Allen being interrogated by the PBS crew and showing one of his prize photos of Paramount Ranch circa 1957. We’ll let you know more about when and where this feature will be run.
What is going on here? Well let us (Vack and Kuhn) tell you.
In an upcoming issue of VeloceToday (that means this is a heads up!) there will be an announcement about a PBS SoCal KCET TV program called “Lost LA” that will take the viewers where the Paramount Ranch Road Racing Track was located. The program will be highlighted with vintage images from a teenage photographer (Allen R. Kuhn) who photographed the road races in their heyday. It may also be broadcasted on YouTube.
The track is gone but the memories linger on through Allen’s photographs.
Let me add a couple of shots from the troupers of the California Sports Car Club. They drove to the race track, took off their bumpers, taped the headlights, and put a number on the car. Then they waited for Al Torres to give his patented jumping green flag start. They knew they would take the win and also the jumping checkered flag from Al. We are at the race held on December 8, 1957. Some of the competitors were: #710 Harold Dixon MG TF Mk II, #30 Bruce Turner MGA, #186 Herbert Jackson MGA, #126 Ed Stewart MGA, and #237 Sam Taylor MG TD Mk II. From another photograph, I know the front row was all MGA’s. Starting from the right was: #67 Jim Parkinson, in the middle was Ray Pickering, and on his left was #111 Cam Cooper. Ray Pickering was about the only driver I actually knew when I was shooting. Ray was also a good mechanic and took good care of my TD. He even talked me through, on a pay phone, how to shift without using the clutch when my cable broke.
The National Parks Service now operates this area and after the devastating “Woolsey Fire” of November 2018 work is now ongoing to rebuild the Western Town that was completely destroyed. It was originally built, as you might guess, by Paramount Studios where numerous films were made.
And to get you revved up, please click here to see more of the images from Paramount Ranch in the 50s…
Making Tracks: My Love Affair with the California Circuits of the ’50s
Sounds interesting! My dad was on the board of the Cal Club along with Ken Miles and E. Forbes Robinson. We were at every event at Paramount and my dad drove there in our MG Special, my OSCA and my 166 “Monza” Ferrari.
They were wonderful times for a 16 year old.
Another Cal Club factoid. In ’56 there was a call for the Cal Club to drop racing altogether. Miles. Robinson and my dad were specifically elected to continue racing and they did.
Is anyone out there keeping a history of the Cal Club?
Good for your Dad, Bob. It was a wonderful time for this 19 year old too. After 87 years on this planet I am still making use of something I did 69 years ago.
Historically yours, Allen