Not ten minutes after I posted this, I got a pm from @TexasHardcore : In my notes from my call with Kong, I must have guessed at the spelling of Mel’s last name. Another sign of my incompetence… and the result is me stalking the wrong name for over 20 years. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=27653 Ain’t that some shit? Good thing it’s like 4-degrees outside right now. I have a whole lot of work to do… and I couldn’t be more excited.
Great article and I hope everyone reads and understands. Be inviting and let everyone in our hobby. It allows it to survive.
Here's a few: Circa 1940 - Mel Leighton in his Riley 4-port at Southern Ascot Circa 1946 Circa 1948 - Mel Leighton’s Riley Special at Carrell Speedway Circa 1948 or 1949 - Wally & Mel
Sometimes when I think of the role you have here, I think that myself, I would have blown it and wasted the opportunity to create this wonderment of sharing knowledge, sucesses and failures. I can attest to the fact that in many areas of my development, there was help and guidance ftom many levels of society. My ability to accept it or reject it was usually based on the fact that I needed to be treated as equal. I am grateful that this country has a basis of equality to work with, despite the gross error of our past. Thank You Ryan for giving us a level playing field, while keeping economics and politics off off the field. Happy MLK Day
Ryan, thank you for reminding us of the truth of this day. One of the greatest quotes of all time and my favorite, especially in these troubled times when people seek to divide us. This was from his "I Have A Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963. Those words ring true today, more than ever. “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. - Aug. 28, 1963 With those words, I think of another great man that walked among us in the racing and hot rod community. That man was Hardy Allen. I had the pleasure of meeting and knowing Hardy after he moved to Prescott. In fact, upon his death on August 20th, 2017, he was buried here at the Prescott National Cemetery. There is so much to know about this legendary man of immense character and knowledge, I'll post the stories from those who knew him best, such as Chris Weismann, Marshall Pruett, Ed Justice, Jr. and others. http://www.weismann.net/rip-hardy-allen.html https://racer.com/2017/08/25/hardy-allen-1932-2017/ https://edjusticejr.com/blog/f/evidence-of-kindness https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/rip-hardy-allen.1075141/
That blog posts states, "Mel was the first black man of the dirt track racing world by a long shot." Rajo Jack was racing a bit earlier, beginning about 1920. There are a couple of articles out there about him. https://kansasracinghistory.com/RajoJack.htm
Yeah I lived in Memphis when that all went down and still do for that matter. Even though I was a little kid I remember asking my dad what was going on and seeing the National Guard driving around with the city on lockdown. One thing I can say about our hobby is it is very similar to little kids on a playground. There is a common interest in playing with each other and color of their skin doesn’t mean a thing. For the most part car guys are always looking out for each other, whether it’s car shows, racing, or if you see one on the side of the road, we are always helping each other out.
There is a whole book about him, now: The Brown Bullet: Rajo Jack's Drive to Integrate Auto Racing by Bill Poehler I haven't read mine yet, it is in my stack of books. -Woog
Thanks Ryan. Well done, well timed and right on point. The Jive-Bomber post from 2015 was revelatory. Growing up in the sixties in central CA it's hard to imagine some of the shit people were put through. Attended a car gathering in TX last year and one, count him one person of color there. He fit right in, was a large positive impact on the group and had all his ducks in a row. Couldn't have been friendlier, we talked at length, found we have daughters about the same age and disposition. Absolutely tons in common other than melanin. Thanks again.
Here’s a shot of Mel I got from Charles McMahon about a decade ago, Charles was 99 at the time and told me a few stories of how his older brother was friends with Mel and some of their dirt track racing days from silvergate in San Diego up to the nor-cal tracks.
The Jalopy Journal
