Where They Raced - A So Cal Documentary Film

EDIT: It is now Oct. 2013. The film is done and now on DVD. Screenings and events on the way. Check out www.wheretheyraced.com for more info!

Also now available as an HD digital download. The deluxe set has over 90 minutes of additional interviews, cars and more.

I have posted a few messages in various threads, but some helpful HAMBers suggested I post a dedicated thread - so here it goes.

I am making a documentary film based on the Harold Osmer book called WHERE THEY RACED which will not only be the definitive documentary film on the history of auto racing in Los Angeles, but also an exploration of the interrelationship between ‘car culture’ and the ‘So Cal’ lifestyle.

Known around the world for its sunshine, oranges, bathing beauties and Hollywood blockbusters – its hard to imagine, and mostly forgotten, that more racing history has been made in Southern California than anywhere else in the world. In fact Los Angeles and the automobile really grew up together in the 20th century… each leaving its mark on the other. However the city is moving on and much of its racing history is being lost, or at least paved over for more parking! WHERE THEY RACED will give this history a victory lap by preserving and exposing these fading memories to future generations.

With research based on the doctoral dissertation turned into a book by Harold Osmer, and 15 years experience producing / directing two feature documentary films and over 800 PBS shows for Huell Howser at KCET, we have been able to assemble a large collection of rare archival photos, footage and ephemera. Please email me if you have photos or home movies: [email protected] And we still are in dire need of donations. Please visit www.wheretheyraced.com and give what you can.

You can view a trailer here:

Completed Interviews:
Harold Osmer – He literally wrote the book.
Danny Thompson – Son of Mickey. On Lions, Dry Lake Beds and off-road.
Judy Thompson Creach - First wife of Mickey. On Lions, lakes and the legend.
Richard Parks – Son Wally. On drag racing and the NRHA.
Chuck Griffiths - NHRA
Tom Malloy - Son of Emmett Malloy. Carrell Speedway.
Greg Sharp - NHRA on Lions Drag.
Dick Jordan - USAC.

Confirmed Interviews:
JUST ADDED: Parnelli Jones, Hila Sweet and Bob Falcon.
Hank Hilty – Grandson of Earl Gilmore. On Gilmore Oil and Stadium.
Chris and J.C. Jr Agajanian – Sons of JC Agajanian. On Ascot.
Jeff Baugh – Helicopter reporter & race fan. Will give us a birds-eye-view.
Matt Roth – Author / AAA Archivist. On the Auto Club of So. Cal.
Ken Bernstein – Manager, City of L.A. Dept of City Planning & Historic Resources.

Other Participants:
Doug Stokes – P.R.
Tony Thacker – NHRA Museum archives and shooting location.
Jeff Walker – Executive Director Automobile Driving Museum.
Don Gillespie – Lions Drag documentary filmmaker. Archives and advice.
Alan Moss - Archival footage.
Art Evans - Archival photos.
Brett Arena – Gilmore Archives.
Steve Lewis – Performance Racing Magazine.
Tom Fritz & Nicolas Hunziker are both working on poster / promotional art.


LIST OF TRACKS / SEGMENTS (things change)

The Beginnings
Agriculture Park / Ascot Park
Altadena / Pasadena Hill climb

The Road Races
Santa Monica
Venice
Corona

The Board Tracks
Motordrome
Beverly Hills
Culver City

The Ovals
Legion Ascot
Gilmore Stadium
Ascot Park
Saugus

Drag & Dry Lakes
Pomona
Lions
Mojave

Modern Era
Paramount Ranch
Long Beach Grand Prix
Irwindale

Thank you for choosing to participate in bringing this lost history to light!

About the Director / Producer: Harry Pallenberg
For the past 15 years I have produced over 800 shows at KCET – PBS in Los Angeles for Huell Howser Productions and the CALIFORNIA’S GOLD series. www.calgold.com

I have also produced & directed two feature documentaries. The first is SHOTGUN FREEWAY: Drives through Lost L.A. Starring Buck Henry, David Hockney, Joan Didion, James Ellroy. Netflix it.

The second is WOMEN IN BOXES: A Documentary on Magic’s Better Half, is currently airing on The Documentary Channel.

 

Sounds great! Good luck. Target date?

 

"its hard to imagine, and mostly forgotten, that more racing history has been made in Southern California than anywhere else in the world."

Not only hard to imagine and mostly forgotton but also not true. Yes there is a lot of history in So Cal but the world is a pretty big place.

That said sounds like a real worthwhile endevor and I will be one of the first to try and see your documentory. Good luck on your endevor.

 

Porknbeaner - please forgive the PR hyperbole - but you gotta admit that between the racers, the builders and the tinkerers that So Cal has a pretty special place in the history books.

Mazooma1 - can't wait to talk. I also was just out by the San Fernando drag (aka Swapmeet)... the list is ever growing!

 

You need to get Huell back out to El Mirage with the focus on racing this time not land sailing? Also how about drag boats?? My dad did drag boat racing in 60's in SoCal we have alot of super8 on it

 

Looking forward to seeing this completed one day. Too cool seeing Carol Shelby in the 450S!

 

Not forgetting Colton and Riverside, and Santa Ana.

 

That trailer is amazing ! Best of luck

 

LANCE-SPEED

We still have another 7000 or so story ideas to get to before we go back. LOL

I assume you've seen this one: http://www.calgold.com/calgold/Default.asp?Series=700&Show=68

California's Gold #708 - DRY LAKE BED

Huell visits a dry lake bed in the Mojave desert that is so hard and so gigantic that it is the site of Edwards Air Force Base and a landing strip for the Space Shuttle. In the 1920's and 30's it was also used by hot-rodders from all over Southern California as a speed trails course for their fast cars. Muroc Dry Lake has remained off-limits since WWII, until recently when the Air Force re-opened the dry lake bed, inviting back all the old-timers for a weekend of racing. Thousands of car enthusiasts showed up for this historic event.




And the one where I met Harold Osmer and learned about his great book:
http://www.calgold.com/calgold/Default.asp?Series=4000&Show=528

California's Gold #4009 - CORONA ROAD RACE

In the early 1900s Corona was known for its citrus, and even dubbed "The World's Lemon Capitol." Legend has it that Corona was laid out to resemble a wagon wheel with Grand Boulevard as the rim. This circular street is still probably one of the most unusual thoroughfares in the world, and from 1913 to 1916 it was even used as a racetrack. Join Huell Howser as he steps back in time to recreate the Corona Road Races complete with vintage race cars and even an attendee from the 1916 race.

 

You are absolutely correct a damned lot of history in So Cal, a lot of good folks that have done a lot for the sport. I actually understand the hyperbole I just didn't want someone who had never heard car proor to the HAMB to think that the Sun rises and sets in San Diego Bay. Well that and I wanted to rattle your chain a bit.

Like I said should be interesting and I am going to be one of the first in line when you make deadline.

 

Great book, and if the documentary is faithful, it should be excellent.

I've met Harold Osmer on several occasions, and even spent a harrowing weekend at the races with him. Great guy, and an excellent scribe.

 

Not forgetting anything (at least not yet!), but unfortunately I will have to limit myself due to time limits - even a PBS 1 hour is only 56 minutes and on commercial TV it gets cut to like 43 minutes... so unless I can spin this into a series (hoping), there will be mentions of tracks - but there is just no way I can actually go an interview the right people at all the tracks - like I did with Tom Malloy at Carrell or Danny and his Mom on the site of the former Lions strip (teaser trailer for that one coming soon).

Trust me I have hopes to eventually expand to all of California, then the USA... then the world! But for now I am probably limiting myself to Los Angeles County. I know I mentioned Corona in the text and its just because I LOVE the old tracks so much and I have sooo much goon stuff on it.

I guess I'll have to be content with the old Hollywood adage... leave them wanting more.

 

I have 12 hours of edited (plus 10 hours of un-edited) color 8mm home movies of Southern California jalopy derby races from the 1950s and 1960s that I transfered to 3/4 inch master tapes, then downloaded to VHS and sold with success in the 1990s and over 1,500 photos that I used to publish the nostalgia book "Memories of the California Jalopy Association", just about enough to do a show just on the So-Cal jalopies.

 

Tom, I've heard many wonderful things about you from fellow HAMBers.

Harry, you need to PM Tom and meet for lunch, or drinks, or breakfast.

 

I've very interested in this history and looking forward to your documentary.

My Dad has been gone now for almost 35 years. He was born in 1906 and I remember him telling me when he was a boy he used to sneak into various tracks in the Los Angeles area and watch the early racers both on dirt and board tracks. He described the horrific accidents and was even there to witness the crash that killed one of the Chevrolet brothers around 1920. He told me of getting to see Barney Oldfield drive on several occasions.

I guess you could call my Dad an early hot rodder. He described to me how they would hop-up Model Ts in the 20's and his particular method for balancing the T crankshafts. In the 1920's my Dad also raced motor cycles throughout southern California, some on board tracks.

Any way, I just thought I would share some of that. It's been many years since I thought of any of my Dad's stories. I wish he were alive today because I have a lot of questions for him that I didn't think to ask when I was young.

Good luck with your venture and keep us posted.

 

Dang! I'd like to see some of that!!

 

2012 release date?

 

Harold is on board, so he should keep me honest, and yes he is an all around great guy and scribe. And for those that are interested his site is http://www.hopublishing.com/

He's got a few other books there as well that would probably appeal to most on the HAMB.

 

Sent a PM... love to talk! Sounds amazing.

 

Yeah, Tom's got the goods on jalopies!

 

I will say there's something about the lasting color quality of 1950s era Kodak color 8mm home movies. I've seen racing home movies that are so prestine and impeccible that they look like they were filmed yesterday. Almost video quality. I heard this is because of the high silver content in the film. On the other hand the quality of 1960s era home 8mm movie film really took a dump.

 

Boy I sure hope I can get it done before that... but we'll see, and trust me I'll keep everyone posted.

 

where they raced!! I thought you were talking about every stop sign and traffic light in southern California
I wasn't around till 1942, but growing up around Pasadena. I thought the whole world revolved around racing (still do). everywhere I ever lived, a neighbor or friend had something being built in the driveway (before 2 car garages) for all to see.

 

Sounds like you got some great stories. My Grandfather got his fist car in 1906 with a milk crate as the seat - He was 10 years old and had traded the family sewing machine for the car. His father beat him brutally for that one - but he did not beat the racing fever out of him.

 

Hi, thought I would send you this info, there is still a piece of the asphalt shutdown area from the old Fontana Dragstrip remaining. It is in the Edison right of way and very accessible to the public, kinda lonely.
Here is a link from Geocaching.com with a little background and a map.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=1bd79e9b-6c49-4dc1-95e2-129ff9d6b7c4

Good luck on your film!

 

Great link! Thanks. I had to join to see it - but here is a link with info and a few modern pics for those that do not want to join up:
http://vehicle.ezinemark.com/lost-dragstrip-fontana-drag-city-16f75f1624e.html

 

Harry, in case you haven't heard of these races here's a link for you.

http://www.cityoflompoc.com/government/photos/model_t.pdf

and a little more info about them

http://www.oldgas.com/shoptalk/ubb/Forum4/HTML/001103.html


Good luck.

 

Los Angeles Coliseum from probably 1946...

 

Nice! I think I'll have to save Lompoc for part 2 as I have TOOOO much stuff already for the 1st one.

 

Hey Harry,

When you finally get around to part 2 or need more info, check out the Riverside International Auto Museum. Has info on Riverside, Ontario, Fontana, etc. It's a great source of race history.

http://riversideinternational.org///index.htm