Too bad we don’t have a clue as to what the hell they are saying, but we don’t really care. All we know is this is some of the best quality footage we’ve seen from Lion’s in forever, and the racing makes us want to be back there. This is seriously good stuff. Cars we’ve never seen or heard of are in this one as well, maybe because the French guys didn’t know who ALL the major players were and so talked to all of them. This is one of those great pieces that really show what it was like back then. Sometimes I wish they still did the no burnout racing like they are doing with the altereds and dragsters in this one. It’s cool as hell. Big thanks to Benoit “The Frenchman” Pigeon for sending us the link. He is the only car guy we know that actually knows what they are saying in this one. Oh well, you’ll dig it anyway.
Click play to watch.
That footage is EPIC!!! Famous Fuel Alterds, Gassers, Diggers, Pete Millar, cool station wagons, babes, it has it all! The quality of the film is remarkable. It looks like it was shot yesterday. My only complaint is that half the time the engine sounds don’t match the action. But what an era to have captured in this way. To bad it’s only 11 minutes long. I could watch this all day long.
one awesome video–need more–great find–thanks
English subtitles would be very helpful. Check out the Bones, Dubagh, Pisano Altered. Talk about Drag Racing history.
The comments are pretty basic, it’s just an introduction to the sport. The first words are about Carol Shelby who once suggested the film crew to go visit a drag race. That’s the intro. Then it goes on about describing the location but Lion’s is never mentioned. About 200 cars showed up that day and there were about 600 tracks by then in the country. Best time mentioned for a dragster with gas 7.86 with fuel 7.36 (does not sound like they are mentioning times specific to this event). Age required to drive is 16.
The good thing is that the comments are not overdone. The details are reported obviously as explained by the racers at the track or very knowledgeable witnesses. Very basic but very well done too.
An incredible record of one of drag racings iconic tracks! And some awesome names, to boot/ A true treasure! Thanks to you all for sharing!!
Really like the old drag racing vids you guys post,thanks for sharing
I’m seeing a color video with a cropped picture of people in a park. No Lions.
Finally, that commercial downloaded and played through. Super cool trip back in time!
Having been there frequently during those years, this film brings back many great memories of the days and nights spent watching the events unfold there. You were so close to all the action, and it all happened in such a short time span, that the memories come back in almost a montage of scenes, just like the sequencing of this video (film). Lions was the first great drag strip, and was ‘home’ to many of the first Stars of the sport. It was actually a very small area of land and the fans and their heroes were in very close contact at most times. When the cars were approaching the starting line, the spectators could almost reach over the fence and touch them as they staged to make their runs. It was a place, and a time, like no other! It definitely was the Camelot of drag racing.