Orange County International Raceway
Encyclopedia
Orange County International Raceway was a combined ¼ mile US
dragstrip
and 2-mile road course located in Irvine, California
adjacent to the Interstate 5
(I-5) Santa Ana Freeway
. Under a lease agreement with the Irvine Company
, OCIR - as it was known in racing circles - was in operation from August 5, 1967 until its closure on Oct. 30th, 1983. The track was so named because its founders envisioned hosting sports car, motorcycle, midget, and stock car races in addition to National Hot Rod Association
(NHRA) sanctioned drag racing events.
Known as 'The Supertrack', OCIR was designed to be the most modern of dragstrip
facilities in the late 1960s offering spectator comforts and conveniences never before available at a drag race facility in Southern California
. The track construction included the extensive use of landscaping, permanent restrooms and concession stands, reserved seats with backs, drinking fountains installed throughout, the sport's first electric scoreboard and a 40-foot high, four story, glass enclosed control tower and administration building.
The well-known Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving
was founded at the track in 1968.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dragstrip
Dragstrip
A dragstrip is a facility for conducting automobile and motorcycle acceleration events such as drag racing. Although a quarter mile is the best known measure for a drag track, many tracks are eighth mile tracks...
and 2-mile road course located in Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
adjacent to the Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
(I-5) Santa Ana Freeway
Santa Ana Freeway
The Santa Ana Freeway is one of the principal freeways in Southern California, connecting Los Angeles and its southeastern suburbs including the freeway's namesake, the city of Santa Ana. The freeway begins at the Four Level Interchange in downtown Los Angeles, signed as U.S. Route 101...
. Under a lease agreement with the Irvine Company
Irvine Company
The Irvine Company is a privately held real estate development company based in Newport Beach, Orange County, Southern California. The corporate center of the company lies in Newport Center. A large portion of its operations are centered in and around the City of Irvine, a planned city of 250,000...
, OCIR - as it was known in racing circles - was in operation from August 5, 1967 until its closure on Oct. 30th, 1983. The track was so named because its founders envisioned hosting sports car, motorcycle, midget, and stock car races in addition to National Hot Rod Association
National Hot Rod Association
The National Hot Rod Association is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and host events all over the United States and Canada...
(NHRA) sanctioned drag racing events.
Known as 'The Supertrack', OCIR was designed to be the most modern of dragstrip
Dragstrip
A dragstrip is a facility for conducting automobile and motorcycle acceleration events such as drag racing. Although a quarter mile is the best known measure for a drag track, many tracks are eighth mile tracks...
facilities in the late 1960s offering spectator comforts and conveniences never before available at a drag race facility in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. The track construction included the extensive use of landscaping, permanent restrooms and concession stands, reserved seats with backs, drinking fountains installed throughout, the sport's first electric scoreboard and a 40-foot high, four story, glass enclosed control tower and administration building.
The well-known Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving
Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving
The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving is an American driving school, specialising in racing and police driving education. It is located in Phoenix, Arizona....
was founded at the track in 1968.
External links
- http://silverstone.fortunecity.com/bonneville/218/ocir01/
- http://ochistorical.blogspot.com/2009/02/orange-county-international-raceway.html
- http://www.nhra.com/blog/dragster-insider/2008/10/29/33661/
- http://www.nhra.com/blog/dragster-insider/2008/11/4/33868/
- http://www.competitionplus.com/2004_09_15/orange_county.html
- http://www.na-motorsports.com/Tracks/CA/OrangeCountyInternational.html
- http://www.northernthunder.com/lastsupertrack.html
- http://wikimapia.org/4772164/Former-site-of-Orange-County-International-Raceway