The Last Drag Race, 34 Years Later
By Mark Hendon
How interesting that yesterday, December 1 and today, December 2, land on the exact days of the closing weekend of the greatest drag strip of all time, Lions Drag Strip. Thirty four years ago this weekend we lost the most legendary piece of asphalt in drag racing history. Here is my story that is still so fresh in my mind.
Lions was having the best year in its eighteen year history under the fine promoting of the late Steve Evans. Every big race that year was a home run on the track and in the grandstands. It was kept quiet for some but on August 11, the news hit So-Cal that Lions was being closed! That day was a day of anger and sadness. The reasons were many; the main reason was that the harbor commission needed the land. They had a “thirty day” revocable clause that could be exercised at any time. The commissioner at the time was Bernard Coughlin. A letter writing petition was started and I had friends, neighbors, and my family write in. It did not work although thousands of letters were sent. The “real” reason is that the “Gold Star Mothers” of Wilmington threatened all the Lions clubs with a huge lawsuit over noise; the Lions clubs wanted no part of that. It was a done deal.
On to the weekend of the last race. All through the fall of 1972, dad and I hit all the races we could get in. We missed only one weekend to go to the 1972 Supernationals at Ontario Motor Speedway. What a race that was with the five second zone being busted. Some thought that the times were bogus and the “real” test would come at Lions in December. As the race drew closer it hit hard that the weekend’s events would be the last we would see at this fine race place. My dad would normally work six days. On Saturdays of regular racing events, he would get home at noon, clean up, and off we went to the track. On this weekend dad got off early on Friday the first. We left for qualifying day at 1:15 pm for a 3:00 pm opening of the spectator gates. When we pulled off the freeway at Alameda we could see the race cars lined up on 223rd for blocks!
We parked the car in the same spot as usual. Then in a great father and son moment, we got out of the car and walked all the way down to the end of the parking lot just talking, him and me. We talked about how great the times we had here. We saw old friends and told good racing stories till the gates opened. The admission was $3.00! An extra dollar got us our pit pass and admission to “our” seats. The somewhat tired race blanket that we sat on for years was put down in our usual spot. We knew the crowd for Saturday was going to be giant so dad said to me, son, if you want some tamales you better get your fill tonight, boy did I get my fill! With 400 race cars on hand, the action on the strip was fast and furious. All of our friends were there and we just had a great night as the action for the fuel cars was outstanding. There was an air of complete serious competition with a major touch of nostalgia and unmistakable sadness. The racing stopped sometime after 11 pm. We pulled out of the track at around midnight after a short walk through the pits. The next day would be our last.
December 2, 1972. It was early am on this Saturday. Dad and I had a breakfast of “slab bacon and eggs.” That meal was usually reserved for the Winternationals but this was a super special day. Hard, sad, cruel reality sunk in at breakfast that today, we were going to “The Last Drag Race” at Lions! The gates opened at 8:00 am. We arrived at 9:00 am sharp. Dad again parked the SS 396 Chevelle in “our” spot. The line of race cars on 223rd to get into the pits was huge! The final admission price for tonight’s final race was $5.00. The line to get in for the fans was outrageously large, even this early. Right then, we knew that the crowd was going to be bigger than the 1967 PDA dragster race. Luckily we got in early enough to get our regular seats. Every run, no matter what kind of car, was special and intense to see. The atmosphere was sad but serious. We took a pit walk, our second to last ever. What a field of quality cars was on hand that night. After some tamales, I went to the pits, through the staging lanes, and then under the tower. At that point I did what I had done for years; I watched cars go down the track. It was beautiful!!
By mid afternoon, things really got hot on the track and the stands were packed beyond belief. At around 4:00 pm., the final qualifying session got underway. Starter Larry Sutton was wearing a “black” Lions jacket. It fit the sad mood of the day. A couple of highlights of that session were Pat Foster in the “Barry Setzer” Vega and Don Moody in the five second Cerney-Lins-Moody dragster. Foster set a track record at 6.36, 229 mph, then lost both parachutes, went off the end of the track, and wrecked the car. He was done for the night. Then Moody set the NHRA National record at 6.13! He later would go quicker. At 6:00 pm sharp, eliminations started for the final time. They were great, just great! The crowd had grown to over 20 thousand strong. The crowd got more “festive” as the night progressed. I will skip that story. Just before the final two fuel runs, things got kind of hairy but the crowd held off the zaniness until later.
In the Funny Car final, it was “The Snake vs. The Mongoose.” How truly appropriate. The “Goose” ran a career best of 6.39, 225 mph. to whip the “Snake.” Then the moment we dreaded was before us, the final pass down the strip in legal competition. As the cars fired for the final time I was crying. My dad just put his arm around me and said nothing. We just watched the Top Fuel final without saying a word. Don Moody, who earlier had run a Lions track record of 6.02, could not return so Jeb Allen got back in under the break rule. Allen ran a valiant 6.45 only to lose to Carl Olsen's nice 6.20. It was indeed a nice side by side race to close the night. We just sat down in silence together and watched the scene unfold in front of us. It was so sad. After a while we got up and left our seats. We looked at “our” seats, the ones we had shared for so many races, one last time. We took one final walk through the pits.
At around 1:30 am, we walked slowly out to our car. The steam from the oil refinery backlit by the flaming stacks made for a familiar site that added to the night’s mood. Right around 2:00 am, the engine in the ole 396 came to life and the moment had finally come. We were leaving Lions Drag Strip for the last time! When we drove out, I was crying. I looked over at my dad and he was in tears as well. That moment was so emotional that to this day I remember it well. It was a very quiet ride home that December night. When we got home, we hugged and went to sleep as it was a long and draining day to say the least. My dad had been to opening day in October 1955, and was there on closing day, December 2, 1972.
We had gone to Lions for over 150 races, and now it was over. I don't think my father really ever got over the closing of his favorite track. I have not gotten over it myself. It still hurts deeply whenever this date comes around. I spent so many weekends at the drag races with my racing buddy, my best friend, my dad. A piece of my dad and I will always be at 223rd and Alameda, home to the greatest drag strip of all time, Lions Drag Strip! As I have for 34 years, I get out all my souvenirs from Lions, look at them again and remember the great days and nights at “The Beach.” Thanks dad for taking me to the drag races at Lions; I will never forget you or the memorable days together. Priceless. Your son misses you!
Mark Hendon
“LionsDSisBest”
