By From 1955 to 1972, Lions Drag Strip served as Long Beach’s motorsports cathedral. Known colloquially as Lion’s, it was a quarter-mile drag racing facility on the corner of 223rd and Alameda Street.
The track was formed when local judge, Fred Miller, was moved by both the amount of street racing cases flooding his courtroom and the auto accidents caused by street racing.
Judge Miller and some constituents helped convince the local Lions Clubs, a set of service organizations, to gather enough money to build a racetrack on a derelict, old railroad yard on the fringes of Long Beach.
1955 marked the year that Lions opened its gates and ignited its stage lights for the first time.
The walls of the Lions Automobilia Foundation are covered in murals that tell the story of Lions Drag Strip and Southern California car culture. Photo Credit: Diego Renteria
While opening day would see a raucous crowd of 15,000 people, the track’s attendance would quickly dwindle.
It was not until automotive legend Mickey Thompson became the drag strip’s manager that the event space found success. He introduced the idea of “Saturday Night Racing”, which led to the track’s popularity skyrocketing.
Throughout the ‘60s, Lions became a battleground for the biggest names in drag racing. Some notable regulars included Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen, Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Don “Big Daddy” Garlits.
This diorama was dedicated to possibly the greatest rivalry in drag racing at the time, Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen and Don “The Snake” Prudhomme. Both were tenacious drivers who are still revered to this day. Photo Credit: Diego Renteria
The track also benefited the community, as all operational profits went to local charities and service organizations.
During this period, it seemed like the Lion’s success was guaranteed.
That would change in the 1970s.
By the beginning of the ‘70s, the population surrounding the drag strip increased, leading to an influx of official noise complaints to the city about the track.
The city of Long Beach ultimately forced Lions to shut down. The beloved quarter-mile held its final passes on Dec. 2, 1972.
After being abandoned for a decade, the track became a container facility and train yard. Any trace of the iconic raceway was seemingly erased.
Nothing is left of Long Beach’s cathedral of speed – the corner of 223rd and Alameda is now home to a rail yard and commercial warehouses. Photo Credit: Diego Renteria
However, its memory was not lost. Some members of the local community still wanted to keep the history of Lions Drag Strip alive.
Rick Lorenzen, owner of Price Transfer Inc. and a Long Beach native, was an avid attendee of Lions before the shutdown.
He was so enthralled by drag racing culture that he was inspired to start collecting some of the cars.
Lorenzen started with a 1941 Willys Overland two-door coupe, similar to the model that his heroes drove as they raced down Lions.
After his business grew, he began to collect more cars inspired by memories at Lions, like a 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air “Fuelie” and a 1970 Plymouth Super Bird.
The design for the 1970 Plymouth Superbird has never been seen on a car since. The car was developed to reach 200 mph on NASCAR super speedways. Photo Credit: Diego Renteria
Over the years, Lorenzen‘s car collection became so massive that he chose to turn his treasure trove of hot rods and drag racing history into something that honored the legend of Lions Drag Strip.
This memorabilia took shape as the Lions Automobilia Foundation Museum in Long Beach, which was formed in 2019 and officially opened in 2021.
“Rick wanted to encapsulate visitors in the time when Lions was at its peak,” said Leonard Glick, a museum volunteer docent.
One corner of the museum displays a period-accurate ‘50s diner while another section displays a collection of Willys Overland cars. The immersive experience teleports visitors to an era now only seen in movies like “Grease” or “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.”
One of the things that was necessary for Lorenzen to have to encapsulate his visitors in 1950s Americana was a period-correct diner. Photo Credit: Diego Renteria
Perhaps the crown jewel of the museum is the reimagining of Lions Drag Strip, featuring one of the most comprehensive collections of ‘dragsters,’ ‘funny cars’ and drag racing memorabilia.
The final room of the museum is a diorama that reimagined the legendary drag strip with cars that used to make a pass there. Photo Credit: Diego Renteria
“We have had many visitors from around the world, but the ones that are the most interesting are the ones that went to Lions when it was in operation,” Glick said. “We had a 90-year-old man come in one day and tell us he was the person that painted the ‘Lion’s Drag Strip’ signs around the track.”
On June 16 of this year, Lorenzen passed away at 82.
His daughter, Tami Lorenzen-Fanselow, has taken up the mantle at Lions Automobilia Foundation.
Lorenzen’s name and Lions Drag Strip are now synonymous, and their legacies will continue to live on in the heart of the Lions den.
Lion’s Automobilia Foundation is open twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
