Just curious (Phx. hist.)

Little off topic but still automotive related. Visited the Del Webb Sun Cities Museum a few days ago and this was in one of the display cases.

 

Other images found online.

Supposed to be left to right Del Webb, Roger Ward and A.J. Watson?

Mel Larson, same guy to open the drag strip just down the street in his 1960 Pontiac stock car. Picture taken at 107th Ave/Del Webb Blvd. and U.S. 60/Grand Ave. Highway House no longer there, now Fry's and a Taco Bell/KFC. Wouldn't be surprised if this picture was taken in the parking lot of the gas station above. If right, gas nozzle would be pointing right at him.

 

Not ready to pony up the $45.00 to $75.00 for 6 months just yet but it's tempting. Here's a few snips I could find when I saw links to Newspapers.com. Some cool ads and pictures in these pages too, love the AFX Chevy II in the Feb. '66 link.

Arizona Republic, Oct. 8, 1960.https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/24747700/

One of the top California entries in the Arizona State championship drag race tomorrow at the Phoenix Drag Strip, will be that of the Dragmasters of Los Angeles. Dod Martin is driver of the A-Gas Dragster, owned by the Martin and Nelson Corp. It is a 354 cubic inch, blown injected Chevy which holds the A-Gas drag title of 163.33 mph and an elapsed time of 9:50. Another strip record holder, Jack Schnepf, will have his 392- cubic-inch blown Lincoln ready. He holds the strip record for A-Roadsters with a speed of J4fi.ll and an E.T. of 11.55. Schnepf is from Queen Creek, Ariz. Motorcycles also will race in six classifications. Time trials will begin at ft a.m. with eliminations scheduled to start at 1 p.m. The Phoenix Drag Strip is on Litchfield Road, one mile west of Grand Avenue.

Arizona Republic, Feb. 22, 1966. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/119469155/

American Hot Rod Association's Grand American Drag Racing Championships at Bee Line. The event begins Friday and the super stock eliminations take place Saturday. CROWD-PLEASER A familiar entertaining sight at Bee Line Dragway is the 427 Chevy II of New Mexican Dickie Harrell. In his last appearance here he won a funny car match race duel against Hubert Piatt in a 427 Mustang.

Arizona Republic, July 19, 1969. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/117558516/

Johnny Loper's Speed Equipment will sponsor two high speed entries in tonight's drag racing program at Mel Larson's Phoenix Dragway. Gary Hudspeth will drive one entry, a 1955 Chevrolet powered by a 427 tunnel ram and clutch flyte. The other Loper entry is a newly built racer a 1964 Chevy II and will compete in the "D" Hot Rod Formula I class. Jim Wagner will han dle driving chores and has issued a two out of three match race challenge. In addition to the match race, Wagner will be driving all out for street eliminator honors and cash against Wha-tley, Hudspeth and such other contenders as Terry Boring and John Thorne. Trials and practice begin at 4:30 p.m. and eliminations start at 8:30. Admission is $2 for adults, children under 12 free, servicemen $1.50.

 

A few more. You could probably spend months reading stories like this in these archives. Their digitizing of these articles caused a lot of errors but I suppose you could read the real thing with the subscription.

July 15, 1961 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/118221681/

At a time when hot rodders who drag race on Central Avenue are a source of sore concern to responsible Phoenicians, another group of hot rodders who are pretty responsible themselves are making a valiant effort to put hot rodding and drag racing In its proper place. They are members of the Violators Car Club. And they "violate" the concept that drag-racing hot rodders are a bunch of speed happy idiots with time on their hands and rumbles and kaboom parties in mind. Purpose of their group, as stated in their by-laws, is to: Assist the community; help other motorists, and build and maintain a club car which shall only be driven on a qualified drag strip in a legitimate clocked race. "We aren't interested in the p!aque-and-jackot guys who join car clubs just for a sign to hang on their car and an emblem to hang on their jacket. Ours is a small club, but an old one, as car clubs go," says Mickey Ollson, president. Right now the club is involved in a dual-purpose project of helping Phoenicians rid their yards and storage rooms of scrap metal and helping themselves earn money for a special set of front wheels for their club car. Works this way: If you have old car radiators or any hunks of brass, copper or aluminum cluttering up your storage space, you can get rid of it by calling the W. A. Ollson home. (Note: Old hot water heaters and refrigerators cannot be accepted. Wrong kind of metal.) Mickey Ollson or another member of the club will come pick up the scrap. It is then sold for $1.20 per 100 pounds, and it's going to take some pretty hefty poundage to earn those special wheels. Meanwhile, the boys, who range in ages from 17 to 21, are duty-bound never to pass by distressed motorists. If you've a flat tire, are out of gasoline or experience some other auto-mechanlcal difficulty, a club member is compelled to offer assistance to you. They've changed countless tires during the past four years, never once have accepted a cent. But they do ask you to accept a card that says you have been helped by the Violators Car Club of Phoenix. Myriad non-motoring Phoenicians met members of the club during Lady Fare's annual Christmas effort, the Dress A Living Doll campaign, when the groups volunteered to pick up gifts of clothing from contributors without other means of getting them to collection centers or the warehouse. (And P.S.: Dress A Living Doll campaign begins again in four-and-a-half months just in case you're doing some sewing and feel inclined to make an extra shirt or blouse for a needy-poor youngster's Christmas outfit.) Additionally, the club sponsors seven families each year during the holiday season with gifts of food. And when they drag race? They abide by the rules of the National Hot Rod Association, race in two-car races on a quarter mile straight strip out past G'endale on Litchfield Road. Between races, they pamper their pet, a 1931 Ford coupe body with a 1H50 Oldsmobile engine, a specially built tubular frame and a Cadillac floor box transmission which runs only in second or high gear. But it never runs at all on Central Avenue.

Oct. 8, 1964.https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/116675398/

Custom Cars In Auto Shows A FOUR-DAY car show will start at 6 p.m. today at the state fairground, 19th Avenue and McDowell. The show will be presented by Gene Winfield as "The Arizona State Championship Auto Show."

May 28, 1965.https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/116638445/

Two local stock car drivers will face each other in a best three of five match race tomor- row night at Bee Line Dragway. f Jim Beam who drives the 4 Apache Lanes Ford Falcon will 4 do battle with his long time t rival, Barry Ross, who chauf-' feurs the record-holding Brown & Hoeye Chevrolet. The Chev- rolet is powered by a 327 cubic inch V-8, while the 289 cubic inch Ford engine supplies thelj power to the Falcon. Both cars J constantly record elapsed times Y in the 13 second bracket with 7 speeds in excess of 105 miles ? per hour. I? Time trials and qualification runs are slated for 4:30 tomor-;i row afternoon with eliminations beginning at 8:30. Bee Line Dragway is located I four miles north of East Mc-1 Dowell Road on State Highway 4 1

 

Mel Larson, You Tube.

2:45-4:00


The man and some memorabilia in the first couple minutes of this one.


From video above.


Oldsmobile? Looks like the Fairgrounds Grandstand.

 

Way cool

 

T shirt iron on. Any body know where Guin's was?

 

Grand Stand was a WPA project

 

Didn't know that, the rodeo scene from Bus Stop with Marilyn Monroe was also filmed there.


Heres some more links, one with really early racing before the "new" grandstand.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/trav...arizona-then-now-arizona-state-fair/91248672/

https://revslib.stanford.edu/?f[photographer_ssi][]=Ted+Wilson&f[venue_ssi][]=Arizona+State+Fairgrounds&sort=pub_year_single_isi+asc,+score+desc,+title_tsi+asc

 

I used to run at Beeline Drag way back in the '70s

Sent from my SM-N900V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Me Too

 

Some YouTube finds.

 

I was reading old threads in the past years. In your post I saw you had hear that JOE RUNNDLE had passed away, I am going to make a thread on JOE RUNNDLE, I have known Joe for years. He MOVED TO Payson Az. I have is name all over my car, He came to see me about a year ago. He lives in Young Az. He is alive and well. Joe AND MYSELF ARE GOING TO a car show in September, and I am trying to get him to go to the DRAG REUNION at WILD HORSE PASS IN NOVEMBER. Yes, JOE RUNNDLE IS alive and well.

 

I was looking at that video of the car going down BEELINE track and you can barely see the BEELINE DRAGWAY DR PEPPER SIGN at the finish line. VERY COOL. Thank you for all the history in this thread. Takes me back. I LIVE IN THE PAST and love it.

 

Awesome, haven't checked this thread in a while. Hoping to see more pics of Krazy Horse Willy's and Running Bare Chevy II. My grandfather and Terry must not have been too interested in taking or saving pics of their cars (My grandmother HATED it lol). Ill have to get some pics of all my grandfathers championship trophy's too.

 

This brings up a question... Does anyone have photos from the local shows from times gone by? The old Oak Creek Run, ISCA shows, Central Ave, etc.... Post 'em if ya got 'em!

 

LuchySumbich, Nik_ChevyII. Thank for getting this thread opened again. Very cool you remember this history. I will post new stuff I have found and hope you guys find some cool stuff too. Also, don't forget the phoenix drag reunion Feb. 16th and 17th. We have new front engine dragster and the 1962 C/MP CORVETTE there. I will also have the DR. PEPPER BEELIND DRAGWAY sign there. Look me up and I will show everybody the new stuff we have. tell all your friends. Thank you.

 

Got tipped off about a small group of guys that raced at Perryville in the 50s meeting up at the old track. Didn't get many pics but took a couple then and now views.

From post #613


Same mountains today.


From post#660


Now.


Walked around a bit and found this bit of history filled with concrete with an old piece of exhaust tubing? in the center. Maybe from the racing days? "Rocket ahead, Blakely's extra service" rubber battery case.

 

Ebay finds.

Phoenix Dragway pictures, dated Dec. '70 and Mar. '71. Show the tower and concession stand on opposite side before any drastic changes and old florescent track lighting with stands on both sides of track.

Original Mel Larson's Phoenix Dragway Patch on a ball cap.


Phoenix Dragway jacket seen on the front seat of a Chevy II at the recent Arizona Drag Racer Reunion.

 

Little bit of stuff related to Read Mullan Ford from posts 730 and 738. http://www.classicsouthwest.com/read-mullan-ford.html

 

Always wondered where the strip was at at P.I.R., now I.S.M. Raceway.



http://triplettracehistory.blogspot.com/2016/10/

 

As seen in the pix above, I now have the Phoenix Dragway sign in my shop in Queen Creek. I hope to have the shop interior finished and the sign mounted by the end of the year. #notforsale

 

Really cool....don't remember going to that track when I was a kid. But we did race a lot at speedworld in Whitman Az. And of course tucson dragway..

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To bad that someone can't build a strip in the West Valley, like Buckeye.

 

That's awesome. Seems like I saw it on Instagram a while back in another state.

 

Totally bitchin.

 

Been buying a bit of literature. Here's a regular column "Drag Jazz" by Ray Agee from the Feb. 18, 1966 "KRIZ Bossline", a teen paper published by KRIZ radio. Sadly Ray passed back in 2014 but was a member here back in 2008. Sounds like he lived quite a life. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/here-i-am-finally.246579/

Sorry if it's hard to read, still trying to figure out the best way to format it.


As mentioned in the last paragraph, well known ex native Allen "Lefty" Mudersbach was killed qualifying at Irwindale earlier that month. Many have heard his name in the last few seconds of The Steve Miller Band song "Living in the U.S.A" from 1968.

 

Thanks, Matt..You're wise beyond your years.

 

Probably forget half of what I think I know so I make sure to write it down somewhere.

 

Here's the above article a little bigger.