Big Willie

[DrRocket]

Wow. If it's actually the white one that keeps popping up when I google it, it's seen better days man.

 

[Nick Name]

Great story Randy. Thanks for sharing.

Wonder where those Daytonas are now? Think they're still out there?

It'd be kind of cool to do a tribute car to him.

Wonder if Garlits has one at his place.

 

[Nick Name]

Good story RG, My only question is did all these places have a 1/4 mile mapped out to race?

Joe;

Is it safe to say you have never been to the street races? I mean the real ones?

 

[Rajunz]

Yeah Joe, everyone knows that real races are over in 1,000 feet......DOH

 

[Toejam]

Joe;

Is it safe to say you have never been to the street races? I mean the real ones?

As in Fast in Furious stuff? No...

 

[johnny]

LOL. No.

"Big Willie and the street racers" used to hold court at a shopping center parking lot at Brookhurst and Orangethorpe in Fullerton on Sunday nights in the 1970's.

Big Willie was a pretty smart dude. One night when I was there, there were about 50-60 street racers waiting for Willie to announce where the race was going to be held. Finally he announced the races were going to be in Compton off of Alameda. In a wild frensy, nearly all the cars started peeling rubber out of the parking lot heading south on Brookhurst to the 91 freeway toward Compton. From the shopping center parking lot you could hear them burning rubber on the freeway on ramp.

Once it was clear that the crazy people were gone, Big Willie (who never left the parking lot) poked his head out of a station wagon and told the small group that remained that now that the idiots were gone the race was actually going to take place in an industrial area in Anaheim and gave directions.

Later in the week we heard stories about how the cops were undercover at the shopping center that night and they fell for Big Willie's Compton announcement. They followed the crazy people, making several arrests and writing several tickets. But in Anaheim, Big Willie's street racers ran in the industrial area without a hitch.

It was later that Big Willie opened Terminal Island, around the 1980's. Ask Jim Rizzoli about his dragster crash against me in my altered there. Big Willie was announcing that day and he thought I crashed into Jim. It was pretty nasty!

There were some after-midnight Street Racer programs at OCIR in the early-mid 70's.

 

[Draw 3D]

Big Willie also used to meet at the back of the Pomona Shopping Center on Holt. You would sometimes see Fuel Altereds and Funny Cars as some of the racing shops were near the center, around East End and 1st St.

Most of the actual street races were done in Ontario near the airport. Usually they could run-off a few races before the Sheriffs would show up and stop the racing. Don't remember them writing tickets, just showing up usually scared everyone away.

 

[Nick Name]

I remember that the racing for the bikes in LA would be on Sunday night, and in the valley on tuesday night. Valley guys would go down to LA, and LA guys would come out to the valley.

LAPD was pretty cool about the whole thing. They would let them run for several hours, then send the chopper over to flash the lights at then, which ment, now take it some place else..

In the valley, it was out on Glenoaks and Peoria. It was in the middle of the rock quarries. Nothing out there. One evening we were there about 1 AM when an LAPD black and white came down Glenoaks. As he crossed the intersection, there must have been 100 people standing there. They knew what was going on, but no one was shooting at anyone, so they just drove on, looking for real criminals.

Actually, that is what ended the big street racing stuff in the valley. People started to bring guns. The import car guys had their own nights, and there were reports of shootings there. Once there were guns, nobody wanted to go anymore.

 

[none]

Actually, that is what ended the big street racing stuff in the valley. People started to bring guns. The import car guys had their own nights, and there were reports of shootings there. Once there were guns, nobody wanted to go anymore.

Bit of a buzz kill...........

Great stories Jay

 

[Mike]

RG, spent many a sunday in that parking lot. One sunday Big Willie sent everyone off to some place in Ontario and we ended up at a place by the 5 and Valley View. Me and my buddy park in a parking lot about a half a block away and walk over to watch. Well, the cops show up and people are going in every direction so we take off running to my car but here comes a couple of cops down the street so we dive into some bush's in the parking lot as the cops pull in to check my car. While we are hiding the sprinklers come on and there isnt a thing we can do but sit there and get soaked. I'd bet money the cops knew where we were because they stood around my car for about 20 minutes doing nothing till the sprinklers turned off and then got in their cars and drove over to where the races were.

 

[Toejam]

I remember that the racing for the bikes in LA would be on Sunday night, and in the valley on tuesday night. Valley guys would go down to LA, and LA guys would come out to the valley.

LAPD was pretty cool about the whole thing. They would let them run for several hours, then send the chopper over to flash the lights at then, which ment, now take it some place else..

In the valley, it was out on Glenoaks and Peoria. It was in the middle of the rock quarries. Nothing out there. One evening we were there about 1 AM when an LAPD black and white came down Glenoaks. As he crossed the intersection, there must have been 100 people standing there. They knew what was going on, but no one was shooting at anyone, so they just drove on, looking for real criminals.

Actually, that is what ended the big street racing stuff in the valley. People started to bring guns. The import car guys had their own nights, and there were reports of shootings there. Once there were guns, nobody wanted to go anymore.

Big Willie must have had a lot of LAPD connections in those days!

 

[glofria]

Big Willie had a lot of connections with everybody.

More importantly, Big Willie had respect from everybody.

As far as I'm concern, he was inspirational. Talked about promoting safe racing like a preacher spreading the gospel. Meant what he said and said what he meant.

 

[yoda]

Big Willie must have had a lot of LAPD connections in those days!

The connections and respect he had allowed him to get the LACR project the land, financing and assistance from the authorities that was needed in those days. Lions was closed, OCIR was on its way out, Irwindale was about to become Miller's driveway... Big Willie got all the things necessary to get folks to run at the track, and to that crowd, it was a big step to take it to a legit arena- if the key people weren't in place, it would have never worked.

Maybe that is the current problem...

 

[Nick Name]

Big Willie must have had a lot of LAPD connections in those days!

I am sure he did, but these races i was talking about were not his. This was in the 90s.

 

[Toejam]

I am sure he did, but these races i was talking about were not his. This was in the 90s.

So what was the Big deal of the Street races you mentioned earlier? Did they Drag race, or not?

 

[.]

Wonder where those Daytonas are now? Think they're still out there?

One of the Daytonas is here in Ogilvie Minnesota.

Link: Big Willie

 

[Nick Name]

So what was the Big deal of the Street races you mentioned earlier? Did they Drag race, or not?

It was your question about markings in the road. They just had spotters. Starts were arm drop, on one guy negotiating the move.

 

[DrRocket]

One of the Daytonas is here in Ogilvie Minnesota.

yeah, thanks for the link. I did find that after I made my post. Like I mentioned, that thing is in dire need of some TLC.

 

[rocketman]

This guy made an impact there was even a story about his passing in the NY Times!

 

[Toejam]

It was your question about markings in the road. They just had spotters. Starts were arm drop, on one guy negotiating the move.

What? Did they race for 2 blocks??