TopFuel@Lions
Nitro Member
- Joined
- May 9, 2019
- Messages
- 643
- Age
- 66
As I sit in my computer room here in Alabama, my heart today, December 2nd, 1972, thinks of being in California at 223rd & Alameda. This date tugs at my heart strings still as strong as it did that day and night, about 6:12 here, it would have been during the "meat" of qualifying at Lions at the final day of competition ever to be held.
Some rambling thoughts about my beloved track, this is not going to be in any order. The weekly drive from the San Fernando Valley on the San Diego Freeway (now labeled the 405) with an RC Cola in hand ridin' shotgun with my dad on a mid Saturday afternoon heading to the track. Getting the invisible hand stamp (pit pass) and grabbing "our" seats with the race blanket that I still have today. Watching some runs, then taking a pit walk with my dad. Getting a Chili Hot Dog and Chili Tamale and going back to our seats. The weekly Top Fuel, Junior Fuel, and Top Gas shows that spoiled the heck out of me for life! Seeing Gary Dyer hustle a tie wearing Mr. Norms supercharged Mopar to that .63. The 1966 East Vs. West Stocker championships over 2-days. Jack Martin's wheelie and wreck at the last race. Miss Hurst (Linda) holding a long pole with a hot dog on the end while Doug Rose and his Green Mamba incinerated it. Garlits clutch ka-boom in March of 70.
The 67 P.D.A. The largest 1-day Dragster show ever. Clayton Harris setting the national record. John Hoffman's death right in front of me in the top end seats in the Snoopy Jaguar S/XS. Hayden Proffit vs. Gas Rhonda match races. Dick Landy and Dale Pulde in Wilson's Vette doing burnouts in the pits. The USA-1 Turbine.
The intense night when the Little Red Wagon and Chuck Poole had their night of trying to out duel each other. The push starts from the top end, the starting line roller starters that would dim the lights when engaged. The night Arrington tried to roast himself with that tranny va-voom, I was just a few feet away. The steam evaporators from the oil refinery making their own clouds it seemed with the flames coming out of the flare tubes to light the night sky. The great Funny Car shows of late 66, all of 67 and 68. Miller's engine let-go in the Magic Muffler AA/FA. Wild Willie sleeping in his fire suit in the lanes just behind and under the tower.
Shirley Shahan's towering wheelie in that Super Stock AMX. Anytime Garlits, The Greek, Ivo, the Ramchargers, and James Warren were in attendance. Hedrick in Seaton's car doing a monster wheelie in 67 in the right lane. The incredibly well run shows at Lions, final qualifying runs near 7 and the program starting at 7:30pm and done usually by 10:45 to 11:00. Bernie Mather calling the show, Larry Sutton on the line, smokin' that pipe, sportin' the black cowboy hat and donning that striped shirt.
Dave Zachary in the spooky running El Dorado funny car. Meeting Dan Gurney, Graham Hill, and Mario Andretti at the track. Seeing the difference in traction in 67 when Lions used BX10 Boss Bite traction compound. The cool nights with ocean air as Lions advertised itself as, "the air-conditioned drag strip." The so cool ads in Drag News and Drag Scoop. The Pisano Bros. long nosed Camaro with those smoked windows. Hubert Platt's giant wheelstand in that Georgia Shaker.
So many great things. Some of my best thoughts was after the races were over, we always, repeat always stayed till the end, was the drive home with dad. We were amped from the races as we would talk about the day/night on the way home. We would get home and he would shoe me off to bed and said get some sleep, he busted me a few times looking at Drag News under the sheets with a flashlight. He would say if we want to go to San Fernando on Sunday, it would be lights out now!,lol. My time with my dad was awesome, I turned on so many of my buddys on the Drag Racing at Lions.
I close with this, the toughest non-family death time for me was when it was all over and My dad and I drove out of that track for the last time, was so very sad. The next day none to easy as well. All these years later even in geezer-hood I still feel the sadness, yet revel in the luxury that I had at Lions with my dad, the history we saw, it was epic for me.
We still had later on Irwindale, Orange County, Carlsbad, Bakersfield, Ontario, Pomona, Fremont, and Sacramento, but we were missing "THE GIANT OF THE WEST-DRIVE THE HIGHWAYS*RACE AT LIONS."
Lions Drag Strip, the greatest weekly drag strip ever! It was a glorious time indeed, thanks for reading.
TopFuel@Lions
Some rambling thoughts about my beloved track, this is not going to be in any order. The weekly drive from the San Fernando Valley on the San Diego Freeway (now labeled the 405) with an RC Cola in hand ridin' shotgun with my dad on a mid Saturday afternoon heading to the track. Getting the invisible hand stamp (pit pass) and grabbing "our" seats with the race blanket that I still have today. Watching some runs, then taking a pit walk with my dad. Getting a Chili Hot Dog and Chili Tamale and going back to our seats. The weekly Top Fuel, Junior Fuel, and Top Gas shows that spoiled the heck out of me for life! Seeing Gary Dyer hustle a tie wearing Mr. Norms supercharged Mopar to that .63. The 1966 East Vs. West Stocker championships over 2-days. Jack Martin's wheelie and wreck at the last race. Miss Hurst (Linda) holding a long pole with a hot dog on the end while Doug Rose and his Green Mamba incinerated it. Garlits clutch ka-boom in March of 70.
The 67 P.D.A. The largest 1-day Dragster show ever. Clayton Harris setting the national record. John Hoffman's death right in front of me in the top end seats in the Snoopy Jaguar S/XS. Hayden Proffit vs. Gas Rhonda match races. Dick Landy and Dale Pulde in Wilson's Vette doing burnouts in the pits. The USA-1 Turbine.
The intense night when the Little Red Wagon and Chuck Poole had their night of trying to out duel each other. The push starts from the top end, the starting line roller starters that would dim the lights when engaged. The night Arrington tried to roast himself with that tranny va-voom, I was just a few feet away. The steam evaporators from the oil refinery making their own clouds it seemed with the flames coming out of the flare tubes to light the night sky. The great Funny Car shows of late 66, all of 67 and 68. Miller's engine let-go in the Magic Muffler AA/FA. Wild Willie sleeping in his fire suit in the lanes just behind and under the tower.
Shirley Shahan's towering wheelie in that Super Stock AMX. Anytime Garlits, The Greek, Ivo, the Ramchargers, and James Warren were in attendance. Hedrick in Seaton's car doing a monster wheelie in 67 in the right lane. The incredibly well run shows at Lions, final qualifying runs near 7 and the program starting at 7:30pm and done usually by 10:45 to 11:00. Bernie Mather calling the show, Larry Sutton on the line, smokin' that pipe, sportin' the black cowboy hat and donning that striped shirt.
Dave Zachary in the spooky running El Dorado funny car. Meeting Dan Gurney, Graham Hill, and Mario Andretti at the track. Seeing the difference in traction in 67 when Lions used BX10 Boss Bite traction compound. The cool nights with ocean air as Lions advertised itself as, "the air-conditioned drag strip." The so cool ads in Drag News and Drag Scoop. The Pisano Bros. long nosed Camaro with those smoked windows. Hubert Platt's giant wheelstand in that Georgia Shaker.
So many great things. Some of my best thoughts was after the races were over, we always, repeat always stayed till the end, was the drive home with dad. We were amped from the races as we would talk about the day/night on the way home. We would get home and he would shoe me off to bed and said get some sleep, he busted me a few times looking at Drag News under the sheets with a flashlight. He would say if we want to go to San Fernando on Sunday, it would be lights out now!,lol. My time with my dad was awesome, I turned on so many of my buddys on the Drag Racing at Lions.
I close with this, the toughest non-family death time for me was when it was all over and My dad and I drove out of that track for the last time, was so very sad. The next day none to easy as well. All these years later even in geezer-hood I still feel the sadness, yet revel in the luxury that I had at Lions with my dad, the history we saw, it was epic for me.
We still had later on Irwindale, Orange County, Carlsbad, Bakersfield, Ontario, Pomona, Fremont, and Sacramento, but we were missing "THE GIANT OF THE WEST-DRIVE THE HIGHWAYS*RACE AT LIONS."
Lions Drag Strip, the greatest weekly drag strip ever! It was a glorious time indeed, thanks for reading.
TopFuel@Lions
