Just curious (Phx. hist.)

And the GMC powered T ! Well I was there the night the engine became a drive thru !!! Blew up big time all that was left was the front and rear walls of the block. At Beeline.

 

That's pretty f'n cool. By the way, do you know what was lettered on the hood in the picture? I can't make it out.

 

No sure don't.

 

That blown "T" in post 116 altered has a Pontiac in it . I remember his name as Cliff Bell ( from other magazine reasearch ). Not sure if it ran gas or Nitro.

Hosting- 8th annual Nostalgic Show & Go! March 27-28 Phoenix/

Make plans to attend.

 

Not sure if that info is correct. I first atteded Mel Larsons in '69 as a kid. I remember most of, or all the spectators being on the far, or west side, behind the wall.
Also, do not think Mel Larson was the first name. It seems to not make sense. Esp when we see pics of the eary days showing "Arizona Raceway"

My understanding is Mel bought the track in the later sixties when the name was changed. This seems correct. Can anyone verify for sure?

Also, the tracks main name in the 80s and for some time was PRP or Phoenix Raceway Park.

If you have never been there, or have not been there in some time, you owe it to yourselves to attend to watch or race.

Steve

Hosting- 8th annual Nostalgic Show & Go! March 27-28 Phoenix/

Make plans to attend.

 

This pic from pic from post #118 does not appear to me to be from Speedworld. The wall is on the wrong side, or the cars are going the wrong way. Could this be at another track? or am I seeing it wrong?

Great conversation here.


Steve

Hosting- 8th annual Nostalgic Show & Go! March 27-28 Phoenix/

Make plans to attend.

 

For all I know you may be right on all counts. I'm just posting what I find and the picture you questioned shows the Arizona Raceway sign on the other side.

 

I just noticed Jeems got a real nice view of the track in another post.

 

A few more found in another section of Speedworld's site.

 

I read on another site that Mel Larson may have held races at a Luke auxiliary field previous to building the track, which may explain the 1961 date on this jacket?

 

This thread is awesome!

We lived in south Scottsdale and could hear the cars running at Beeline and we were about 10 miles away.

When I was a kid I had a friend who lived in a house later built on the far right side of the old picture in post #67. It must have been built on the dump for the German POW camp. He had a pit in his back yard and we found a lot of cool WWII era junk.

 

How cool is that?! Did you hang on to any of it?!

 

Most of it was junk (and it was 30 years ago) but we found a bunch of little brown glass medicine bottles. I think my mother still has some.

In 1994, I got to meet one of the German Escapees at the 50th anniversary party of their escape attempt . They dug a tunnel with spoons, built a raft and thought they would sail down the canal, float the Salt River and make it to the Gulf of Mexico.

Just to be slightly back on topic, I have Beeline, Mel Larsons and a PIR dragstrip decal on my fake gasser inspried f-100.

I can just imagine the cries from the Red Mountain area of Mesa if they ever tried to reopen Beeline, but that's what "The Rez" is for.

 

Old Hot Rod ads.

Jet engines.


A bad little 5 window.


Emmons T.

 

I drove by one day and saw it sitting there with the goodyear stickers. I stopped and looked at it went inside and talked to the man behind the counter, I asked him who ownes the Ala Kart, and who I guess was the shop owner, said I bought it and he walked away....Kind of a dumb question on my part. I went back out and gave it a real once over. Last time I saw it until it surfaced a few years back..In Mesa I heard. I think it was in last 1967 or early 68
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So this is the same building?

 

looks the same, north side of east Van Buran

 

Cool.

 

landseaandair
You remember the AJ Bayless on Indain school just west of Central. I think it was the first one, full of old stuff..?
My father in law used to race midgets in the 40's late, and he drove at teh thomas, southmountain, and I think he talked about driving on osborn too. He caught fire in this car, and was out for 3 months, and Bobby Ball drove it until he could come back.

 

Is this what you are talking about.



I think it was a working museum, but it was probably a little before my time. I just learned what it was when they tore it down along with the Bekins building. As far as oval track racing goes, I don't know much about that either. Still interested though.

 

By the way, where was the Osborn track you mentioned?

 

Ya, i worked for Lopers back in 1989 for awhile. Most of my co-workers were hard to get along with until you got to know them. I know they sure could be dick's to walk-in customers! LOL!! I know there were quit a few guys who would only buy stuff from me. If I wasnt there they would leave!

 

Wow. 4 grand was a bunch of scratch back then.....but man, I love that car. Where is it today (Chauvin's)?

I've got a funny Loper's story....
I stopped there during lunch one day just after this all went down. I guess an "undocumented citizen" was going to swipe one of Loper's famous black and gold leaf shop trucks. An El Camino with a 4 speed. The guy hopped in, got it started (key was there?!), immediately stalled it, start, stall all the way across 43rd into the Taco Bell across the street where he finally just bailed on foot. The guys were still laughing about it...

 

The current owner of that car (not Chauvin) is fairly well known in the valley and has had that thing squirreled away for quite a while. I'm just not sure if he want's everybody to know about it. Also, another well known guy already took a bunch of pictures of it to post on here, but he just hasn't got around to it yet. I bug him about it every time I see him.

If your talking about the '67 Ranchero, that car was worth stealing. I wanna say they did have a '59 or '60 El Camino though.

 

Really?! I sure as heck wish I knew who it was that has that car, is it possible I've seen it at a local swap meet (in the last 20 years or so), I'd swear I've seen that car in the flesh before.

I'm pretty sure it was an El Camino. Also, pretty sure it was the '59.
Loper's always had a small fleet of "shop trucks", Pickups, El Caminos etc. Black, Cragars and gold leaf "Lopers" on the doors.....

 

Here's another neat little T Emmons had a hand in.

Wally Lassilia, Hot Rod, March 1966.

 

Chauvin had "the EYE".....

 

My car was supposedly from Arizona. Anyone know anything about it?

 

I went to grade school with Chauvin Emmons Jr and remember going over to his house and shop just south of Thomas on 56th st. My Phoenix Gazette paper route was near there.
He had a Bonneville racer and a blown alky Rear engined dragster and a 'vette in the driveway. This was around '72-'74.
His Dad was nice to me. let me sit in his digger and also welded up some custom chopper frames his son and I built while in 8th grade. Haven't talked to him since '74 as we went to different high schools.

Steve

Hosting- 8th annual Nostalgic Show & Go! March 27-28, 2010 Phoenix
Make plans to attend.

 

Does anyone know where this track was? The article came from Hot Rod, August 1961, so it is most likely not the Mel Larson/Speedworld location, though the sign in the picture at the lower right seems to read Phoenix Drag Strip, like the old decal pictured. Was this his early track? Possibly Perryville?