Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves

Bruce Fulper · 07-02-2007, 01:57 PM

Young! Why thank you...
I still got to see my share of what I consider unreal street racing around Kent, Cleveland and Akron Ohio in the '60's. In the summer I used to bike over to the local hot spot in Kent on Friday nights, The Short Stop, sometimes A&W.
One of my personal memorable moments - the guys were getting ready to gang up and head to Tallmadge, Ohio, just a few miles south to that A&W where some of the guys from Akron would come over, Tallmadge was east of Akron, so it was a decent spot to meet in the middle.

I wanted to catch a ride so bad, I'd been hanging around Ron McClusky and his double altered wheelbase '65 Hemi Coronet. He knew I REALLY wanted to tag along so he said, "Get in the back and hold on the to rollbar." Of course there was no back seat so I was sitting on the floor. I might have been 14 at the time and Ron's buddy rode up front. Ron's car was Kents baddest machine so it was a hell of an honor to be riding in the lead car. The guys were like that - the fastest car always led the pack.

"Bout halfway to Tallmadge there was a big hill and as you came down the other side, right at the bottom of the hill was a set of railroad tracks. Of course back then everyone pimped over the tracks like a snail. After the tracks there was a long straight-a-way. So each car after inching across the tracks would stop and let it happen. Remember I didn't know this the FIRST time.

So as Ron stopped after crossing the tracks he yelled, "Hang on!" and that....
ohmigod.......stood it up and slammed that Dodge against the rear bumper and I remember seeing the moon out of the windshield. No frigging kidding.

Damn....talk about being scared and knowing you were instantly "cool" at the same time.....everyone behind us had seen it. Bad ***.

As you can tell that ride was an experience of a lifetime. I wonder if Dave Sebring was there. He just got promoted to sales at TCI. Dave will tell you about McCluskys Coronet and lots of other wild Kent happenings. Like the time a guy brought a blown red 55 T-bird Pontiac powered gasser to town to pick on the guys. Unloaded it across the street from the Short Stop. I don't remember anyone taking him on. Dave will also confirm the night Ron's girlfriend or wife pushed the REVERSE pushbutton after going thru the traps at Quaker City one Saturday night. Spun it around but didn't hurt anything. This car was a true 10.80 street car in the late '60's. In Kent that was hot.

Man....and like you guys, that was just one night in what seemed like a million.
Street racing was a way of life. Glad we made it thru.

Floyd Staggs · 07-02-2007, 04:05 PM

Hey Bruce,
You didn't answer. Didn't we meet when you announcing at Norton in '95?
I remember winning the bracket on my birthday. Diane had you announce it.

Bruce Fulper · 07-02-2007, 05:34 PM

I didn't know that was a question. Yes, I'm pretty sure it would have been Norton cause I hadn't started announcing full time at Pomona yet. Mighta been at Pomona.....Tell these guys about Norton....44 acres of concrete!

Floyd Staggs · 07-02-2007, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BowtieBomber

I didn't know that was a question. Yes, I'm pretty sure it would have been Norton cause I hadn't started announcing full time at Pomona yet. Mighta been at Pomona.....Tell these guys about Norton....44 acres of concrete!

You guys should have seen it. It was Norton AFB when it was open and then it was a whole lot of flat smooth concrete. Bruce say's 44 acres, it seems like it was bigger than that. Oh well, I used to have something else that was bigger in my younger days.
I disgress. We only had 1/8 mile drags cause that's all the government and insurance company would allow. But is was flat and smooth. And the pits; you couldn't find a weed in all 44 acres. Nobody parked in the dirt. It did get a little warm but it wasn't dirty. There were k-rails the entire length and plenty of run off at the end.
Ahhhh, the good old days.

Bruce Fulper · 07-03-2007, 01:49 AM

Floyd:
You were driving the truck at Norton right?

Floyd Staggs · 07-03-2007, 11:27 AM

Yes Sir,
Thats when we decide to get back into bracket racing with the hay hauler, or farm truck as you called it. We had a lot of fun,won a lot of rounds, won 1 race, runner up a couple of times and made some money at each of the ET finals we went to. That was running in the mid 13's. Ever since I decided to go faster, the luck hasn't been with us. Now we're running high 10's, with a street legal truck, and haven't gone very far in the brackets. I wonder how much it has to do with the driver. Diane always use to tell me, God rest her soul, leave it alone and adjust your dial. Just make it consistent. She was right. I still carry her picture in the truck all the time. Harold always points up to the sky and say's "she's watching us". Harold is quite a guy. And, I sure do miss her.

Bruce Fulper · 07-03-2007, 02:18 PM

Indeed. I feel for you. She was great great gal. Everyone that knew her misses her. I was going thru all of my Norton pics to see if I had the truck or you guys, but it looks like I don't. I bet I have 150 pics of that place from when we set up the clocks and tested them with an airport security Caprice and my '65 Grand Prix to the last day. And lots of the Full Throttle reports on the races.

Looking thru some old mags last night I found a listing of a Ron Mandella winning A/SA in San Diego in 1964...Wonder if C. was there.....?

07-02-2007, 01:57 PM	#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 Young! Why thank you... I still got to see my share of what I consider unreal street racing around Kent, Cleveland and Akron Ohio in the '60's. In the summer I used to bike over to the local hot spot in Kent on Friday nights, The Short Stop, sometimes A&W. One of my personal memorable moments - the guys were getting ready to gang up and head to Tallmadge, Ohio, just a few miles south to that A&W where some of the guys from Akron would come over, Tallmadge was east of Akron, so it was a decent spot to meet in the middle. I wanted to catch a ride so bad, I'd been hanging around Ron McClusky and his double altered wheelbase '65 Hemi Coronet. He knew I REALLY wanted to tag along so he said, "Get in the back and hold on the to rollbar." Of course there was no back seat so I was sitting on the floor. I might have been 14 at the time and Ron's buddy rode up front. Ron's car was Kents baddest machine so it was a hell of an honor to be riding in the lead car. The guys were like that - the fastest car always led the pack. "Bout halfway to Tallmadge there was a big hill and as you came down the other side, right at the bottom of the hill was a set of railroad tracks. Of course back then everyone pimped over the tracks like a snail. After the tracks there was a long straight-a-way. So each car after inching across the tracks would stop and let it happen. Remember I didn't know this the FIRST time. So as Ron stopped after crossing the tracks he yelled, "Hang on!" and that.... ohmigod.......stood it up and slammed that Dodge against the rear bumper and I remember seeing the moon out of the windshield. No frigging kidding. Damn....talk about being scared and knowing you were instantly "cool" at the same time.....everyone behind us had seen it. Bad ***. As you can tell that ride was an experience of a lifetime. I wonder if Dave Sebring was there. He just got promoted to sales at TCI. Dave will tell you about McCluskys Coronet and lots of other wild Kent happenings. Like the time a guy brought a blown red 55 T-bird Pontiac powered gasser to town to pick on the guys. Unloaded it across the street from the Short Stop. I don't remember anyone taking him on. Dave will also confirm the night Ron's girlfriend or wife pushed the REVERSE pushbutton after going thru the traps at Quaker City one Saturday night. Spun it around but didn't hurt anything. This car was a true 10.80 street car in the late '60's. In Kent that was hot. Man....and like you guys, that was just one night in what seemed like a million. Street racing was a way of life. Glad we made it thru.

07-02-2007, 04:05 PM	#2
Floyd Staggs VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Cucamonga, CA Posts: 1,522 Likes: 153 Liked 229 Times in 99 Posts	Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves Hey Bruce, You didn't answer. Didn't we meet when you announcing at Norton in '95? I remember winning the bracket on my birthday. Diane had you announce it.

07-02-2007, 05:34 PM	#3
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 didn't know that was a question. Yes, I'm pretty sure it would have been Norton cause I hadn't started announcing full time at Pomona yet. Mighta been at Pomona.....Tell these guys about Norton....44 acres of concrete!

07-03-2007, 01:49 AM	#5
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 Floyd: You were driving the truck at Norton right? Last edited by Bruce Fulper; 07-04-2007 at 03:09 PM.

07-03-2007, 11:27 AM	#6
Floyd Staggs VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Cucamonga, CA Posts: 1,522 Likes: 153 Liked 229 Times in 99 Posts	Re: Len Imborgno - Jim Skelly - Performance Preserves Yes Sir, Thats when we decide to get back into bracket racing with the hay hauler, or farm truck as you called it. We had a lot of fun,won a lot of rounds, won 1 race, runner up a couple of times and made some money at each of the ET finals we went to. That was running in the mid 13's. Ever since I decided to go faster, the luck hasn't been with us. Now we're running high 10's, with a street legal truck, and haven't gone very far in the brackets. I wonder how much it has to do with the driver. Diane always use to tell me, God rest her soul, leave it alone and adjust your dial. Just make it consistent. She was right. I still carry her picture in the truck all the time. Harold always points up to the sky and say's "she's watching us". Harold is quite a guy. And, I sure do miss her.

07-03-2007, 02:18 PM	#7
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 Indeed. I feel for you. She was great great gal. Everyone that knew her misses her. I was going thru all of my Norton pics to see if I had the truck or you guys, but it looks like I don't. I bet I have 150 pics of that place from when we set up the clocks and tested them with an airport security Caprice and my '65 Grand Prix to the last day. And lots of the Full Throttle reports on the races. Looking thru some old mags last night I found a listing of a Ron Mandella winning A/SA in San Diego in 1964...Wonder if C. was there.....?