Thunderbird Raceway- Henderson, Nevada circa 1960

Welcome to the HAMB.

Moved away in 61 eh. Did you by chance graduate from Basic, cl*** of 60?

 

No, I went to high school in Tujunga, Calif. Verdugo Hills High School north of LA. Spent a couple of years at my uncles ****** shop on Las Vegas Blvd. and met my buddy Ken Turner who worked next door. He was dating Faith Horton who had a little sister Gail. Gail and I dated until she graduated LVHS in 63 when we got married. Just had our 48th anniv. this summer. Kenny went to Basic and probably was cl*** of 60. Faith was cl*** of 60 at LVHS.

 

This is a small world indeed ! I do remember the white ATR (shifless) car , It belonged to Frank Fuchs who had bought it from it's builder Kenny Lindley. Ronnie Walker drove it a few times as did Dale Lewis(Hunter,Lewis and Perry aa/fa. I helped Frank move to San Anselmo/Fairfax,by towing his dragster behind my 55 chevy. He mounted a fiat topolino body on it and renamed it the "****y Trap"--appropriate name as Frank was a ladies man. It was later sold to a shop in Marin county somewhere. Frank p***ed about 20 years ago. Randy Lewis,Dale's son was looking for the car as a resto/cackle for his dad but never found it. In it's day that car was as nice a piece of work as Chrisman/Cannon's Husler.

 

I was quite young when the Henderson Track was running but got to go a few times. I rode my 59 Cushman Super Eagle there. I got to see Gas Ronda match race the Sahara Chevy "Gray Ghost" ? it was a round robin affair as I recall. They installed the berm after Art Arfons Jet dragster blew the wooden fence into the Boulder Highway, caused cars to be dodging fence parts as they were driving past the event at highway speed at the time. There was a car that raced for T/E that was a Mercury out board powered GoKart with no clutch and they would start it on blocks at the line and two guys held it up until the flagman raised the flag and then it was dropped, it was near full throttle and it would beat the early local guys. The dragster guys got together and had the rules changed to require a clutch so no more Bob Bradley's Merc powered GoKart at the drags in Henderson.

 

I went to drags at Henderson a lot, until it closed in 1964. Are you thinking of the Vans Auto Shop Chevy with the aluminum body? It was called Grey Ghost. Do you remember Booty Birkby? He drove for **** Stewart Dodge, and was the local guy to beat.

 

"$1000 bond was a LOT of money back then."

But the promoter bought it for $750. They matured in 18(?) years to $1000. Looked and sounded a lot better on the adverti*****ts at $1000 (bond). I doubt any drag racer kept it to the maturity date.