{"product_id":"lions-drag-strip-1955-1972-roland-the-hawaiian-leong-2-book-set","title":"Lions Drag Strip: 1955-1972 \u0026 Roland \"THE HAWAIIAN\" Leong 2 Book Set","description":"\u003cp\u003eHot rodders and the “drag” cars that they raced in unsanctioned\u003cbr\u003eexhibitions had become a nuisance with law enforcement\u003cbr\u003ein Los Angeles, California. So, in an effort to make racing\u003cbr\u003esafer, C. J. “Pappy” Hart (founder of the Santa Ana Drag Strip),\u003cbr\u003eNorris Poulson (mayor of Los Angeles), John Chadwick (member\u003cbr\u003eof the Wilmington Lions Club), and others collaborated to\u003cbr\u003ecreate the world-famous Lions Associated Drag Strip. With an\u003cbr\u003eapproved proposal, shovels sunk into the sand in August 1955\u003cbr\u003ein Wilmington, California, christening the birth of the world’s\u003cbr\u003egreatest drag strip.\u003cbr\u003eMickey Thompson was hired to operate Lions Drag Strip\u003cbr\u003e(also known as “the Beach”), quickly turning it into Southern\u003cbr\u003eCalifornia’s wildest venue to watch drag racing. Innovations,\u003cbr\u003eincluding staging lights, track lighting for night racing, and concession\u003cbr\u003estands, made Lions Drag Strip the place to be.\u003cbr\u003eThe world’s greatest drag racers, such as Jack Chrisman,\u003cbr\u003eTom McEwen, Art Chrisman, Don Prudhomme, Chris Karamesines,\u003cbr\u003eConnie Kalitta, and Don Garlits, as well as a cast of\u003cbr\u003ethousands of others, descended upon Lions Drag Strip for exhibition\u003cbr\u003eand match racing. Fabled East-West showdowns, Fuel\u003cbr\u003eAltereds, Funny Cars, and Jet cars broke attendance records\u003cbr\u003eand set national records throughout the 1960s. In addition,\u003cbr\u003ethrill-seeker Evel Knievel leaped over 13 cars at Lions Drag\u003cbr\u003eStrip to the excitement of 14,000 fans in December 1970.\u003cbr\u003eSadly, Lions Drag Strip closed on December 3, 1972, due\u003cbr\u003eto the location being valued as industrial real estate and the\u003cbr\u003eapproaching urban sprawl.\u003cbr\u003eLions Automobilia Foundation Museum volunteer Lou Hart\u003cbr\u003ebrings forth this year-by-year illustrated history of Lions Drag\u003cbr\u003eStrip’s most memorable events with never-before-seen images\u003cbr\u003ein Lions Drag Strip: 1955–1972!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• This is the first book ever that chronicles the entire\u003cbr\u003ehistory of Lions Drag Strip.\u003cbr\u003e• Lions Drag Strip was Los Angeles’s most famous drag\u003cbr\u003estrip.\u003cbr\u003e• Over the years, millions of fans visited Lions Drag\u003cbr\u003eStrip.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom racing the family \u003cstrong\u003eOldsmobile\u003c\/strong\u003e in 1960 to winning the \u003cstrong\u003eWinternationals\u003c\/strong\u003e in 1964, read about the meteoric rise of drag racing’s greatest owner and tuner in the first-ever book about\u003cstrong\u003e “the Hawaiian” Roland Leong\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs the son of a Harvard graduate, it could have been difficult for \u003cstrong\u003eRoland Leong\u003c\/strong\u003e to live up to his family’s expectations. However, that wasn’t the case. “The Hawaiian” knew at a young age that \u003cstrong\u003edrag racing\u003c\/strong\u003e was his career path. His supportive mother, Teddy, saw potential in Roland and bought him a new \u003cstrong\u003e1962 Corvette\u003c\/strong\u003e for “educational” purposes, such as wrenching and tuning. From there, it didn’t take long for the world to discover Oahu’s best-kept secret in drag racing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1964, less than two years after reaching the mainland, Roland was in victory lane at the Winternationals in \u003cstrong\u003eTop Gas Eliminator.\u003c\/strong\u003e The following year, with \u003cstrong\u003eDon Prudhomme \u003c\/strong\u003ebehind the wheel, “the Hawaiian” immortalized his place in drag racing forever with wins in \u003cstrong\u003eNHRA\u003c\/strong\u003e’s \u003cstrong\u003eTop Fuel Eliminator\u003c\/strong\u003e at \u003cstrong\u003ePomona\u003c\/strong\u003e (Winternationals) and \u003cstrong\u003eIndy\u003c\/strong\u003e (US Nationals). Leong became the first ever to capture those iconic crowns in a single season. For good measure, Roland repeated the achievement in 1966 with \u003cstrong\u003eMike Snively\u003c\/strong\u003e, showing the world that a Harvard education isn’t required to achieve greatness. “The Hawaiian” Roland Leong: Drag Racing’s Iconic Owner \u0026amp; Tuner is a tale of family, friends, and forging a path that no other Chinese-Hawaiian before him had carved. Re-live his biggest wins and lasting friendships in this first-ever publication on drag racing’s first builder and tuner superstar, Roland Leong!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Midlife Classic Cars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50497434386712,"sku":"KIT9781613258538\/9781613257784","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0057\/9813\/3831\/files\/kit97816132585389781613257784.jpg?v=1772256953","url":"https:\/\/www.midlifeclassiccars.com\/ar\/products\/lions-drag-strip-1955-1972-roland-the-hawaiian-leong-2-book-set","provider":"MidlifeClassicCars.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}