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Top Blogs

• Jerry McNerney and Dean Andal go toe-to-toe on local, national issues

• Catching up with ... Emily and Tim Howard

• Nine candidates vie for two Galt council seats

• Drawing a crowd: News-Sentinel cartoonist teaches kids about craft

• Regional Roundup

• Public Meetings

November 21st, 2009

• Logbook

• Holiday drive spreads cheer to U.S. troops

• Galt High students want board to approve open-campus policy

• Poisoning victims remain hospitalized

• Expert: Half a mushroom cap can be deadly

• Tokay grad files claim over Lodi's Grape Bowl

• Lodi Middle School holds annual Turkey Trot

• Regional Roundup

• No motive or suspect in shooting

• Sacramento cop arrested for alleged kidnapping

November 20th, 2009

• Acampo woman killed

• Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

• Advocacy groups sue East Bay Municipal Utility District over Pardee expansion

• Regional Roundup

• Galt plans to help residents with energy-efficient projects

• Stable southeast of Lodi approved

• One year after a heart attack, Lodi's Judy Mims thanks rescuers

• National Guard troops return home in time for the holidays

• Real estate market gets on more solid ground

November 19th, 2009

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Chase ends in crash

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Corrections

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

November 17th, 2009

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Regional Roundup

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Clarification

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Regional Roundup

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (165)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (70)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (48)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Public health care is a Christian option (29)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (17)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

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Memories merge at 'Return to Kingdon' races

Matt Giblin uses his car on most days to go to work or to drop the kids off at school. But on Saturday, the 2006 silver Chrysler 300C became a dragster.

Giblin, a Galt resident, was one of 147 drivers who got to relive old memories or create some new ones at "Return To Kingdon 3," a day of racing at the historic drag strip at Kingdon Airport on DeVries Road in Lodi that took place in front of a crowd of about 6,000.

The event was dedicated to addressing illegal street racing, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the San Joaquin County Sheriff Department's Air Patrol Volunteers. While there were some specially made racers, most of the competitors showed up in their street cars and sped down the quarter-mile track as pros and amateurs did at Kingdon 30 years ago.

Giblin lost two of his first three runs, but didn't let it bother him.

"It's the family car. ... And this is just fun; we come out here every year," Giblin said. "A quarter mile back, that's it. (I'm) saving on the fuel."

Cars, and a few motorcycles, lined up throughout the windy day. There were older rides, such as the red 1965 Ford Mustang of 26-year-old Mantecan Jason Hernandez and more modern cars such as the one driven by Giblin. And at least one of the vehicles already got good grades before it hit the track.

Chris Sedler, a 48-year-old auto shop teacher at Calaveras High School, was the first one to run the 1984 Chevrolet Camaro that was built by his current and former students.

One of the members of "Addicted Riders" performs during a break in racing at the "Return to Kingdon 3" drag races. (Malcolm McCollum/The Record)

"It was a project car," Sedler said. "One of the vice principals (at Calaveras) said there's a high school down in Sacramento that races cars, maybe you can think about doing that."

People had different reasons for showing up, but all mentioned the thrill of waiting for the green light.

"It's just the adrenaline, man," Hernandez said. "It's like doing anything else fun and crazy."

Kingdon was an active drag strip from 1954-78 and hosted NHRA events featuring legendary stars such as "Big Daddy" Don Garlits and Connie Kalitta. The track was also well known as a safe place for local drivers, usually during weeknight races.

"I think it's awesome to think of the history of the track," said racing fan Karen Sittner of Lodi. "It's neat to see all the ones out here that Joe Schmoe built in his garage and he gets to come out and do it like it was in the old days."

There were plenty of people who remembered the old days in attendance Saturday. Some said they would want Kingdon to come back every month. That's not in the plans, but the yearly reunions will continue.

"We're definitely looking at an annual event," said David Arnaiz, who owns the airport with partner Rick Grewal. "This was our third year, and we're finding a lot more community support. We want to keep the momentum going."