I have been searching through hundreds and maybe thousands of pictures that need to be converted into a digital format. I came across some pics of Willie Robinson out at Long Beach Brotherhood raceway. I was never a big fan of drag racing and I use to have numerous discussions with Willie about this. I guess you can take an extension of a quarter mile and stretch it out and you get what I was into at the time..road racing.
I've included a little history on Willie and I do have some comments under Stormbringer name on first link. Willie would organize the kids and get them off the street or at least into a safer environment. I brought a Cobra out one day back in the early 1980's at the Brotherhood Raceway and my friends thought that I was there to race. I never had so many ask for a ride in my life. I took Willie for a ride and we went through Compton at the time and had lunch at a place he picked. Now if you know Compton at the time was a "gangsta paradise" with the east coast vs west coast feud going on.
As I've said before I really enjoy driving slow with mega horses under the hood. Was it Ned that said a cobra slowed the rotation of the earths' spin? Well I'm stating that this Cobra could outrun bullets so I was not worried. lol Parked in front of this small hole in the wall and a '69 Camaro pulls up looking around. Dude comes in asking who's Cobra and I answered mine, why. He tried to challenge me to a street race and Willie knew this person and told him don't mess around with me that you don't know who you are dealing with. (Willie was referring to various cross country races that I've had in the past).
The dude said no I want to race a Cobra and beat the best. I told him I really don't street race or drag race like that. I heard the words chicken and Willie got up and told him stop the disrespect. Willie was a big man to say the least. I just kept eating and ignored him and asked Willie if you hear someone talking cause all I could hear was noise. This guy was not taking a no or silence as an answer. He went outside and waited as I found out later.
Came outside and he was still there. We going to do this or not. I guess Willie laughing at him didn't help matters. I asked him to pop his hood and told him nice but I'm not racing with you with this car. Heard chicken again and I told him listen if you want to race on a road course I'll take you on any time but in a different car fitted for racing. He basically was set up for street drag racing so he wouldn't bite. If you know me I can say something out of the blue to get you thinking. I told him this Cobra I had going over 90 mph backwards on a racetrack once and thought the gearing had more. Let's race one block backwards for a buck. He said you're crazy and left.
As I wrote in that comments section Willie was one of several that had some influence with my decision going into the USN(SEAL's). As I wrote we lost touch of each other and things at the end didn't go well for Big Willie.
Oh by the way there is a Compton Cobra basketball team on and off for years now.
Tried to download a bunch of pics to my flickr account but the Kodak disc is not reading.
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