Lions Drag Strip-December 2nd (1 Viewer)

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Don Ewald posted on Facebook today:

For people who don't do facebook.

The photo is by Don Ewald's late brother John. What a fantastic photo, if you don't think this photo is bitchin, you
just might be dead.

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Wow. That is a classic. I have never seen that shot before.
Me either and I still have 90% of my drag racing magazines I started getting 55 plus years ago.
Check out the crowd they are standing like we used to do back in the day when the nitro cars
ran and some of the crowd are looking at the "Chi-Town Hustler" and others are looking at the tree.
Larry getting a big hit of nitro... Just Bitchin!
 
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Me either and I still have 90% of my drag racing magazines I started getting 55 plus years ago.
Check out the crowd they are standing like we used to do back in the day when the nitro cars
ran and some of the crowd are looking at the "Chi-Town Hustler" and others are looking at the tree.
Larry getting a big hit of nitro... Just Bitchin!
I love the picture also, not just because I am in it but I think most picture's of the Hustler are doing a burn out. Also look at the crowd not one cell phone. LOL. I have a 20x20 picture here next to my desk. Lou Hart sells them, he is always at the march meet and the CHRR, I think you can Google Lou hart photos to buy one.
Larry Sutton---🎅
 
Thanks for the memory!

"The Spirit of Racing" was strong in those days and you always tried to be able to loan a tool or part to another racer or shake the car <g>!

As a "Little Guy Team" [Bill worked for the phone company and I was a tech at North American Aviation] just being able to make the next round of qualifying and hopefully going a few rounds, kept us happy and coming back weekend after weekend.

I have new partners today and run our Moeller-Whitby-Gerard Top Dragster at all of the West Coast races that we can. Some of that Spirit is still there and we have made a number of new friends in the class.
 
I forgot to mention Lou Hart will be coming out with a new book on Lions drag strip around father's day 2025. his last book was on Roland the Hawaiian and is was great. can't wait until the Lions book comes out.
Larry Sutton---🎅🤠
 
I love the picture also, not just because I am in it but I think most picture's of the Hustler are doing a burn out. Also look at the crowd not one cell phone. LOL. I have a 20x20 picture here next to my desk. Lou Hart sells them, he is always at the march meet and the CHRR, I think you can Google Lou hart photos to buy one.
Larry Sutton---🎅

Hey Larry. What can you tell us about this Steve Reyes photo?

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Hey Larry. What can you tell us about this Steve Reyes photo?

View attachment 15109
Randy
Bill Carmichael (RIP) and I bought that car from Don Madden after we ran the frount motor joint venture. we ran injected fuel for a while then switched to blown alky. with the help of my good friend Dale Armstrong it ran very good IMOP, we won a few races. Bill got married and decided to quit. we sold the car and a few mounts later I was announcing at Carlsbad for a special TAD race. The new owner made a burn out and after he backed up, I told everyone in the tower WATCH!! he is Going to crash right now. He went to do a dry hop and sure enough went straight backwards and hit the back wall and went upside down. the tower personal including my late wife Pam said how did you know that was going to happen, I said looking here form the high point of the tower, I could see he didn't put it back in forward. I knew that car well.
Larry Sutton---🤠
PS: I think our fellow mater Roger Gates built the chassis.
 
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Randy
Bill Carmichael (RIP) and I bought that car from Don Madden after we ran the frount motor joint venture. we ran injected fuel for a while then switched to blown alky. with the help of my good friend Dale Armstrong it ran very good IMOP, we won a few races. Bill got married and decided to quit. we sold the car and a few mounts later I was announcing at Carlsbad for a special TAD race. The new owner made a burn out and after he backed up, I told everyone in the tower WATCH!! he is Going to crash right now. He went to do a dry hop and sure enough went straight backwards and hit the back wall and went upside down. the tower personal including my late wife Pam said how did you know that was going to happen, I said looking here form the high point of the tower, I could see he didn't put it back in forward. I knew that car well.
Larry Sutton---🤠
PS: I think our fellow mater Roger Gates built the chassis.

That's a good story. I remember the first car I saw do a "dry hop" still in reverse after backing up from a burnout. It was Jack Manchester in the Butler built Millwee Pro Stock Camaro the Greg Oliver and I put together. He almost ran into the car behind him. This was at OCIR. Knowing that, I always made sure I rolled forward six inches in my TA/FC's before doing anything after backing up. I instructed all my drivers to do the same.
 
Randy
Bill Carmichael (RIP) and I bought that car from Don Madden after we ran the frount motor joint venture. we ran injected fuel for a while then switched to blown alky. with the help of my good friend Dale Armstrong it ran very good IMOP, we won a few races. Bill got married and decided to quit. we sold the car and a few mounts later I was announcing at Carlsbad for a special TAD race. The new owner made a burn out and after he backed up, I told everyone in the tower WATCH!! he is Going to crash right now. He went to do a dry hop and sure enough went straight backwards and hit the back wall and went upside down. the tower personal including my late wife Pam said how did you know that was going to happen, I said looking here form the high point of the tower, I could see he didn't put it back in forward. I knew that car well.
Larry Sutton---🤠
PS: I think our fellow mater Roger Gates built the chassis.
Yep - That is the car I did and drove for for Madden (Howard Cam Special) when we changed to "Back Motor". Kenny Ellis made the Magnesium Body. It looks the same but not sure if it is. We even ran the first Arias prototype stuff in it (1"plate bolted to the block with 3 Pushrods) You did better with it than we did in T/F but it wasn't the cars fault. Thanks for heads up on the car.. Roger
 
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I saw a AA/FA try to leave the line in reverse. Thank God he got it stopped quick! argh That was at Orange County.
 
larry, in that unbelievable photo of you and the hustler at the perfect moment; did the pennants
suspended by cable also support a hanging tree?
 
larry, in that unbelievable photo of you and the hustler at the perfect moment; did the pennants
suspended by cable also support a hanging tree?
Yes Mike that cable went to the pole on the right side and held the tree. we would take the tree up after each race day and lock it high up.
Thanks for asking.
Larry Sutton---🤠
 
Larry, you guys kept the tree from being stolen after the Last Race was over. What happened to it?
cliff
Most likely like everything else went to the scrap yard. That is why I stole the big Lions sign on the tower months before the last race. Steve Evans was pissed and put a 24 hr. guard on the strip. He said If anyone would steal that they would steal anything. LOL I told him at the last race banquet it was me and he said "I KNEW IT WAS YOU". I had the keys to Lions. Years later I donated it to NHRA for the later to be built NHRA museum. NHRA sold it on Ebay for $3,500. I am not a collector, I have given many things away, My Lions coat to the Garlits museum. another coat and all of my hat pins to a good friend In New Zealand, ETC. All I need is memories.
Larry Sutton---🤠
 
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