CLASS RACER FORUM - View Single Post - Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly

Chuck Norton · 07-01-2007, 08:59 PM

I'm reasonably positive that the end of the track came somewhere around the Fourth of July, 1963. For sure, I know that it was gone by the end of July because that marked the beginning of one of my several ill-fated marriages and when I got back into town to go back to work in September, 1963, the track was gone.

About that time I was spending a lot of my energy helping Ron Mandella run his max-wedge stationwagon in A/SA but I remember running my 406 Galaxie there at least once that summer. (That was not a good idea. In fact, the whole idea of the 406 wasn't particularly a good idea). After SG closed we ran mostly at the tracks you mention although I never went to San Fernando. Fontana got a lot of attention after they went to AHRA in early 1964.

The street racing venues I remember were based out of Henry's drive-in on Huntington Drive in Arcadia, Harvey's Broiler in Downey, and Bob's Big Boy in Colorado in Pasadena. At one point we ran a modified Corvette from the end of the on-ramp onto the Long Beach Freeway (southbound) from Firestone. When the cars weren't so fast there was always Old River School Road as well. I even remember laying in the gravel in the parking lot of the topless joint just south of the intersection of Rivergrade Road and Arrow Highway to put the driveshaft back in after we'd left SG Drag Strip at the end of the night. We arrived at the bar and there was someone who wasn't satisfied with the outcome of the track eliminations so the score was evened up on Rivergrade road after hours.

By the way, that wagon has surfaced again after being out of sight for the last forty years.

We should have assigned someone the job of taking pictures.

c

07-01-2007, 08:59 PM	#50
Chuck Norton Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Covina, CA Posts: 474 Likes: 108 Liked 89 Times in 19 Posts	Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves I'm reasonably positive that the end of the track came somewhere around the Fourth of July, 1963. For sure, I know that it was gone by the end of July because that marked the beginning of one of my several ill-fated marriages and when I got back into town to go back to work in September, 1963, the track was gone. About that time I was spending a lot of my energy helping Ron Mandella run his max-wedge stationwagon in A/SA but I remember running my 406 Galaxie there at least once that summer. (That was not a good idea. In fact, the whole idea of the 406 wasn't particularly a good idea). After SG closed we ran mostly at the tracks you mention although I never went to San Fernando. Fontana got a lot of attention after they went to AHRA in early 1964. The street racing venues I remember were based out of Henry's drive-in on Huntington Drive in Arcadia, Harvey's Broiler in Downey, and Bob's Big Boy in Colorado in Pasadena. At one point we ran a modified Corvette from the end of the on-ramp onto the Long Beach Freeway (southbound) from Firestone. When the cars weren't so fast there was always Old River School Road as well. I even remember laying in the gravel in the parking lot of the topless joint just south of the intersection of Rivergrade Road and Arrow Highway to put the driveshaft back in after we'd left SG Drag Strip at the end of the night. We arrived at the bar and there was someone who wasn't satisfied with the outcome of the track eliminations so the score was evened up on Rivergrade road after hours. By the way, that wagon has surfaced again after being out of sight for the last forty years. We should have assigned someone the job of taking pictures. c