Drag racing was born in the dry lake beds in the California deserts. In the 1930s, as engines got better and drivers got braver, speeds began topping 100mph. But it wasn’t until after World War II that a bunch of kids with cars, hanging out with nowhere in particular to go, turned it into something more serious. Popularity grew steadily but drag racing still remained largely an underground pastime. Races frequently took place on disused military runways, with the first organized event dating back to 1949 at the Goleta Air Base in California. Things were simple and low-tech in those days. Cars were driven to the track or towed in makeshift trailers. Drivers raced over a quarter of a mile, the length of a city block, but without the aid of safety barriers or regulated track conditions, and it was awesome.