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The Official Ascot Park Gardena Thread: 1957-1969

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by toml24, Mar 2, 2011.

  1. flynstone
    Joined: Aug 14, 2005
    Posts: 1,723

    flynstone
    Member

    look what i was lucky enough to get..................yup the sign from rite up frt
     

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  2. Indy87
    Joined: Apr 1, 2011
    Posts: 34

    Indy87
    Member
    from So. Cal.

    WOW! How cool is that?:)
     
  3. surfcaliforniasurf
    Joined: Sep 17, 2007
    Posts: 402

    surfcaliforniasurf
    Member

    great thread. I raced remote control cars on friday nights from the age of 4 to 8 at Ascot until it closed...and went to the "big car" races too! Great thread
     
  4. toml24
    Joined: Sep 23, 2009
    Posts: 1,620

    toml24
    Member

    This is Western Speedway. The way to tell is this press box is at the top of the grandstands and is open-air view with no windows. On the left of the press box is the transmission dish for KTLA television (not sure it was microwave back then), pointed towards Mt. Wilson perhaps. Also the grandstands have corrigated sheet metel surrounding them, something Ascot didn't get until much later. It is a very good historical photo.

     
  5. paddybuilt
    Joined: Mar 2, 2009
    Posts: 137

    paddybuilt
    Member
    from SoCal

    Great thread! Many good memories of sprint and midget races at Ascot Park. I have the 1st turn bench I was sitting on from the last turkey night midget G P hanging in the garage signed by Jeff Gordon, Robby Flock, Sleepy Trip, Stan Fox, Brent Kaeding, Johnny Parsons Jr. Big party in Brent Kaeding's pit till 3:00, we used the hay bayles for a fire, Cops came 3 times asking us to leave, the 3rd time it was leave on your own or ride with them. nobody wanted to leave!
     
  6. d2_willys
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 4,285

    d2_willys
    Member
    from Kansas

    Mike Bast, was he related to Harlan Bast? Seems I recall Harlan Bast as racing at Ascot in Figure 8's.

    Dick Lane had a way of really doing a great description of the racing. I remember watching an old Studebaker Hawk at the back of the pack during a Figure 8 race, and Dick commented: "Nice car, but doesn't go real well".

    Ascot, western raceways, olympic auditorium (boxing, wrestling, roller derby). Those WERE the days! Good clean fun!

    I enjoyed going to Ascot so much, that I took an old Revell slot car chassis and mounted a 56 Ford (demolition derby )plastic body on it. Put some more dents in it and painted "RACED AT ASCOT" on the roof. Painted the wheels half yellow/ half brown. Took it to the slot car tracks and all the kids loved the thing. It was certainly different!
     
  7. Indy87
    Joined: Apr 1, 2011
    Posts: 34

    Indy87
    Member
    from So. Cal.

    This one?:)
     

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  8. I spent many weekends there with my older brother. He was friends with Dave Aldana,who raced Flat-track bikes. Went to lots of the Midget and Sprint Car races also. Went with my friends to the last race they had there.
    There was also a dirt track near my house in Bell,called Trojan Speedway.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Apr 9, 2011
  9. I think that Tom's being a bit modest.;) He literally wrote the book on the California Jalopy Association. Those of you that watched the Jalopies, Dick Lane (the other announcer was Roy Maypole) on TV every Sunday afternoon; and "long" for those "good old" days, gotta get Tom's book. It's a font of information; and available, amongst others, from Autobooks in Burbank. Or, like I did, you might be able to get one directly from Tom.
    If you google the Calif. Jalopy Association, you can get to Tom's aged website. The site, in itself, (replete with the theme from "Rudy) will bring back the flavor of those Sundays long ago.:) Thanks Tom, for putting out the effort.

    I apologize, if I "outed" you; but when you entered the H.A.M.B., you fell in with a bunch of known rascals. :D

    JOHN
     
  10. toml24
    Joined: Sep 23, 2009
    Posts: 1,620

    toml24
    Member

    As I have said before, so much for being in the Witness Protection Program. LOL!!!
    I want to see more early Ascot Park Gardena please!! Those photos are in your garage or closet. Many people may not know that the quarter mile in-side track at Ascot Park was not installed until 1963. The early Figure-8s of 1962 drove all the way down to turn-1 of the half-mile before making a sharp left turn into the in-field. It was a very long Figure-8 track in the beginning.

     
  11. d2_willys
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 4,285

    d2_willys
    Member
    from Kansas

    Might be! nice car, but don't go real well!
     
  12. paddybuilt
    Joined: Mar 2, 2009
    Posts: 137

    paddybuilt
    Member
    from SoCal

    Second that on Tom's book, Great book!!! Lots of 32 fords that ended as jalopys, Tons of pictures, Get the book you will be glad you did.
     
  13. Indy87
    Joined: Apr 1, 2011
    Posts: 34

    Indy87
    Member
    from So. Cal.

    The movie pit stop has some ascot park racing footage in it. It's a pretty HOKEY movie if you havn't seen it, Check it out.:) And I third it on Tom's book, Very cool! I just received it, Thank you Tom.
     

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    Last edited: Apr 12, 2011
  14. I'm not trying to "Hi-Jack" this thread; but I have an OT proclamation that I've been posting on other threads.

    From April 28th to May 1st at AAA speedway (formerly California Speedway) in Fontana, the greatest value in motorsports, The Route 66 Classic, will be held.

    The Historic Champ/Indy Car Association (HCICA), in conjunction with the Vintage Auto Racing Association (VARA), will be running the show.

    HCICA will be running no pace car exhibitions on the two mile oval; while VARA will be running all out races on the road course.

    I say it is the greatest value in motorsports, as the admission is $10.00 (kids under 12 free). For that you get a pass that let's you in the venue, all the pits and garages; all weekend. TONS OF RACING PORN FOR TEN BUCKS!;)

    You never know what's going to show up. Check the photo album (all the pics) to see what HCICA cars showed up last year.

    http://lateralgimages.smugmug.com/2010/2010-HCICA/11345553_LZmsr#812363600_ZMnpS
     
  15. Indy87
    Joined: Apr 1, 2011
    Posts: 34

    Indy87
    Member
    from So. Cal.

    COOL! I live 40 miles from the California Speedway. What is ( no pace car exhibitions )
     
  16. k9racer
    Joined: Jan 20, 2003
    Posts: 3,091

    k9racer
    Member

    Great thread Tom.. I quess that a lot of us hamb members have enjoyed toms book.. Any photos of a figure 8 driver with the nick name Bad News.. I understand he was very popular.. Keep them coming..Bobby.. I am a figure 8 fan..
     
  17. paddybuilt
    Joined: Mar 2, 2009
    Posts: 137

    paddybuilt
    Member
    from SoCal

    I remember watching two brothers that ran real good in old chevy coupes. Any one know their names? Whiteman stadium also had some good figure 8 races
     
  18. This is not out-and-out, wheel to wheel racing. However, there is no speed limit; and no pacing vehicle limiting the speed. However, the organizer, Victory Lane Magazine, councils us to go at "reasonable speed". Some of the newer Indy cars will be going near 200 mph down the back straight. Most of them will "lift" going into the turns. With my car, being capable of about 120 to 125 mph, I don't feel the need to "lift", except on approaching a slower car.

    In that there will be cars of various capabilities on the track; the slower cars are asked to run in the lower lanes of the track.:)
     
  19. toml24
    Joined: Sep 23, 2009
    Posts: 1,620

    toml24
    Member

    There were several brother combos during the 1960s in the Ascot Figure-8s but the two you might be thinking of are Dennis and Jerry Meisenzahl.

     
  20. paddybuilt
    Joined: Mar 2, 2009
    Posts: 137

    paddybuilt
    Member
    from SoCal

    Remember Meisenzahl those brothers had some fast cars, One race at Whiteman they were battling for the win on the last lap they came together at the finish line and both slid into the wall were a car was parked. Wrecked three cars bad. they use to run the indy blue streak tires, there cars were nice
     
  21. CutawayAl
    Joined: Aug 3, 2009
    Posts: 2,144

    CutawayAl
    Member
    from MI

    As kid living in the LA area I often watched those races on TV. The one driver name I remember is Termite Snyder. He always chewed on an un-lit cigar while he was driving.

    After the races(2 1/2 hours as I remember) was a long segment of live country music.

    Les Bacon & Sons Ford often sponsored these events with live commercials. Those commercials were usually so over the top they were entertaining. Sometimes they would do things like filling the inside of a car to the top of the windows with a garden hose(always wondered what they did to seal it up well enough to make that work), smash windshields, dent cars, smash cars into each other, etc. The price of the victim car would then be lowered to something less than their "already low prices".

    In addition to the car races, Dick Lane was also an announcer for roller derby and wrestling. And, he did TV commercials for Hub Furniture and others.
     
  22. Indy87
    Joined: Apr 1, 2011
    Posts: 34

    Indy87
    Member
    from So. Cal.

    I love this photo. This is my Dad at Ascot in 63, Car #68. Note the exhaust coming from the hood.That thing was cool. If I remember correctly,it's a 52 merc with an olds engine.:) A side note. When the race car was done he gave the olds engine to Ed Big Daddy Roth and Big Daddy put it in a motorcycle. While at Big Daddy Roth's shop I remember he had a dog that he said he had to have the dogs voice box altered so he couldn't bark. It kind of whispered a bark. He gave me and my little brother chrome German helmets. I wish I still had mine.
     

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    Last edited: Apr 14, 2011
  23. Indy87
    Joined: Apr 1, 2011
    Posts: 34

    Indy87
    Member
    from So. Cal.

    I found this photo at the bottom of my Dads toolbox. I'm happy I was able to save it. One of my favorite race cars of my Fathers.
     

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    Last edited: Apr 14, 2011
  24. zuzulo56
    Joined: Apr 12, 2011
    Posts: 64

    zuzulo56
    Member
    from L.A.

  25. k9racer
    Joined: Jan 20, 2003
    Posts: 3,091

    k9racer
    Member

    the bad news man was named willie kimbrough..any photos?? thi will be a great thread keep them comming..just to add I will be attending the big figure 8 race in indy at the end of the summer..Next year I will field a entry by the way the modern 8 cars are close to a open wheel modified.....Bobby,,
     
  26. toml24
    Joined: Sep 23, 2009
    Posts: 1,620

    toml24
    Member

    I met Willie Kimbrough a number of years ago at the tow yard I believe he owns in South LA. Nice guy. He loaned me his small collection of Ascot Park figure-8 photos. The best photos are in the jalopy book. I will try to find a few more but they may have been lost to a bad computer hard drive.

     
  27. toml24
    Joined: Sep 23, 2009
    Posts: 1,620

    toml24
    Member

    I drove down Vermont Ave. in Gardena today (Sunday) just to see what the Ascot Park land looks like. A wall has been built the entire block so you can see nothing. A small sign out front near a gate says "Insurance Auto Auctions." Behind the wall is flat pavement with thousands of cars that will go through an auction process. Most of the nearby areas have been built-up with modern buildings. There is not much in the area that looks the way it did in the 1960s (fifty years ago!)
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2011
    jimmy six likes this.
  28. W7CAR
    Joined: Apr 16, 2011
    Posts: 8

    W7CAR
    Member

    I used to play on the Cat's & Graders when no one was around during the construction of Ascot. Dad was racing Jalopies at Gardena Stadium at the time. I only remember him racing the Jalopy at Ascot once, but he might have more than that? I was racing a 1/4 Midget Dad built me from A Popular Mechanics Magazine set of plans (March 1952 I think?). Lots of great Racing memeories of those years. I remember Bozo the Clown being in the grandstands a lot entertaining us. The Peanuts & Sodas in the stands were quite a treat for us kids. Dad won the Destruction Derby, Claimer Stocks, and Super Stock Championships 1958, 1959, & 1960 at Gardena/Western Speedway. Dick Lane interviewed Dad on TV lots of times after wins 1952 through 1960. I remember Dad towing the 33 Vicky Jalopy with his souped up 35 Ford Cabriolet, and my brother & I tussling in the Rumble Seat. Dad worked for Capital Auto Wrecking/Parts on Figeuroa in those days. I've a photo of Dad's 33 Vicky CJA Jalopy in the Photo Gallery on my web page at www.w7car.com

    Yours in the Hobby,

    Dave Walton - W7CAR
    WALTON Motorsports
    Home of "The Ugly Duckling" #57
    Rainier, Oregon
     
  29. zuzulo56
    Joined: Apr 12, 2011
    Posts: 64

    zuzulo56
    Member
    from L.A.

  30. beauishere
    Joined: Mar 17, 2004
    Posts: 607

    beauishere
    Member

    Swede Savage was one of my racing heros as a kid. Haven't thought of him in years.

    Used to go to Ascot from time to time for the great demolition derbys. Can't imagine now wrecking all those old cars, but it sure was great in the day.
     

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