Drag Racing

Drag Racing. Historic Graffiti Cruise Route. ”Every red light was a potential drag race. Everyone thought what they had under their hood was better than the other car.” -Dennis Wilson, The original cruising in Modesto was originally called "Dragging 10th", named after the short drag sprints from light-to-light on historic 10th Street. But, to many, the real dragging occurred on deserted straightaways all over the Modesto area. , Drag racing has always been illegal and dangerous, but was regularly practiced on the long straight roads and streets on the outskirts of Modesto, outside of the Modesto Police jurisdiction. Aside from the regular light-to-light drags on the Historic Graffiti Cruise Route, the proximity of downtown to country roads made it easy to set up a quick pick-up race. There were a variety of service stations like Neville Brothers, where the cars would get tuned up before the races, and many of the car clubs had their own workshops, where the cars were readied for the race. , Blue Gum Road was one of the main drag roads, as it was directly connected to North 9th Street. The racers would meet at the intersection of Poust and Blue Gum, out past the old Hammond General Hospital. These were quick events without a lot of the fanfare that was shown in the movies. Paradise Road was also used for long, straight stretches with limited intersections, as well as the straightaways of Rumble, Claribel and Ladd Roads. , Many of these races went on without a hitch, but there were injuries and the drag races were high speed and very dangerous. The narrow roads and the soft agricultural soil could make a simple swerve into a deadly accident. It was common that this innocent activity could turn deadly. , Other streets in the Modesto area that were home to regular races included: Rose Avenue near Locke Road, Santa Fe, and Terminal Road. Some notorious local racers were the Bell Brothers, Gary Johnson, Charlie Reynolds and it is reported that racer Allen Grant was one of the inspirations for John Milner in the film American Graffiti for his string of racing victories. According to George Lucas, Milner was a composite of a few people. , Drag racing was a regular event around Modesto for many years, but in 1958 there was a tragic drag race exceeding 100 MPH killing seven people on Claribel Road that shook the Modesto community, and effectively ended the common drag races in the area for a few years., Were You There? Tell us your story at: [email protected] , Researched by: Chris Murphy . www.ModestoCruiseRoute.com