Allison V-12 with the heart of a Cummins

[Andy Perreault]

Originally posted by illflem

too bad they had to shut Lyon's down

... and Orange County Int'l Raceway, Fontana, San Fernando, Ontario Motor Speedway, Riverside Int'l Raceway... and these are just the ones in SoCal that I can think of off the top of my head!

The list goes on and on, all across the country!

Lyons is now a railroad yard (where they make up and break down double stack container trains). The legendary Mickey Thompson once managed Lyons.

Riverside is a housing development.

Ontario is a shopping mall.

Orange County is an office complex.

As for the rest, I don't know, but I do know they're gone, and gone for good.

Oh, one more: anybody remember Ascot? I used to be able to hear the sprint cars from my folks' house on warm summer nights. Now it's a bus station/park and ride lot.

You guys got the memories flooding in, now!

Some things will be missed forever, but never forgotten.

Andy

 

[Andy Perreault]

If you're ever in Long Beach, stop by Worco Powder Coating on Cherry Industrial Circle (off Cherry Ave. , not to far north of Glenn Thomas Dodge) and say hi to Tony Pisano. His brother Joe was the owner of the most awesome funny car (IMO) ever, the JP-1 Special. The Pisano brothers (brother Frank was the tuner), shunned all that computerized crap and the multi-stage clutches, and they could still beat all the big guys with the big $$! They were the last of the 2-speed funny cars, and I remember seeing them set many track and world records at Pomona. Various drivers over the years that I followed the car were Mike Dunn (son of another SoCal legend, Jim Dunn), Glen Mikres, and Dale Pulde.

Check out the photo gallery in their office! Lots of great black and white pictures of various funny cars and dragsters. One I remember showed this skinny young kid with bushy hair and long sideburns. Some guy named Don Prudhomme.

I have a model of the 1987 JP-1 Special (Mike Dunn drove it at that time) velcroed to the dash of my truck, to remind me never to forget what SoCal drag racing used to be, and what it meant to me.

Now you've got me started, how am I going to fall asleep tonight?

Andy

 

[n7gxz]

Vaughn,



During the races today they where saying that the U-3 will have a new boat next year that will be 3000# lighter. They didn't say if it would still be a piston powered boat or a turbine. I grew up a stones throw from the pits and I remember being able to hear the pistons running and there is nothing that sounds like five or six piston boats running around the course.



Kevin

 

[Un-Hemi]

Andy: Irwindale?

 

[Andy Perreault]

Originally posted by TommyTurbosaurus

Andy: Irwindale?

Ah, yes! I forgot about that one!

Andy

 

[tgbol]

Hey Andy

Remember the gasser wars between KS Pitman, Big John Mazmanian, and Stone, Woods and Cook. And the AF/X cars that started funny cars. Danny Onagias in Roland Leongs Hawaiian. And don't forget the fuel altereds for a show.

Ah the days of my mispent youth.

 

[Andy Perreault]

tgbol, do you remember a funny car in the early 70's named "Veney's Vega"? Ken Veney used to live right around the corner from me, I used to see that car go past my house on the back of a black Chevy crew cab "ramp truck" (a tilted flatbed). Yup, those were the days, back when funny cars looked like real cars... back before the "disposable engine" style of racing that they do today. No wonder the little guy can't compete anymore.



The Pisano car will always be my all time favorite, though.

Andy

 

[Ram_Kowboy]

Vaughn,

If you want some ear candy you should spend some time at the Reno Air Races. There is still quite a few P-51's with the V-12 Rolls Royce. One plane going by is awesome, but can you imagine four or five at once! Its the most fun you can have with your pants on!

Regards,

RK

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Ram_Kowboy, I have September 13-16 penciled in for the Reno Air Races this year



Kevin, that would be cool if the Cooper team did build a new boat. I seriously doubt they will quit running Allison power, the Coopers love those old engines. He has quite a few of them stockpiled for their boat. It would be a challenge to build a boat and shave off that sort of poundage. If they could knock 1000 to 1500lbs off, they'd be a serious threat to the other boats. . . maybe even the Budweiser types.



Vaughn