Santa Barbara has a racy past and a racy secret that is mostly kept hidden. The secret can become a huge boon for our town, and a source of great fun and excitement for the public.

I’ve heard stories that organized drag racing actually began in Goleta, back in the 1940s. The concept quickly grew and prospered across the nation and beyond, yet was forced out of existence here in the town of its origin.

That seems so sad to me, and I want to see it come back with revving engines, burning tires and big trophies. I’m envisioning Natalie Wood waving her scarf in “Rebel Without a Cause.”

Those early years of drag racing were celebrated later by rock & roll songs like “My 409,” “My Little GTO,” Little Deuce Coupe” and other toe-tapping songs that spoke to the allure and excitement of the sport. People love fast cars, and especially fast old cars.

Fortunately, our community has lots of car clubs and they hold shows where we can go see the hard work and money spent by folks who love their cars.

Interestingly however, the hottest cars of all are rarely shown. The folks who built them tend to know each other, but they keep it all behind garage doors.

Before moving away to become a pilot, my son built a fast car, and he knew quite a number of people who had them. I recall driving around with him, and he would point at houses that had drag-quality cars in the garage.

Our secret is that this town has muscle cars galore. These folks may have a Tesla or Prius as a daily driver, but their heart is in their muscle car.

This town needs an organized drag race business all set up to promote and celebrate the beloved sport. It needs the right racing surface, stands where we can all come to watch, and concessionaires because we like our munchies and drinks.

The new drag strip should be designed by locals who want to see our area again become an innovator and leader in the sport of drag racing.

Bring this sport out into the open, and show it some love and support that will allow it to develop with a delightful combination of old-school mechanical muscle and high-tech modern advances, and we’ll have something to be proud of.

With the support of the community, I’d wager that a ton of money, for development, sponsorships and management, would come pouring forth, from the many enthusiasts throughout town. Let’s do it!