In 1966, I was 10 and getting interested in cars. My uncle, Mike Lilley, came to visit us from Illinois in 1962 or 1963 and just stayed. He started hanging out at Lions Drag Strip and eventually got to know Chick Christ and "Big Jack" who were working with the starting line crew and the 'New' Starting Rollers. 

My uncle used to take me Friday nights to spend the night at Chick's house then up early Saturday morning to Lions to set up the timing lights, walk the track, and pick up engine parts and such. That always fascinated me: finding half of a piston about mid-track and realizing what had to happen to get it there! I attribute most of my hearing loss to all those Saturday nights standing just behind the rollers, nitro burning my eyes & nose ... burnt rubber ... all fond memories.

When Lions closed, the sport had become pretty popular and everyone gravitated to OCIR or Pomona. I had to sit in the stands like everyone else. There are two moments of my time on the starting line at Lions that I can see in my mind's eye as clear as when the events happened. I was standing on the tower side, right behind the Kohler Bros. Anglia. On the green light it hooked up so good (torquey little cars) it actually 'launched' itself off the line, flew over the guardrail, and got pinned between the guardrail and the base of the old tower 50 or so feet down the track! Hours of down time that night getting the Anglia outta there ...