Hot Rodding in Santa Barbara County

Jack Mendenhall (Santa Ynez High School, 1948) was one of the best-known and -liked figures of the Central Coast hot rod scene. A Santa Ynez Valley native, Jack owned and operated gasoline stations and tow services in Buellton for over 25 years. During that time, he was building and racing hot rods, dragsters, jalopy racers, lake racers, and off-road racing vehicles. Jack is pictured here around 1955 with his personal car, a clean and simple primer-gray 1931 Ford Model A roadster sporting the ever-popular 1932 grill shell. In contrast to some of the more elaborate hot rods that were being built by then, this unchanneled rod was more like those seen on the street 10 years earlier. The foothills in the background are a part of the J-Bar-E Ranch of Buellton. (Courtesy of Mark Mendenhall.)

Here, 16-year-old Jack Mendenhall poses behind the wheel of his first car, a roofless 1934 Ford coupe. Besides the roof being cut off, the fenders and hood have been removed. However, it looks like that is as far as Mendenhall got in this image from 1947. (Courtesy of Mark Mendenhall.)

This dragster was built by Mendenhall and sponsored by Andersen’s Restaurant. Andersen’s, world famous for its split pea soup, was (and still is) a landmark to all drivers traveling on Highway 101 up and down the Central Coast. Wearing their pea-green crew jackets are Jack Mendenhall (right), Butch Dixon (left), and an unidentified mechanic. (Courtesy of Mark Mendenhall.)

The Anderson’s Pea Soup Special ran originally as a flathead-powered gasser, and like most dragsters, it went through a variety of engine changes. In this image from around 1960, it is powered by a fuel-injected Cadillac. Mendenhall had a close relationship with the Anderson family and they sponsored some of his race cars. One member of the family, Robbie Anderson, was a member of Mendenhall’s pit crew. This early dragster has survived and is on display at the Mendenhall Museum in Buellton, a large collection of vintage automobilia located at Jack Mendenhall’s former tow-yard, and run by his son, Mark. (Courtesy of Mark Mendenhall.)

Buellton was the only stop on the highway for miles around that offered automotive service, and breakdowns and accidents were common occurrences. Mendenhall’s Buellton Garage used this 1936 Ford tow truck to rescue stranded motorists. The “Seaside”-labeled building in the background is a bulk facility that serviced the fuel and oil needs of local ranches. (Courtesy of Mark Mendenhall.)

This is another one of Jack Mendenhall’s drag racers. The white-and-red chopped coupe was built to race at local strips like Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo. Jack, a member of the Santa Maria Dragons car club, has moved the rod’s flathead engine back in the frame for better balance. Mendenhall was considered a specialist on Ford flatheads. (Courtesy of Mark Mendenhall.)

Jack Mendenhall also raced this Chevrolet as a stock car at Santa Maria Speedway, a one-third-mile dirt oval just off Highway 101 near Santa Maria. In the background is the billboard over Andersen’s that depicts the restaurant’s logo: a pair cartoon chefs splitting peas with a mallet and chisel. Posing for the camera are Buellton residents Joanne Heckart (left) and Judy Peters. (Courtesy of Mark Mendenhall.)

When G-class dragsters became popular in the early 1960s, Jack Mendenhall built this pretty little metallic-blue Fiat Topolino gasser. Standing to the car’s right is Roy Robinson, who was Mendenhall’s friend and driver. Robinson was a veteran racer who competed at strips like Long Beach and Santa Maria. (Courtesy of Mark Mendenhall.)

Mendenhall raced the Pink Piranha as a dirt-track car in the 1960s. The Chevrolet convertible was an Ascot Park veteran brought up from Los Angeles. In the background is Mendenhall’s competitor for tow truck business, the Garland Garage. At left are Highway 101 and the start of the Gaviota Pass, in a view looking southbound to Santa Barbara. (Courtesy of Mark Mendenhall.)

Here is Jack Mendenhall’s Pink Piranha on its trailer parked on Avenue of the Flags in downtown Buellton, ready for a day of racing at Santa Maria, with Andersen’s Pea Soup Restaurant in the background. Note the heavy push bumper on the Buellton Garage’s 1957 Ranchero pickup. (Courtesy of Mark Mendenhall.)

Lee Hammock was a visitor at Buellton during the late 1940s, driving the Colson’s Garage 1934 Ford coupe. Although painted yellow, the coupe looks darker. The old orthochromatic black-and-white camera film used to take this image made certain colors, like yellow, appear much darker than they actually were. (Courtesy of Lee Hammock.)

Buellton had an oval dirt track about a mile north of town by Highway 101. The track was in a natural depression in the land beneath a slope. This is the starting line. Note how the grandstands are located in a rough terrace that has been bulldozed out of the hill. People would also park on nearby ridges and watch the races from there. (Courtesy of Lee Hammock.)

Seen coming around the bend at Buellton is Montecito’s Lee Hammock, driving the Peri’s Garage jalopy. Note the spectator’s cars parked up on the ridge at upper left and the building visible in the center background, which served as a concession stand. (Courtesy of Lee Hammock.)

This shot, looking down on the pit area from the grandstands, shows Lee Hammock (next to the flagman) being rewarded by Buellton’s trophy girl for winning yet another race. He was driving the 1934 Ford Tudor belonging to his friend and fellow driver Rip Erickson of Santa Barbara. In the background are the rolling hills of the Santa Inez Valley. (Courtesy of Lee Hammock.)

Here is the pit area at Buellton Speedway around high noon on a race day. This view is looking east with Highway 101 in the background. The long line up of competitors appears to be mostly 1934 Fords, although the car in the center, behind the pole, might be a Chevrolet. Note the 1949 Ford coupe at left. (Courtesy of Lee Hammock.)

The old Lompoc fairgrounds, located southwest of town in the Beattie Park area, had a rodeo ground that doubled as a somewhat dangerous half-mile dirt track. This image from 1947 shows a very youthful group of visitors from south county. They are, from left to right, Harold Hadley, Lee Hammock, Stoddard Hensling, and Jack Quinton. (Courtesy of Lee Hammock.)

Harold Hadley of Santa Barbara is hanging out in his 1934 Ford coupe during the Santa Barbara group’s visit to Lompoc. That is Fielding Lewis at far left in the straw hat. Note the cattle chute in the background. (Courtesy of Lee Hammock.)

Fielding “Mouse” Lewis slouches behind the wheel of a very interesting set of wheels. This vehicle built by Willis Baldwin when he first moved to Montecito and was used as his personal car. It is a channeled, flathead-powered 1934 Ford roadster with a DeSoto grill shell. Baldwin’s neighbor Lee Hammock drove it to Lompoc for the race meet. (Courtesy of Lee Hammock.)