When I read that a few UK folks had been racing their cars on this dragstrip I was intrigued by the unusual name. I also enjoyed learning about the drag racing interest by Jag owners.

I have learned that the "Pod" part of the name came from the fact that the drag strip was once part of a runway on a WW2 bomber base called RAF Podington. So where did the "Santa" part come from?

Where I live there are lots of "Santa" names. Santa Barbara, Santa Ana and so on. This is because California was once a Spanish possession.

I do recall that England was once invited to become part of that empire, back in 1588, but that did not work out as planned.

So what up with that name?

Tom

 

It was named after the Santa Ana drag strip in California (due to the popularity of it at the time) and the village of Podington; combined to make Santa Pod, the fastest drag strip in the world.

 

Thank you QuartzSTypeR,

In my youth the Los Angeles area had many drag strips. Lions, Saugus, San Fernando, Carlsbad, Oxnard, and of course, Santa Ana which ended up called Orange County Raceway. All gone due to massive population growth. Folks buy new houses next to Drag strips, airports, and dairies....then start complaining about noise and smells. Cars, cows, and airplanes can't vote, so out they go.

Until last month the nearest 1/4 mile strip to Orange County was near Bakersfield, 100 miles from here. Now they have opened one at AAA Fontana Raceway, near San Bernardino. That is only about 35 miles away.

BTW, I read that Santa Pod has the old concrete runway under the asphalt surface. Wonder if that effects speed.

Tnx,

Tom

 

For 2 years from 1943 it was the USAAF base of 92nd Bomb Group (H) who flew B 17`s from here. There is an American flag and a memorial to " Fames Favoured Few " on the approach road. The 92nd flew around 274 missions in the 2 years they were here, many against the V1 rocket launch sites and the Normandy landings. they sadly lost about 150 aircraft in those 2 years. Some veterans still regularly return to the village of podington, and have raised about £7,000 to restore the church organ. The fastest drag strip in the world honour is also due to the Americans, In 1984 Sammy Miller made a 3.58 sec pass at 386 mph pass in a rocket powered car. Vanishing Point?