A few photos from the tribute to Chad McQueen held at Porsche Palm Springs. Chad was a dedicated caretaker of his dad’s car collection, and was the consummate car enthusiast. It was a treat to photograph a few of my favorite Porsche automobiles.
A tradition for upper classmates attending elementary schools across Long Beach, California in the 1960s was a week-long camping adventure by school bus to the nearby mountains. Some fifth graders went to Camp Hi-Hill in Angeles Crest, others went to Camp O-Ongo in Running Springs. Everyone debated and argued which camp was best. For reasons I don’t recall, our class went to Camp O-Ongo.
The campgrounds were replete with cabins, dining halls, campfires, and an endless stream of organized outdoor activities designed to engage throngs of fifth graders in various crafts, learning, team-building and physical activities.
Kids were segregated by gender, then randomly divided among a dozen or so cabins, each named to help ensure no one would find themselves lost at bedtime. Our cabin was led by a camp counselor I vaguely remember, except that he was barely older than a high schooler.
Our cabin was called the “Manzanita”, named after the indigenous evergreen shrub which dominated the local chaparral. The Manzanita cabin’s mix of boys could be best described as skewing heavily towards nerdiness. I won’t share their names for fear of retaliation, but there’s little doubt that the shoe fit, with room to spare.
No sooner than juggling and tossing for a premium bunk space had concluded, the counselor gave us the task of imagining a our cabin’s team name. And, so it was… the nerds settled on the coolest name of all, and we became forever known as the “Manzanita Playboys.” We were all bark and no bite, but who cared.
A few of the surviving members of the Manzanita Playboys recently gathered at Joe Jost’s, a one-hundred year old dive bar in Long Beach, for a sixty-year reunion of the founding of the Manzanita Playboys. We drank cheap beer, ate pickled eggs and pretzels, and had a couple of Joe Jost’s Special sandwiches. No one really remembers for sure who came up with the name, but I’ll go to my grave swearing it was me.
We didn’t talk much about the camp, except for a few fading memories about trying to get to first base with a girl who’s name I dare not mention, plotting a failed panty raid on the girl’s cabin, and the bus ride home when someone got car sick as we swerved around the curves of the mountain road back to civilization. But the memory that still sticks is the bravado of calling ourselves, the nerdiest cabin mates of all, the “Manzanita Playboys.”
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Albeit, sixty years too late, I made a logo and printed up some t-shirts and buttons.
My bro-in-law took me for a cruise in his ’62 VW Beetle down PCH in Huntington Beach. Grabbed a few snaps along the way with the phone.
The 2025 #IndyCar schedule will include The Thermal Club on March 23, 2025. The event becomes a full points-paying race after serving as a $1 million exhibition in 2024.
Here’s a flashback to a few favorite photos from the $1 million exhibition event this past spring.
What was certainly one of the most memorable motorsports experiences and most unique race weekends I’ve ever enjoyed was the NTT INDYCAR SERIES that took place March 22-24 at The Thermal Club near Palm Springs, California. Here are just a few photos I captured at the event. I can’t express how fantastic the organizers, the folks at The Thermal Club, the teams and competitors, the residents, fans, and sponsors were.
The Thermal Club’s $1 Million Challenge event included a two-day Open Test, group qualifying sessions, two heat races and a 12-car “all-star” race with $1.756 million at stake – the largest purse for an INDYCAR SERIES race outside of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
The Twin Palms track at the Thermal Club is a 3.067-mile (4.82-km) raceway which includes a highly demanding trajectory on top to get to a total of 19 turns. The layout consists of sweepers, tight corners, long straightaways, and elevation changes, providing a proper driving and engineering challenge to teams.
Look forward to the opportunity to do it again!
Selections from Daniel Stiel’s automotive photography portfolio which personifies the type of images ideal for “Bring a Trailer” and similar automotive marketplaces.
Note: we have not included images of automobiles showing “personally identifiable information” such as license plates to protect the identity of our clients (the exception are the personal vehicles owned by the photographer).
Part One – click on any photo for a close-up view. Scroll down for “Part Two”
Part Two – more examples of Daniel Stiel’s Automotive photography ideal for automotive selling marketplaces including BaT, eBay, and others. Click on any image for a close-up view.
For more information, contact Dan at (512) 887-8435.
The Manta Car Company was based in Orange County, California. I finally had an opportunity to photograph this rare example in exceptional condition “up close” recently. Such a cool car powered by a small block Chevrolet engine.
Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (TRM) in Thermal, California recently welcomed passengers for a flight across the Coachella Valley on this beautifully restored 1929 Ford 4-AT-E Trimotor aircraft. This aircraft, now owned and operated by the eaa has a storied history of service beginning as a passenger plane flying across Cuba and Central America.
Opening Reception College of the Desert, Palm Desert, California.
Thursday September 28th 4-7pm free and open to all.
Installations and mini-artist mart curated by @bloodygums
Live screen printing @bluehillstudios
Cars to admire courtesy of @bajitos.del.valle.cc
Delicious Tacos from @salsitas_v.i.p
DJ sets and live set from @calmalacoachella
Featuring a solo exhibition from @c.ramirez2323 (featured in this post)
@abars
@guamomo_steph
@anta52
@aaragonb_art
@m_bardales
@alexbargas_studio
@brushwork
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@raid_33
#thinkspace #tlalocstudios #marksartcenter #newcontemporary #collegeofthedesert
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