When he would start the jet cars he would have the button in his hand point to one car with his left hand and then to the other car with his right hand. Then bring his hands together and hit the button. I went to the last drag race in Oct. '83. I stayed all day until about 6:30PM. I went to my old HS football game. After that I was at a friends house at about 10PM. I called OCIR and asked if they were still racing. She said, "Yes we're only in the 2nd round." I had my stepdad's '73 Dodge D100 p/u with 360 cu. in. I hauled ass back down there in about 20-25 mins. But people were leaving so I didn't try to get back in off Sand Canyon. I remembered my brother said there was a back way in. I found it. It was a narrow bridge wide enough for one car to get over the freeway. I got to that gate just east of the tower and showed my ticket stub. She let me in. I stayed a few more hours until I'd had enough. As I was walking out I snagged a poster off a grandstand. I still have it! I left OCIR for the last time at 1:45AM. They still weren't done! Like Sutton said it was 2:30AM when they finished.
Live long, Larry Sutton. You were at Lions when I was 6 and at OCIR when I was 20 when you went to the semi's in the Hard Times T/F at the '81 'Finals. Congrats for your r/u finish to Garlits in the Whitmore-Reed dragster at the '87 March Meet.
Thank You Competition Plus TV. The car pictured in my post I purchased from Larry Sutton in1975. I remember seeing a rear engine car in his garage but I was so excited about getting a front engine dragster with a trailer! no less. Shucks I had absolutely no idea of Larry Sutton at that time or I may have asked for an autograph. I was 23 what the heck did I know about anything.
I was a “local yokel” at OCIR. Great starter.....really good Top Fuel racer...everyone knew him...everyone trusted him. At the 1981 NHRA WORLD FINALS, he put down the switch long enough to qualify in the #14 spot, with a 5.86, working on a shoestring budget....Larry went to the semifinals, before losing to Dwight Salisbury. Nonetheless, everybody was really proud of him. Even Buster Couch had nothing but good things to say about Larry Sutton. Highly respected by everyone in the sport.
Sutton on the button, I made a lot of trips down his track at Lions. Raced there till it closed, sad weekend to say the least. Thanks for the memories Larry Sutton!
When I was president of SoCal Pro gas we had a controversy over one of Larry's decisions so I went to him do you ask him why he went that way he told me he felt it was the right decision at the time and whether right or wrong after thinking about it he stood by it great starter and standup guy I respected his decisions from then on
I can really relate to his story because earlier this year I was in a bad car accident and fractured two of my vertebrae and I was at the point where I couldn't stand couldn't hardly move couldn't walk, but come race day two weeks later I crawled out to my car drove to the racetrack and basically sat in my car the entire day because I couldn't walk or do anything else and ended up being runner-up so that was an awesome story to hear
When he would start the jet cars he would have the button in his hand point to one car with his left hand and then to the other car with his right hand. Then bring his hands together and hit the button. I went to the last drag race in Oct. '83. I stayed all day until about 6:30PM. I went to my old HS football game. After that I was at a friends house at about 10PM. I called OCIR and asked if they were still racing. She said, "Yes we're only in the 2nd round." I had my stepdad's '73 Dodge D100 p/u with 360 cu. in. I hauled ass back down there in about 20-25 mins. But people were leaving so I didn't try to get back in off Sand Canyon. I remembered my brother said there was a back way in. I found it. It was a narrow bridge wide enough for one car to get over the freeway. I got to that gate just east of the tower and showed my ticket stub. She let me in. I stayed a few more hours until I'd had enough. As I was walking out I snagged a poster off a grandstand. I still have it! I left OCIR for the last time at 1:45AM. They still weren't done! Like Sutton said it was 2:30AM when they finished.
Live long, Larry Sutton. You were at Lions when I was 6 and at OCIR when I was 20 when you went to the semi's in the Hard Times T/F at the '81 'Finals. Congrats for your r/u finish to Garlits in the Whitmore-Reed dragster at the '87 March Meet.
One of the best. Larry is a legend.
Thank You Competition Plus TV. The car pictured in my post I purchased from Larry Sutton in1975. I remember seeing a rear engine car in his garage but I was so excited about getting a front engine dragster with a trailer! no less. Shucks I had absolutely no idea of Larry Sutton at that time or I may have asked for an autograph. I was 23 what the heck did I know about anything.
Thanks for the memories Larry
Brilliant to spend time with Larry !
I was a “local yokel” at OCIR.
Great starter.....really good Top Fuel racer...everyone knew him...everyone trusted him.
At the 1981 NHRA WORLD FINALS, he put down the switch long enough to qualify in the #14 spot, with a 5.86, working on a shoestring budget....Larry went to the semifinals, before losing to Dwight Salisbury.
Nonetheless, everybody was really proud of him.
Even Buster Couch had nothing but good things to say about Larry Sutton.
Highly respected by everyone in the sport.
Sutton on the button, I made a lot of trips down his track at Lions. Raced there till it closed, sad weekend to say the least. Thanks for the memories Larry Sutton!
Ha, Sutton on the button!
An amazing man - a true ledgend and proud to have met him and heard some of his tales firsthand
When I was president of SoCal Pro gas we had a controversy over one of Larry's decisions so I went to him do you ask him why he went that way he told me he felt it was the right decision at the time and whether right or wrong after thinking about it he stood by it great starter and standup guy I respected his decisions from then on
I can really relate to his story because earlier this year I was in a bad car accident and fractured two of my vertebrae and I was at the point where I couldn't stand couldn't hardly move couldn't walk, but come race day two weeks later I crawled out to my car drove to the racetrack and basically sat in my car the entire day because I couldn't walk or do anything else and ended up being runner-up so that was an awesome story to hear
Must have been quite an experience..