The San Gabriel Dragstrip

A photo of George Sein's 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe taken at the San Gabriel Drags in late 1957. Known as "The Flamer," the famous coupe was built by Barris and pinstriped by Von Dutch. "I used to walk by it at a chrome shop in Monterey Park on my way to and from Mark Keppel High School. They used to kick me out of there until I brought my 22 rifle to have chromed so I could stay at the shop to see George's coupe." Photo from The Chuck Edwall Collection.

A chopped Henry J that Chuck Edwall photographed at the San Gabriel Drags late in 1957. Photo from The Chuck Edwall Collection.

A 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe with a Y-block engine that Chuck photographed at the San Gabriel Dragstrip in 1957. Little else is known about it, and that is part of its importance. Countless hot rods like this passed through San Gabe, lining up on the riverbed, jacked up between runs, surrounded by other cars and borrowed tools. They were built to be run, not remembered. Photo from The Chuck Edwall Collection.

Photo from The Chuck Edwall Collection.

Photo from The Chuck Edwall Collection.

San Gabriel Dragstrip, also known as Old San Gabe, was a popular Southern California dragstrip that opened in 1956 along the gravel pits of the San Gabriel River. Operated by the Tice brothers, local butchers-turned-promoters, the strip gained a reputation for exciting shows, fast track conditions, and its willingness to allow nitro-burning fuel cars during the NHRA fuel ban. The track was originally relocated once when the riverbed was turned into a flood channel, but it remained a hotspot for SoCal and NorCal racers until it closed in 1963.

A young Steve Gibbs, who would later become NHRA Vice-President, got his start at San Gabe working part-time and reporting race results for Drag News. It was there that racer Bob Muravez, fearing his father’s reaction, asked Steve not to use his real name, leading to the now, famous alias Floyd Lippencotte Jr.

Known for its fast surface—thanks to frequent repaving from a nearby asphalt plant, San Gabriel regularly hosted big-name dragsters and traveling teams from across the country. Today, all that remains is open gravel and a power substation, but across the 605 freeway, the spirit lives on at Irwindale Speedway’s modern eighth-mile strip.