History Tets Ishimaru's Lincoln Powered Dragster - Found and Documented

Thanks to guys like you, so much of our history is being discovered and saved. And getting information from Junji Nakamura is getting it from a racer and recorder who was there and saw it all. We have traded information back and forth for years now, and his knowledge is amazing. Tets Ishimaru was the real deal, as you know, and are documenting. I never met him but was fortunate enough to see him race. Thanks for all this information and for doing all you did to document a historically significant car built by a legendary racer.

 

I remember Earl Canavan, raced the "President Lincoln" dragster. I didn't see him run fuel, but during the "gas only" days he did run Lions. He drew Pete Robinson on Pete's first trip to Lions, and Pete got crossed up leaving the starting line, backed off, and still passed Canavan by half-track. No, not much success, that I remember. Ted Cyr did much better with "The Lincoln," and Marvin Schwartz also ran a fuel Lincoln when he lived in Colorado.

 

Hey Dave,

Wow, thank you for those great comments. My brother and I were there at Lions almost every weekend from 1957 to late 1960. (I am sure my parents liked their alone time w/o teenagers...) We learned a lot, experimented and came out at an odd ending. So, thank you and yes, we were there. I have to thank my brother for getting us started with his dreams in hot rods and drag racing. Then it was his dreams in desert motorcycle racing and surfing. So, he left a lasting impression on me.

Thank you,

Junji

Jnaki on the HAMB

Tets Ishimaru was one of those guys that did everything and was admired by a ton of people. @HenryJGuy has done his homework and it will pay off in the long run. Hopefully he will get the impetus to finish the fine dragster from the early days of drag racing. There are plenty of reconstruction race cars from the later 66 and following years, but only a few from that developing era of 55-63 before the rules changed.

 

I remember the tragic death of Yeiji Toyoto at Fremont drags, in '59 (?)
Dragster was 430 MEL powered, ran out of Le Blanc Engineering, in Sunnyvale, CA.
Can't recall the name of the car.

 

Mike, he was 21 years old. Yeiji Toyota. Yes it was Fremont.

 

Here is Yeiji in the car, Geno Gastelum photo...I don't recall if it had a name. It held the 1320 B/FD at one time.