Motorsports Newsletter 7/31/24

01.08.2024 06:21

Drag Racing List

By Richard Parks

1) EDITORS CORNER: I don’t open attachments unless I know and trust the person sending them, or there is a message that explains what’s in the attachment. Even then I might send it back to the sender and ask them to “Cut & Paste” the message into a regular email. That cuts down on viruses and also my workload of opening the document and cutting and pasting the message. I also use BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) to hide everyone’s address, except my own. All links in this newsletter need to be copied and pasted into your browser in order to work.

AND: Please tell me if your emails can be put in the newsletter or not. That saves me time when you tell me.

AND: Museums, Libraries, Hall of Fame Program problems continued. Politics can ruin these programs. It isn’t always because an idea is bad, but that such programs become large and unwieldy, and the variety of opinions stop any progress from continuing as members and the public start arguing and quibbling over the best way to proceed. The smaller the governing body the easier to advance, but that means that opposition to the small group builds in intensity. The larger the group running and electing honorees means greater consent and support, but much greater disagreements and power struggles over choices.

AND: In my opinion, kudos have to go to Garlits for stepping up with the IDRA Hall of Fame thirty-four years ago. I am honored to be a part of it from day one and know a bit about what it has cost him personally in time, out of pocket costs and criticism over the years. While he has been able to find sponsors for it, the amount of funding from them hasn’t always covered the total cost each year. His museum crew does a lot of the work, but their time has to be included in the overall cost of the banquet along with the hall, food, trophies, etc. and it adds up quickly. In my mind, an additional atta-a-boy is in order because, even with his and Wally’s differences, he included Wally Parks as one of the original Selectors. Harry Hibler

HARRY: I have never sponsored an event or honorary awards event without going in the red and admire those that can stay close to budget. Don deserves all the credit we can give him. As for Don’s and Dad’s feuds, much is overblown. They both wanted drag racing to thrive and prosper, yet in different ways. Put two roosters together and you’ll always see feathers flying.

—————————————————————————————

2) My deepest and sincere condolences on the passing of Don Smith. I knew him for many years as a patient of Dr McNamara at St Francis Ophthalmology and later as a patient at Peninsula Ophthalmology and he became my friend. He was a wonderful man, and we would reminisce with the history and knowledge of cars and living in the Bay Area. My sincere condolences. From Karin Espinal. See link at https://www.sema.org/news-media/enews/ 2024/26/industry-mourns-loss-1987-sema-hall-fame-inductee-don-smith.

—————————————————————————————

3) Rick Lorenzen, founder of the Lions Automobilia Foundation, passed away peacefully Sunday, June 16, surrounded by family. In a statement, the foundation wrote, “Rick’s vision was the guiding light in the creation of the Lions Automobilia Foundation. His leadership and steadfast commitment to preserving what he referred to as a simpler time and to share with others. Rick enjoyed telling stories about watching the races at Lions Drag Strip as a young man with his friends and later meeting so many legends as they visited his treasured museum. As we navigate this challenging period, please know that I am committed to continuing Rick’s vision and values. My dedication will ensure that we remain strong and united, honoring Rick’s legacy in every step we take.”

EDITOR SEZ: I will miss Rick. He knew everyone it seemed and greeted people with a smile. He made us all feel welcome and a part of the museum. That was one of the reasons that I visited the museum, hoping to see Rick and feel his love for the car culture. He reminded me of so many old-time hot rodders of the past.

—————————————————————————————

4) Paul Chamberlain’s story cont’d. “Now, you gotta understand that this was pulled-off by an 18-year-old kid who only wanted to watch the races; no thought was given to the ramifications or the politics of having someone on the starting line wearing an NHRA Officials jacket, at a huge non-NHRA meet. I’m sure there were some interesting glances my way, but nobody said anything. As far as I know Wally never got wind of it. But Karma is a bitch. Flash forward to somewhere in the late 2015’s and I opened a copy of Hot Rod Deluxe and there is a picture of the back of a guy wearing the very same jacket, at the very same meet, captioned by Dave Wallace Jr, who asked, ‘Who is this guy?’ Evidently nobody could identify the ‘spy’ from NHRA. I couldn’t resist contacting DWJ and introducing myself and telling him, ‘That was no official; that was me.’ We’ve been good friends ever since. So, I guess the NHRA memories do reach across the years in the strangest ways.” (to be continued)

—————————————————————————————

5) George Poteet was a real gentleman who would always stop and chat whenever I was over in his pits with the Speed Demon team. A true Salt Flats Racer! Ron Bell

RON: George put his heart and soul into everything that he did. He always greeted us with warmth and kindness.

AND: A few things. Longer is better so long as there’s plenty of detail. Your Newsletter has many interesting things. I have attached an obituary for George Poteet from our ezine GrandPrix+, if you feel like posting suitable references to them. David Tremayne at restspirit@aol.com.

—————————————————————————————

6) Jaguar Cars £22.50, by Nigel Thorley, 160 pages, 387 images. Jaguar cars from 1922 through to 2008. Model information, specifications and other production details for each model are given in chronological order, with illustrations for each model and special features, helping owners and enthusiasts with identification. Also, in the series: Triumph & Standard, Morris, Rootes (Hillman, Humber, Singer, Sunbeam, Talbot), Rover, Austin, Ford, Riley & Wolseley, Citroën and Jaguar. From: Veloce at newsletter@veloce.co.uk.

—————————————————————————————

7) August Vintage Metal magazine (Western Australia). My latest is at https://indd.adobe.com/view/666a8c4a-22 0b-4e85-992d-de7702898834. Collie Coalfields 500, 21-22 September 2024, featuring some large fields of historic racing in various categories. 35 entries in Historic Touring cars, including the annual Trevor Roy Young memorial race, Nick Swift from the UK. Nick is well known for his flamboyant driving style in various Minis at Goodwood, Silverstone and similar historic events in the UK. Formula Vees forms a round of the Formula Vee Nationals. Formula Classic and five regularity events for each of the four regularity categories. Metro scrutiny will be at Caversham on Saturday 7 September. Regards, Bob Campbell at robertcampbell4@icloud.com.

BOB: Does Whiteman Park let you own or lease your new clubhouse and racing road course?

AND: It’s OK with me to show the link. Keep the newsletters coming. Regards, Bob

READERS: Bob Campbell has given the okay to use the above link (copy and paste it into your browser) to view his excellent Journal. Some nice old racecars are there.

—————————————————————————————

8) A Nice Tribute to Parnelli Jones. https://youtu.be/o7ccyPGRhpo?si=5aHIdJBbIxfPqnI3, or https://www.youtub e.com/watch?v=o7ccyPGRhpo. From: Chris Agajanian at chris@ascotmotorsports.com.

CHRIS: It was a well-done tribute to Parnelli and well worth watching.

—————————————————————————————

9) The Vintage Speedcar Association (New South Wales Australia) Newsletter 245th Edition – Issue #6, June & July 2024. 16 pages. Schedule: 29 July AGM Community Hall, River Rd, Ermington. 10 Aug Illabo Vintage Speedway. 25 Aug Shannons Eastern Creek, vintage car display. 6-7 Sept Vintage Spectacular 2-day event at Boonah Showground, Queensland. 7 Sept Illabo Vintage Speedway. 30 Sept General Meeting Community Hall, River Rd, Ermington. 6 Oct Static display at Stroud Brick-throwing Show. 13 Oct Static display at Davistown Putt-Putt Regatta. 19 Oct Illabo Vintage Speedway. 26 Oct Chromefest. 9 Nov Tamworth Speedway. 10 Nov Static display at Linwood House Guildford. From John/Maria Green at ajkake@bigpond.com.

JOHN & MARIA: Please keep sending your newsletter (just a link is all I need). You have a wonderful group of people and cars in Eastern Australia. Is it all right for me to share the link with others in the USA?

—————————————————————————————

10) West Coast Junior Fuel: Volume I, A Class History 1964-1972, by Nick Vaughn with photos by Dave Wallace Sr. $30.49, at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9DT5YC8. From: Dave Wallace Jr at aafueler@volcano.net.

—————————————————————————————

11) VISITORS DEPT: Had a nice visit from David Kennedy, Multimedia Director for NHRA. He’s really interested in the history of drag racing. David is a native of Massachusetts and now lives in Southern California. Visitors are welcome anytime at the WAR ROOM. If you want to visit just let me know you are coming so I can be home.

—————————————————————————————

12) John Dinkel Contributor @ SAE International, Automotive Engineering Magazine. “Our auto enthusiast community has become smaller and a bit worse for where these days because of the loss of two friends, Dave and Neil.” #Ferrari, #Carguys, #RoadandTrack, #Jaguar, #AstonMartin, #SurferPublications, #SkiMagazine, & #PowderMagazine. His real name is David Wilhelm and I him met through another car friend, Dave Robertson. We lost Robertson to cancer a few years back, but Robertson’s irascible love affair with all things automotive allowed him to help organize the annual Art Center College of Design car show at the Pasadena campus. Neil would be Neil Stebbins, a name that is indelibly etched in moguls all around the world. Neil made his Stenmark writing about skiing for Powder magazine, part of Surfer Publications in Dana Point, California. Neil was equally adept at making waves in the polar opposite sport of surfing. Here is a link to the article: https://www.linkedin. com/pulse/dave-neil-john-dinkel-pmtgc/?trackingId=pd6FdabCQgqPpiM3l9JIJw%3D%3D. YOUR newsletters are great. If people think they are too long, tell them to take up speed reading. Then you can change the name of your newsletters to SPEED (read) Sport News. From: John Dinkel at jgdinkel@icloud.com.

JOHN: I’m the slowest reader there could possibly be. How ’bout Speedy Motorsports Newsletter? Photos are available at the link above.

—————————————————————————————

13) We are looking for Ak Miller stories. Here are some that we have collected. “Ak had wanted to join the Army Air Corp during WWII but was transferred to the Army and sent to Europe to fight in the Battle of the Bulge. Surrounded, in freezing weather, with no support, he was forced to fight merely to stay alive. He came upon a German officer cooking a steak, cut from the flank of a dying cow, and so overcome by hunger, one having food and the other without, that they shot at each other for the food’s sake. Ak was quicker that day, winning the steak and a prisoner. He was less fortunate when frostbite ended his war and sent him back to England, unsure whether they would amputate his feet.” (source: Wally and Barbara Parks story, We Did It Our Way)

—————————————————————————————

14) I will be attending the NHRA US Nationals to create coverage about the 2024 SS/AH Hemi Challenge (now with Sox & Martin sponsorship) plus other classes. This is a lot of work, as you can imagine. Racing guys love this stuff, but you find out pretty quickly it’s like a newspaper: always on deadline. I have a feature or two every week plus, 1-minute segments on various car and race subjects almost daily. Geoff Stunkard.

—————————————————————————————

15) One of the great things about our line of business is that you get to meet some really intriguing people. Thinking about it the other day, the last World Champion that I never met was Jochen Rindt, and before him, sadly, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Mike Hawthorn, Alberto Ascari and Guiseppe Farina (though I did see Graham and Jochen race). I’ve had dealings with all of the rest, to greater and lesser extents.I figure that 28 out of 34 ain’t bad. I was privileged to meet Fangio at a Pirelli do in London on April 15th, 1987, at the launch of With Flying Colours, The Pirelli Album of Motorsport by Leonard Setright, Derek Forsythe and Robert Newman. I found a nice photo on page 167 of JMF’s Maserati 250F leading the Vanwalls of Tony Brooks, Stirling Moss and Stuart Lewis-Evans at Monza in 1957. I remember that he gave a big smile and his piercing blue eyes lit up as I proffered it for his autograph. Some people have charisma in spades. From: David Tremayne restspirit@aol.com.

—————————————————————————————

16) The NHRA announced its future building plans at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, unveiling a multi- phase plan for the legendary facility that includes a new Wally Parks Tower, renovated suites, a new entrance for fans and moving the professional pits to the west side of the facility. As part of an overall reinvestment into the facilities the NHRA owns and operates, the reimaging of Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park will be a multi-year project and begins this year. The project will take place over three phases: Phase 1: New Wally Parks Tower and Renovated Suites. Phase 2: Fan Enhancements, New Entrance, New Restrooms, New Ticket Office and Ditch Relocation. Phase 3: Shifting the Pro Pits to West Side of the Facility. From: updates@go.nhra.com.

EDITOR: Nice of you to name the tower after my dad, but he would have preferred a plaque in the corner somewhere and finding a sponsor to name the building after. The more names and sponsors the better.

—————————————————————————————

17) The Championship Point Award Series Banquet, “Night of Champions” for the Quick 32 Sportsman Series and the Pro Bike & Sled Series (PBSS), will be held at the Genesee River Restaurant and Reception Center in Mount Morris, NY on Saturday, January 25, 2025. From: Bruce Mehlenbacher bruce@jajentertainment.com.

—————————————————————————————

18) This is your soapbox; you are the preacher. I love seeing 8,000 words. Some interest me and I read every word, others I gloss over. You give us a menu of stuff. We choose what we want and enjoy it. I wanted to read the link to the Dick Martin story (https://www.motortrend.com/staff/dick-martin/) but it doesn’t work. Dave N

DAVE: Both sides are right. Many like longer newsletters and just as many want shorter ones. Long news- letters are blocked by spam programs simply due to their algorithms. Computer programs are set up to look for certain words or phrases that are often used by improper scam or illicit sales mass mailouts. The longer the newsletter the greater the chance that I use offensive language (to the computer at least) and get blocked. I’m not good with links. Type in the search bar “Duffy Livingston, by Dick Martin Rod & Custom magazine.” Martin has written at least 34 stories, with excellent photographs. He is one of my favorite writers’.

—————————————————————————————

19) Here is info on my new book. Southern California mechanics profiled include Ike Smith, Gil Munz, Harvey Lassiter, Wally Peat, and Trevor Harris. Author of; a) Lost Road Courses, b) Long Straights and Hairpin Turns, c) Weekends of Glory, d) Pete Lovely, a Racer’s Life, and my new book, e) One Last Turn. Rudo-mart is on eBay. Martin Rudow is at rudowsp@gmail.com or 206-427-1124.

—————————————————————————————

20) Tony Thacker might still be writing up stuff about LSR for his TorqTalk website at https://www.torqtalk.com. I’ll send stuff your way when it crosses my desk or if I hear of something significant. For Ak Miller stuff, check in with Dick Martin. He wrote up a great article about him for Rod & Custom. He may be able to help. Mike Kaehny.

MIKE: I miss your reports. Thacker is a whirlwind of activity; he never slows down.

—————————————————————————————

21) Wally’s stories: courtesy of DRIVE Magazine, by Wally Parks (serialized). HOW IT STARTED article for DRIVE Magazine, by Wally Parks. “People often ask, ‘Did you ever think it would turn out this way?’ – the ‘it’ being NHRA. The answer of course is ‘no,’ as none of us had the foresight, then, to anticipate that NHRA would ever become the world’s largest Motorsports sanctioning body. Another often asked question is, ‘Why did you form the NHRA in the first place?’ – and the answer to that is two-fold; dating back to the early 1950’s.

READERS: You’re in for a fascinating story. If you want to know how, stay tuned or write to me for details. Hint: Lou Baney, Al & Mary Sloniger, Ak Miller, Bob Petersen and intense rivalries.

—————————————————————————————

22) Three stars of Fastest Cars in The Dirty South return, Malcolm Storey, Jamie Otts, and Dayne Hearn, are back to television in the world premiere of GRUDGE TALK. This Summer on Tubi and Speedvision. From: Tony Thacker and Friends at thackerstorqtalk@55935385.mailchimpapp.com.

—————————————————————————————

23) This Week on Cars Yeah Mark Greene interviews Jessi Combs, Phillip Kane, Tommy Kendall and Mike Brewer. From: Mark Greene at Cars Yeah info@carsyeah.com.

—————————————————————————————

24) The Ultimate Guide on NHRA Drag Racing Series Betting in the US. Types of NHRA Bets: Most always wager on the race winner even though there are numerous betting markets for NHRA drag racing. We could argue that the ‘race winner’ bet is the most popular betting market because many fans are often eager to know who will win the race. However, as a punter, you should also be keenly interested in other betting options that offer value for money. Let’s look at some of the types of NHRA betting markets. https://nxtbets.com/the-ultimate- guide-on-nhra-drag-racing-series-betting-in-the-us/. John Towle

—————————————————————————————

25) Wally’s stories: courtesy of DRIVE Magazine, by Wally Parks (serialized). “Through 1954, ’55 and ’56 the Safari scored first-time successes with its presentation of regional championships across the US – capped in 1955 with their introduction of drag racing’s first National Championships, in the central US at Great Bend, Kansas. Where the sport has come from there is almost unbelievable. It is a matter for pride in achievement, as without that pioneering endeavor, by a small team of dedicated crusaders – who knows?”

—————————————————————————————

26) Longer articles are better so long as there’s plenty of detail. Your Newsletter has many interesting things. I have attached an obituary for George Poteet from our ezine GrandPrix+, if you feel like posting suitable references to them. From David Tremayne at restspirit@aol.com.

—————————————————————————————

27) I’ll bet that you’ve already seen this. SPEED SPORT store@speedsport.ccsend.com. CLAIM YOUR EXCLUSIVE SPORTS BOOK BONUS FROM NXTbets. From Doug Stokes at stokes28doug@gmail.com.

DOUG: No, I haven’t. Don’t think betting will be a big issue in drag racing. Betting has to be simple and modern wagering seems complicated to me. It’s important for the wagerer to feel like he/she controls the game, even when he/she isn’t in control.

AND: Doug replied with this, “I use to make mental bets until I lost my mind,” Lenny Bruce.

—————————————————————————————

28) A webinar will be presented by Justin Slager and Wade Moon, Sales & Customer Service, Peterson Fluid Systems. Hosted by Brad Gillie from SiriusXM, Channel 90, The Late Shift. The Zoom presentation will be available live at 9AM PST, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. From: team@epartrade.com.

Mark Rushbrook, Global Director, Ford Performance, joined us for the 4th Annual Race Industry Week. Hosted by Jeff Hammond from SiriusXM, Channel 90.

The Fifth Annual Race Industry Week December 2-5,2024, brought to you by Racer Magazine, Epartrade, and Speed Sport news.

—————————————————————————————

29) Follow NHRA on social media/Facebook/Instagram/TikTok/Twitter-X/YouTube. The NHRA Social Media Roundup brings you featured content pieces like Behind the Scenes and Driven, updates from the NHRA Insider Podcast, original written content from NHRA.com and more. Stay up to speed with our Sonoma edition of the Social Roundup. From: National Hot Rod Association updates@go.nhra.com.

—————————————————————————————

30) BLAST FROM THE PAST…… From the Wally & Barbara Parks story, We Did It Our Way. 11 FEBRUARY 1946 SCTA Board meeting; a new Era begins. “The meeting was called to order by the President, Bozzy Willis at 8:15. Bozzy called for the principal business for the evening, the election of new Association officers. This was done by more or less secret ballot and resulted in the election of Wally Parks, President, Bob Rufi, Vice President, Randy Shinn, Secretary and Mel Leighton, Treasurer. The new officers were thereupon installed and after a certain amount of confusion, the meeting continued under the new administration.”

—————————————————————————————

31) One Last Turn’s 400 pages and 300+ photos work beautifully together to profile 21 living Can-Am and USRRC mechanics whose work behind the scenes made these great series go. From the team shops to the racetracks to the long tows between races, here are the funny, tense, heartbreaking away-from-the-cockpit stories of the cars and drivers who became household names-McLaren, Gurney, Follmer, Hulme, Revson. And the cars! Porsche 917, Lola T70, Ferrari 612, Shadow, Chaparral. These are the long-needed stories from the men who made it all possible. Martin Rudow is at rudowsp@gmail.com or call 206-427-1124.

—————————————————————————————

32) The recent mention of Johnny von Neumann takes me back to 1990 when I was Purser on a Concorde “Round the World” Charter airline tour. It was double crewed, and I was on the first-half Crew picking up the (mainly American) passengers in New York thence on to Acapulco-Las Vegas-Honolulu-Tahiti-Christchurch- Sydney where the second half Crew took over to fly to Bali-Colombo-Mombasa-Cape Town-Monrovia-London. The Tour took 25 days with a total circumnavigation time of 39hours-15minutes, Speed Records being set on all but one sector. Mr and Mrs von Neumann (the third I think) were passengers and as I was aware of who he was we had many interesting conversations. In retrospect I wish I had known more then. I could have wound him up about Duffy Livingstone! Cheers, Chris Pattison (Allard Dragon and Grim Reaper Nostalgia Altered). PART 1

—————————————————————————————

33) Carspotting: El Camino as A tow vehicle – Trailer Optional, by Dave Wallace Jr, July 25, 2024, in Car Culture, Carspotting, Muscle Cars. “Hauling your dragster to the drags was much simpler in the 1960s. Anywhere in the west that this blown-Chevy shorty was hand-lifted (!) from its self-contained hauler, the car was a threat to become Top Gas Eliminator. Originally flathead-powered, the Reno, Nevada-based Shoehorn demonstrated the advantages of mid-engine placement for a full decade before Don Garlits famously followed suit. Ironically, these back-motored pioneers went the opposite way after driver Warren Welsh survived a serious crash, choosing a conventional slingshot replacement: the front-engined Shoehorn Ghost, which never matched the success of this innovative original (and required a trailer).” Date: July 1964. Photographer: Walter Huff. Location: Reno, Nevada. Source: Wallace Family Archive. From: Dave Wallace Jr at aafueler@volcano.net.

READERS: Put https://www.hemmings.com/stories/car-culture/carspotting/carspotting-el-camino-as-a-tow- vehicle-trailer-optional/ in your browser for photos.

—————————————————————————————

34) The Petersen Grand Rally to F1 in Las Vegas, November 19-24, 2024. Monterey Car Week Experience, August 12-18, 2024. Join our 1st 4×4 Rally from LA to Las Vegas by the most rugged way possible, November 3-5, 2024. Celebrate the start of Fall by joining the Petersen on a unique and charming rally to Idyllwild, Saturday, September 28, 2024. From: Petersen Automotive Museum at experiences@petersen.org.

—————————————————————————————

35) Randy Walls cont’d. “I graduated 2nd out of 100 students so I again got my choice of my next assignment, which was Mount Laguna, California, just outside of San Diego. Mount Laguna was the most important and secretive radar base in the world at that time, and it covered such a large segment of our borders, oceans, etc of perceived threats. I kept the digital computer running correctly. Since I was also interested in cars, they let me run the auto shop on the base as well. I started racing a 1957 Chevy and then a ‘60 Chevy at San Diego Raceway in Ramona while I was still in the Air Force. I achieved the highest ranking in the AF that you could get in the four-year stint that I signed up for. My friends in the service came from everywhere, Florida, Buffalo, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, etc. They were so spread out that over time we have finally lost contact with one another.” (cont’d)

—————————————————————————————

36) The Piston Foundation, whose mission is to help more young people become classic car technicians, announced its partnership with Petrolicious, the premier video platform for classic car enthusiasts, and its parent company duPont Registry Group, based in Miami, Florida. From: Judy Stropus jstropus@earthlink.net.

READERS: Please support companies that offer scholarships for students in vocational automotive programs. I’ve met the duPont Registry people and it is a fine organization.

—————————————————————————————

37) Register for the 15th annual Vail Concours, September 13-15, 2024, in Vail, Colorado. Manor Vail Lodge is our new lodging partner. Located at Golden Peak (a short walk from Vail Village). Our group code is “16J0FD”. Vail Automotive Classic, PO Box 111, Edwards, CO 81632. From: Mark Bergman

READERS: Bergman’s email address cannot receive mail, so write to him if interested.

—————————————————————————————

39) The dropped valve story, by Dale Cook. “Well, we got to the Strip and won the first round but broke a rocker arm, throwing the lifter out of the bore. Troy pulled a rocker arm off the tow Pontiac while I pulled the intake and put the lifter back in the hole. Getting it back together, I set the timing about where it should be, jumped in the seat, and they pushed me off. I won the race. Then we had to put the rocker arm back on the tow car.” (serialized)

—————————————————————————————

40) I sometimes miss reading your Newsletters, but the ones I do read are always very informative on a number of levels. Thanks for getting the news out. Bruce Wheeler. Please visit us online @ http://www.maui-angels.com.

BRUCE: How is the island of Maui recovering after the horrendous fire?

—————————————————————————————

41) 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule here on the FOX broadcast network. June 20-22 5th annual Virginia NHRA Nationals Richmond June 26-29 19th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals Norwalk July 18-20 36th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals Seattle From: Bill Montgomery at Hidden Pioneers hiddenpioneers@gmail.com.

—————————————————————————————

42) Then there are record breakers, Richard Noble, Andy Green, Art Arfons, Craig Breedlove, Gary Gabelich, Al Teague, Danny Thompson, Russ Wicks and Colin Fallows. Back in 1988 in Detroit I was with a friend (whose blushes I will spare as he is a very famous writer with a huge passion for racing, especially sprint cars and Indy cars) when I spotted a figure leaving the building. “Look, there’s Parnelli Jones!” Well, indeed it was, and I cornered Parnelli Jones for the best part of an hour asking him about all sorts of things, having kicked off with his loss of the 1967 Indianapolis 500. From: David Tremayne restspirit@aol.com.

—————————————————————————————

43) The Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (AACF) has been helping aftermarket families turn tragedy into triumph since 1959. Like the industry, AACF is driven by passion and devoted to family. It’s tough to ask for help, but when someone in the aftermarket family faces profound circumstances, AACF is there to help put the tough times in the rearview mirror. As a nonprofit, AACF accomplishes its mission through the support of generous donors, awareness partners and dedicated volunteers. To learn more, visit AftermarketCharity.org or misty@aacf-aftermarketcharity.ccsend.com.

—————————————————————————————

44) Dallas Texas FallNationals October 9-12, 2024. Las Vegas Nevada Nationals October 30-November 2, 2024. Pomona In-N-Out Burger NHRA finals November 13-16, 2024. From: nhracommunications@nhra.com.

—————————————————————————————

45) Sherm Porter’s Schedule of car shows and events (fuely32@sbcglobal.net). Aug 23-25 GoodGuys West Coast Nationals, Pleasanton Fairground, ’99 and earlier, 925-838-9876. Aug 31-Sep 1 Ventura Nationals, Ventura County Fairgrounds, www.venturanationals.com. Aug 31-Sep 1 C10 Truck Show, Woodland, CA. Brothers Trucks, 1908-1998 GM trucks. 530-848-7412. Aug 31-Sep 2 Nate’s Pinedorado Car Show, Pinedorado Grounds, Open show-all years & makes cars & bikes Mariia Powels 818-809-7910 or www.cambrialions.org/car-show.

—————————————————————————————

46) Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Divisional events. Division 1 race at Numidia Dragway, Catawissa, PA, this weekend. Division 6, Pacific Raceways, Kent, Washington, Thursday, August 8-Sunday, August 11. Division 1, New England Dragway, Epping, NH Friday, August 16-Sunday, August 18. From: NHRA updates@go.nhra.com.

—————————————————————————————

47) I appreciate your asking for feedback (item 9) on the length of your newsletters. I really enjoy reading them, but if I’m honest, I just don’t have the time to read each one from beginning to end. My suggestion would be (choice #2) to reduce the number of articles to something more manageable for those of us who have too many items already packed into our daily routines. Keep up the good work! Bob Brown

BOB: Sounds reasonable. I’ll work on cutting back superfluous words and the number of items.

—————————————————————————————

48) BLAST from the Past: Some people have wondered and asked the question, “If Wally Parks was a founder of the SCTA why he wasn’t mentioned earlier in 1937 and why wasn’t he elected President of the group before 1946.”

First of all, it is an incorrect question from writers and researchers who make assumptions as to how the SCTA formed in the first place. There were no “Founders” in one sense of the word; but there were a huge number of “co-founders” and Wally Parks was one of them. The SCTA was formed from seven car clubs, but two of them did not make it to the first meeting and Dad’s Road Runner’s was one of the missing clubs. This does not mean that the Road Runners missed out on being named one of the founding clubs, because they were actively recruiting young men and were in communication with the other six clubs that formed the SCTA. I don’t know the reason that my father missed that November 1937 meeting, but he was nearly always present at meetings right up to his induction into the Army in May of 1943.

The second question is easier to answer; it isn’t the way my father does things to barge right in and take over. He is more subtle than that. He preferred to gather information first in order to make good decisions later. The first mention of my father in the SCTA is in the Board meeting notes of May 2, 1938; but I know that he was in the background taking on jobs, volunteering and doing the grunt work even before the SCTA was formed.

—————————————————————————————

49) One grand prize winner will be awarded a 2024 Keystone Coleman 17B travel trailer from Camping World, 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.

—————————————————————————————

50) The second of this year’s Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Challenges at Empire Dragway in Leicester, NY, is set to take place August 15-17. The event will include the Quick 32 Sportsman Series and Pro Bike & Sled Series (PBSS). From: Bruce Mehlenbacher bruce@jajentertainment.com.

—————————————————————————————

51) Wally’s stories: courtesy of DRIVE Magazine, by Wally Parks (serialized). “It was a time when my job as Hot Rod magazine’s editor allowed me to be involved with activities of the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) which since 1938 had been conducting timed speed trials on dry lake beds in the Mojave Desert north of Los Angeles. But there were other groups and associations conducting their own lakes meets, which added to the fragile surface’s deterioration and were creating some safety hazards due to a lack of proper control. So serious had these conditions become that California’s Highway Patrol had issued warnings threatening to close the dry lakes unless some corrections were made.”

—————————————————————————————

52) The Vintage Speedcar Association (New South Wales, Australia) Newsletter 245th Edition – Issue #6, June & July 2024. 16 pages. Article by Mary-Rose Vella, Photos by Belinda Steel. “The Compact guys were – Mark Kerr 3, John Leahy 4, John Gosper 6, Graham Hook 8, Jeff Freeman 10 and Con Buurveld 76A. I would like to thank Jarrod Campbell, Graham Campbell, Charlie Vella and Gordon Benny for a job well done on the day. Also, thank you George and Leslie Liebrand for the use of their quad and much appreciation to Kerry Phelan for supplying the mobility scooter for George and Leslie to use in the pits. As always, our gratitude goes to Kerry Phelan and his many volunteers for the successful and well-organised meeting. Hope to see many more drivers at Illabo at our next meeting on August 10, 2024.” From John & Maria Green at ajkake@bigpond.com.

READERS: Illabo (Ill-a-boh) is 258 miles SW of Sydney, with a population of 144, in an agricultural area close to the Province of Victoria. Illabo Motorsports Park is a reddish dirt track. Aussies will drive long distances for a chance to race.

—————————————————————————————

53) One small correction to the People Magazine story about the Thompson murders: Mickey was a pressman at the LA Times, not a journalist. Doug Stokes

DOUG: Thompson was a pressman, but according to my cousin, George Forteville, who worked at the Times, Mickey was well-liked by the supervisor and allowed to work on projects, including the tool shop, his race car and reporting on some of the results from the Santa Ana Airport Drag Races. (source: Don Tuttle & Leslie Long)

—————————————————————————————

54) We are looking for Ak Miller stories. Here are some that we have collected.

“Returning from the war, Ak rejoined the SCTA and served as its President, and with his close friend and fellow Roadrunner’s club member, Wally Parks, later served as Vice President of the newly formed NHRA in the early 1950’s. Miller and Parks were not only close friends, but they were steadfast partners in the running of the SCTA in the late 1940’s, a time of unprecedented growth in all motorsports. Parks served one term as President of the SCTA in 1946 and then Miller served two terms. They led the effort to create a growing and vibrant timing association. Ak was also instrumental in forming the first Hot Rod Exposition in 1948, the first hot rod show that set the example for all the successful car shows that we see today. Ak was a great supporter of the effort to land a contract with the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce, which allowed Southern California hot rodders to use the salt flats for timing trials. His leadership was extremely valuable during this period of post-war reconstruction of the racing association. His geniality, kindliness and name recognition were vital in the early growth of the NHRA as well.” (source: The Wally & Barbara Parks story: We Did It Our Way)

—————————————————————————————

55) The first title in our Great British Cars series covers the first title in our Great British Cars series covers the BMC 1100/1300 (ADO16), Austin, Morris, MG, Riley, Wolseley & Vanden Plas models, and will shortly be joined by books covering the Ford Fiesta and Ford Sierra. Price: £19.99, softcover. From: Veloce at newsletter@veloce.co.uk.

—————————————————————————————

56) August Vintage Metal Journal (Western Australia). For Sale: Historic Touring car, Rob Burns’ Valiant Charger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjR6-Fm6sPE&t=1s. For Sale MG MGA chassis and parts. For Sale: Austin Seven Special. For details go to https://indd.adobe.com/view/666a8c4a-220b-4e85-992d-de7702898834. Editor Bob Campbell is at robertcampbell4@icloud.com.

READERS: One never knows what is available overseas.

—————————————————————————————

58) Ak Miller is a legend among racers. This means that he doesn’t need to embellish his exploits, for we do that for him. Ak’s done about everything a racer wants to do. He’s raced the dry lakes, Bonneville Salt Flats, Pike’s Peak Hill Climb and road races in Italy and Mexico. Elected President of the SCTA (Southern California Timing Association) and Vice President of the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association), and a member of the Dry Lakes Hall of Fame, Ak has his share and more of auto racing honors. Yet he is more than just an award winner, elected official or quick and speedy racer. It’s the twinkle in his eye, entrancing smile, ready wit and charisma that gets you off balance and makes you fair game for this lively and charming fellow. Stories and tales surround him and grow larger and more complex with the years. This has given rise to a colloquial expression, “that’s Ak,” meaning a story Bunyanesque or too farfetched to be true. But those who say this are mistaken for he has never had to create a tale; he has lived a life many of us only dream of. (The Wally & Barbara Parks story: We Did It Our Way)

—————————————————————————————

59) The Ultimate Guide on NHRA Drag Racing Series Betting in the US. Race Winner Bets: This is as direct as it sounds; you simply wager on who will win the race. You win a bet when the person you wagered on wins the race. If you double up as a Drag Race fan and a punter, it’s even simpler because you have unlimited knowledge about the favorites, underdogs, veterans, or new talents participating in the events. https://nxtbets.com/the-ultim ate-guide-on-nhra-drag-racing-series-betting-in-the-us/. John Towle

—————————————————————————————

60) Two other little points this week for those who love the US scene, both courtesy of my friend Richard Parks’ excellent newsletter. Writer Harold L. Osmer has created a book entitled Where They Raced; Auto racing venues in Los Angeles, 1900-1990. Available in paperback via program@hopublishing.com. In case one book isn’t enough and you’d like the whole store, the famed Autobooks-Aerobooks shop, which I visited in Burbank two years ago, is up for sale. It dates back to 1951 and is the oldest and largest automotive bookstore in the US. “After 17 years it is time for us to retire,” boss Tina Van Curen says. “We are looking for a new steward to continue the 75-year tradition of Autobooks-Aerobooks.” If you’re interested, you can contact her via Tina@autobooks-aerobooks.com or call on 001-818-845-0707 or go see for yourself at 2900 W. Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA 91505. David Tremayne (British Author) restspirit@aol.com.

—————————————————————————————

61) I do enjoy reading and like the drag race stuff most, but lots of interesting bits in the other types. Tom Posthuma

—————————————————————————————

62) Cruisin La Verne Holiday Car Show, Saturday, November 23, 2024, 10am-4pm, 3rd & D Streets, Old Town Laverne, California, not far from Fairplex in Pomona

AND: The Palm Springs Car Show & Festival on Saturday Oct. 5th. The fall weather will be great at this time of year, so come enjoy this great town and make it a weekend of fun with friends and club members. www.PalmSpringsCarFest.com. From: Flying Deuces news@flyingdeuces.com. Craig Hoelzel

—————————————————————————————

63) Women With Drive IV, December 9-11, 2024, Indianapolis, Indiana. From: team@epartrade.com.

AND: Jim Campbell, Vice President of GM Performance & Motorsports, joined us for the 4th Annual Race Industry Week. Hosted by David Malsher-Lopez of RACER.com.

—————————————————————————————-

The post Motorsports Newsletter 7/31/24 appeared first on Drag Racing List.