Unseen Racing Footage: El Salvador’s Santa Ana Road Races, April ’58
The marvelous California racing scene of the 1950s is storied, was a fantastic proving ground for American racing talent, and its popularity has been to our benefit. It was so highly-regarded and well-documented that there’s still plenty of information and photos and film canisters left for us to enjoy today. In fact, I think we probably over-glorify the era simply because it’s easier to find race results, images and footage to write about. The racing communities of other parts of the Americas weren’t as lucky to enjoy such a bounty of media, and an email from a reader recently reminded me that I should be working harder on representing other more forgotten racing communities.
Thankfully, George Kehler emailed me at the perfect time with the perfect solution. George has sourced this fantastic document of an under-represented racing community in Central America and sent a series of films from El Salvador, of which this footage from the April 20, 1958 running of the Santa Ana Sports and Grand Touring Races is the first example. It’s a glorious film shot by Dr. Carlos Alvarez of the Circuito Santa Ana set up on city streets near the capitol city of San Salvador.
As far as I can see, the Salvadoran racing community has all of the ingredients that make us look back so fondly on the California racing scene.
Sound unlikely? The crowd of 100,000 strong lining the streets, craning their heads out farther and farther in to the racing surface speaks to it’s popularity, but was it able to serve as a proving ground for young racers? Well, look for yourself. That Porsche 550 Spyder with the striped bonnet has Ricardo Rodriguez behind the wheel (Ricardo sat on pole and took the race’s fastest lap, but DNFed the race). The white Porsche Speedster is piloted by Pedro (at 18 years old).
It’s that Speedster, entered in the race by Roberto A. Reyes, that is the reason we’re all able to enjoy this footage today. George Kehler is the owner of that car today, and this footage is from his collection of artifacts on the car’s history. Can you imaging a better document of your car’s racing heritage than footage like this of the car winning her class with Pedro Rodriguez at the wheel?
There will be more El Salvador race footage in the coming weeks, hopefully we can help put an end to the dearth of racing footage from Central America. More on the April ’58 race at Racing Sports Cars.
If you’re familiar with El Salvador racing in this era, get in touch. George has identified the major details, but I’d love to find finishing order, programs, photographs, or other items to help document the era.
April 12th, 2011 at 11:37 pm
Hi. I am the one who gave George this film, I was 15 years old when I filmed it in my hometown of Santa Ana. I do have a lot more.
April 13th, 2011 at 7:18 am
Outstanding footage. An amazing assemblage of cars. Crowd control? We don’t need no stinkin’ crowd control. Nice choice of music, too.
April 19th, 2011 at 2:52 am
53 years later we, younger generations from Santa Ana, can enjoy it. Thanks to both for sharing!
April 19th, 2011 at 7:14 am
Hi, I’m from El Salvador, and it is amazing to see a film of this kind. I’ve heard lots of stories about these races, but first time I see a footage of this kind. Looking forward for more….
April 26th, 2011 at 7:38 pm
Pretty well discribed and documented!!! Amazing!!! I personaly lived itt!!! I use to live just half of block from where all this action took place!!! I remember the Rodriguez Bros. winning it… Thank you for sharing such a wonderful vintage video!!! I surely love to see more.
April 27th, 2011 at 4:21 pm
My father is from Santa Ana and he have told lots of stories about these race, thanks for sharing it!!!!!
April 27th, 2011 at 5:36 pm
My Name is Miguel Rivera and my father (same namesake) was one of the founders of the Santa Ana races in 1955 (It all started there in El Salvador); he was in the race in the footage (I was 6 years old)- Mike Rivera was one of the most popular racing car drivers in those days; A month before this race he was picked by his colleages and went to race at the 1958 12th Hours of Sebring, in a Ferrari Testa Rossa 250 registered under the name Scuderia Central America (very few people in my country knows this story..) the race was won by Phil Hill and others involved were Stirling Moss, Carroll Shelby, Porfirio Rubirosa,etc..everybody was there! we have the complete roster and finishihg order from this Sebring race (from Ferrari history book); we´ll send it as well as photographs and Newspaper reports from El Salvador races which my family will be happy to share with you.
Best regards
Miguel Rivera
April 27th, 2011 at 8:05 pm
I had the opportunity of attending these races as pit judge. Thank you for sharing this video which makes me remember the good old-times in Santa Ana (La Republica)!!
April 30th, 2011 at 6:01 am
Dang,,,am I right in saying I can see Ricardo Rodriguez Porsche 550 RS on this film?
April 30th, 2011 at 6:08 am
Of cause I´m right.
This fotage is sooooo nice to see.
April 30th, 2011 at 10:46 am
My Name is Alvaro H Zaldivar, I’M from Santa Ana, El Salvador and I have heard about this race, at that time I was only one year old, and glad to see was happening in those golden years, Thank you for share this wonderful video, hope to see more.
May 4th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Hi, thanks for sharing such a wonderful piece of history about El Salvador’s racing legacy. My grandfather, Manuel Alberto Flores, best known as “La Gata Flores” is the one who’s driving the ’57 Chevrolet Wagon (00:20 in the video). He was studying in California, and when he finished, he buyed this car brand new, purchasing also some engine upgrades (Edelbrock triple intake, for example), called “Power Pack”. He drove from California to El Salvador, and began to write with other famous salvadoran drivers, our racing history. Glorious years we must keep on our minds.
Best Regards,
Victor Flores Menéndez
May 4th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
Excellent video!
I was in high school at the Externado de San Jose school in San Salvador, we went to this race as a school trip in 1958. I those days this type of races were very popular in El Salvador, there were some other races in San Benito a suburb of San Salvador. Some of the race drivers that I remember were Eddy Gonzalez, J Zamora (la cuca), Gordo Fonseca, Juan Grane, Cuche Lainez, Mauricio (tigrillo) Delgado, Manfredo Schmidt, Mauricio y Hugo Miranda.
May 6th, 2011 at 6:24 am
Great Remembers…. Santa Ana races very popular those days…
Best Regards!!
May 7th, 2011 at 1:58 am
Hello,
My dad participated in these races in Santa Ana, he had a Jaguar XKJ, also took part in a corvette. I am very happy to see this movie. Some will remember with affection my father, Roberto Cáceres.
Thanks for this video.
Regards,
Roberto Cáceres Jr
May 8th, 2011 at 4:33 pm
I gave George Kehler more footege of other races in El Salvador, some of santa Ana and other from San Benito. Do you have it? If not I can send it to you.
As you can see it has been seen by many, I have received many emails about it. Carlos Emilio Alvarez
May 15th, 2011 at 10:44 pm
My name is Ivonne Zaldivar and I am also Santaneca. I was born and raced near the Alvares’ hacienda. Although I was still not born at the time of these races, I am happy to see our grandparents did know how to live life to the fullest! Wow, those are some beautiful cars, too bad I never got to see this action. Great job in keeping these memories alive for the rest of us, and Thank you for sharing them.
May 30th, 2011 at 9:43 pm
Hugo E Arriola
( Gordo Arriola )
Soy Santaneco y tenia 18 anos cuando fueron esas carreras y de la cual tengo el honor de haber conocido a casi todos esos corredores en persona y tengo muchas fotos de ellos incluyendo a los hermanos Rodriguez,tube el privilejio de estar y ver despues de mas de casi 40 anos en Newport beach California con el Dr Carlos Emilio Alvares en el concurso de elegancia donde el nuebo dueno del famoso Jaguar–D type de los hermanos Miranda fue presentado como diriamos en sociedad nada mas que de carros.Si alguien tiene interes en mis fotos
busquenme en FACEBOOK.
June 1st, 2011 at 6:17 pm
We used to go to the Santa Ana races after spending the night in Coatepeque. Great footage Carlos Emilio. I remember you and Anita very well. My best.
October 14th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
[...] our last look at the racing community of El Salvador, this footage from the Santa Ana races just stopped me in my [...]
March 4th, 2012 at 2:03 pm
Hola tengo una serie de fotografias de carreras en vespa
del año 1959 con gusto puedo compartirlas con usted estas fueron tomadas en el salvador usulutan y en costa rica buen material este es mi correo motosantiguascostarica@gmail.com
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