Carson, California

I Robert Smith remember the last drag race at Lions Drag Strip. I was only a kid going there from 1968 to 1972 for I live right next to the strip living in Gold Star Homes going almost for every meet seeing the greats my favorite the Funny Cars, Snake, Mongoose, Mickey Thompson with Danny Ogonis, Roland Leong the Hawaiian, Joe Pisano and Brothers, Jim Liberman, Candie and Hughes, LA Hooker, Mako Shark, Durachrome Bug and the Fireman Big Jim Dunn and a lot more watch icon Don Garlits the Top Fuel also Connie Kalitta, Larry Dixon Tommy Ivo, Jeb Allen,. Cha Cha Shirley Muldowney any many others the Alters and Willys and the Pro Stock Car greats Jenkins, Martin ,etc. and watching the Green Mamba Jet cars and the Blue Streak watch Evil Knievel jump buses and cars there was a lot of exciting times like seeing Gene Conway break the first 7 second e.t. at Lions in his orange vette. Or being at the last AHRA drag race where we were at the end of the track when Ramchargers white and ted Challenger. funny car blew up at the finish line where we got a large piece of Don Schumacher fiberglass body and his orange and yellow parachute But the biggest thrill I got is when one night Don the Snake Prudhomme and Tom the Mongoose Mcewen bought myself and two friends Chuck Murdoch and Charles Bouby a hamburger and a coke and kicked it with us until we all ate and another highlight the very last drag race where Tom Mongoose Mcewen was racing in top fuel final and instead of starting the dragsters at the starting line Lions let each finalist push start the dragsters with their own trucks down the strip well Tom Mcewen while he was in the dragster motion me and told one his crew members to let me get in his brown pickup to push start his dragster and the great thing Tom the Mongoose Mcewen won the race on that final last run so I am proud to say I got to ride in the last drag race at Lions Drag Strip yes it was a great childhood living by the Beach the best drag strip in the world. A true story.