Lions Drag Strip

[Cliff]

I remember this car. Didn't remember the name. He had X/S painted on the roof, for Xperimental Stock.

 

[glofria]

Wow....'Green Seen'....that's interesting. I don't know why that car stuck in my memory but I remember it plain as day. Were you racing at Lyons around that time, Roger?

Looked around a bit and found of picture of it:

View attachment 14063

Well I can tell you right now just by looking at the snow cap mountains in the background, that track is not Lion's. With all the smog around back then you could bearly see across the 405 Fwy.

Maybe Irwindale, but I don't remember there being tree like that on the other side. But then again, I was just a kid back then. LOL

 

[J. S.]

Well I can tell you right now just by looking at the snow cap mountains in the background, that track is not Lion's. With all the smog around back then you could bearly see across the 405 Fwy.

Maybe Irwindale, but I don't remember there being tree like that on the other side. But then again, I was just a kid back then. LOL

Could that be Fontana on a rare clear day? (Maybe a Santa Ana wind condition).

 

[twostep]

Well I can tell you right now just by looking at the snow cap mountains in the background, that track is not Lion's. With all the smog around back then you could bearly see across the 405 Fwy.

Maybe Irwindale, but I don't remember there being tree like that on the other side. But then again, I was just a kid back then. LOL

I have no idea where that picture was taken although I assume it was somewhere in California. I found it searching the net. But it's the same car.

 

[Rick 1800]

July 1971, My first pass in a F/C

Wow, as a very young kid I do remember your cars. I do recall hearing you constructed the cars yourself.

 

[Ramjet]

Wow....'Green Seen'....that's interesting. I don't know why that car stuck in my memory but I remember it plain as day. Were you racing at Lyons around that time, Roger?

Looked around a bit and found of picture of it:

View attachment 14063

Wow....'Green Seen'....that's interesting. I don't know why that car stuck in my memory but I remember it plain as day. Were you racing at Lyons around that time, Roger?

Looked around a bit and found of picture of it:

View attachment 14063

First Time at Lions was 2 days after I arrived in California. A little later I got a 57 Chevy (Body in White) from a guy named George Boltoff. He had the Fastest & Quickest Top Gas Dragster at the time and Chevy Gave him the car. He never put it together and I bought it from him. Put it together with a fiberglass tilt front end and doors - (327) - Straight Axle to run C Gas. Well: I then found out that those guys at the "Beach" were SERIOUS, so I decided to make it a Friday night at "Bobs" car. The problem with a "Body in White" car is that they have no numbers or front clip - lights - turn signals - gas tank - seats - etc.. Finally got it registered and showed up at Bobs. Guess what - Larry Dixon (Sr) was there in his 55 Chevy with a Blower on it. Shortly after that I decided Jr. Fuel was for Me. The cars I ran at Lions were C Gas - Jr. Fuel - Top Gas - Fuel Altered & Top Fuel. They were not all mine.

 

[MichaelD]

Could that be Fontana on a rare clear day? (Maybe a Santa Ana wind condition).

My first thought was San Gabriel or Irwindale but San Gabriel Mnt. would be much larger in the background and be more on the right hand side of the picture. Pretty sure that would be the original Fontana Drag strip.
When that pic would have been taken, it wasn't that smoggy in the inland empire yet! Didn't take that many years though before we looked forward to the Santa Ana's.
Edit: In retrospect, it probably was one of those rare days of fairly clear skys.

 

[Randy]

My first and only trip to Lions was in 1967 while vacationing with my grandmother in Simi Valley. Her across-the-street neighbor was as big of a drag racing nut as I was and we visited both Lions and OCIR (which had just opened). I'd read about Lions and all those famous cars; getting to actually see them was something I'll never forget. The race I attended wasn't any sort of a final but I do recall several of the cars Mark mentioned, including one that still stands out - a green '55 Chevy running a 427 BBC on nitro. It was like a 9-flat ride and the quickest doorslammer I'd ever seen. And I recall at least half a dozen twice-engine dragsters and how loud they were.

I didn't know who Larry Sutton was at the time but I do now. Always nice to see you posting, buddy...56 years later.

That was quite a hike from Simi Valley back then. No 118 FWY yet, and the 405 didn't go through the Santa Monica mountains. Not as much traffic, either, however.

 

[none]

First Time at Lions was 2 days after I arrived in California. A little later I got a 57 Chevy (Body in White) from a guy named George Boltoff. He had the Fastest & Quickest Top Gas Dragster at the time and Chevy Gave him the car. He never put it together and I bought it from him. Put it together with a fiberglass tilt front end and doors - (327) - Straight Axle to run C Gas. Well: I then found out that those guys at the "Beach" were SERIOUS, so I decided to make it a Friday night at "Bobs" car. The problem with a "Body in White" car is that they have no numbers or front clip - lights - turn signals - gas tank - seats - etc.. Finally got it registered and showed up at Bobs. Guess what - Larry Dixon (Sr) was there in his 55 Chevy with a Blower on it. Shortly after that I decided Jr. Fuel was for Me. The cars I ran at Lions were C Gas - Jr. Fuel - Top Gas - Fuel Altered & Top Fuel. They were not all mine.

Larry Dixon Sr. was the inspiration for Bob Falfa in American Graffiti.

True Story,
Alan

 

[Cliff]

I thought the Green Chevy photo was Pomona.

 

[Nick Name]

Larry Dixon Sr. was the inspiration for Bob Falfa in American Graffiti.

True Story,
Alan

I remember when Larry Sr. ran the green 55 on the street ( no blower) and at San Fernando.

 

[twostep]

First Time at Lions was 2 days after I arrived in California. A little later I got a 57 Chevy (Body in White) from a guy named George Boltoff. He had the Fastest & Quickest Top Gas Dragster at the time and Chevy Gave him the car. He never put it together and I bought it from him. Put it together with a fiberglass tilt front end and doors - (327) - Straight Axle to run C Gas. Well: I then found out that those guys at the "Beach" were SERIOUS, so I decided to make it a Friday night at "Bobs" car. The problem with a "Body in White" car is that they have no numbers or front clip - lights - turn signals - gas tank - seats - etc.. Finally got it registered and showed up at Bobs. Guess what - Larry Dixon (Sr) was there in his 55 Chevy with a Blower on it. Shortly after that I decided Jr. Fuel was for Me. The cars I ran at Lions were C Gas - Jr. Fuel - Top Gas - Fuel Altered & Top Fuel. They were not all mine.

'57 Chevy, 327, straight axle....man, it just doesn't get any better than that. Faster for you, obviously, but not better and I bet there's times you wish you still had that car even though Old Man Dixon one-upped you a bit.

 

[twostep]

That was quite a hike from Simi Valley back then. No 118 FWY yet, and the 405 didn't go through the Santa Monica mountains. Not as much traffic, either, however.

Indeed....I still recall it taking quite a bit of time to get there. And then I didn't want to go home once we got there. I'll never forget it, or (recently opened) OCIR, either.

 

[glofria]

I know some of you are not of Facebook but some of the renderings of Tom West have been dropped in the Nitro Revival Group like this one:

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