Joe Playan

Joe Playan and his Army buddy Chic Leson.
Joe or Marion Playan is on the left in this picture. Joe raced some very nice cars in his racing days. He also attempted to bring professional racing to California. I am going to attempt to tell his racing story to the forum members.
photo Joe Playan collection.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 11 March 2020 - 03:47.

Joe Playan next to his MG Special

Hagemann MG Special at Santa Barbara in 1954.

This is an MG Special built in Northern California for Joe Playan's friend Chic Leson. Chic asked Joe if he would like to buy it and Joe did winning at Santa Barbara in this car. Joe was very proud of this car and it is currently being restored by the Riverside Museum. It was built by the late Jack Hagemann who passed away at the age of 94 in 2010.

photo: Al Long

Edited by Jerry Entin, 14 February 2015 - 15:33.

Joe Playan with OSCA-Chevy.
Joe attempted to make this a competitive race car. He had Max Balchowsky and Phil Remington give him advice on how to make it work right. Joe called this car an Oscelet. Kind of a take on the Ocelot and the Chevrolet. This was in 1959. Joe had made the brakes work fine. It was the handling that he couldn't get right. It would bounce and be uncontrollable under heavy braking for a turn.

photo Joe Playan collection.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 14 February 2015 - 15:21.

Joe Playan at Riverside on September 22, 1957

Joe had the lead in this race that was to be won by a young Ricardo Rodriguez. The Porsche Spyder came with Continental tires. Joe had taken them off and was trying Pirelli tires.

They went away on Joe and he slid off course. That is Bob Drake in a Cooper behind Joe Playan. And Jack McAfee in the Porsche. Bob would finish second and Joe would finish 3rd in this race won by Ricardo Rodriguez.

photo Lester Nehamkin - Joe Playan collection.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 03 May 2017 - 21:34.

Ricardo Rodriguez before going out and winning the 1957 Riverside race.
On a visit to Joe Playan's house in Palm Springs, California I was asked by Joe if I would like to see the pictures of Lester Nehamkin. Joe Playan told me that Lester had come into his brake shop called Washington Brake, this was located in a place called MarVista. That is kind of the entrance to what is now called the Marina Del Rey area of Los Angeles. He told Joe Playan he wasn't going to take any more race pictures. He was now going to do Golf pictures. He went on to take many of the pictures of Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. Joe Playan was given these boxes of pictures that Lester had taken in the 50's of race events. No one had seen them, until I was shown them. The above picture is one of them. I told Joe that people would love to see these. I asked could I put them on the internet for people to enjoy. Joe said sure. This is how I got started with Tam's Old Race car site. And this forum.
photo Lester Nehamkin-Joe Playan collection.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 03 May 2017 - 12:07.

Joe Playan and his friend Jerry Entin
This is in front of Joe Playan's house in Palm Springs. This is how Joe Looks now. Before I told his racing story I wanted to show the forum members this picture.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 14 February 2015 - 15:08.

Chic Leson can be seen in the back in the hat and jacket.

Carroll Shelby and Pete DePaolo are in front. This is from Monterey in the late 50's. Pete DePaolo won the Indy 500 in 1925. He was the first driver to average over 100 mph for the 500 mile race. His average time was 101.13. His car was a Duesenberg and the entrant was the Duesenbenberg factory.

Joe's first race car a Jaguar Fixed head coupe.
Joe Playan was in the service with Chic Leson. Chic got Joe Playan interested in sportscar racing. Joe had been invited by Chic to come watch him race. Joe was very impressed and had seen Phil Hill racing a Jaguar XK120. Joe said he had to have one of those. This was in 1952. Joe was 30 years old. Joe Playan was born April 16, 1922.
His first race car was a Drop head Coupe Jaguar. It was a Bronze colored car. Joe knew nothing about racing. He entered a race at Pebble Beach, he drove the car to it. He had his good friend Lou Falcon come with him. If they would have wrecked the car they would have had no way back home. Joe lightly touched a hay bale in the race. They made it home fine and Joe was bitten with the racing bug.
After this Joe Playan was offered the MG Special of Chic Leson and Joe went to Oakland,California with a trailer and picked it up and brought it back to Mar Vista.

Dave Kane: Ricardo was 15 in that picture. When I showed that picture too fellow forum member Brian Redman he said " He was only a kid". I told him "Well that kid beat all the racers of the day at Riverside."
photo Lester Nehamkin-Joe Playan collection.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 16 May 2017 - 02:08.

Joe Playan in his 1963 Corvette Stingray behind John Morton in the Lotus Seven.

This race was held at the parking lot of the Dodgers baseball team. It was called Dodgers Stadium.
Joe used this car in the Disney movie called The Love Bug. During the filming of The Love Bug, Joe accidentlly went off a cliff. The other stunt men threw down ropes to get to the car. Joe climbed out so fast on his own they thought he was a Billy goat. He was very stiff. And he was in shock. One of the stunt men named Tom Bamford looked at Joe and said "Boy you look white as a Ghost." Joe said "You try driving over a 200 foot cliff and see what you look like". It was a tradition in those days. If you did a stunt and walked away from it after an unforeseen accident, you had to buy the other guys the drinks that night. These guys weren't against drinking. Well Joe bought so many rounds that night he didn't remember how he got back to his room.
The other guys had to climb down the side of the hill with ropes to get Joe's car out because they had to finish the scene. It wasn't suppose to go over the cliff.
Joe also drove this car to Phoenix when he first got it to participate in a race and then drove it home to the Mar Vista area. Joe Finished 3rd in this race with a street stock car.
photo John Morton collection.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 03 May 2017 - 23:29.

Joe Playan driving his friend Chic Leson's Maserati 150S.

Joe felt this car was way under powered. It had a 1.5 Liter engine and had to race Porsche Spyders, which were way lighter and way faster.
Joe Playan attempted to orgainze professional racing in Southern California. They were calling their group the Triple R or the RRR. This was in 1955. This stood for Road Racing Register. The group worked out of a restaurant called The Blarney Castle. It was owned by a fellow named Rudy Cleye. Rudy Cleye raced a Mercedes 300SL. They figured that the drivers should have a chance to run for winnings at these events. Rudy Cleye was very instrumental in seeing the creation of Riverside Raceway. The group that was putting on the local events was called the CalClub. They were very much against allowing professional racing to be sanctioned in their area. Joe was not allowed to race in any Cal Club races for a year after attempting to make these professional races. Joe was also injured in a test crash at Willow Springs while getting ready for the first Pro race. He crashed his Porsche Spyder and recieved a concusion.
photo Joe Playan collection
research Frank S

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 May 2017 - 09:14.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 18 April 2010 - 16:59.

Joe Playan and Jack McAfee and Bob Drake.
This is from Pomona in 1957.
photo Lester Nehamkin- Joe Playan collection.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 03 May 2017 - 22:35.

Joe Playan in the #29 Corvette leading at Santa Barbara in 1963.
Bill Krause is in the #3 Corvette Coupe and Scott Bailey is in the #41 Corvette. Race won by Joe Playan.

Anton: You are right Joe Playan was 40 years old when he got the Corvette. He did win the Corvette class at Santa Barbara in 1963. He was in the lead and Bill Krause missed a turn and got in front of Joe. After the race the officials said that the pass Bill Krause made was illegal and the win went to Joe Playan.

Joe Playan raced this car for the first time at Dodgers Stadium. His friend Lew Spencer then suggested he bring the car to Phoenix for the races there. He drove it on the street from Mar Vista, California to Phoenix, Arizona. This was about a 7 hour drive in a normal street car. I don't know how long it took Joe to get there. After Joe Playan raced it in Phoenix, he got in and drove it back home. It was a 327 cubic inch engine and with Fuel Injection put out about 360 hp. It had a 4 speed gear box.
above photo Allen Kuhn. www.vintage-sportscar-photos.com
copyright Allen Kuhn 2008.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 May 2017 - 09:03.

Joe Playan and his daughter Patricia.
Happy Birthday Joe! - Joe Playan is 86 years young today.

This picture was taken at a commercial property that Joe owns in Palm Springs. His good friend Zoltan Kovacs runs a Steel Fabricating and welding business at this location. There is also an Auto body repair business at the other end of the property.

photo Jerry Entin

Edited by Jerry Entin, 16 May 2017 - 02:06.

Originally posted by Jerry Entin
Bjorn: Not many of us get to see our 86th year. Joe is going to tell the forum members some stories of his racing that will show what it was like in the day to be a part of the Southern Califonia Racing scene. Joe had many friends in racing. Just a few were Sam Weiss, Max Balchowsky and Vasek Polack and Johnnie von Neumann and Art Evans and he goes to lunch with Chic Vandagriff of Hollywood Sportscar fame, quite often. Joe is a member of the Nifty Fifties Club and is a friend to many. Joe also was a Hollywood stuntman. He did driving scenes in movies.

Joe Playan in his Porsche Spyder with Frank Monise in his Lotus.

This photo is from the airport races at Palm Springs.

photo Lester Nehamkin - Joe Playan collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 03 May 2017 - 22:16.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 18 September 2011 - 07:50.

Max Balchowsky and his good friend Joe Playan.
Max called his cars Ol Yaller's. Max Balchowsky introduced me to Joe Playan in 1963. I have been friends with him ever since.

photo Joe Playan collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 15 May 2017 - 13:03.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 18 September 2011 - 07:53.

Originally posted by Jerry Entin

Ricardo Rodriguez before going out and winning the 1957 Riverside race.
On a visit to Joe Playan's house in Palm Springs, California I was asked by Joe if I would like to see the pictures of Lester Nehamkin. Joe Playan told me that Lester had come into his brake shop called Washington Brake, this was located in a place called MarVista. That is kind of the entrance to what is now called the Marina Del Rey area of Los Angeles. He told Joe Playan he wasn't going to take any more race pictures. He was now going to do Golf pictures. He went on to take many of the pictures of Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. Joe Playan was given these boxes of pictures that Lester had taken in the 50's of race events. No one had seen them, until I was shown them. The above picture is one of them. I told Joe that people would love to see these. I asked could I put them on the internet for people to enjoy. Joe said sure. This is how I got started with Tam's Old Race car site. And this forum.
photo Lester Nehamkin-Joe Playan collection.

Ricardo Rodriguez and Jack McAfee and Joe Playan

Joe Playan remembers Ricardo Rodriguez being: "As Fast as they Came."
Joe Playan also raced in his everyday work clothes. He isn't in a proper race suit. He even has an air gauge still in his pocket. Joe owned a Brake Shop called Washington Brake and this is how he dressed at work. No fire proof outfit or racing shoes or gloves.
Joe Playan says of Jack McAfee that you couldn't find a better friend or fellow racer to compete against. As they say Jack was the "Salt of the Earth."

photo lent site Scuderia Rodriguez - scanned for site Carlos Jalife.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 03 May 2017 - 20:18.

Daniel Sexton Gurney in Corvette in front of Joe Playan.

Dan Gurney went on to win this 1957 race in Cal Bailey's Corvette.

Joe Playan wanted to upgrade his first Porsche 550 Spyder. He heard there was a newer version avaliable in the San Fransico area. A fellow named Al Norwitt had a new RS Spyder. Joe didn't have the funds to purchase this car. They were $5,800 in the late 50's. So, Joe went to his local Bank. It was called Security First Bank. Joe had a friend there named Gordon Heinmiller. He asked him could he get a loan for advertising for his Brake repair shop business. Gordon said sure and that is how Joe got his new Porsche.

Joe flew up to San Fransico and drove the Porsche back on the highway. This was a race car with no muffler and no license plate or registration. He was stopped several times on the way back down to Southern California by the Highway Patrol. The first thing they would ask him was, "What is that thing?"
Joe would tell them it was a new type Porsche and they would just say it looks like a spaceship and have a good time heading home.

photo Lester Nehamkin - Joe Playan collection.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 03 May 2017 - 21:18.

Rex McAfee and Joe Playan.

This is at the recent Legends of Riverside event. Joe Playan was honored as being at the first race held at Riverside Raceway.
Rex McAfee is the son of the late Jack McAfee.

Joe Playan is now 87 years young.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 03 May 2017 - 23:58.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 18 September 2009 - 16:15.

Joe Playan in his 1963 Corvette Stingray behind John Morton in the Lotus Seven.

This race was held at the parking lot of the Dodgers baseball team. It was called Dodgers Stadium.
Joe used this car in the Disney movie called The Love Bug. During the filming of The Love Bug, Joe accidentlly went off a cliff. The other stunt men threw down ropes to get to the car. Joe climbed out so fast on his own they thought he was a Billy goat. He was very stiff. And he was in shock. One of the stunt men named Tom Bamford looked at Joe and said "Boy you look white as a Ghost." Joe said "You try driving over a 200 foot cliff and see what you look like". It was a tradition in those days. If you did a stunt and walked away from it after an unforeseen accident, you had to buy the other guys the drinks that night. These guys weren't against drinking. Well Joe bought so many rounds that night he didn't remember how he got back to his room.
The other guys had to climb down the side of the hill with ropes to get Joe's car out because they had to finish the scene. It wasn't suppose to go over the cliff.
Joe also drove this car to Phoenix when he first got it to participate in a race and then drove it home to the Mar Vista area. Joe Finished 3rd in this race with a street stock car.
photo John Morton collection.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 April 2010 - 00:45.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 31 March 2010 - 01:46.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 03 April 2010 - 04:51.

Irene Cutler in her MG
Joe Playan loved dancing and Irene was his favorite dance Partner

Edited by Jerry Entin, 14 May 2017 - 00:58.

Edited by bradbury west, 01 April 2010 - 20:28.

Washington Brake when first opened for Business.

Joe's brake shop was located in the Mar Vista area. In those days it was in the middle of nowhere.
This was around 1947.


photo: Joe Playan collection

Edited by Jerry Entin, 04 April 2010 - 00:51.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 05 February 2012 - 10:26.

Edited by Jerry Entin, 03 April 2010 - 05:39.