Lions Drag Strip: 1955-1972

Discover how Lions Drag Strip became the face of quarter-mile competition!

Hot rodders and the “drag” cars that they raced in unsanctioned exhibitions had become a nuisance with law enforcement in Los Angeles, California. So, in an effort to make racing safer, C. J. “Pappy” Hart (founder of the Santa Ana Drag Strip), Norris Poulson (mayor of Los Angeles), John Chadwick (member of the Wilmington Lions Club), and others collaborated to create the world-famous Lions Associated Drag Strip. With an approved proposal, shovels sunk into the sand in August 1955 in Wilmington, California, christening the birth of the world’s greatest drag strip.

Mickey Thompson was hired to operate Lions Drag Strip (also known as “the Beach”), quickly turning it into Southern California’s wildest venue to watch drag racing. Innovations, including staging lights, track lighting for night racing, and concession stands, made Lions Drag Strip the place to be.

The world’s greatest drag racers, such as Jack Chrisman, Tom McEwen, Art Chrisman, Don Prudhomme, Chris Karamesines, Connie Kalitta, and Don Garlits, as well as a cast of thousands of others, descended upon Lions Drag Strip for exhibition and match racing. Fabled East-West showdowns, Fuel Altereds, Funny Cars, and Jet cars broke attendance records and set national records throughout the 1960s. In addition, thrill-seeker Evel Knievel leaped over 13 cars at Lions Drag Strip to the excitement of 14,000 fans in December 1970.

Sadly, Lions Drag Strip closed on December 3, 1972, due to being valued as industrial real estate and the approaching urban sprawl.

Lions Automobilia Foundation Museum volunteer Lou Hart brings forth this year-by-year illustrated history of Lions Drag Strip’s most memorable events with never-before-seen images in Lions Drag Strip: 1955–1972!

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Foreword
by Danny Thompson

Foreword
by Carl Olson 

Chapter One  1948–1954: When the Action Roared to Life

Chapter Two  1955–1962: Plans for a Roaring Roadway 

Chapter Three  1963–1965: Lions Drag Strip Gains National Attention 

Chapter Four  1966–1967: The Rise of the Factory Experimentals

102 Chapter Five  1968–1969: Banzai at the Beach  

124 Chapter SIX  1970–1971: Lions Drag Strip’s Most Spectacular Years Yet

167 Chapter SEVEN  1972: A Dark End in Hot Rodding History

206 Epilogue: Preserving the Legacy
of Lions Drag Strip