Larry Morrison
By Larry Morrison

I was born Feb 14, 1942 in Silver City, NM. Mom and dad are NM natives. Lived in that area until about 48 or 49 when we moved to El Paso, TX area. My dad was in water well drilling business for many years. When he sold out we moved bock to Silver City area and then in 57 moved to Albuquerque, NM. Parents had a motel across from a local Hot Rod hang out and that was probably the beginning of my love for hot cars. Every day these guys would come to drive inn in there neat cars, some old some fairly new. All sounded good and some looked good and some were both. I could not get enough of them. I was always asking questions of these guys. Probably some stupid ones too. I heard them talk about Drag Racing and had no idea what they meant. Started buying some magazines to learn more and then one week end in 57 one of our relatives from Carlsbad, NM came to Albuq and stayed with us at the motel to attend the Drag Races in Albuq.

He had a neat Black 56 Chevy 2 dr Ht with a Cadillac engine in it. My dad and I went and watched the next day and that was my first real drag race experience. Of course the 56 cleaned house and I later learned that it always did. By now you know it was Dickie & Elaine that came to visit and race. This was the same guy that worked for my dad when we lived in El Paso, before he went into the military. He had a grin and a way about him I still remembered from the early days.

In late 57 my mom, sister and I moved to Hatch, NM where I graduated from Hi school in 60. I still had a great interest in cars. In 59 we went to Carlsbad to visit and I got to go to the races with Dickie and was I ever hooked on Drag Racing.

In 58 while still in hi school I went to work for the local Chrysler dealer in Hatch first as a mechanic helper and then into the parts dept. After graduation in 60 I had a few jobs but ended in the parts dept of a Ford dealer in southern NM. The good thing was that El Paso, TX had a drag strip and we went every time they were open. In 61 we saw Dick run almost every other weekend in El Paso and I even got to work on his car some. Nothing important but it was fun. In 62 I went to work for my uncle on the Navajo Indian reservation drilling water wells and moved to Gallup, NM. I found some gas stations where nice cars were parked and that is where I hung out. I had a Black 62 Chevy and had installed some S&S headers on it that I got from Dick.

Even in Gallup which is about 8 hours from Carlsbad they had heard of those fast Chevies from Carlsbad.
In 63 I was sort of wandering with no real purpose in mind, just cars so my mom called Dickie and asked him if he could use some help and maybe help me get some idea of what I wanted in life, best phone call ever made. I went to Carlsbad and worked for Moran’s Chevrolet in the Parts Dept during the day and Dick at night. Learned so much from him. Living the dream. In late 63 the US Army decided they wanted me to serve, so I joined the NMNG along with a lot of the racers in Carlsbad.

When I got out I moved back to Las Cruces, NM and started a career of working on farm equipment which is a big industry there. One day a friend of mine that owned an American Parts Store told me I should apply for a job at the warehouse in El Paso, so I did, I was hired and had a 7 year run with them in El Paso, Denver and Albuquerque. At that time a new warehouse was coming into prominence in Albuq and I was offered a job in sales. I worked there 18 years and the last 5 years I was the President of the company. In 91 I went to work for Standard Motor Products as a Factory Rep and was living in El Paso until 96 and then they moved us back to Albuquerque. I retired from them in 2006. Since then I have been working part time as a consultant to the Automotive Industry thanks to a guy I met in 1961 in El Paso, TX at the drag races named Jim Elgan.

My wife and I were married in 65 and raised 2 children Lauri and Terry. Lauri lives in Albuq and is in management at Sam’s Club, and Terry lives in SW Colorado is an electrician and I an Outfitter for Elk and Mule deer hunts. My wife Martha has been in the Grocery business since 65 in many capacities and now works for a Brokerage as a sales rep.

 

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