Lions Drag Strip is one of the most magical places in drag racing history. Accurate or not, many consider it the “best” drag strip of all time. That may be more of an emotional vote considering all of the historical figures and cars that competed there, but the place is certainly ensconced in the history of drag racing at a level few other tracks can even think about being. A large part of the Lions mystique is the fact that the place is long gone and will never return. If it were still operating today as a plodding entity, the way we look at it would be totally different. There is a romanticism at looking to the Lions strip in the 1960s and 1970s as the bell weather of drag racing. From the rise of gassers to the funny car “revolution” in the sport, lots of the action was taking place at Lions and people remember that….rightly or not.
This video was claimed to have been shot in 1971 and it is really neat on multiple levels. There’s a wide range of cars, it is filmed from a down track perspective that we had never seen of the place until viewing this video and it really gives you a glimpse into a “typical” day at the races for Lions. We have to guess that this was a test and tune day because at one point we see Dick Landy running what looks to be a gasser of some sort. While trailing, Landy’s car looks freaking awesome.
This is a really cool video, especially if you like drag racing history and Lions Drag Strip specifically. The place served as the unofficial heat and soul of the sport for several years and this video is a fantastic way to remember the legacy left by this fantastic facility.
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