pro Stock finals at Beeline. How much better could a NHRA final be? A Pinto and a Vega!!!
Also went to see the sprint cars and stock cars at Manzanita. Our transmission instructor built a beautiful 1966-67 Mercury Cyclone GT stock car to run there, purple and yellow with, I think, a 429. Prettiest stock car I've ever seen! Was in the pits to watch his first race...straigh t to the back of the pack! Got his L/H tail light housing knocked off, a REAL stock car, and a definite massage on all that beautiful body work.
Well, like Ascot, Riverside, Corona, LACR, Lions, 605, et al, Adios Amigos. Oh to be 18 again.