Walt Mahoney Dies
 

9/7/2002
INDUSTRY NEWS - Walt Mahony, 1926-2002
Posted By Paul Carruthers


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Classic Shooter
Walt Mahony, one of motorsports' most prolific photojournalists, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday morning, September 1. Walt has been an active photographer for more than five decades, shooting over a quarter million photos, beginning in 1951 at Carrell Speedway in Los Angeles.

Along the way he had time to be a charter member of the California Roadster Association (later to become the "CRA" sprint car group), as well as serving on their board of directors for seven years. He also owned the car in which future Indy 500 veteran Dempsey Wilson won the famous "500 Lapper" at Carroll Speedway. He personally set several class records at drag strips around Southern California in the late forties, and was a regular competitor in the SCTA "dry lakes" time trials.

In 1956, Mahony put all of his energy into the design and building of Los Angeles Speedway, later known worldwide as Ascot Park. He served as track photographer there, as well as to the Agajanian family, until the track closed in the early '90s. Over the years he had a few "straight jobs," including work in the photographic departments of Universal Studios, Paramount Studios, and the Los Angeles Harold-Express. Walt also appeared in several feature films and was very proud of his SAG card.

Mahony managed Trackmaster Racing Frames for Ray Hensley for a time, then bought the famed motorcycle chassis company in 1971. The "squashed backbone" mile track frames for British twins and triples were Walt's design, as well as many other innovations that keep Trackmaster frames in demand still today among "vintage" racers. During that time, he owned Ascot- winning Triumphs and Yamahas for riders like John Hateley and Ron Moore.

When Ascot closed, the native Californian "retired" to Missouri, where he was track photographer at Airport Speedway in Springfield until this past July, when he grew too ill with cancer to continue. A memorial race in his honor will be held there soon. In August, Walt was inducted into the Motorcycle Dirt Track Hall of Fame for his contributions to, and his zeal for, the sport. On October 19, he will be inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in Ohio.

Walt Mahony was 76 years old, and leaves behind a son and daughter-in-law, Dan and Vickie, both motorsports photographers, and a daughter and son-in-law, Kimberly and Joe Mahan, and granddaughters Bridget and Cassidy, all living in Missouri. In lieu of flowers, Mahony said you should buy a six-pack of Corona, a Sinatra tape, and enjoy life for a while.