We TT'ed and Autocrossed here at the same time...

[John Straub]

We had events here at the same time as Steve was setting a track record.

http://www.johnstraub.blogspot.com

John

[Don Middleton]

Thanks, John...always enjoy those little bits in "...The Ride"

[John Straub]

Thanks Don, I'm glad you enjoy it!

It's was kinda cool we ran events out there at the same time, twice a year. One a Zone 8 and one, just for us.

John

[Mike]

Hey John prolly saw ya out there in 78/79.
I was stationed 20 miles west of Holtville at the El Centro Navy Base.
On 2 weekends in 78/79 while riding dirt trails on my Motorcycle I wandered across PCA events at Holtville.
Around 2000 I returned and did a track day with my Pantera.
Typical airport tarmac surface, bumpy, uneven and fun.
Cool to see Holtville listed on a factory Porsche poster too.

[Greg Phillips]

We had events here at the same time as Steve was setting a track record.

http://www.johnstraub.blogspot.com

John

When I first joined we were still running our TT's at Holtville and the Q.

Holtville was a fun weekend, social events Friday night and Saturday night, TT run groups as well as AX run groups

Greg

[ttweed]

I was stationed 20 miles west of Holtville at the El Centro Navy Base.

There is a navy base in El Centro?!?!?!?

Typical airport tarmac surface, bumpy, uneven and fun.

Bumpy and uneven surface is right! And don't forget "crumbling." We didn't call it "Joltville" for nothing...

Funny to see the weeds growing out of the expansion joints in the concrete even in the old days, giving it that classic, funky, downhome, "unkempt" look. It definitely wasn't your "Fontana" of racetracks.


TT

[John Straub]

Yep Mike I was running my '65 back in the 70's...never missed one at Holtville. I'm sure we saw each other. Great place to learn to drive!



John

[Mike]

There is a navy base in El Centro?!?!?!?
And don't forget "crumbling." We didn't call it "Joltville" for nothing...
TT

TT El Centro is winter home of the blue angles.
Too a lighted and painted carrier deck, landing lens and LSO for Carrier landing practice.

Yes Joltville, while dodgeing chucks of airborne concrete too.

[Mike]

Yep Mike I was running my '65 back in the 70's...never missed one at Holtville. I'm sure we saw each other. Great place to learn to drive!
John

The PCA events were the best entertainment in El Centro at the time, no doubt.
I remember a dark 356 running very well....

[Tim Comeau]

Holtville was cool. My very first ax was there. Many Great memories. I wonder if the dark 356 mentioned was Lynette Featherhuff? The McQueen poster is my #1 collecting goal only because it mentions Holtville. Unfortunately, it also has pull from the movie collecting community so it's hard to obtain. Someday.....

[John Straub]

Tim,

I can't believe you don't have that one after all the times you ran at Holtville!

John

[Tim Comeau]

John,
I know! But it's so dang expensive. I'd trade many posters for that one. The other 2 posters that I really want are the 68 Daytona; showing 3 907 longtails, and the 68 sportomatic one.
But let's talk about Holtville......
It was fast. March 1985, (I was just 22 years old) I spun in my first AX, first lap, first turn. Bill Myrick was my instructor (also the guy who got me into the club). I was doing EVERYTHING wrong! Later, my first pants-wetting high speed spin at about 100mph in my old 76 sporto 911S. BBQ's around the hotel pool. Drinking and getting loud in the hotel jaccuzzi with Gerry Layer, et al, then responding to complaints with," We're with the Corvette Club! If you ain't got a Corvette, you ain't $#!^&*. There was that one time Gerry Layer flew his plane into Holtville and parked it with the Porsches in the paddock. He took Bogie (Bill Bogusch), Suzie (Starks) and I up for an aerial view of the track! It was fun just getting to Holtville- coming down out of the mountain twisties and onto the desert floor. It was a real getaway weekend. Battling Jim Rydbeck for the 1987 Time Trial series in GP came down to the Holtville event. I crossed the finish line, saw his face, and knew that I had won. We would run our Yokohama A008-R's right down to the cord! Then, it rained and hailed on the way back to San Diego. I was concerned enough to have my girlfriend ride back with Doug Hanson. Good thing cuz the ride back was wild! "I got it, I got it, crap-no I don't , well maybe I do , aw $#!@, easy now....nobody saw that."
When some one went off, they REALLY went off into the bushes. We had to pick the rocks out from between the wheels and the tire beads of Paul Young's 928. I remember working a corner and having to redirect a tarantula that was steadfast in desiring to cross the live track! Jack rabbits, too. We would slide a little at the far ends of the track when running over the huge painted numbers of the landing strips. How about those Army guys that had a "living in the past" camp there called "Shangrila." I was AX chair in 94-95 and I believe that was the last time I was out there....
It's been so long, I'm not sure I could just go by memory and find my way to the track. Exit 8 at Orchard Road? Then go straight for a long time, turn right, turn left , turn right, many miles of farmland......if you get to the sand dunes, turn around, you went too far north.
John, you want to do a fun run out there some weekend? Take some pics for the blog?

ps. The margaritas, my god, the margaritas! Now I remember!! The last time I was out there was 1998 or 99 because Randy Hinton (San Diego Motorsports) and I were drinking YOUR margaritas. For some reason, we had rubber gloves out, which is scary, but nonetheless true. I blew one up, pulled my arm completely back into my shirt so just the glove was coming out of my sleeve and explained it off as a horrible industrial accident. I swear, Roger Roberts nearly pissed himself with our impromptu entertainment. AHHHHH, HOLTVILLE.......relax, release, oh, and race!
TC

[John Straub]

Tim,

You brought back a lot of really cool memories...and some very nice thoughts about some members that are sadly no longer on earth.

Last time I flew over Holtville it looks like it's sill being used as there were tire marks visible on the long course.

We will need to do that some time...I can still find it with my eyes closed.

John

[Tim Comeau]

Yeah, I had some cool thoughts too. And some sad ones. Makes you realize the only things you really have are friends and memories. If you do good, you'll have lots of good ones in both categories.
Pick a day for Holtville, my friend. I'm pretty sure my boss will let me off if it's a weekday . We could leave early and easily be back for a late lunch.
CHEERS!
TC

[ttweed]

Last time I flew over Holtville it looks like it's sill being used as there were tire marks visible on the long course.

They may still be there because it never rains enough out there to wash them off. AFAIK, there are no longer any racing events held there. After Buttonwillow opened, the SCCA didn't really need it anymore, and after we quit using the site, Dave Turner held some private track day events there for awhile, but the maintenance needs were daunting, and then ownership/governance of the site changed in the county and liability concerns led to complete closure for car racing use, according to what Dave told me years ago.

Edit--I called the airport manager to ask about it just now, and they said the airport is definitely still closed to such use, and that only the military uses the site occasionally for parachute training now. The runways are in too bad shape for general aviation or any recreational use.

TT