The Nern Hotel

San Diego Region SCCA  HAIR

Dad was an avid Sports Car fan. He seemed to live and breathe cars and racing. Over the years he organized Sports Car clubs, from Hawaii, East Coast - West Coast. Raced on the tracks, and worked at the tracks. From Flagman to Steward, to patching up the track to make it race ready. 

One of the tracks that Mom, Dad and I went to and supported was in Holtville, Ca. Mom and Dad were members of the San Diego Region SCCA. The track was originally an Military Air Field, Holtville Aerodrome International Raceway (HAIR). Steve McQueen was even there racing.. I was there..!

It was a great group of people who raced and worked at the track, and a lot of good times were had out there. This is a part of the HAIR history, as told by my Dad. If any of you remember, please leave a comment below. Share some stories.. so all is not lost..Enjoy..

Steve McQueen at Holtville

The stone forecourt surrounded by the ornate wrought iron fence of the Famous

Nern Hotel was barely visible thru the fog that drifted in the morning light.

NO! Wait that was the novel, this is history.

The structure that was known as “The Nern Hotel” was nothing more than the

Remains of a World War Two nose hanger. They were called nose hangers as the

building was not large enough to cover the entire aircraft, just the front or

nose of the craft. The time is 1969, twenty three years after the Nern was in

active use.

The lobby of the Nern was the floor of the hanger, spacious and covered here

and there by drifting sand and tumble weeds. The rest of the abandoned air

station was silent and looking as if it had a number of stories to tell on its

own.

It is Friday morning in January. Outside the Nern there is a taxiway leading to

the runways.  To the south of the Nern there is a line of Tamarisk trees

struggling to maintain the only other shade around.

                The weather is nice this time of the year. Slowly approaching the Nern is the

first of a group of very special people. They go over to a very well-constructed

building made of heavy re enforced concrete and begins to pull out large rolls

of cattle fencing, iron poles, large wooden boxes that look to have once contain

air to air rockets. Next out is a large collection of scaffolding bits. They

carry the fencing over and start laying it out, while others take the yellow

wooden boxes to various parts of the taxiway and runway. Inside the wooden boxes

is very large heavy pry bar, some  red gloves, a big piece of caulk and a board

to write on, a whistle and a set of flags .

Back at the building, others have arrived and they begin to pull large rolls of

communication wire out and take it down to the taxi/runway and stretch it from

point to point. Meanwhile a large trailer has arrived with the hay bales that

will get positioned to help make up the race course. Other are setting up tables

to be used as “ Comm Center” and still other make up a Starters Stand at the

edge of the course. Cars & trucks arrive, some pulling trailers with race

cars. They all line up at the registration table that has been set up. Meanwhile

a couple of other start assembling a “tech” area to check out the race cars.

                By Friday at noon, one can see the beginnings of a working race course. There

are people marking grid spots on the taxiway. The timing & scoring tables

are in place. There is another group of people out walking the course, following

them is a pickup truck with implements and material to repair any places that

need it. This includes making cement and filling holes.

                The hay bales are set to mark the entrance and the  apex of various corners as

well as the entrance to the racing pits. As you can imagine, making a visible

race course out of nothing but flat scenery requires a bit of work. The motor

home used a race central is busy with checking the race schedule to make sure

that there will be enough daylight to get the schedule done. All day long the

people have been working doing whatever was necessary to get the course ready

for Saturday morning first event.

                Tech people work till late of Friday evening, meanwhile communication. People

are still working out the bugs on the comm system. Registration is busy as there

are more people arriving. Everyone works on whatever needs doing. There are

ladies hammering in fence poles, dragging wire and wrestling with hay bales.

                As full night falls, the air turns a bit chilly and the camp fires start to

light the night. People gather around the fires and the stories start.