Sports Illustrated 1961

In 1961 Sports Illustrated ran a pretty in-depth article on Hot Rod culture. It's an interesting read. Here are the pages. Thanks to Nate for loaning me his copy.

Lowrider Super Show

We went to the Lowrider Super Show this weekend. It took place at the fairgrounds, the same location for the NSRA Streetrod Nationals. I'm one of those characters who attend both events, so it was difficult for me not to make comparisons. We show up at the gate a bit early, along with around a thousand other attendees. La Raza was in full effect and the neck tattoo count was high. There were signs posted that said: No Drugs, No Weapons, No Club Colors. We waited for about twenty minutes to get searched and then into the show we go. Standing in line, I'm amazed at how quiet it is. I waited in line at the nationals once and the chorus of bitching sounded like the inside of a chicken coupe. And as I recall, no signs, no cops, no search.
Walking around a Lowrider show is a lot like any other car show with a few exceptions.  I'm a picture taker; and taking photos at a car show can be frustrating. It's really hard to get a picture of a car without someone walking in it. It's also difficult to ignore the judgmental attitudes of attendees. Sometimes it just seems like people are there to judge the cars, not admire them. Maybe folks were just in a good mood or something, but at this show, the over all attitude was positive  and respectful. Whenever I snapped a photo the crowd parted like the red sea. All smiles and families. Really good morning.........