Lions Drag Strip: 1955-1972 & Hemi Under Glass 2 Book Set

Hot rodders and the “drag” cars that they raced in unsanctioned
exhibitions had become a nuisance with law enforcement
in Los Angeles, California. So, in an effort to make racing
safer, C. J. “Pappy” Hart (founder of the Santa Ana Drag Strip),
Norris Poulson (mayor of Los Angeles), John Chadwick (member
of the Wilmington Lions Club), and others collaborated to
create the world-famous Lions Associated Drag Strip. With an
approved proposal, shovels sunk into the sand in August 1955
in Wilmington, California, christening the birth of the world’s
greatest drag strip.
Mickey Thompson was hired to operate Lions Drag Strip
(also known as “the Beach”), quickly turning it into Southern
California’s wildest venue to watch drag racing. Innovations,
including staging lights, track lighting for night racing, and concession
stands, made Lions Drag Strip the place to be.
The world’s greatest drag racers, such as Jack Chrisman,
Tom McEwen, Art Chrisman, Don Prudhomme, Chris Karamesines,
Connie Kalitta, and Don Garlits, as well as a cast of
thousands of others, descended upon Lions Drag Strip for exhibition
and match racing. Fabled East-West showdowns, Fuel
Altereds, Funny Cars, and Jet cars broke attendance records
and set national records throughout the 1960s. In addition,
thrill-seeker Evel Knievel leaped over 13 cars at Lions Drag
Strip to the excitement of 14,000 fans in December 1970.
Sadly, Lions Drag Strip closed on December 3, 1972, due
to the location being valued as industrial real estate and the
approaching urban sprawl.
Lions Automobilia Foundation Museum volunteer Lou Hart
brings forth this year-by-year illustrated history of Lions Drag
Strip’s most memorable events with never-before-seen images
in Lions Drag Strip: 1955–1972!

• This is the first book ever that chronicles the entire
history of Lions Drag Strip.
• Lions Drag Strip was Los Angeles’s most famous drag
strip.
• Over the years, millions of fans visited Lions Drag
Strip.

While the established stock and modified brackets are
long-recognized as the heart and soul of drag racing, it was
the wheelstanders that more often than not put butts in the
bleachers. In that category, some of the most well-known
names included Bill “Maverick” Golden’s Little Red Wagon,
Bill Shewsberry’s L.A. Dart and Chuck Poole’s Chuck
Wagon. Although, most memorable of all was the Hurst
Hemi Under Glass Plymouth Barracuda campaigned by
Bob Riggle.

Riggle started his career in the early 1960s as a car
builder and mechanic for Hurst-Campbell and eventually
ascended to pilot the Hemi Under Glass. When he left
Hurst in 1969, the Hemi Under Glass franchise transferred
with Riggle. He continued for six more years as the owner/
driver of a succession of Hemi Under Glass renditions.
In the 1990s he resurrected the concept of the original
car—making four different versions (1966, 1967, 1968,
and 1969)—and continued to thrill drag racing fans with his
wheelstanding antics.

At the time of this writing, Bob’s last run with the Hemi
Under Glass was in the summer of 2019. He claims to have
retired (he was 83 years old at the time), but he’s claimed
that before!

This is Bob’s story, one that Mark Fletcher and Richard
Truesdell, co-authors of the 2012 book Hurst Equipped, are
honored to share. They say the story was easy to tell—given
their unprecedented access not only to Bob but also to
his vast archive of photos that reflect his ongoing popularity.
Many of the photos in this book are seen in print for the
very first time.

• Bob Riggle is recognized as the greatest wheel stander
of all time and as drag racing’s most popular exhibitionist

• Many never-before-seen photos from the Bob Riggle
archive illustrate this history of Hemi Under Glass

• Bob Riggle has made 10s of thousands of drag racing
passes, entertaining 10s of millions of fans

About the Authors

Richard Truesdell is a veteran magazine editor with
more than 25 years of experience. He has written scores
of magazine articles and has been the editor-in-chief of
Chevy Enthusiast and Car Audio and Electronics. Currently,
he is the editorial director of Automotive Traveler.
Mark Fletcher has been a regular contributor to several
automotive websites and magazines. Mark is a long-time
muscle car enthusiast, and owns a Hurst SC Rambler. Currently, he resides in Steven’s Point, Wisconsin.