Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves

Bruce Fulper · 07-01-2007, 11:51 AM

I wondered if Chuck knew Floyd cause you both raced at the same tracks. Had Chevies... liked girls.....I think. hahaha...
Man it's already 85 inside my shop this Sunday morning. Dynoing another Poncho today.

Bill: I almost for got to mention. Although I didn't race the '53 again a few years later I tried to repeat the same thing with a '58 2 door hard top Buick. It was the "sport model" I can't remember the model at the moment but it was real nice. Had the 364. Black and white. I went to the final in it. But the story, it's another crazy story.....I got to get back in the shop, but I'll tell that one later. I have all of those ET slips too.

bill dedman · 07-01-2007, 12:35 PM

Hey. Bruce, you MAY have another Buick story, but you cannot....CANNOT top the original..... That was amazing...

I thought you must have been running it all the way in "Drive" from the timeslips.... Roper's car was a Super 2-door HT. I don't think he ever ran it until it had received dual exhausts and a 4-bbl, but that car ran in the seventeens with only those two mods...

Of course, he was a "tuner".... even back then.

Thanks again for the entertainment; that was so cool, that you actually beat a 4-speed Chevy V8..... Bowtie Bomber, I guess!!!

Floyd Staggs · 07-01-2007, 07:42 PM

Chuck, was that in July? I can't remember that close.
Yes, it was a ball back then. I only ran Lions one time. That light pole by the right lane scared the ***** out of me. I raced at old Fontana, San Fernando. Pomona and San Gabrial 3 times a week. Then during the week there were the street races that started at Henry's in Pomona. Do you remember Henry's Drive-in? We'd start out there then drive out to 16th and Haven and race till the cops ran us off. Occasionally we would go down to Chino.
Back then it was semi safe and a lot of fun. It was mostly for braggin rights.

I remember one Saturday at San Gabriel when a c-gas chevy rolled right in front of me. Nobody could see for the dirt and my dad thought it was me. He almost made me quit right then.
Floyd StaggV787
www.staggsracing.com

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

Fred Holdorf · 07-01-2007, 10:14 PM

Bruce, greetings from another Buick racer. Irwindale had been open a few weeks before they had their official "Opening Day Meet". We were running AHRA and had a record holding '63 Falcon and poor as we were, a '54 Buick Special 4 door tow car. We entered the Buick on a lark for a single car trophy for my pardner, and then lost first round in the Falcon on a red light. The Buick was in the back of the lanes and hadn't run yet so I came back jumped in and ran the Buick. 7 rounds later I'm running Dave Kemptons wife in the finals. I didn't win but got money, a new steering wheel, two tickets to a bar (free drinks) and a set of dual exhausts from Covina Muffler. (Remember those days!) One of the cars I had to beat was the wife of muffler shops Ranchero. The class index was 19 or 20 seconds, something like that, and I'd just leave and back into my competition. All went well until that final round, when Kempton (the tech man) found out I was running two cars. Next race, red light after I'd left the line. I still laugh about the "Opening Day of Irwindale". Thanks for the memories, Fred

Bruce Fulper · 07-02-2007, 01:37 AM

Man, those days. Love hearing about another winnin' old Buick. Red light AFTER you left the line? Sounds dastardly. We need to yak at the track sometime cause I'd like to hear more stories. And of course I got a ton too. Hey Chuck, where's that Wedge wagon now?

BTW: You all know the outcome - I won - but I can tell everyone is chompin' at the bit to know the final saga of the drama that day...... (Zzzzzzz) hahaha

My last run on my 21.70 dial..........

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Floyd Staggs · 07-02-2007, 10:26 AM

Chuck,
Lying in the gravel, huh.
I remember one night out at 16th and Haven lying underneath my corvette hooking the mufflers back up while a cop was talking to my girlfriend siiting in the car. Yes, i was real skinny back then. They weren't issuing tickets for racing but if you made too much noise leaving, you would get one.
Those were the days. Too bad Bruce is so young. He missed a lot.

You know, thinking back on some of those nights out on 16th, we were pretty stupid. There would be cars lining both sides of the street for most of the quarter mile and we would race between them. I can't remember ever having an accident but that was only by the grace of God.
How did I live to be this old?

07-01-2007, 11:51 AM	#1
Bruce Fulper Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: So. Cal. Posts: 651 Likes: 4 Liked 54 Times in 33 Posts	Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves I wondered if Chuck knew Floyd cause you both raced at the same tracks. Had Chevies... liked girls.....I think. hahaha... Man it's already 85 inside my shop this Sunday morning. Dynoing another Poncho today. Bill: I almost for got to mention. Although I didn't race the '53 again a few years later I tried to repeat the same thing with a '58 2 door hard top Buick. It was the "sport model" I can't remember the model at the moment but it was real nice. Had the 364. Black and white. I went to the final in it. But the story, it's another crazy story.....I got to get back in the shop, but I'll tell that one later. I have all of those ET slips too. Last edited by Bruce Fulper; 07-01-2007 at 11:55 AM.

07-01-2007, 12:35 PM	#2
bill dedman VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Conway, AR Posts: 1,739 Likes: 0 Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves Hey. Bruce, you MAY have another Buick story, but you cannot....CANNOT top the original..... That was amazing... I thought you must have been running it all the way in "Drive" from the timeslips.... Roper's car was a Super 2-door HT. I don't think he ever ran it until it had received dual exhausts and a 4-bbl, but that car ran in the seventeens with only those two mods... Of course, he was a "tuner".... even back then. Thanks again for the entertainment; that was so cool, that you actually beat a 4-speed Chevy V8..... Bowtie Bomber, I guess!!! __________________ Bill

07-01-2007, 07:42 PM	#3
Floyd Staggs VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Cucamonga, CA Posts: 1,522 Likes: 157 Liked 229 Times in 99 Posts	Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves Chuck, was that in July? I can't remember that close. Yes, it was a ball back then. I only ran Lions one time. That light pole by the right lane scared the ***** out of me. I raced at old Fontana, San Fernando. Pomona and San Gabrial 3 times a week. Then during the week there were the street races that started at Henry's in Pomona. Do you remember Henry's Drive-in? We'd start out there then drive out to 16th and Haven and race till the cops ran us off. Occasionally we would go down to Chino. Back then it was semi safe and a lot of fun. It was mostly for braggin rights. I remember one Saturday at San Gabriel when a c-gas chevy rolled right in front of me. Nobody could see for the dirt and my dad thought it was me. He almost made me quit right then. Floyd StaggV787 www.staggsracing.com

07-01-2007, 08:59 PM	#4
Chuck Norton Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Covina, CA Posts: 474 Likes: 112 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

07-01-2007, 10:14 PM	#5
Fred Holdorf Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Minden, Nv Posts: 44 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves Bruce, greetings from another Buick racer. Irwindale had been open a few weeks before they had their official "Opening Day Meet". We were running AHRA and had a record holding '63 Falcon and poor as we were, a '54 Buick Special 4 door tow car. We entered the Buick on a lark for a single car trophy for my pardner, and then lost first round in the Falcon on a red light. The Buick was in the back of the lanes and hadn't run yet so I came back jumped in and ran the Buick. 7 rounds later I'm running Dave Kemptons wife in the finals. I didn't win but got money, a new steering wheel, two tickets to a bar (free drinks) and a set of dual exhausts from Covina Muffler. (Remember those days!) One of the cars I had to beat was the wife of muffler shops Ranchero. The class index was 19 or 20 seconds, something like that, and I'd just leave and back into my competition. All went well until that final round, when Kempton (the tech man) found out I was running two cars. Next race, red light after I'd left the line. I still laugh about the "Opening Day of Irwindale". Thanks for the memories, Fred

07-02-2007, 01:37 AM	#6
Bruce Fulper Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: So. Cal. Posts: 651 Likes: 4 Liked 54 Times in 33 Posts	Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves Man, those days. Love hearing about another winnin' old Buick. Red light AFTER you left the line? Sounds dastardly. We need to yak at the track sometime cause I'd like to hear more stories. And of course I got a ton too. Hey Chuck, where's that Wedge wagon now? BTW: You all know the outcome - I won - but I can tell everyone is chompin' at the bit to know the final saga of the drama that day...... (Zzzzzzz) hahaha My last run on my 21.70 dial.......... Last edited by Bruce Fulper; 07-02-2007 at 01:42 AM.

07-02-2007, 10:26 AM	#7
Floyd Staggs VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Cucamonga, CA Posts: 1,522 Likes: 157 Liked 229 Times in 99 Posts	Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves Chuck, Lying in the gravel, huh. I remember one night out at 16th and Haven lying underneath my corvette hooking the mufflers back up while a cop was talking to my girlfriend siiting in the car. Yes, i was real skinny back then. They weren't issuing tickets for racing but if you made too much noise leaving, you would get one. Those were the days. Too bad Bruce is so young. He missed a lot. You know, thinking back on some of those nights out on 16th, we were pretty stupid. There would be cars lining both sides of the street for most of the quarter mile and we would race between them. I can't remember ever having an accident but that was only by the grace of God. How did I live to be this old?