By Richard Parks
1) EDITOR’S CORNER: I am forgetful at times. Sometimes I overlook an email, forget to thank others for helping out and not remembering what story we are on. So here is a blanket statement of apology and a promise to work harder at getting things right.
AND: Museums, Libraries, Hall of Fame Program problems continued. A stable and long-lasting supporter. When you have a name to attach to an honors program, such as Carroll Shelby, Robert E. Petersen, Nick Barron, Henry Ford, etc, it is much easier to attract multiple donors and supporters. Major corporations can also benefit the honors program, such as the SCMA (Southern California Marine Association), SEMA (Specialty Equipment Management Association), Ford Motor Company, Chrysler, General Motors Corporation, some of the big Oil and Gas Companies, etc, then you not only have a funded sponsor, but better yet someone or something well known to the public.
AND: Do you enjoy book, magazine, movie, newspaper and video REVIEWS in the newsletter? If you want to try your hand at reviews, then send them to me and I will post them in the newsletter and keep in the archives. I just added a great review by new reader Donia Moore, who has said she would like to do more reviews.
AND: Would you prefer MULTIPLE colors or just one color like RED in highlighting topics discussed?
2) If you love reading about automotive history, you’ll be pleased to hear that Myles Kornblatt’s Max Hoffman: Million Dollar Middleman is back in stock. We think it’s a fantastic book covering some fascinating social history. We’re not alone, either: it won the Royal Automobile Clubs’s 2023 Motoring Book of the Year (Below £50) category. Max Hoffman £30, by Myles Kornblatt, Hardback, 20.7x25cm, 160 pages, 227 pictures. The story of Max Hoffman, who started his career as a racer in Europe, but became the catalyst for getting some of the most celebrated sports cars into the hands of the American public. His dealer network might have been based in North America, but his influence and impact were global. From: Veloce at newsletter.
3) Frank Tiegs, who sponsored John Force Racing entries through his businesses, Flav-R-Pac and Montana Brand Tools, passed away February 8, 2024. He was 66. A successful entrepreneur who started his business empire with just one farm in Pasco, Washington, Tiegs went on to own more than a dozen businesses that included real estate, farming, processing, finance, development, and marketing. “Frank Tiegs was one of the most incredible, inspiring, and generous people I’ve ever met,” Force said. “He was so easy-going and easy to like and easy to talk to.” Force first met Tiegs in 1990, shortly after the legendary drag racer earned his first NHRA Funny Car championship. They reunited more than 2½ decades later, and their renewed friendship began with a mutual love and appreciation of racing and muscle cars, and particularly their respective families. The biggest highlight of the Force-Tiegs friendship came on Aug 4, 2019, in the Northwest NHRA Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington, when Force and Prock performed a drag racing rarity by winning both ends of the two NHRA Nitro classes. NHRA updates.
4) September 1st, 2024, 8-11AM, the Annual Japanese Car Cruise-In. Get ready to immerse yourself in the ultimate celebration of Japanese automotive culture at the Petersen’s annual Japanese Car Cruise-In. From: Petersen Automotive Museum info.
5) Speed Demon wins HOT ROD Magazine Trophy at 2024 SCTA Bonneville Speed Week. The Speed Demon streamliner wins the HOT ROD trophy for the twelfth time by achieving the fastest overall speed on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Marc Gewertz, Writer and Photographer. Aug 10, 2024. Go to: https://www.motortrend.com/features/ bonneville-speed-week-2024-speed-demon-streamliner-ove rall-winner/. From: Marc Gewertz.
6) Books on Mark Greene’s Cars Year website mentioned by those appearing on Mark’s Podcast. 020: Michael Lynch – The Cobra Ferrari Wars, by Michael L. Shoen. 019: David Madeira – Modern Times, by Paul Johnson. 018: Marshall Buck – From Passion to Perfection, by Richard Adatto. 017: Warren Tracy – The Last Open Road, by B.S. Levy. (Review in file). 016: Jonathan A. Stein – Jaguar Sports Racing and Works Competition, by Andrew Whyte. 015: Diane Brandon – Bentley: 50 Years of the Marque, by Johnny Green, and The Rolls Royce Motor Car, by Anthony Bird & Ian Hallows. 014: Perry Stern – The Arsenal of Democracy, by A.J. Baime. 012: Tim Suddard – Small Wonder, by Walter Henry Nelson. 011: Steve Anderson – The Candy Colored Tangerine Flake Streamline Baby, by Tom Wolf.
7) The Ultimate Guide on NHRA Drag Racing Series Betting in the US. Understanding NHRA Betting Odds: The US online sportsbooks and retail bookmarkers use the American odds. However, you must understand the differences between the three odds-stating methods. These are American Odds, Decimal Odds and Fractional Odds. https://nxtbets.com/the-ultimate-guide-on-nhra-drag-racing-series-betting-in-the-us/. John Towle
AND: All links in the newsletter need to be copied and pasted into your browser in order to work.
8) (Paul Chamberlain’s story continued). “The only problem with ‘the road’ was that after the finish line, you had to navigate a sweeping left curve to be able to slow down. It wasn’t sharp but just enough to get your attention. Before it was plowed and concreted over, the river road provided us in the east valley with a ready-made drag strip. Just ask any of the Burbank Road Kings about it. Rumor has it that Tommy Ivo tested his 4-engine monster there in the middle of the night as well as many crazy goings-on that happened on ‘the road.’ Bet none of you have ridden in a cad powered Allard on ‘the road’ in the passenger side, sitting or lying on a chaise lounge pillow, instead of a seat, that was sliding around on the aluminum floor. That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’ll tell you more about it sometime.” (to be continued)
9) Congrats to Chris Raschke and the entire Speed Demon team. The Hot Rod Magazine Trophy was awarded to the car posting the fastest speed every year since 1949. The team has won the Hot Rod Magazine Trophy for the 12th time at SCTA’s 76th annual Speed Week held on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Wendover, Utah. Raschke drove to a winning 446.716 mph, which is the five-mile speed. They recorded an exit speed of 459.734 mph pass on Aug 8, the fastest speed posted during Speed Week this year. The car is tuned by co-crew chiefs Steve Watt & Kenny Duttweiler. From: Ron Main ron.
10) Congrats to my Assistant Jerry Rangel for his recent Lifetime Achievement award. The Gold Medal to another Hidden Pioneer that makes #8. Good job Team who’s next? From Bill Montgomery at HiddenPioneers.
JERRY: We also send our congratulations on your honor and for the service you gave to others. Some of Jerry’s accomplishments: High school wrestling California state qualifier, college graduate, help starting a program called “Dads all In,” Prime Motivation assistant manager, Board Member and assistant director of the Hidden Pioneers, US Army Veteran, and 2024 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
11) Bill: I would be willing to do something for 15 minutes at the Friday Family Night (once a month) at the Columbia Memorial Space Center (CMSC) August 30, 2024. I would just want to make sure that I could show something off of YouTube as well as from a PowerPoint. My presentation would do something with living and working on the ISS. God bless you all. Pamela “Space Pam” Leestma.
READERS: When Bill Montgomery says he knows people (as in NASA, SEMA, NHRA), he KNOWS people.
12) The evergreen three-time winner Louis Meyer. Born in New York’s Yonkers on July 21, 1904, Lou Meyer became one of the sport’s greatest protagonists in the Twenties and Thirties. Lou Meyer worked on cars and was later a mechanic for the famed Wilbur Shaw before he started racing himself. In 1928 he took over Phil Shafer’s Miller when it had been acquired by Alden Sampson and, after qualifying 13th, scored his first Indy triumph in it. I love the story that his then wife June didn’t actually know he was racing at Indianapolis. She had been picking up a damaged car from her brother-in-law Eddie at a race in Reading, Pennsylvania, and only learned of Lou’s success when the Reading track announcer asked spectators to give a big hand to Eddie Meyer, “the brother of the Indy 500 winner.” From: David Tremayne restspirit.
13) Royce Rumsey just published “Early 50’s FoMoCo on the Flightline.” Some cars have the distinction of fully establishing an entire automotive genre. Such is the case with the 1949-1951 “Shoebox” Fords and “Mercury 8’s” as the Post-War hot-rodding culture used these FoMoCo products as the cornerstone of performance/custom culture that has endured for now over 70 years. See: roycer924_2.
14) August Vintage Metal magazine (Western Australia). The Remarkable Count Carlo Felice Trossi, by Bill Buys. “There was an unusual car entered in the 1935 Italian Grand Prix on September 8. Bearing number 8 and sandwiched between the Bugatti T59 of Piero Taruffi and the Mercedes W25 of Rudolf Carracciola and Luigi Fagioli in the race program, was a Monaco-Trossi.” For the full story go to robertcampbell4.
15) I was just forwarded a copy of your wonderful newsletter from Chris Webb at the Simeone. I can’t believe I haven’t seen it before. Thank you for your kind description of me as “one of the leading experts on Can-am racing,” but I hardly qualify for that. I, like so many others, was just a fan and it has never left me. I still get excited seeing old films of the 917s at Sebring and Daytona! Please include me on your mailing list if you would. And, if you would like me to mention your newsletter on my glory Days FB group, with a link to subscribe, please just let me know. Thank you for this “labor of love.” Harry Hurst, GloryDaysOfRacing.com, Hurst Communications Inc, harry@glorydaysofracing.com.
HARRY: The Motorsports Newsletter is free and for fun and edification of the history of the car culture. There are about 900 on the list right now. Please send in whatever interests you, including links for others to see what you do. Everyone is free to contribute.
16) We are looking for Ak Miller stories. Here are some that we have collected. Zeke Miller, Ak’s older brother, would never put on a seat belt. “I saw a man crash at El Mirage and the homemade seat belt wouldn’t open. He burned to death screaming for help,” Zeke said. A lot of old racers hated seat belts and safety innovations that they thought were silly. But not Ak, who was an inspector and who also supported all the new safety rules being implemented after WWII. Another story that Ak loved to tell was about his job as a safety inspector at the dry lakes and Bonneville. “I would tell this guy that he couldn’t run, that his car wasn’t safe and then he went over to Wally and complained about me. Your dad had quite a sense of humor, so he comes over to me with his shoulders hunched and he says, ‘Ak, did you fail this guy’s car?’ I told Wally, ‘Yes, it’s unsafe.’ Wally turns to the guy and says, ‘Ak says your car is unsafe,’ and just turns and walks away, leaving the guy speechless.” (source: Wally & Barbara Parks story, We Did It Our Way)
17) The Vintage Speedcar Association (NSW) Newsletter 245th Edition
Issue #6, June & July 2024. 16 pages. On hand there was five TQ midgets belonging to Mark Kerr #3 John Gosper #6 Jeff Freeman #10 Col Barr #30 and Clarke Wheeler #76. Representing the mighty midgets were Dave Donaldson #29 and Terry Young in #67. The Super Modifieds comprised a good field of cars, Lindsay Cornwell #22, Pat Heaton #26, Alan Mace #51, Allan Bates #57, Shane Fullagar #66, Dave Hunt #76, and Ian Olive in #98. Everyone had four runs on the crushed granite before some packing up and heading to the pub for another great meal. Some chose to stay and watch some of the sedan class do their thing. Sunday morning at the motel another breakfast of bacon and eggs were available before we all parted ways to head home. The next great weekend of old folks and old cars @ Oakburn Park is on Nov 9, 2024. John/Maria Green at ajkake.
18) Wally’s stories: courtesy of DRIVE Magazine, by Wally Parks (serialized). “Having attended every meeting (of the AHRC) and deeply disappointed in the lack of any results, I raised my hand and made the following statement: ‘We have been meeting for three years now and can’t even agree on a name for our gathering, so I am going back to Los Angeles to form a new National Association, based on individual memberships – and you are all invited to join.’”
19) Jerry Scaccia Empire Dragway, Empire 6118 Main Street, North Branch, Minnesota 55056, 1-800-551-4754, www. CarTechBooks.com. How to Swap LS & LT Engines into Chevy & GMC Trucks: 1960-1998, by Jefferson Bryant. How to Build High-Performance Chevy LS1/LS6 V-8s, by Will Handzel. How to Rebuild GM LS-Series Engines, by Christopher Werner. How to Swap GM LT-Series Engines into Almost Anything, by Jefferson Bryant.
29) The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Awards Ceremony is headed to the Pechanga Resort Casino in the heart of scenic Southern California Wine Country. The 2024 ceremony will take place on Monday, November 18, 2024, following the final race of the season and the Countdown to the Championship, the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, which takes place Nov. 14-17 at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. From: National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) at nhracommunications. (by invitation only)
30) Vehicle Spotlights on display: 2008 Honda FC Sport, 1967 Honda N600, 1980 Toyota Corolla. From: Petersen Automotive Museum info.
31) (Randy Walls story continued). “In 1963 I built a race car with a 301 c.i. engine in a 1955 Chevy. The color was orange so I named it the Flying Pumpkin and the name was painted on the side by the well-known car racing artist and racer Bob McCoy. The car ran C/mod production and the first day out I earned the national record in ET of 12.74 seconds and beat Jack Jones convincingly. He was the champ at that time. I went on to way outdo the national record, but due to the politics involved in the sport, which I didn’t play, I was always aced out by cheaters that had friends in higher places, so I never got the official record, but they knew of my speeds. I ran this car in 1963 through ‘65 and got the E.T. down in the 12.30 range but couldn’t get the National record due to politics in the sport. I always felt that my car was too legal for the cheaters to comprehend. I then went into the new Funny Car class.” (to be continued)
32) Updated Facebook page from Yesterday’s SEMA garage visit with A & M Pioneers Pretty cool video to watch & share: Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hiddenpioneers/. Bill Montgomery
33) Compiling this fat, photo-heavy book was a true labor of love for a first-time author & retired hospice nurse, honoring his vow to a dying patient & Jr Fuel driver. Yup, the backstory is a genuine tearjerker read all about it! West Coast Junior Fuel: Volume I, A Class History 1964-1972, by Nick Vaughn with photos by Dave Wallace Sr. Buy at Amazon, aafueler.
34) Prime Motivation has been designed around a methodology to give disconnected youth an overview of the many, varied career opportunities that await them. Incorporating live demonstrations, hands-on workshops and educational seminars from hundreds of companies and organizations, Prime Motivation informs disadvantaged audiences of their potential futures through direct “Experiences.” website: HiddenPioneers.
35) Ed Iskenderian: The Legendary Camfather Celebrates 103 Years July 2024, by Donia Moore (first in the series. Donia Moore is at Iwritewordssc.
Ed Iskenderian, fondly known as “Isky” or the “Camfather,” is a name that resonates deeply within the automotive and hot-rodding communities. As he recently celebrated his 103rd birthday, it’s a perfect moment to reflect on the life and legacy of a man who not only pioneered the hot rod movement but also left an indelible mark on the world of high-performance automotive engineering.
36) Trailblazers Gazette: Newsletter of the Trailblazers Motorcycle Club, Aug 2024. CYCLE ACTION magazine. Here is Davey Durelle at the Pomona, CA 1/2 Mile. You had the sensation that you were watching a mile. Chris Agajanian promoted the event with the first running on Oct 5, 1991. It was the first Pomona National. It was an inaugural event that paid tribute to the closing of Ascot. And it was Jay Springsteen’s 41st National win after a 10-year dry spell. The packed crowd went crazy cheering for Jay. Davey compiled and incredible 15 wins in 15 races. And for Pomona, we thank Chris Agajanian for securing the venue for several years. It was a fabulous location. The track, everything, was perfect. Chris had to deal with tough city restrictions, track managers, track curfew, and other stipulations. Seems easy huh. Just rent a track and throw out some hay bales and make a ton of money. Not quite. Chris really wanted to promote another National in Los Angeles County. It was a tribute to Ascot. Sent in by Chris Agajanian (2nd in the series, the editor cannot process photos for the newsletter)
37) Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history, and the chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group, joined us for the 4th Annual Race Industry Week. Hosted by Jeff Hammond from SiriusXM, Channel 90. From: team.
Stand 21 Racewear has introduced the Steve McQueen Official Collection. Yves Morizot and Chad McQueen, longtime family friends, created this line. Legendary driver for a Legendary gear provider. Go to: https://www.epartrade.com/product/78a8fb10-mcqueen-official-collection.
38) In 1933 Lou Meyer won Indy again in the Tydol Special Miller, finishing a huge four laps ahead of the opposition. That was when he started the tradition of the post-race drinking of milk (well, at that time, buttermilk) in Victory Lane. Indiana was in the heart of America’s dairy industry. He won again in 1936 in the Ring Free Special Miller, on that occasion drinking real milk from a bottle. He was also the first beneficiary of fellow racer Tommy Milton’s suggestion that the Pace Car should be part of the victor’s winnings. He was headed for a record fourth victory when his spun the Bowes Seal Special with four laps to run, while fighting with Shaw in the 1939 event. From: David Tremayne restspirit.
39) We did this event a little over a year ago, it was pretty cool hanging with Ed Iskenderian. Watch this cool video here: hiddenpioneers for copies of the photos and video.
40) 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule here on the FOX broadcast network. NHRA COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP Sept. 11-14 40th annual NHRA Nationals Reading Sept. 19-21 17th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals Charlotte Sept. 26-28 14th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals St. Louis From: Bill Montgomery at Hidden Pioneers hiddenpioneers.
41) “BS” Burt Levy writes about his new book, Lotus Love Affair, it includes “…all the Lotuses I ever drove, raced or tried to fix…none of which I owned, by the way), but also about how I managed to go through a Jim Fitzgerald led race-driving school at Road Atlanta in a Hertz-rental Lincoln Town Car, who the wizened little old man was hand-rolling fine cigars underneath the stairs at an exclusive restaurant in Nassau (hint: he used to hand-roll cigars for Fidel Castro).” From: Think Fast Ink thinkfast-mindspring.com.
42) The Palm Springs Car Show & Festival, Saturday, October 5, 2024, in Downtown Palm Springs, CA. Please invite your club members to sign up and participate in this new car show. www.PalmSpringsCarFest.com.
AND: The La Verne Holiday Car Show is on Saturday, November 23, 2024, in Downtown La Verne, CA. Entry forms can be downloaded at: www.CruisinLaVerne.com.
AND: The Brea Holiday Car Show is on Sunday, December 8, 2024, in Downtown Brea, CA. Entry forms can be downloaded at: Craig.
43) You can see more of Camilo Pardo and his work here at HiddenPioneers.
44) Featured Speaker: Rick Ware, owner of Rick Ware Racing (RWR), joined us for the 4th Annual Race Industry Week. Hosted by Brad Gillie from SiriusXM, Channel 90, Late Shift. From: team.
GMS Fabrication and Chassis will present this live webinar on Wednesday, August 14 at 9 am PST. Presented by Mike Beam, President, and Steve Nash, Shop Foreman. Hosted by Brad Gillie from SiriusXM, Channel 90, The Late Shift. From: team.
45) Return to Sanctuary City Screenplay: Paperback, by Paul D. Escudero. Sequel to Welcome to Sanctuary City. Sci-Fi genre. From: Paul Escudero at railstankers666.
46) Bruce F. Mehlenbacher Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA) Quick 32 Sportsman Series Pro Bike & Sled Series (PBSS) Divisions of JAJ Entertainment Cell: 905-517-5345 Email: Bruce.
47) One second-prize winner will be awarded an A-iPower GXS7100iRD Dual Fuel/Remote Start Inverter Generator. NHRA Sweepstakes. The sweepstakes will begin at 9am ET on July 19, 2024, and end at 11:59pm
ET on December 6, 2024. Go to: https://www.nhra.com/2024-nhra-sweepstakes-official-rules.
48) The Petersen Lowrider Parade event Sept 15, 2024, 10AM-2 PM. Sept 28, 2024, One-Day Rally to Idyllwild 8:45AM-5PM. Sept 29, 2024, California Car Cover Cruise-In, 8 AM-11 PM (check with PAM on hours). Oct 4, 2024, LUFTGEKUHLT Pre-party & Car Show 6-10 PM. From: Petersen Automotive Museum info.
49) The Vintage Speedcar Association (NSW) Newsletter 245th Edition
Issue #6, June & July 2024. 16 pages. THE GATES ARE OPEN: Report and photos by Kevin Gilkison. How good is it to once again have a speedway track operating in Sydney! Sydney International Speedway is The Home of Speedway in Sydney. Indications so far are that the new operators intend to put on shows which the paying spectators have interest in. Negotiations are underway to secure the services of the speedway solos as well. John/Maria Green ajkake.
50) Ed Iskenderian: The Legendary Camfather Celebrates 103 Years July 2024, by Donia Moore (continued).
Early Life and Passion for Automobiles: Born on July 10, 1921, Ed Iskenderian’s journey into the world of automobiles began in the most unassuming way. Growing up in Los Angeles, California, he was surrounded by the burgeoning car culture that defined Southern California in the early 20th century. His fascination with machinery and mechanics was evident from a young age, as he spent countless hours tinkering with anything that had an engine. During his teenage years, Isky built his first hot rod, a stripped-down Model T Ford. This initial foray into modifying and improving car performance was just the beginning of a lifelong obsession with speed and innovation. His innate understanding of engines and how to extract more power from them would set the stage for his future successes.
51) Books from Dalton Watson Fine Books at www.daltonwatson.com: Maserati 450S, a Bazooka from Modena, by Walter Baumer and Jean-Francois Blachette. Nash-Healey, a Grand Alliance, by John Nikas with Herve Chevalier. The Art of Conservation: Alfa Romeo SZ Coda Tronca, by Corrado Lopresto, Gautam Sen and Paolo Di Taranto. Fast Faster Fastest: The Bill Sadler Story, by John R. Wright.
52) AK followed his brothers, Lawrence (Old Dad) and Zeke, to the dry lakes in the 1930’s, and began a love affair with racing that lasts to this day. He was “the Kid” surrounded by young men in their late teens and early twenties, but they couldn’t keep him out. He loved hot rodding with a white-hot fire and zeal. He was a charter member of the Roadrunners, one of the original car clubs that absorbed the remnants of the Muroc Timing Association, and formed it into the storied SCTA, in December of 1937. Ak raced whatever was available, even an old derelict model-T that was abandoned in the desert. He would remove the battery after racing the old heap and was always surprised to find it still there when he returned for the next meet. It didn’t set any records, but it gave his car club valuable points toward the season’s champion-ship trophy. Ak devoured the rule book. Many accused him of cheating, but he didn’t have to as he knew every rule and the fine points of the regulations. He built cars to set records and he teamed up with guys who knew how to race. (Source: Wally & Barbara Parks story, We Did It Our Way)
53) A media wing to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) has been suggested. Robin Miller of the Indianapolis News was nominated and inducted into the MSHoF. However, Steve Reyes, Robert Daley, Pete Biro, Dave Friedman, Joe Scalzo, Pete Lyons, Paul Pfanner, Gordon Kirby, Terry Lingner, Tom Higgins and Marty Reid have been nominated for the Hall of Fame, but not chosen. From https://www.mshf.com/.
54) Bill Montgomery tells us about the creation of Hidden Pioneers (Part 2, to be serialized). Hidden Pioneers seeks sponsors to do events, spread the knowledge through social media platforms, hands on learning, introductions to professionals, mentorships and more! We started this Team because of my cousin Katherine Johnson who worked for NASA for 34 years. The movie of her was made based on a book called Hidden Figures and we now have a roadmap to continue her legacy. NASA is our focus, and we plan to get a Space Act agreement to help open doors and increase demand for our services: HiddenPioneers.
55) Books on Mark Greene’s Cars Year website mentioned by those appearing on Mark’s Podcast. 058: Michael Keyser – Mon Ami Mate by Chris Nixon and 1967: Chris Amon, Scuderia Ferrari and a Year of Living Dangerously by John Julian 057: David Ryan – Fleetwood the Company and the Coachcraft by James J. Schild 055: Tony Smetona – Prepare to Win by Carroll Smith 054: Nicolas Hunziker – Grand Prix Who’s Who by Steve Small 053: Rod Emory – The Last Eleven by Philip Carney & Jacques Mertens, Better Than Gold by Dietrich Hatlapa 052: Randy Wells – The Photographic Essay by William Albert Allard 051: Pete Bristow – The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein 050: Frank Manderano – Managing for Results – Peter Drucker and Go Like Hell by A.J. Baime
56) Wally’s stories: courtesy of DRIVE Magazine, by Wally Parks (serialized). Either my father’s memory was off (concerning the American Hot Rod Council), or he was trying to clean up a messy and litigious past where agreement had been reached only to have members of Russetta push for a two-thirds vote called the Baney Rule that stopped Parks and Petersen from starting the AHRC. Also in error was that it took three years, which was closer to just a year of inaction. Dad concluded, “The declaration was followed by our announcement in the March 1951 issue of Hot Rod Magazine, confirming the new National Hot Rod Association formation.”
57) Visit the Quick 32 Sportsman Series at bruce.
58) GMG Racing founded in 2001, quickly established itself as North America’s premier performance tuning facility. What began as a small 1200 square feet shop, maintaining two race cars, has grown into a state-of-the-art performance tuning, racing and service facility located in Santa Ana, California, and with a trackside motorsports facility at 30,000 square feet currently being built at The Thermal Club. GMG, in its early years, was located directly across the street from Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA). This close proximity allowed GMG to build a strong relationship with the legendary racing brand. GMG is involved in Sebring, Daytona and Spa. Go to: Racing or 714-432-1582.
59) BLAST FROM THE PAST…… From the Wally & Barbara Parks story, We Did It Our Way. 28 APRIL 1946 SCTA time trials at El Mirage Dry Lake. Parks was just as eager to start time trials in 1946 as Bozzy Willis and Thatcher Darwin were in 1945; this time the SCTA had most of its staunchest members back from the war and ready to lead. The opposition to Parks had been muted, but not dead and the SCTA governing board felt it necessary to hold a time trial in April; that was not a good month to begin racing as the lakebed might still hold some moisture and the wind is often fearful at that time of year. There was no stopping the emotion to race; and with some caution the SCTA plowed ahead with their meet. El Mirage was also a much smaller dry lake playa, something like 1½ mile in length and rather narrow.
60) The Ultimate Guide on NHRA Drag Racing Series Betting in the US. American Odds: This is denoted using the positive (+) and negative (-) signs. The ‘+’ symbol represents the underdogs, whereas the ‘-’ symbol represents the favorites. The higher the odds value, the higher the potential winnings. For example, a -140 means you must wager $140 to win $100, while a +140 means you’ll win $140 if you wager $100. https://nxt bets.com/the-ultimate-guide-on-nhra-drag-racing-series-betting-in-the-us/. John Towle
61) Mary McGee is 92, and sharp as a tack. She, her nephew Chris Sunderland and film director Haley Watson had just travelled over from the debut of Haley’s movie ‘Motorcycle Mary’ which made its world premiere on the big screen at the 2024 Tribeca Festival in New York on Friday the 7th. We had a great conversation as I knelt beside her, and it turned out we had a few friends in common. When it came time for her to visit the Mercedes garage, I hijacked her with Chris’s permission and had the pleasure of wheeling her in. “He’s okay in a straightline, Mary,” somebody warned her, “but watch out on the corners…” Very droll. The Mercedes guys were wonderful, very respectful and happy to show her the complexity of a modern F1 steering wheel, the way the plank wears during a race, stuff like that, and responded to her insightful questions. This was not a grandmotherly woman asking them random things, this was another racing legend at work, and they treated her as such. It was lovely to watch. Turned out she’d not only been to the US GP at Riverside back in 1960 but had never forgotten meeting Jim Clark. I liked that. From: David Tremayne restspirit.
62) Sherm Porter’s Schedule of car shows and events (fuely32) SEPTEMBER 5-8 Rat Pack Rendezvous, South Lake Tahoe, Vintage Trailer Rally, info. SEPTEMBER 14 All Ford Car Show & Swap Meet, The Santa Maria A’s, Old Town Orcutt, 9am-3pm, For info: Curt 805-478-1231 or Jay 805-598-8133 or www.santamariamodelaclub.com. SEPTEMBER 15 El Mirage SCTA Time Trials. For info: www.scta-bni.org. SEPTEMBER TBD Grand National Truck Show, 877-763-7469 or www.rodshows.com.
63) Over the years, Chris Economaki, Brock Yates, Shav Glick and Denise McCluggage are some of the few journalists who have managed to garner enough support from voters to be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA). From the MSHFA website at https://www.mshf.com/.
64) We are looking for Ak Miller stories. Here are some that we have collected. “Ak Miller left his garage in the 1960’s to work for Ford and run in the Mobil Economy Runs. He was a terrorat the Pike’s Peak Hill Climbs, winning nine times in his class, with Ray Brock as his crew. He and Brock also competed in and won their class in the 1963 Baja 1000 Road Race. Ak always reduced a man’s given name to a nickname, and he could size up a person in an instant. Once you were stuck with one of Ak’s creations that is how everyone knew you in the hot-rodding community.” (Source: Wally & Barbara Parks story, We Did It Our Way)
65) With an NHRA Competition License and becoming an NHRA member, benefits with the NHRA Racer Advantage program, include discounts with Summit Racing Equipment, Goodyear Tires, Cordova Coolers, NHRA.tv, excess medical insurance coverage for all NHRA participants and members up to $600,000 at all NHRA Member Tracks, and many more companies. From: nhracommunications.
66) BOOK REVIEW: One Last Turn: Personal Memories of the Can-Am era’s greatest mechanics, tuners and crews, by Martin Rudow and David Gaddis, from Dalton Watson Publisher. Reviewed by Richard Parks for the Gone Racin’ Archives. I try not to use words like Wow, Fantastic, Stupendous, Best Ever in reviews for that is the job of the promoters and public relations and they tell little about the value of a book. Yes, sometimes they apply, but the reader wants to know something more such as the quality of the book, its story telling and photo graphs. In other words, the “nuts and bolts” holding everything together. The second part of a review looks at the contents, and finally the subjective opinion of the reviewer. One Last Turn is a massive work, measuring 11 & 3/4 inches in width by 10 & 1/4 inches in height and 1 and 1/4 inches in thickness, with 400 pages. There aren’t many bookcases that will adequately house such a book, but One Last Turn is not intended to be lodged there. It is a coffee table size book, one that draws the reader back to it often. (to be continued)
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