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Richard Parks |
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Gone Racin� |
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Gone Racin� to�April 2005 Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum Cruise |
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The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum puts on a great Twilight Cruise and Car Show on the first Wednesday of the month, from April through December. A panel of famous hot rodders and drag racers choose the top four cars at each of the 9 cruises throughout the year, and those 36 cars are honored at the Auto Club of Southern California World Finals in November. They parade down the drag strip at Pomona Raceway in front of 50,000 adoring fans. But there is much more to this special cruise and car show than the 500 gorgeous pre-1970 cars on display. More than 1200 fans of hot rodding show up as well, including some very important legends. I spoke to Wally Parks, founder of the NHRA, Dick Wells, NHRA Board member, Alex Xydias, founder of the famed So-Cal Speed Shop, now run superbly by Pete Chapouris. Nick Cirino stopped by. Nick raced in cars and boats. His top fueler was the Buhl, Cirino and Rhodes �Westwind,� and he raced for seven years in the top fuel category. He also drove the A/Altered Durfee Automotive special. TV Tommy Ivo waved from the crowd. One of the great gentlemen and racers during the golden age of drag racing, TV Tom is an icon of the sport and a great supporter of the museum. Gene and Dorothy Mooneyham were in attendance. He has sold his blower business and has time to enjoy the hot rodding events around the Southland. |
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Denny Dansereau came by to promote the new movie, �Madison the Movie,� about Hydroplane racing in the �60�s. So many drag car guys also got involved with boat racing that no one seemed to mind as we gave out flyers of the movie. Going fast is what it is all about, never mind whether it is with wheels or flat bottoms. Denny represents Fuse Box Media, and is looking to sponsor 5 drag cars in the area to the tune of $1000 each if they will help promote the movie. I spoke to Gary Brown, the photographer who shoots for George Crittenden�s www.nitrogeezers.com, a website for vintage drag racing. Jim �The Fonz� Crickon dropped by to say hello. Surprisingly he left Wilma at home. He is busy with another car rebuilding project, and will bring this car to one of the coming cruises. Eric Rickman, the early day Hot Rod Magazine photographer and Safety Safari original member, and his son Michael took their regular seats up close, hoping to win the huge Cal-Rods Car Club 50-50 drawing which had to be close to $4000. That was reason enough to come to this outstanding car show and cruise. Art Chrisman was out looking at the great looking hot rods, some of which he had a hand in creating. |
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I stopped to talk to Dave Parker, who takes some of the finest photographs of drag racing around. Bob Garner was seated on the lawn in his easy chair. Bob was a drag boat racer from the �50�s and �60�s in the old NDBA, and a good one at that. He has restored a vintage boat and Cadillac that he sometimes brings to the cruise and car show and runs the engine to show the crowds what a real drag boat sounds like. Ed Osepian was on hand. Ed won the first official drag race on record, in 1949 at Goleta, just north of Santa Barbara, California. It was the first organized drag race with starters, inspectors and trophies. A year later C.J. �Pappy� Hart, his wife Peggy and two partners, Stillwell and Creighton Hunter, would start the first professional drag races at the Santa Ana, California, airport. Three up and comers in the world of hot rodding and car building were on hand to get some ideas. They were from the Mud Rats car club and looked just like the original members of the club that was formed in the 50�s back in Kentucky. They even had the names correct; �Jimbo,� Aaron �Jed Clampett� Buche and Erin, who wore the perfect �50�s outfit with hair to match. They have a garage where they want to build hot rods just like George Barris. Tattooed, personable and outgoing, they have 6 members and are looking forward to growing larger. They are the children of the original wild bunch of Mud Rats, and they restarted the club in 2003. It�s good to see a new generation rise up to keep the hot rodding tradition alive, because this sport needs new blood. |
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Gone Racin� is at www.oilstick.com |
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