TopFuel@Lions
Nitro Member
- Joined
- May 9, 2019
- Messages
- 643
- Age
- 66
As usual this date is super special to me and to my late father, as yesterday December 1st, a Friday, the first of the two day Last Drag Race at Lions with the final day, like today December 2nd.
With some comments and thought at the end, here are just a few special or scary moments that dad and I saw at 223rd & Alameda in no order.
*My first Top Fuel show in March one week after my first drag race at San Fernando.
*Former NHRA starter Rick Stewarts wreck in his AA/FD into the right lane weeds not knowing the Watts riots were going down.
*The best Front-Engine Rear Engine Top Fuel race ever, Weibe and the Snake's side-by-side 6.17s'.
*Alabama's Clayton Harris Setting the National Record at Lions.
*Pat Fosters track record setting 6.29 in AA/FC at the last race then running off the end of the track.
*The wild Grand premiere that had Burgin in a 2 car wreck and Bob McFarlands horrible fire.
*Leroy Chadderton's record 6.76 in his bad AA/FA.
*Sitting in the top end seats and witnessing John Hoffmans fatal wreck in the Snoopy Jaguar funny car.
*C.J. "Pappy"Hart buzzing around on the little motorcycle.
*The ridiculous and dangerous wheelie feud between Chuck Poole and Bill Golden that ended up with Poole wrecking in the sand trap and out onto the street.
*The weekly 16-car AA/FD shows that had anywhere from 30 to 40+ cars all finishing right around 11:00pm.
*The best 1-day Top Fuel Race ever, the 1967 P.D.A. Championships with a beyond SRO crowd.
*The highly competitive Junior Fuel shows.
*The Drag Racing Magazine Funny Car meets.
*The roller starters.
*The curved guard rail on wheels moved below the tower for traditional push starts.
*The Lions sign in the left lane.
*Larry Sutton sporting his striped shirt, black hat and pipe.
*Bernie Mather behind the mic or Jon Lunberg plus Steve Evans.
*Garlits clutch ka boom.
*The incredible in my view total 1967 season.
*Lew Arrington's tranny va voom in August of 67.
*Dale Pulde doing burnouts in the pits with the Vicious Vette.
*Seeing the oddballs like Maynard Rupp's Chevoom, Durachrome Bug, Zahcary's El Dorado, Vanerwoudes top less Dart and Ken Ellis in the 3-wheel dragster.
*Chile dogs and chili Tamales.
*The invisible hand stamp for the pit stand that came alive under the light.
*The UDRA Dragster races, huge fields.
*The friends we made sitting in our seats for 8 years at nearly 200 races.
*The early Jet Cars and Arfons Green Monster.
*The very serious match races between Gas Rhonda and Hayden Proffitt.
*S-W-C vs. Mazmanian AA/GS match races.
Just a few and so many. It was in my view the best weekly drag strip ever with the best shows, good bite, good air and not ever to hot even in the summer. Well run shows at a fair price, good race story write ups by Dave Adler in Drag News. Just a great place that after it closed was so missed.
I have been to now 159 tracks and 2031 races so far but still to this day none had the overall magic and feel of Lions. Wearing my Lions shirt today.
"DRIVE THE HIGHWAYS....RACE AT LIONS."
TopFuel@Lions
Talladega Announcer
With some comments and thought at the end, here are just a few special or scary moments that dad and I saw at 223rd & Alameda in no order.
*My first Top Fuel show in March one week after my first drag race at San Fernando.
*Former NHRA starter Rick Stewarts wreck in his AA/FD into the right lane weeds not knowing the Watts riots were going down.
*The best Front-Engine Rear Engine Top Fuel race ever, Weibe and the Snake's side-by-side 6.17s'.
*Alabama's Clayton Harris Setting the National Record at Lions.
*Pat Fosters track record setting 6.29 in AA/FC at the last race then running off the end of the track.
*The wild Grand premiere that had Burgin in a 2 car wreck and Bob McFarlands horrible fire.
*Leroy Chadderton's record 6.76 in his bad AA/FA.
*Sitting in the top end seats and witnessing John Hoffmans fatal wreck in the Snoopy Jaguar funny car.
*C.J. "Pappy"Hart buzzing around on the little motorcycle.
*The ridiculous and dangerous wheelie feud between Chuck Poole and Bill Golden that ended up with Poole wrecking in the sand trap and out onto the street.
*The weekly 16-car AA/FD shows that had anywhere from 30 to 40+ cars all finishing right around 11:00pm.
*The best 1-day Top Fuel Race ever, the 1967 P.D.A. Championships with a beyond SRO crowd.
*The highly competitive Junior Fuel shows.
*The Drag Racing Magazine Funny Car meets.
*The roller starters.
*The curved guard rail on wheels moved below the tower for traditional push starts.
*The Lions sign in the left lane.
*Larry Sutton sporting his striped shirt, black hat and pipe.
*Bernie Mather behind the mic or Jon Lunberg plus Steve Evans.
*Garlits clutch ka boom.
*The incredible in my view total 1967 season.
*Lew Arrington's tranny va voom in August of 67.
*Dale Pulde doing burnouts in the pits with the Vicious Vette.
*Seeing the oddballs like Maynard Rupp's Chevoom, Durachrome Bug, Zahcary's El Dorado, Vanerwoudes top less Dart and Ken Ellis in the 3-wheel dragster.
*Chile dogs and chili Tamales.
*The invisible hand stamp for the pit stand that came alive under the light.
*The UDRA Dragster races, huge fields.
*The friends we made sitting in our seats for 8 years at nearly 200 races.
*The early Jet Cars and Arfons Green Monster.
*The very serious match races between Gas Rhonda and Hayden Proffitt.
*S-W-C vs. Mazmanian AA/GS match races.
Just a few and so many. It was in my view the best weekly drag strip ever with the best shows, good bite, good air and not ever to hot even in the summer. Well run shows at a fair price, good race story write ups by Dave Adler in Drag News. Just a great place that after it closed was so missed.
I have been to now 159 tracks and 2031 races so far but still to this day none had the overall magic and feel of Lions. Wearing my Lions shirt today.
"DRIVE THE HIGHWAYS....RACE AT LIONS."
TopFuel@Lions
Talladega Announcer