History Hot Rodding in an Unlikely Place

I remember (that doesn't mean it was so) an article in SI about street racing early to mid seventies, I think. I remember the guy would pour a can of oil over his newly built engine and then drive up and down dirt roads, played it up like he was a real rube, would suck unsuspecting, over-enthusiastic dudes into racing for money.. Told a story about getting schooled by a nerdy looking guy in a big block Chevelle, as he let him go home before the race-car showed back up at race time with slicks on it, and who knows what else. I remember thinking it was odd to put that story in SI.

 

Hey J,
My dad read the original Sports Illustrated Magazine from the beginning to the time I had to stop his subscription due to his bad health. We had just moved into our last Westside Long Beach house and he was still driving to the neighborhood liquor store to get his "supplies." They were, two L.A. newspapers and one Long Beach newspaper. He also picked up "his" copy of the Sports Illustrated Magazine until he finally relented and started subscribing. The owner of the store told him it would be less expensive to subscribe and have it delivered it to his doorstep.

So, from that point on, we started getting the spiffy sports magazine. In 1954, we were just getting started in organized sports. We liked baseball since 1948-49, when we moved into a real house that had a fenced in yard. We were able to finish the whole magazine before our dad got home, because it was always available to us as little kids. We had to be careful not to damage any pages as it had to look "new" when he got home.

I once had that Eddie Matthews cover edition in my bedroom stack of magazines. I was so enthralled with his swing and stance. I started to switch hit, so I could hit left handed like Eddie Matthews. I was pretty good at switch hitting, until I came up against some 9th grade fast ball pitchers from other high schools and those guys threw me for a loop.

Jnaki
Thanks for bringing up memories of neighborhood garage sales and the one of the original Sports Illustrated Magazines. We liked hot rods, custom cars and those sleek dry lake racers. So, we probably increased our liking of that scene, since it was now in a major magazine and not just in Rod & Custom or Hot Rod.

We have always liked neighborhood garage sales as they have the down home feel. We as snoopy neighbors...ha!!! always wanted to see what was in those garages, anyway and it was a good time to meet and greet our neighbors. Plus, some of the stuff, like tools and general interesting things always pop up.

 

So cool! And in color! Love finding history and deals! Thanks for sharing

 

Somewhere in time I came across a SI first edition, it is in a sleeve and I have taken it out to look through it. Beyond the sheets of uncut baseball player cards (Mantle, Ruth, etc) that were used as an incentive to purchase the new upstart, I enjoy the ads for the new cars including the all new thunderbird. Cool magazine back in the day and a good find on your garage sale quest.

 

Oh yeh, Betty di Bugnano!