History Comp Coupes, All but forgotten?

Neal Leffler orig from Ohio . In the 80s worked at Hat Raceing Ent. San Rafael Ca.

 

John Batto. Vineberg Ca Sonoma Co. Later ran T/F Dragster out of Bings Speed Shop Santa Rosa Ca .

 

Eddie Potter's "Sudden Death" at LIONS. First time out. ^
The car didn't last very long. A few weeks after this photo Eddie wadded it up at the end of the LIONS track.

 

It is (was) a wicked looking thing!

 

Yes it was. There is a photo of the car, 3/4 rear view, that shows just how nasty it was. I've seen the photo a couple times here on the HAMB.

 

Said that it lived to it's name.

 

[ QUOTE="40ragtopdown, post: 14477915, member: 259621"] View attachment 5397477 [/QUOTE]

Hello,

When we first saw the Leffler-Loukas Competition Coupe, it was one of those odd-ball looking race cars that seemed to be put together in an overnight session in a dark garage. But, with one start-up of the motor and watching it wheel down the drag strip(s) was impressive enough to be in awe. It was one big time build and Competition Coupe for the ever-popular competition in So Cal. The Neil Leffler-John Loukas Competition Coupe was originally from the Midwest region and made it trek out to race against what So Cal had to offer.

We saw them at Lion’s Dragstrip in early 1960 for the Mickey Brown Memorial Event that drew thousands, set a national record at that event.
Thanks @296ardun
"The view of the Leffler & Loukas coupe that many competitors saw. These guys towed out to the Westcoast from Parma, Ohio, and put a lot of California racers on the trailer. Neil Leffler stayed, and partnered with a lot of California racers on both dragsters and funny cars."

Every year since 1958-59, we have been impressed with the Competition Coupe of the Neil Leffler/John Loukas team. It set records in the Midwest. When they traveled out West, again, they set a record for the Competition Coupe Class in one of the So Cal's biggest drag race meets at the time.
January 1960 Mickey Brown Memorial Race Day.
Leffler-Loukas at Lion’s Dragstrip

Leffler-Loukas Competition Coupe for Halloween, with the Orange Pumpkin color and flames. “Liberties” taken by Me…

Thanks for the inspiration, John Loukas … Neil Leffler...

Jnaki

In the early years, Neil Leffler was part of a team that set records in the Competition Coupe Class. The exploits in the Midwest dragstrips were flying all over the Drag News coverages from that time period. The Neil Leffler- John Loukas Competition Coupe was setting dragstrip records all over during those times.

Then a few months later in 1960, we saw the Competition Coupe at the Bakersfield Smokers March Meet.
Bakersfield Smokers March Meet
Finally, he joined the team and company of one of the west’s talented drag racing groups, the Hirshfield Group in Paramount, CA.

As mentioned earlier in a HAMB post
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...picture-thread.228509/page-2007#post-14049777

“It was rumored that one or more of the team of Leffler-Loukas was going to come to So Cal to start getting involved in the Westcoast action."

"Then, all of a sudden, this ad pops up in the local drag racing periodical, Drag News. The association with the Hirshfield Auto Parts Group was going to be really something. That group had ties to a lot of fast drag racing teams and record setters from So Cal."

"But, the lure of the Westcoast, the year round climate, the laid back atmosphere of the people, and the access to the biggest names in drag racing all within the boundaries of So Cal was an alluring place. That would keep pecking at the brain, during those cold, freezing, no drag racing action times in the snow blanketed Midwest areas.”

So, as the years rolled on, jobs change and businesses get started. My friend from high school, Jerry Bivens from Bixby Knolls, racing with his team of Doug Fisher and Tom McEwen was featured in an advertisement for a Neil Leffler supercharger and support. It is and was a small world in So Cal drag racing circles.
"CHECKMATE"



Lion’s Dragstrip Museum Cacklefest 2017 :35 Sound

You meet the nicest people in drag racing circles…

Note:

Jerry Bivens and I go way back to our 1959-62 Bixby Knolls and Long Beach Poly High School hot rod/drag race years. His mechanical/pit crew partner, Doug Fisher and I go farther back to the Westside of Long Beach Junior High School days. Add in Tom McEwen (Bixby Knolls and earlier, LB Poly HS) as a part of that team and sooner or later top results started showing up at the drags. (Doug Fisher was the one that built the 348 powered 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery back in 1960)

So, as the years rolled on, jobs change and businesses get started, teams change hands and sometimes, things just start clicking for great results. Jerry Bivens from Bixby Knolls, racing with his team of Doug Fisher and Tom McEwen was featured in an advertisement for a Neil Leffler supercharger and support. It is and was a small world in So Cal drag racing circles.

 

Thanx. Still have no idea what that might be.

 

Bob Deudall , Albany, Or 1962.

 

Bill and Dave Lewis from Oregon.

 

Anyone notice that Flaming Frank had a rat motor in his car in this photo? Never saw that before....

 

This looks like the Dye and Hampton twin engine Fiat A/C.

 

Bill ran this Simca in 1960, with blown Olds power. Around '63, Bill's Olds went into Wayne Harry's Willys PU.

 

Lonnie Butts "Twitch-a-Wee" A/C, a regular at Lions. I loved that car as a kid.
A buddy of mine became friends with Lonnie and was making plans to recreate the car in the mid-90s. He had the body and some miscellaneous parts, the front axle and a rear end. I offered to build the chassis at my shop for free, but the project never got off the ground. He had other projects. Too bad.