Once again, I bring pixels to the screen with the hope that these images or text will tweak some memories from your bygone youth and bring a smile to your face. “I was there” is a favorite one I like to hear. Any idea of which track this is? I’ll give you a hint, it’s at Turn 5. The parties behind the wheels are: #69 Dan Gurney Ferrari 375 Plus, #59 Bob Oker Aston Martin, and #21 Hal Dolden Sparks-Bonney Special. Dan won and Bob was second. But, where?
Story and photographs by Allen R. Kuhn
In the next few months I will chronicle some of the 13 race tracks where I photographed the world of sports car racing in Southern California from 1955 to 1965. In this issue, I am featuring the wonderful world of the Paramount Ranch Race Track itself, my favorite shooting gallery. I will try and capture some of the topography of the landscape there in the following images.
To give you a little insight into how the track came into being. Paramount Studios saw the popularity of sports car racing and decided it would be a good venture to build a road racing tract on their property in the Agoura Hills East of Malibu, CA. They used the property for many of their outdoor movies, and built many sets there. Construction for the track began in December 1955. One other aspect of the location was the small lake on the property located between Turns 8 and 9 as you can see by the map with my ticket stub attached from that first weekend of action. As I recall, the movie Devil’s Hairpin was filmed there, and even after the site was no longer used for actual races, they still filmed movies on the old track. Roadracers (1959), Spin Out (1965), The Love Bug (1968) and Herbie Rides Again (1974) all had scenes shot on site.
I imagine there is a true map of the configuration that Ken Miles and Dick Van Laanen laid out so many years ago, but this isn’t one of them. I say that with conviction because, in one of my shots, there is planted, for all to see, a marker with Turn 3 emblazoned on it. It is just after the bridge where this map shows it as turn 4. I have seen several versions of the Turn markers, but the track speaks for itself.
The signpost up ahead says we’re at Turn 2 which would put us just before the “Bridge.” We couldn’t shoot from the bridge at Paramount, like you could at Pomona. The driver of the #138 Troutman & Barnes Special is its regular pilot, Chuck Daigh. Following are: #18 Carlyle Blackwell C-Type Jaguar, #133 Jerry Austin the ultimate winner D-Type Jaguar, #70 Eric Hauser Balchowsky Special (Ol’ Yeller), and #17 Tom Groskritz C-Type Jaguar.
One aspect that made Paramount Ranch so interesting to photograph for me is the variety of scenic back & foregrounds it had to offer. This is a good example. The background has the railing of the bridge at the end of the Start-Finish straight away. The foreground shows the natural grandstand thanks to Mother Nature. Of interest on the track is Chuck Porter in his Special, leading Frank Monice’s Lotus 11 going into Turn 3 on November 18, 1956.
In its full glory the thundering herd stampedes across the bridge, a hodgepodge of cars in this Consolation Race for Sport 1500 cc Plus. Want to know who they are? You don’t? I’m going to tell you anyway. First, I must set the Chronological Date Order, for this happening on August 19, 1956. The players are: #108 Harry Givens XK140 Jag, #64 Jim Mourning Morgan Plus 4, #14 Alex Budurin Kurtis 500S, and #51 Fred Woodward Jaguar Special. (Also, special for me as I won a prize in the Kodak National High School Photo Contest in 1956 with my picture of Fred at Torrey Pines. That really got me hooked on photographing sports car races.) By the way, #80 is James Matthews XK120.
The bridge also had a dark side to it. There were two tragic accidents there that brought an end to racing at Paramount Ranch.** Another problem with this area was the strong gusts of winds that could play havoc with the drivers. Frank Monise found out the hard way on November 18, 1956 what the winds could do to the handling of your car. Frank is at the far right being led to the ambulance for observation. He was OK. Don Hulette’s Arnold Bristol is on the bridge while Jim Firestone’s Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica passes by Frank’s incident.
I don’t see any signpost up ahead, so your guess is as good as mine as to which Turn this is. The culprits here are: #170 Harold Erb D-Type Jaguar, #181 Chuck Porter Special 300 SLS, and #5 Hal Dolden Sparks-Bonney Manning Special. I sold some of my Chuck Porter Special prints to the, at that time, the current owner at The Historics. Now on to another Turn that I can name.
I did not shoot many photographs was at Turn 8. This was a practice session on December 8, 1957. Leading this pack of under 1500cc modifies is Vasek Polak 550 Spyder followed by #43 Dan Levitt TR-3, #32 Robert Holbrook Crosley Special, #44 Frank Monise Lotus 11, #33 Jack Wilder Nichols Panhard, #185 Bill Watkins (one of the first drivers I met later through the “Fab Fifties”), and #53 Phil Dean Crosley Special. This all happened on June 16, 1957.
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 participants in this race, held on November 18, 1956 were: #113 Lew Bracker Porsche 356 Super Speedster, beside Lew is the Mercedes Gullwing 300SL of Lek von Kaesborg, #22 Gil Bloemendaal Austin Healey 100S, on Gil’s left looks to me like the Siata 208S of Bill Dixon, my first choice, or George Dillaway second choice, you probably can’t see the #159 on the front of the AC Ace Bristol of John Haggerty next to the Siata, #80 James Matthews Jaguar XK120 and lastly #216 Rod Bowers Triumph TR2.
To round out the Production Group, my sincere apologies to the, GP, and HP, we come to the Big Dogs of production racing, over 2000cc. This tight group rounding Turn 5, (A perfect place to shoot from) consists of: #300 Vincent De Carlo Corvette, #314 Bill Gaskins Corvette, #252 James Coffin Austin Healey, #233 Otto Webber Austin Healey, and #17 on the outside Bob Harris Jaguar XK120.
Since I have nothing much to say about this picture, I would like to bend your eye (like bend your ear) and tell you a little tale about what almost came to be at The Paramount Ranch Race Track. The National Park Service had control of “The Ranch” when one of its Rangers, Tom Young, saw my vintage photographs displayed at a memorabilia show at the Irwindale Speedway in California. He asked if I had any pictures of Paramount Ranch sports car racing. When I showed him my two notebooks with about 75 pictures in them, he almost fainted. Tom was also a Car Guy with a beautifully restored ‘50s Pontiac. Thus, began a multi-year campaign to put my pictures on some kind of display to illustrate the two years of racing that took place there. They came up with an idea to make metal placards with my pictures and text etched into the metal. They would then be displayed throughout the still visible areas of the track. Poster-size prints would also be used in some of the buildings.
All of this planning and research would be for naught, when in November 2018 a huge fire consumed most of the trees and buildings in the area. The only things left were the church and train station from a western town built in the 1920s by Paramount Studios. There is still hope that this plan will come to fruition as they have started to rebuild the Western Town located next to the old track.
If you got this far, I hope you have enjoyed looking back at the most scenic and challenging race tracks in Southern California.
Stay tuned for Chapter 2 “The Drivers” and see what all my fussing was about regarding Paramount Ranch. See and almost feel what racing was like through the trees. My pardon to Pebble Beach as I never made it there, nor to Laguna Seca in the ‘50s.
Till the next time keep the wheels down and the bonnet closed, and don’t forget the checkout www.vintage-sportscar-photos.com or email me at: allen.kuhn@verizon.net.
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** The CSCC weekend of December 7th and 8th was blighted by two fatal accidents.The first of these was preceded by a serious off during Saturday practice for Hugh Woods. Woods crashed his Chevrolet Corvette into the barriers at turn one. He fractured both arms, severed his right leg and did a substantial amount of damage to the barrier.Later that day, during the ten lap Preliminary for the over 2.7-litre Production car race, George Sherrerd crashed his Jaguar XK120 at the same spot. The barrier had not been repaired and the exposed guardrail pierced through Sherrerd’s car.The unfortunate George Sherrerd was killed instantly.
Further tragedy occurred during Sunday’s finale, the headline one hour race for over 1.5-litre Sports cars. Jim Firestone lost control of his Frazer Nash on the penultimate lap. The car hit the bridge parapet and rolled several times. Firestone was ejected from the Frazer Nash and then hit by the car which fatally crushed his skull.
Notes from: https://supercarnostalgia.com/blog/lost-circuits-paramount-ranch-raceway
Your photographic work is wonderful, Alan, and helps keep the story alive.
I appreciate the comment, Harold. And what a story it was. Doing the research brought back a lot of fond memories, especially for the next installment of ‘Paramount Ranch, The Drivers.” It really pushed my buttons for the time I shot there.
Your mention of Frank Monise may not register with most of the viewers of this most excellent reminiscence of the glory days of Southern California sports car racing. As a sixteen year-old high school kid I was enthralled with the sport. (A picture of Tazio Nuvolari hung in my bedroom!). I lived in San Marino, adjacent to where “Mr. Monise” had his well-known Lotus shop. When working on the engine of my MG TD, I needed a tool to work on the valves. Mr. Monise was kind enough to loan me the tool I needed. He was a wonderful mentor, and I followed him to the races often, especially Palm Springs.
Thanks for the historical visit.
Tom Wall
Oakton, Va
Tom, I really appreciate your kind words about my story of the glory era of racing here. I myself was 18 when I first took pictures at the Ranch. You speak of Frank Monise. His son Howard contacted me about getting photographs of Franks racing. I knew I had a lot, and when I got through getting the negatives together, there were a tick over 100. I lot of the other top drivers do not come close to that number. P.S. My first car was a TD.
Historically yours,
Allen
Brilliant photos and explications, Allen.
Hi Karl, good to hear from you again. Thank you so much for your kind and up-lifting comments. When I was photographing the races, I never dreamed that 45 years after my first race I would resurrect the negatives for a whole new life. And, after the resurrection I would have a whole new career that has lasted 23 years and counting, I hope. Historically Yours, Allen