Page 74 - Nitro Madness Magazine Fall 2017
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Premiere”) wherein 4 national        drag race” with only a dry and       the surrounding pit area that are
            records were established! He         dusty fragrance in the air like that   being created from authentic
            hosted several other main events     of a garden full of dead flowers; it   photos. In addition, there will be
            that made the year of 1972 Lions     was destined to rise again when the  an ample supply of show-cases
            most successful in history. In       elements of the past collided with   displaying a number of bona fide
            doing so he handed over a check      the moment of today.                 track artifacts, battlefield trophies,
            for $70,000 to the Lions charity                                          factual memorabilia, record
            fund. He also introduced motocross     Thanks to Rick Lorenzen, Lions     setting jackets, significant driver
            races there that ran 2 to 3 nights   is being immortalized and will live   helmets and such. Not to be over
            a week. This elevated community      up to its legacy forever! Lorenzen   shadowed, an expansive number
            complaints and imposed an            and his right-hand-man Rob           of distinguished racecars will
            intolerable posture on the Lions     Marchese have set out to vulcanize   spotlight the center stage.
            Club and LAHC. Regrettably, this     the atmosphere of Lions Associated
            was the leverage they needed         Drag Strip’s days of yore within       The event beckoned a multitude
            to swiftly enforce the 30-day        the confines of his prodigious       (way too many to mention) of
            revocable permit, leaving Evans      Price Transfer trucking enterprise.   legendary Drag Racing pioneers,
            and team no time to formulate a      On June 24, 2017, Rick hosted a      notorious drivers, well-seasoned
            stay of execution.                   celebration event to tantalize the   crew members, devoted spectators
                                                 Drag Racing community with a         and a considerable sum of historic
              After 6,270 days of operation,     glimpse of what’s to come over the   fire breathing, ground pounding,
            Lions last day of existence was      next year or so. Upon completion,    period appropriate mechanical
            Sunday, December 2, 1972. It has     this massive studio will reverberate   masterpieces!
            been described as the “Woodstock”  the “starting-line” circumference
            of Drag Racing. From the drivers     with the iconic “Lions” overpass,      Throughout the day, random
            pushing the pedal through the        pine bleachers harmonized with       static “fire-ups” defeated the
            floor for a matter of seconds to the   chain-link-fence, blast walls and   sounds of the surrounding city.
            spectators that lined up along the   a hanging “3-bulb” Christmas         As the sun meandered below the
            chain-link fence, Lions captivated   tree. The massive walls will be      western horizon, each historic car
            the spirit of everyone that entered   embellished with full-sized Kenny   was brought to life, nudged across
            the property! As Gary “Mr. C”        Youngblood murals that depict        the parking lot by an era suitable
            Cochran always said; “Lions was a
            happening, not a drag race”!

              Dropping the final curtain on
            Lions, Steve Evans last day on the
            job was a mirror image of Mickey
            Thompson’s first day on the job. He
            and his staff were not prepared for
            the staggering number of racers
            and fans that almost paralyzed this
            historic funeral event.

              Though the hostile darkness
            of progressive doom took this
            enchanted theater of tragedy
            to another dimension, there’s
            something to be said about the
            awe-inspiring chemistry of Lions
            Drag Strip. Laid bare at the “last

            74                                        Nitro Madness Magazine                                    Fall 2017
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