Art & Inspiration Traditional images that need no explanation.

"The Gatekeeper..." pointing the all important final direction

Hello,

We always knew this guy that was standing in the staging area in front of the chain link fences from the cl*** lanes in the final staging area at Lion’s Dragstrip. He knew his job. But we did not know how he chose which lane was going to run in the next rounds of time trials or eliminations.

We got to know him during our early drag racing with the 58 Impala in the A/Stock cl***. Several years later, whenever our 1940 Willys Coupe rolled up to the B/Gas & C/Gas Lanes, he somehow opened the gates to let us through without much waiting time.


Jnaki



It pays to get to know the “little, no-name guys” for their help… unless there were an overabundance of cars in any cl***, we usually got to drive into the cl*** lanes, go up to the front gate and then be ushered up to the staging area at the starting line.
1959 Lion’s Dragstrip starting line
There were some days that it did not happen. He must have been given instructions at the beginning of the eliminations in a specific order. But for us compe***ors, it seemed like the most popular cl***es, Gas Coupes and Sedans, Modified Roadsters/Altereds and Super Stock Racers got the nod, after the FED race cars. That was good for us.