Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: Drag Racing was Great in '58 Continue reading the Original Blog Post
Great video Jive-Bomber! I grew up in So Cal in the 50's/60's and the local drag strip was as much a part of our social life as the drive-ins, the beach or any of the other hang outs! Although I never made it out to Lions, it was a little to far from where I grew up, I did frequent Irwindale, Fontana and Pomona and I suspect they were much the same as Lions. It seemed as though I had walked through some kind of time tunnel, the first time that I went to the H.a.m.b. Drags. The noise, the smells took me right back to the 60's, although I don't remember all the grey hair!
Wow! Thanks for a great video! I've never seen a race that begins with a lap around the car. That was great entertainment in that day! It is very interesting to see the early Lions drag strip that sided to a vacant field with no bleachers between it and the strip. Every time I see an old drag racing film like this, I have to wonder how many of the cars still survive, where they are, and if they are basically barners waiting to be found. I can only hope that some lucky ******* has that #23 '34 coupe!
1958 Lions Dragstrip entrance Hello, Nice old Lions Dragstrip film, JB. The origin of the film is still unknown as it is a very early film. I like old drag racing films, a trait from my early years of wandering around Lions Dragstrip from late 57 until I started filming from 58-60/64 with a borrowed camera. The innovations and early racers went on to bigger thing as they had more success in these years. Lions was one of the earliest dragstrips, centrally located and the everyday, moist air of the afternoon ocean breezes made for an unusual place. While it was t-shirts and jeans at Santa Ana, Pomona and other inland dragstrips, it might be t-shirts and jeans at Lions, but that cool wind in the afternoon and evening made us all wear jackets most of the day. The “moist air” had tons of folklore as far as setting speed and E.T. records vs the inland dragstrips. But, it was the ability of the top notch mechanics, drivers, and builders that made the records. The latest innovations were created in the backyards, hot rod shops, drag racing camshaft companies and the many speed shops all over So Cal. Lions was the place to show the latest and have fun trying to win your cl***. Notoriety comes with the victories and racer’s lore. In the movie, many cars are identifiable: the Rakers Car Club Compe***ion Coupe, the Drifters #23, white chopped 34 coupe, Tapia Bros low slung SBC D/Dragster, early Eldon Dye Comp Coupe, and what looks like early Glen Stokey 671 hemi FED. Even the Le Mans half time intermission had the local fast stock cl*** racers, the 58 Biscayne was the usual cl*** winner even the black supercharged Ford won the cl*** there. But, the same flamed, 58 Biscayne is racing none other than Bones Balough in his record setting 49 Chevy fastback sedan. What people won’t do for free tickets and prize money. Ha! They were both fan favorites and also record setters back then. The rumor and recollection was the black 57 Chevy Bel Air was local Long Beach racer, Tom McEwen in one of his Chevy stock? (ha ha) cars. (He had a succession of 55, 56, and 57 Chevy Bel Air cars that were all fast and unbeatable… so the lore goes..) It was all fun and games along with new stuff to try out at the Dragstrip. Lions just happen to be close to just about everyone in So Cal. Jnaki Some of the other identifiable race cars were: Cook-McCartney 17c chopped coupe, and possibly, Lefty Mudersbach’s twin SBC race car. Any others that could be identified? My contribution to the 1958 Lions film section: 1958 Lions Dragstrip entrance and a black 58 Impala. Taken from Wardlow Rd. that turned into 223 St. in front of the Lions entrance. The film could have been any weekend from late 57 (brand new impala) to 1960, but underneath the Impala does not show the two 348 exhaust cut out caps we had installed in early 1959. So, it has to be 1958. This entrance film could be used in just about any film showing Lions Dragstrip, in any year. That place was home to many So Cal racers through out the years until 1972. What a place and great memories. Even as a little kid trudging through the farmer's plowed fields East of the dragstrip, to get a close up view from the return road.
@Jive-Bomber Jay - Great video! ... Thanks for sharing! ... I'm just not sure about the video editor's choice for the soundtrack (i.e., using circa '62-'63 Beach Boys songs behind circa 1958 drag strip footage). PS: There's more 2018 H.A.M.B. Drags "inspiration" in my The 1958 NHRA Nationals thread.
So many whitewalls going down the 1/4 mile! Totally dig the foot race starts, the drivers probably didn't buckle up any seat belts. What a time.
Hey C, The same guys were still at it in early 1959 at Lions. This gave the spectators and racers something to do between the eliminations and the finals. This "halftime" entertainment was a big fan favorite. That 58 Chevy Biscayne was one of the quickest "stock bodied" cars at Lions during this time period. I filmed this race from the crowded spectator's side (bleachers) of the dragstrip. That 59 Impala was one of the first, big 348 hp motors...a 320/335 hp version. I would have to go deeper into my files to see what that guy's name was from back then. But, he was a consistent winner in the A/Stock cl***. Jnaki It was a fun time back in 58-60. Stock cars jammed the staging lanes, sports cars whipped off their hub caps and raced. The older coupes and sedans still had Flatheads, but the fast approaching SBC era was starting. Sad to say, the Flatheads were being slowly fazed out of the coupes/sedans cl***es. There were still a few racers/race cars with Flatheads, but it was so easy to put in a new SBC for more power.
1958 early morning entrance to Lion’s Dragstrip. Hello, We were always anxious to get inside of the entrance gate at Lion’s Dragstrip. As soon as the ticket guy took/gave us the ticket stubs, we rolled to our favorite spot near the small refreshment stand in the pits. Our pit p*** allowed us to park anywhere. So, since our friends worked in the small refreshment stand, we tooled around and did our prep work for our Impala. I was able to know what was my job upon arriving. I had to set up an area around our Impala for tire changing, tool box and spare tires from the trunk. Our Bruce Slicks fit in the car and in the trunk on the way over to the dragstrip from our Westside of Long Beach house. During the early morning, we were allowed to run the real Bruce Slicks on the Impala for “timed runs.” But, when the eliminations came, we had to switch back to their stock tires. We also opened the downtube exhaust pipes and at the start of the eliminations, capped them back to silent mode. So, the pits were used all day and sometimes into the night. Lunch was a short walk to the refreshment stand to talk to our teenage friends working the counter and eat at the same time. Dinner was a chili dog version of the great hot dogs we had for lunch. Jnaki On the track, this tan/brown 58 Impala was run by a more experienced racer. We always had problems in our races against him. It took 3 to 4 times losing by a fender or bumper to finally win one and the cl*** trophy. My brother was learning fast and his starting line blast were the thing that worked to the win. No one p***ed any other racers as we all had the same motor and gearing… if you did, then it was cause for concern. So, if one got out in front, it was neck and neck all the way to the timing lights. During our races, the different models from the other manufacturers tried, but could not break the consistency of the 348/280 hp 348 motors in the Impalas. One fast 57 Buick tried with an experienced race driver and won some, but lost more races than he won. others tried, but the chevy 348 motors were just the right power for the A/Stock cl*** trophies. Note: All of 1958 and into the late 1958 months, when the 59 Impalas came out to play from the factories, they ruled the dragstrip. But, were in the S/S cl***. It was a learning experience, a fun time to race legally, and to try our best at hot rod cruising and racing others with similar cars. But, a trophy always made one feel great at the accomplishment. YRMV Even though we won some trophies at Lion’s Dragstrip, they were always outcl***ed in size by our dad’s best trophy he won at the Lake Crowley opening day for Spring Trout Season one year. As far as size, it looked like a Winternationals Top Eliminator Trophy… Yikes, done in by a Rainbow Trout. Note 2: My version of the “Rakers” coupe with original sound from Lion’s Dragstrip:
I read that first line about “inspiration for HAMB Drags” and got happy. It would be so great to start working on something for the 2025 Drags. It’s hard to believe that it was Twenty years ago me and some friends started to HA/GR cl***. The only purpose of that flathead dragster was a handful of p***es, once a year, and we liked it! That was said in my “grumpy old man” voice from the old SNL sketches.
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