History Drag cars in motion.......picture thread.

Brechtal & Fedak...

 

Melrose

Cecil Yother Melrose Missile Inj Fuel no blower his shop was in San Leandro Ca.

 

Hayden Proffit Plymouth.

 

Sure a lot going on with the front suspension on that one.

 

Hello,

Before the term “Beach” which is/was almost 7 miles away in downtown Long Beach shoreline, was used as a simple nickname … It “…must have been quite the show.”

For me, at 13 years old, the Lion’s Dragstrip was a weekly event. I was the “Pit” person for my brother and his friends. I changed the plugs, put on the real Bruce Slicks for the timed runs and replaced them with the stock tires for the eliminations. I uncapped the short, direct exit exhaust pipes, and made sure everything was in order for the timed runs and eliminations. The earlier Thursdays, I had installed the 4:56 Positraction rear gears for the competition battles on Saturdays.

I also checked the plugs after each race and changed the timed run set of plugs with new ones for the elimination races. When those days were full to the brim and the day’s racing was over, I was able to walk around and shoot some films with my dad’s point and shoot 16mm color movie camera.

Jnaki

It was history in the making as these color films are the only remaining documentation of that time period of early drag racing at Lion’s Dragstrip. 1957 to 1964.

It was quite a show: (not just a grab of drag racing sounds, but the recordings from an LP album made in 1959 with the actual recordings of the actual So Cal racers…) Here are the ones I remember the most, including actual sound from the same racers a month apart:
Sidewinder sound 1959
Jr. Thompson/Speed Engineering sound

Dragmaster Company sound

Kenny Lindley/Don Hampton sound

H&H Garage Tets Ishimaru MEL sound

Gary Cagle/Chet Herbert sound

It made our day every time my brother and I showed up in the pits on a Saturday morning to night time closing from 1957 to 1960. It definitely was a place for Drag Cars in Motion...

The “beach” is a misnomer used like the term gasser. A fleeting slang made up for lack of a better description of Lion’s Dragstrip. Plus, it is/was not officially in Long Beach as the crow flies. The front entrance is officially in Wilmington, CA. But, take a normal step back and you are in Long Beach proper.

We arrived at Lion’s Dragstrip by walking across the large farmer’s plowed fields to see the earliest 1955 opening races to the time we could actually go to the entrance. So, yes, that plowed field was a “beach” of sorts.

Note:

At least CSULB located on top of the city of Long Beach's Southern most hilltop location is now called “The Beach.” But, at least it is located in Long Beach and there is an actual sandy beach a few blocks from the campus. A real surfing beach is about 3 miles South of the campus. YRMV

 

Hugh Tucker rides again.

 

Pre hemi period with Olds power.

I went to SoCal Speed Shops open house in Pomona while in town for the L.A. Roadsters shindig many years ago and remember seeing the restored Tucker car there, it just had that "larger than life" look about it, beautiful car.

Not my photo and different event.

https://fuelcurve.com/2021-hotrod-a-rama/


"There was no more feared or competitive AA/Street Roadster than Hugh Tucker’s ’29 Chevy bodied, (’32 Ford grille shell) blown Olds powered car. Tucker later modernized the car with a big, blown Chrysler Hemi and the domination continued. It’s since been restored and appears at nostalgia events such as the annual California Hot Reunion, held at historic Famoso Raceway, outside Bakersfield".

https://eastcoastdragtimeshalloffame.com/gassers-pt-7-california-dreaming/

 

@Sky Six







Hello,

Yes, the adjoining property is the Veteran's Hospital and surrounding grounds. It is/was a major walkway along 7th Street and a respite for "walkers" and safety from the fast moving traffic going towards downtown Long Beach. There was a sidewalk, but looking at the gobs of traffic heading your way in the day time was awful enough, but at night it was horrendous.

So, it was safer to walk inside of the parking lot and head towards the college campus. The lot was the closest parking area, not for college students, to the main classrooms. So, it was tempting to park there in a somewhat secure parking area. Although it was a ticket offense and possible tow-away.

We often visited friends in the hospital and then were allowed to park in the huge lot. Sometimes, when the winds were right and it was between night classes, one could hear acceleration power of some kind just a few streets away on 2nd street. By the time 2nd Street from Belmont Shore reaches Seal Beach borders, it turns into Westminster Blvd.

It is/was 2 miles of straight street with nothing on either side for the whole distance. Just to be safe from CHP/Sheriff or local police eyes and/or ears, we usually moved farther into the two mile course for a nice quiet, empty roadway starting line. At the end of a marked quarter mile(s) from either end, it was relatively safe late at night. That was our “Drag Cars in Motion” secondary location. The first being the Cherry Avenue Drags at the outskirts of Bixby Knolls.

Who was on either side of the straight Seal Beach roadway? Two miles of empty, barren land, lit up by normal street lights. But underneath, a secret stash of ammunition and missiles for loading onto the large ships, at the PCH Naval Landing several miles to the ocean harbor.
Western OC drags location

Jnaki

From that whole Veterans Hospital and the adjoining campus, the views South-Southeast were outstanding and if one looked at the views, the cars were just blurs. But, everything grew up and now, huge rows of trees are on both sides and the view is partially blocked.

One saving grace for the views are that North and Northwest views to the ocean are still some of the best sunsets on the coast. But, the 7th Street roadway is a leading onramp to the 405/605/22 freeways and it is always busy. YRMV

 

Dick Belfatti’s Shadow, not positive but Bobby Vodnik might have been driving here.

 

Results of motion

 

kenz muffler