Lions Drag Strip Museum event

**spike morelli** · 10-24-2016, 11:11 PM

Friend Dave Mandella told me last week of an event going on Sunday, Oct 30th, in Long Beach, California. Apparently, there is a museum dedicated to Lions Drag strip, in Long Beach....they're having a ceremony, or open house, or opening of a new wing...I didn't quite get it straight, but Dave said it would be great if I took my vintage Blown gas hydro. I know Bob Garner will bring either his blown gas flat, or his blown gas hydro. I know, I know, Lions was a CAR dragstrip, but if you were there, you'd know that a good percentage of the car and boat people were cut from the same cloth. Many of the faces at Lions on Saturday night would be at Long beach Marine Stadium for Sunday's racing. Mickey Thompson, who ran Lions, was also an avid fan of drag boats. It should be different. I will post a number to call for more info tomorrow.

**LB247XS** · 10-25-2016, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by spike morelli

Friend Dave Mandella told me last week of an event going on Sunday, Oct 30th, in Long Beach, California. Apparently, there is a museum dedicated to Lions Drag strip, in Long Beach....they're having a ceremony, or open house, or opening of a new wing...I didn't quite get it straight, but Dave said it would be great if I took my vintage Blown gas hydro. I know Bob Garner will bring either his blown gas flat, or his blown gas hydro. I know, I know, Lions was a CAR dragstrip, but if you were there, you'd know that a good percentage of the car and boat people were cut from the same cloth. Many of the faces at Lions on Saturday night would be at Long beach Marine Stadium for Sunday's racing. Mickey Thompson, who ran Lions, was also an avid fan of drag boats. I should be different. I will post a number to call for more info tomorrow.

Are you talking about the AUTOMOBILIA show at PRICE TRANSFER on sunday if so that's where I'll be. There is a bunch of nostalgia top fuel rails among the show along with the WINGED EXPRESS fuel altered.

**2manymustangs** · 10-25-2016, 02:37 PM

Very cool Spike, i would like to know more about Lions... Ive heard alot about it and have some vintage video from those days that I purchased for the old S/S footage...

**spike morelli** · 10-25-2016, 09:14 PM

O.K., I talked to Mandella today, he says that the event is a morning to afternoon thing. For more info you can call Dave Mandella @ 562-704-4839. I'm told the place has a "diner', so there is food on site. For me, it's just an hour trip over the hill....the hitch is that I've got to be in place, in Long Beach, by 7:00 in the morning. Coffee please...

**spike morelli** · 10-26-2016, 06:48 AM

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Lions Drag Strip

**HB Vic** · 10-26-2016, 11:36 AM

Wow thats waaaaaay back. I remember going there a few times.

Anyone remember the track in Gardena? Forgot the name of it. Motocross and flat track racing.

**spike morelli** · 10-26-2016, 07:09 PM

Originally Posted by 2manymustangs

Very cool Spike, i would like to know more about Lions... Ive heard alot about it and have some vintage video from those days that I purchased for the old S/S footage...

Well, I could go on and on about how much fun Lions Drag Strip was...great high school memories. I must tell you that amongst those old 8mm home movies posted of Long Beach Marine Stadium, Bill Dirksing's Blown Gas Hydro, ( the same one I am bringing to the Sunday event), was in the second movie of the three, must have been 1967. I've have footage of Too Much at Ski-Land, but hadn't seen any of the hydro at Long Beach until that posting. It was cool to see.