Fun Fremont Facts

The Fremont Dragstrip opened 60 years ago in 1959 with two freshly paved 3/4 mile strips located in what is now Pacific Commons.  From LocalWiki.Org: "In the late 1950′s, Fremont’s own Ron Lawrence  with support of local Washington High School's auto shop teacher Vern Eichner "...partnered  with several local area individuals to propose the construction of a quarter mile dragstrip that would be located off Durham Road next to the Fremont Sky-Sailing Airport and West of the Nimitz Freeway. Interest in the sport was soaring,"¹ the car culture of the 50's needed a place to let there speed out and "...despite the presence of other tracks in the area, including Half Moon Bay, Cotati, Vacaville, and Lodi, another track would be a warm welcome to the infantile but fledgling sport..."¹ and to a new city as Fremont was incorporated in 1956.
"As with any racing venue, receiving the permits for the project was a struggle for Lawrence and company, but once finalized, two perfectly straight paved roads measuring 3/4 of a mile long appeared on the site of an abandoned air field that served as an auxiliary landing strip for nearby Moffett Naval Air Station during World War II..  ".

The strip folded in 1988 and the land was later developed into the Pacific Commons shopping area.  As one former drag enthusiasts said "We may have lost the drag strip but at least we got an In and Out Burger!"