Art & Inspiration Traditional images that need no explanation.

El Mirage. Delete if not appropriate.

 

That's an oldie,i remember when tom's car wasn't painted yet and I'd see it out there

 

""Lets clean the valve covers""

 

The number plate is Victoria (Australia).

 

Hello,

History on opening day rears itself well past our days at Lion’s Dragstrip and at other places in So Cal.
We consistently saw Jack Chrisman driving the Ed Losinski injected Hemi FED from the first day we went to Lion’s Dragstrip near our Westside of Long Beach house in 1957.

Mickey Thompson was the manager at Lion’s Dragstrip. He was part of the package from the origins in the beginning of the drag racing creation since the opening day 1955. October 9, 1955 was opening day, Mickey and his staff prepared for a crowd of 2500 attendees but received over 10,000 spectators, racers, and over 400 cars. The overwhelming success of Lion’s enabled the initial loans to build the facility to be paid off in less than two years.

But, after several years, he had a bright (pun intended) idea to add lights to the facility and run the races into the night, giving folks additional times to spend at the drags. Most spectators left after the last top eliminator race and the drag strip closed down the strip facilities. So, they left. But, the racers started packing up their stuff and tried to end the conversations of the excitement of that night’s races. That went on for a couple of hours, in the dark.


Jnaki

The winner of the opening day in 1955 was now in the continued build/rebuild mode and was able to keep his winning ways going on during our filming days 4 years later.

Jack Chrisman driving the Ed Losinski FED in the 59-60 season…

Ed Losinski /Jack Chrisman 1958-59 Impala staging

In 1958-59 season we saw quite a few top name drag racers in different race cars. The one that caught my eye was the Ed Losinski Hemi FED. A silver aluminum almost made a full streamlined body. the sturdy rollbar was acceptable to the tech committee. But, the talk of the pits and spectator’s seating area was how that roll bar was going to protect poor Jack Chrisman on a roll over or crash if it ever happened. The tech committee had their work cut out for them for several years in the old designs leading into the full roll cage build.

1958-59
The third Impala in line was my brother. I was in the back area of the final staging area, trying to get a shot of him leaving the starting line. But, I was shooed out of the area, despite my “pit pass.”

The Losinski/Chrisman silver body FED was very popular. I caught it coming into the staging/turn around area. Just to the spectator side fencing, a row of 58 Impalas were waiting to make runs.

Ed Losinski vs motorcycle Lion’s Dragtrip 1958-59 season

“Is that pesky motorcycle still there?”