The Beauty of Lions Drag Strip (1 Viewer)

[Cliff]

Once I saw a guy on a bike come to the starting line at Lions. Had flip flops & no helmet. Ass't starter Bill Keys sent him back to the pits. Bikes had a section of the pits that was bikes only. Saw some really fast bikes. Am spacing at the name, but the man who ran the first 8 second run on a bike raced at Lions. He would get behind the push truck, put the front wheel aganist the bumper and do a stationary burn out. then make the run. I think it was a twin Harley, maybe on nitro? Joe Smith??? Anyhoo, really impressed by that bike.

 

[Nunz]

A friend I`ve known about 10 years mentioned about a year ago that he used to live in CAL and raced at Lions.
My reaction was "you`re kidding! , I`m just now hearing about this?" LOL
Anyhow , next day he dug out his photos taken at Lions in `69 and pointed out who the people were, including Kawasaki "legend" Tony Nicosia .
His photo note :
L-R "That's Tony Nicosia, Me, Unknown racer with brown painted tank, Tony's crew Jack Murphy. All bikes are 1969 Kawasaki model H1. "View attachment 5919

 

[Nunz]

Those Two-Stroke Kaws were scary fast!

 

[TopFuel@Lions]

Great stuff guys. I remember that Tony dude as he would wax the Honda 750's all day long. Lions also had this device I guess, better known as some thick tubing next to the fence, the bikes could shove their front tires into it or against it and boil the donuts as will to get em warm.


I would guess that some on this board may get tired of me, or Cliff, or others as we glow and tell real stories about Lions, I will always talk about my favorite piece of 1320 real estate till I am not on this earth.

My wife of a zillion years once said, my husbands greatest joy and biggest heartache centered around Lions. It did. She still, to this day, marvels at my accurate thoughts of Lions. She would be at any of the races we would go to, would see me light up if someone had a Lions shirt or whatever on. Lot of times race fans would be around us and I would strike up a conversation about it as they/me, would get so excited to talk about the track. She would note how folks would get so passionate. She missed going to Lions by a few but she sure has received an education about the place. One time at Pomona she counted the folks in and around section 8 how many Lions shirts or jackets there were just to tell me and make me happy, she did.

I'll admit this, at the very first ever Cacklefest at the Ca. Hot Rod Reunion, what was it maybe 8 or so cars? We were standing at the pit side fence waiting for it to start. When it did all those years of emotions and great times at Lions got to me big time and I teared up. I turned around to see the full grandstands standing with dudes my age with wet eyes as well, it was moving for me.

My wife half way thru the cackle deal said to me, your dad is with you right now and your back at Lions with him. That particular day it was more than ever cemented in her how much this track meant to me, my dad, and all the fans who went regularly.


Thank you for listening...I meant reading this.

TopFuel@Lions

 

[TopFuel@Lions]

One more thing, in the last few years I have spoken to Lions starter over the phone and to say it is a thrill is a gross understatement. The stories are so engrossing. We could talk for hours but we keep it under and hour.



TopFuel@Lions

 

[Nunz]

One more thing, in the last few years I have spoken to Lions starter over the phone and to say it is a thrill is a gross understatement. The stories are so engrossing. We could talk for hours but we keep it under and hour.

I was a little kid when my dad ran A/A back in the ‘60s- ‘71, and watched him run Niagara, Cayuga, and other northeast tracks along with others like Indy. But I remember devouring National Dragster every week and reading about the action at Lions and the other west coast tracks. So to you Mark, and Cliff, I say keep the stories coming! I doubt anyone here gets tired of you guys.
TopFuel@Lions

 

[Cliff]

OK, once I was in the pits at Lions & went to the pit concession stand. Guess who was buying a drag dog? The Snake. Was kinda surprised he was there, but hey, he was a SoCal kid. I bet he cruised Van Nuys Blvd at times. We usta do that. So many cars you couldn't drive faster than 25 MPH. OK, not supposed to talk about how the throttle got stuck exactly the same time as the guy next to me while we were, ah, driving down Van Nuys Blvd.

 

[TopFuel@Lions]

No one ever said anything to me about hanging out under the tower,ever. There were a couple of us strip kids who would be up there. I was one of many who cruised Van Nuys Blvd on Wednesday nights. Friday and Saturday nights were for the real street racers, the locals. Some nights Bob's Big Boy's drive in looked like the Super Stock pits at the strip.

I loved riding with my dad and his bad a$$ Hemi. Saturday night"s at the Bank Of America parking lot the street racers would get together. one night my dad snookered some loudmouth out of the area punk, we went to a street and then.....aw never mind. $$$








TopFuel@Lions