Motorsports Newsletter 10/16/24

By Richard Parks

1) EDITOR’S CORNER: Strange things happen on the internet. AI has made things better and worse. Hackers take delight in ruining things and profiting off their illegal talents. Computers go haywire. If you spot an error in this newsletter, it is likely mine, or it could be any number of things. Contact me so that I can track down what happened. I try and use good judgement in news that I receive. The Motorsports Newsletter is simply meant to pass on valid information that was sent to me and that you may have missed. The newsletter is a fun hobby meant to stay current with news and my friends on the “cloudy web.”

AND: #48 is over on the 19th. It is TIME sensitive.

AND: All links in the newsletter need to be copied and pasted into your browser in order to work.

AND: You might notice a lot of AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAs in the newsletter. If anyone knows why please let me know.

AND: Loved your line reading: “Editor’s gripe too. I go over each issue and make the newsletter as perfect as possible, but…” Way back when I was the editor of Car Craft, we once figured out that each story was read at least 12 times before we went to press, yet mistakes still got by. On ship days we almost always had a staff lunch in our lobby/reception area as we thrashed things together. One month the day we shipped the book coincided with the arrival of the previous month’s air copies from the printer. As we sat munching our sandwiches managing editor Don Evans walked in with one of the air copies and said, “There’s a big error in the first paragraph of this story. Show it to me.” One by one we dutifully read through the paragraph. None of us spotted an error. “Read it again,” he demanded. We did. Still nothing. Then he pointed it out to us. About six or seven lines down the line ended with the word ‘the‘ which was repeated at the beginning of the following line. Because our minds were still focused on that last ‘the‘ those same minds refused to ‘see‘ the word repeated at the beginning of the following line. So, regardless of how careful and studious you might be as an editor, the odds on your being perfect are slim and none, so don’t be too devastated when you miss something, because every editor does. I cite as but one example the errors in many of the emails I send you! Jon Asher

JON: I feel much better now.

2) REMEMBERING OUR LOST FRIENDS DEPARTMENT: You asked for info on Jim Brissette’s passing. I would like to share an opinion on the man. In 1962 I suffered a broken back from a terrible crash at El Mirage. I was 17 years old. I spent 3 long weeks in a hospital bed. During that time, I received a get-well card from Jim every day. He was severely burned when the roadster he was driving, a few years earlier, blew the engine and became a ball of nitro fire. Jim spent weeks in the hospital just as I did. He said the get-well cards helped keep his spirits up and he wanted to do the same for me. His kindness meant the world to me as well. I know God has a special place for people like Jim Brissette. RIP Jim. Dean Lowe

DEAN: I saw that generosity in the racing community many times and even wrote an article on my experiences, which is available to anyone who asks for it. The title is, “When Hot Rodders help one another; the story of Ron and Norman Benham.”

August “Augie” Pabst, courtesy of Pagenkopf Funeral Home (serialized). One of the great ones has passed. We remember the smile, the skill and the humour. Go to: https://tributearchive.com/obituaries/33358940/august-augie-pabst/oconomowoc/wisc

onsin/pag enkopf-funeral-home. American Sports Car Racing legend, August “Augie” Pabst Jr passed away at home while surrounded by friends and family on Wednesday, October 9th, 2024, at the age of 90. Augie is survived by his wife, Joan “Joanie,” his four children, James (Paisley), Christina, August III (Katherine) and Eugenie. He is also survived by his five grandchildren, Isaac (Karen), Blu, Lucy, Madeline, August IV and three great-grandchildren, Hawk, River, and Ike. Augie was preceded in death by his father, August Pabst and his mother Eugenie Pabst. An inductee of the Motorsports Hall of Fame as well as the SCCA Hall of Fame, Augie made a name for himself not only for his great success on the track but also for his popularity and charisma off the track. Sent in by Dave Nicholas.

3) NASCAR EV Prototype to be featured at EVRSafe Conference October 22, 2024. The battery powered NASCAR EV Prototype will be displayed at the EVRSafe, Electric Vehicle Racing Safety Conference to be held on October 22 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The NASCAR R&D project car will share the stage with another electric performance car, the Mustang Mach-E 1400 drift car built by Ford and Vaughn Gittin Jr’s RTR performance team. Speakers will include noteworthy pioneers in the electric racing world, research experts, and safety professional: a) Blake Fuller, Founder, Braille Battery; Tesla Racing Driver and Pikes Peak record setter; EV powertrain specialist, Team RTR. b) John Pagel, Tech Tyrant, 24 Hours of Lemons race series, and c) Dr Anthony Bombik, Battery Authority – Asst Professor, Mechanical Engineering, UNC Charlotte. Register now at https://moto

dontaylor500.

4) About 25 years ago I located this land speed car outside of St Louis, Missouri and need help identifying it. The owner had no history information. What I can tell you is that it is a modified Model-A chassis/axles with most of the rest of the suspension, brakes and wheels from a 1948 Ford. Engine is currently a 1952 Ford V8, twin Stromberg 97’s on a D&S manifold. My best guess is that it was run sometime between 1948 and 1955, but not sure where. I’ve had a couple of guys who currently attempt records look at it and verified it was a period build based on the construction and how, and where it has rusted out. There was some discussion years ago that this car might be the Harris Special, but I can definitely confirm it is not. Thanks in advance for the help. Shawn Coady, President Hicks Oil, 106 N. State Route 54, Roberts, Illinois, 60962 shawn.coady.

SHAWN: I reached out to the land speeders on my list. If anyone can help, please contact Shawn and ask to see the photos. It’s difficult for me to post photos in this newsletter. A suggestion would be to contact car builders and restorers who know other restorers and often have a large list of contacts and photographs in their research inventory.

5) BOOK REVIEW: Great Australian Racing Cars, by Luke West, reviewed by Bob Campbell, Editor of Vintage Metal magazine.

This article was inspired by the publication in July this year by Gelding Street Press of a book by Luke West called Australia’s Greatest Racecars. Many years ago, when I was but a beardless youth, I was told by an older and wiser man that ‘real racing cars don’t have roofs. I believe he may have added ‘or mudguards,’ but I don’t remember. Now Mr West’s book describes 25 tin-top racing cars, from the Geoghegan Mustang to more recent Supercars, all of which have roofs and mudguards. Here are seven real racing cars, built and raced by Australians that, to me, are great Australian Racing Cars. (‘Racecars’ always struck me as an Americanism, so ‘racing cars’ they will be.)

6) Hot Wheels legend tour event re-cap in El Segundo, CA. It was a perfect day for a car show on a Saturday in Southern California and the 300 plus cars that came out. The lines were long, waiting to come in and the people were not disappointed and very excited to see all the cool cars. This event was different for me as I saw a good mix of diversity that rarely happens, hopefully times are changing, and we will see more like this one. My hats off to the staff and security of Mattel. They were calm, cool and collective, keeping things clean & safe. The Hidden Pioneers bought 4 cars this time around for the kids and spectators alike. They loved our selection of cool vehicles of different makes & models: 1) 1969 Chevy Camaro Classic (Orange), 2) 1996 Honda Civic Custom Mag Tech car blue/white, 3) 1991 Delorean Time Machine (Back to the Future), 4) 2023 Ford Mustang Mach E (Electric vehicle). From: Hidden Pioneers hiddenpioneers.

7)My Travels on Racer Road: Can-Am and Formula 1 in their golden age, by Author Pete Lyons, with Foreword by Sir Jackie Stewart, ISBN: 9781910505878, Epilogue with Mario Andretti. https://www.petelyons.com/my-books.

As Sir Jackie Stewart states in his Foreword, “Pete Lyons was one of the best journalists in Formula 1 at the time I was racing.” Lyons himself writes that when he became obsessed with motor racing, “It felt like my true road.” This memoir retraces his steps along that road, focusing on the days when he wrote about and photographed the Can-Am sportscar series in his native America during its finest period from 1966 to 1972, then switched to Formula 1 for four great seasons from 1973 to 1976. Sent in by: Doug Stokes at stokes28doug@gmail.com. Pete Lyons’ website is at https://www.petelyons.com/my-books.

8) The Speed Kings; The Rise and Fall of Motordrome Racing, by Don Emde. 10×12 inch, hardbound, 372 Pages, 600 illustrations, 40 chapters plus prologue and epilogue. 4-color sepia tone throughout, self-published and printed in the United States of America, available from EmdeBooks.com. The spectacle of motordrome racing became contagious and the public couldn’t get enough, filling wooden stadiums in some cities three nights a week, sometimes at their own peril. The Speed Kings follows the life and times of Jake DeRosier, Charles “Fearless” Balke, Eddie Hasha and others who became national sports heroes, featured regularly on the front pages of daily newspapers from coast to coast. The news was not always good, however, and “Murderdromes” became part of America’s vocabulary, leading to the demise of the sport. Available now direct from

EmdeBooks.com. Contact Don Emde at don for more information.

9) Just a short note (LOL) about me and how I got on your blog. For at least the last 10 years I have been a part of the YES program at the NHRA Pomona Dragstrip along with a lifelong friend, Richard Nicholson, who got me into this group. We have gone through a lot of changes in the program over the years, but it is all a part of trying to get our young students aware of and enthused about drag racing and career opportunities. I run into Bill Montgomery a lot. I’m from the high school Business Education area oddly enough as most are all former or active Industrial Technology instructors. You may remember years ago I shared a photo taken in the tower, with your dad and I, that was really special. My involvement over the years has been photographing every event. Not official. One time a photo actually made it in the National Dragster. Usually, the photos I take, I share with the vendors and friends, I email the copy to them for whatever it does to thank them. I give them all to our leader, John Badilla, but they probably just get looked at. I can say I have historical files of Career Opportunity Fairs going back to 2005. Marv Weston

10) The action resumes at VIRginia International Raceway, September 5-7, 2025, for Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) second-straight appearance at VIR after returning to the Southern Virginia venue this year. Adam Saal is at SaalGoodPR

11) What a great reward for Kevin “Griffo” Griffiths recently. For many years Griffo has been involved in Hot Rods and helped many people with their projects. Griffo has been presented with Legendary Status by the Australian Street Rod Federation, and a nice plaque was presented to him by Bob Milburn. Great to see Nicole and Shane Fullagar take home a trophy from the Vintage Speedway Festival at Boonah, for best Super Modified, and Clarke Wheeler secured the trophy for best F500/TQ. From John & Maria Green at ajkake.

JOHN & MARIA: The tribute to Don Murray by Dennis Newlyn and Keith Nicholls and the photos of Don’s great looking yellow #4 Offy midget was so well written and photographed.

12) Books and Manuals from CarTech Publishing, 6118 Main Street, North Branch, Minnesota 55056, 1-800-551-4754,

www.CarTechBooks.com. How to Restore Your Corvette: 1963-1967. Competition Engine Rebuilding. And David Vizard’s How to Port & Flow Test Cylinder Heads.

13) The Quick 32 Sportsman Series and Pro Bike & Sled Series (PBSS) Championship Point Award Series for 2024The final results in the Championship Point Award Series Standings were as follows: Charlie Emler won the 2024 Quick 32 Sportsman Series Championship Point Award Series with 659 points, Tony Platania was second with 623 points, Buddy Forrest third with 599 points, Tyler Rudolph fourth with 596 points, Craig Chadderdon fifth with 593 points, Luke DeJonge was sixth with 579 points, Brett Bennett seventh with 569 points, Ron Szewczyk eighth with 565 points, Doug Lynden ninth and Gary O’Connell in tenth place with 553 points. Bruce Mehlenbacher is at Bruce@JAJentertainment.com.

14) BLAST FROM THE PAST…… From the Wally & Barbara Parks story, We Did It Our Way. 25 APRIL 1948 AAA National Championship Auto racing season. The 1948 AAA National Championship automobile racing system began on April 25, in Arlington, Texas and ended October 10, in DuQuoin, Illinois. The National Champion was Ted Horn, followed by Myron Fohr, Mauri Rose, Bill Sheffler, and Duke Nalon. Ralph Hepburn died in a accident during practice for the Indy 500. Ted Horn, who had won the National Championship, was killed in the last race of the season at DuQuoin, Illinois.

15) BAD PEOPLE, by Joe Scalzo ($21.95) ISBN 9798335291811. This is a whole book-full of characters who are all too often sometimes not exactly what they seem: smart, indifferent, unsocial, sad, sexy, gregarious, stupid, satiated, raw, refined, handsome, conniving, angelic, underwhelming, and all: BAD in bold type/capital letters. Reviewed by DOUG STOKES at

stokes28doug.

DOUG: Is that BAD as in GREAT, as in GOOD, or…darn, now I’m “thinking” in WOKE.

16) Books on Mark Greene’s Cars Year website mentioned by those appearing on Mark’s Podcast.

Emme Hall – How To Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Complete Idiot, by John Muir.

Mackena Bell – Lyn St. James: An Incredible Journey, by Lyn St. James and True Speed: My Racing Life, by Tony Stewart.

Chris Sneed – Rich Dad Poor Dad, by Robert T. Kiyosaki.

Stephen Hackett – Grand Ambition, by G. Bruce Knecht.

Bob Hatch – The Last Open Road, by Burt Levy and all of Burt’s other books as well.

Lisa Smith – Vitesse~Élégance: French Expression of Flight and Motion, by Serge Bellu.

Michael Allen – Driven by Desire, by Alan Wilson.

Nathan Adlen – Thus Spake David E. Davis, by David E. Davis and Rumpole Misbehaves, by John Mortimer.

Chris Erickson – www.hemmings.com, by Hemmings Motor News magazine.

17) Title: A.J. Foyt – Volume 1, 656 pages, ISBN: 9781642341782, Publisher: Octane Press Publication, Dimensions 6x9x1.6-inch, hardback, $39.95, Author is Art Garner, Octane Press sales, sent in by Doug Stokes.

18) Wally’s stories: courtesy of DRIVE Magazine, by Wally Parks (to be serialized in coming newsletters). TRAILBLAZER story written for DRIVE Magazine, by Wally Parks.

We all were eager to see our prototype under its own power, even without a body. On one weekend, Barbara and I borrowed the ‘blazer for some test miles of our own – learning it’s capabilities through grassy knolls of the Hollywood Hills, which in those days were only sparsely populated. It’s power and road-hugging qualities were outstanding, with a driving fun factor that was off the scale. As coincidence might have it, Chevrolet’s enterprising general manager, Ed Cole was planning to come to Los Angeles, and a visit to our magazines was in his agenda. So, I alerted Vic (Hickey) and Jack (Henry) to the prospect that he might be interested in our Corvair-powered venture, and that I ‘might’ be able to have him come out to see it – which set off a chain-reaction of hard work at getting our dream-machine in shape for Cole’s appraisal.

19) Books from Dalton Watson Fine Books at www.daltonwatson.com: Ferrari 333 SP: A Pictorial History 1993-2003, by Terry O’Neil. Fit for a King: The Royal Garage of the Shahs of Iran, by Borzou Sepasi. Formula 1, by Patrick Nygaard. Dalton Watson is at www.daltonwatson.com.

20) The Smothers Brothers’ Flirtation with Oldsmobile, written by Diego Rosenberg for The ClassicCars.com Journal: Your daily dose of steel, rubber and soul. Part 9. Soon Jeff and his pals, Rod Derickson and Joe Gregg, purchased a 1957 Chevrolet 210 from racer Erick Claudy. The trio tore it apart, repainted it, and installed a new Tony Pizzi engine (they had approached Alex, but he was busy). This fuel-injected 250-horse 283 with Powerglide ran M/SA. “We ran the record ET but couldn’t beat it,” Jeff said. So, the guys switched to a four-barrel and ran O/SA. Alas, going to college nine hours away was not compatible with being on a team, so Jeff gave his interest to Rod and moved on. The subsequent years found Jeff raising a family. Cars continued to be in his life and he played around with and flipped good deals when he found them. One day, after the kids were out of the house, Jeff was perusing a Facebook group and happened to comment that he wished he had a fuel injection unit. Who but the son of Division 2 Champion Jimmy Waibel mentioned that he had just the item? Remember the Gatornationals? Jeff witnessed Jimmy racing and was aware of his long career, so Jeremy and Jeff took to talking. Jeff was motivated to fly to Florida with wife Brenda to visit Jimmy and Jeremy and see what they had, if not to see if Jimmy still owned that old ’57 that garnered him fame.

21) The real reason I’m writing is your mention of the Smothers Brothers. I remember meeting Dick Smothers in 1968 at Indy. I thought I had a photo of us and sure enough I did. Newspaper article, I posted it on my Facebook page to see if anyone would respond or remember him. From: Shirley Shahan Bridges at amxdragonlady1@sbcglobal.net.

22) The California Hot Rod Reunion, Friday, October 25th through Sunday, October 27, 2024, with Blake Bowser this year at Famoso. Blake is running the event with proceeds going to the Museum: Go to https://famosodragstrip.com/hotrodreunion/. From

David Kennedy (NHRA)

23) “When we announced last year that we were carrying on the legacy and tradition of over 40 years of motorsports here at the Firebird Motorsports Park, our goal was to prove our commitment to our racing community and show them that we are in this for the long-haul. Along with our great partners at the NHRA, Gila River Development, and the Gila River Indian Community, we are beyond excited to take this monumental step to secure a multi-year deal for our anchor event, the Arizona Nationals. Our racing community has stuck by Firebird through some very uncertain times over the past few years, and we cannot wait to take this momentum into 2025 and reward them with great events for years to come,” Firebird Motorsports Park Track Manager Casey Buckman said. From: National Hot Rod Association at nhracommunications.

24) Rob Keynton, Dean of the William States Lee College of Engineering at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, adds,

“This conference is a natural outcome of the college’s history in motorsports research, our expertise in battery technology and our close ties with the industry here in Charlotte, America’s home for racing. Last year we opened the state’s only university-led battery research center that’s focused primarily on vehicle use of batteries. We are excited to see the strong interest in EV Safety and look forward to hosting this event with the Stand 21 Foundation and hosting our industry and academic colleagues.” EV Racing Safety Conference Returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway, October 22, 2024. https://motorsports.charlotte.edu/evrsafe. From Don Taylor: dtaylor@racinggoessafer.org.

25) BOOKS: Porsche Racing Cars 2006 to 2023, by Brian Long, £75 or $90 hardback, 25x25cm, 256 pages, 535 pictures.
Toyota Yaris WRC: The full story of the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC campaign, by Brian Long, £45 or $70 hardback, 20.7x25cm,

192 pages, 444 pictures. Mercedes and Benz Racing 1900-1955 An appreciation, by Roy Smith, £150 or $200 hardback,

30x25cm, 608 pages, 1300 pictures. From: Veloce at newsletter.

26) Off-Road community and race car owners’ contacts. Cory Justice is currently working with Vaughn Gittin Jr and RTR Vehicles to leverage their social media presence to call on the off-road community. They have built a webpage for volunteers. The link will also outline all requirements for these vehicles. As for the race car owners contacts, please have anyone interested to support this first wave of missions directly email Cory Justice at cjustice809@yahoo.com. I do not want those contacts to get mixed in with the masses. Once the social media goes live there’s going to be an influx of volunteers. Anyone looking to drive traffic for volunteers, please have them use this link: https://www.rtrvehicles.com/pages/rtr-helene-disaster-relief-aid. From: Chris Agajanian at Ascot Motorsports contact@ascotmotorsports.com. (to be continued)

27) ARTICLE: The Life of Riley, by Tom Riley. This is an update of something I wrote 4 or 5 years ago for the Riley Car Club in South Australia. The impetus for that piece was a history of my 1950 Riley RMB that was detailed in an article that Neil Dowling wrote for the West Australian newspaper and was subsequently reproduced in the South Australian club magazine. I’ll start by repeating what I said then; it can be found here if interested: robertcampbell4.

28) RB Electric Water Pump will be at SEMA Booth #20623. Hot Shot’s Secret Gasoline Extreme will be at SEMA Booth #23261. Lithium Pros, and XS Power Batteries Performance will be at SEMA Booth #10829: team.

29) This is the last part in a series of three race reports from the ‘1st British International Drag Festival’ which happened 60 years ago today. This part covers the third weekend which happened on the 3rd and 4th October 1964 visiting RAF Kemble on the Saturday and back to Blackbushe Airport on the Sunday. The Drag Festival was probably the most reported event in drag racing history such was the importance of this historic venture, bringing the American sport to the UK and beyond. Reports appeared in countless magazines and newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic. Story produced by Nick Pettitt and published by editor of Eurodragster.com Chris Winn. You can view this story by going to: johnhunt.drn.

READERS: Wally Parks, Tommy Ivo, Don Garlits and many other American drag racers made the long sea voyage to England in 1964 and ’65. They were welcomed by the drag racing fans and racers. I have reported on it in the Wally & Barbara Parks story, We Did It Our Way, which is free and sent in a Word document. Just write and ask and I will send it to you. Go to Chris Winn’s website to see photos of 1960’s drag racing in the UK.

30) HSR Extends Registration Time Window for the 10th HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour. To aid its members and competitors who have been impacted by the recent natural weather disasters striking the United States in the last two weeks, Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) announced today an extension of the registration time for one of HSR’s premier events, the HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour presented by IMSA, October 30-November 4 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS). Following the massive damage and losses suffered in the Southeastern US following Hurricane Helene and – just two days ago – Hurricane Milton, HSR has extended the registration deadline a week to midnight on Friday, October 18, 2024.

31) Hidden Pioneers https://sites.google.com/shelbylegendarycars.com/hiddenpioneers/home. Bill Montgomery is at

HiddenPioneers.

32) The Class of 2025 honorees will be formally brought into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in the 37th Annual Induction Ceremony Presented by Toyota Racing, the traditional black-tie gala that is the crowning event of the two-day, multi-function MSHFA Induction Celebration. The Induction Ceremony, which was sold out this year, will be preceded the night before on Monday, March 10, 2025 by the traditional “Heroes of Horsepower” reception and strolling dinner at the MSHFA Museum on the grounds of Daytona International Speedway. PNC Bank sponsored this year’s Heroes of Horsepower reception that was another sellout event. Sent in by Adam Saal.

33) This Week on Cars Yeah Mark Greene will interview Chris Jacobs, Kenneth Boyer, Adam Carolla and Justin Bell. From:

Mark Greene at Cars Yeah at info.

READERS: CARS YEAH is an amazing show. I am puzzled as to why no one has written back and told me that they were interviewed and what they thought of the show. That includes a lot of people on this newsletter including Linda Vaughn, Doug Stokes and many more. I was on the show and Mark Greene did such a great job that he made even ME sound INTERESTING (and that takes a magician to do). Email Mark TODAY and get on his list to be interviewed or at least listen to the half hour show where Mark has over 2500 guests that he interviewed. DO IT TODAY. I’ll see you at the Lions Hall of Fame on November 14.

34) INSIDE OSCA: The Bolognese miracle that amazed the world. Founded by the Maserati brothers in Bologna in 1947, the same year as the birth of Ferrari in nearby Maranello, OSCA built exquisitely engineered cars, mostly with small-capacity engines, until 1967. Nowadays these little jewels, raced by names like Stirling Moss and Maria Teresa de Filippis, have a dedicated following of car connoisseurs for whom this book will be a trove of evocative imagery. From: jvstropus.

35) Start racing today with NHRA Street Legal. From: National Hot Rod Association updates. DIVISION 5

West Central Colorado Bandimere Speedway, Morrison, Colorado, (1/4-mile), 303-697-6001, http://www.bandimere.com/. Julesburg Dragstrip, Julesburg, Colorado, (1/4-mile), 307-631-4490, http://www.julesburgdragracing.com/.

Pueblo Motorsports Park, Pueblo, Colorado, (1/4-mile), 719-641-7736, https://racepmp.com/.

Iowa Cedar Falls Motorsports Park, Cedar Falls, Iowa, (1/4-mile), 319-987-2537, http://www.racecfmp.com/.

Onawa Dragway, Onawa, Iowa, (1/4-mile), 712-420-3648, http://www.onawadragway.com/.

36) From the MSHFA website at https://www.mshf.com/. 2017 Inductees: Steve Kinser, Dick Klamfoth, Terry Labonte, Paula Murphy, Scott Pruett, Herb Thomas, & Brock Yates. 2018 Inductees: John Buttera, Carl Fisher, Jeff Gordon, Howard Hughes, Fred Merkel, U.E. Pat Patrick, & Bob Tullius. 2019 Inductees: Augie Duesenberg, Dario Franchitti, Phil Remington, Don Schumacher, Kevin Schwantz, Tony Stewart, & Linda Vaughn. 2020 Inductees: Robert “Red” Byron, Chris Carr, Floyd Clymer, Wally Dallenbach Sr, Rick Hendrick, Jacky Ickx, Tiny Lund, “Ohio George” Montgomery, & Ivan “Ironman” Stewart.

37) NHRA officials announced the eight NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competitors in contention for the 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year award. The eight racers eligible for this year’s award include Top Fuel’s Jasmine Salinas, Tony Stewart and Ida Zetterström; Funny Car’s Daniel Wilkerson; Pro Stock’s Brandon Foster, Derrick Reese and Sienna Wildgust; and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Richard Gadson. From: nhracommunications.

38) Our Team is called the Hidden Pioneers, who we are, how it got started and our plans for today & tomorrow. We are working on the structure to register with the state but right now it’s a Team of individuals that promote and focus on the plans we came up with. We use cool vehicles to draw students so they can tell us what they like and what they would like to do when they graduate. Through our partners we can connect with them and introduce them very quickly because of our relationships. Donors and Sponsors get the benefit of being at car shows and on campus through Prime Motivation. We are a non-profit organization. Bill Montgomery at HiddenPioneers.

39) The Piston Foundation, whose mission is to assist young people to become collector car technicians, has expanded its board of directors to add expertise and experience that will help the organization create more education and career opportunities for the next generation of skilled automotive technicians. Clifton Fink, Alexander D. Greene, and Matt Peckham will join Robert Minnick (Chairman), Jerry Charlup (Treasurer), Jeff Mason (Secretary) and Mayo Smith (Director) on the board of the Foundation, which was founded in 2021. From: Judy Stropus

40) John Doonan, President of IMSA, has joined the impressive lineup of featured speakers for the 5th Annual RACE INDUSTRY WEEK, Monday through Thursday, Dec 2–Dec 5, 2024.

See all that RacingJunk.com provides with racing and performance classifieds, from cars and trucks to parts or racing gear. Stay up to date on the latest trends. Whether you’re looking to buy, sell or trade, RacingJunk.com can help you find what you need. Visit us at SEMA Booth #24211. From: team.

41) Brea Holiday Car Show, Sunday, December 8, 2024, Birch & Brea Blvd, 10am-4pm. BreaDownton.com. The Cruisin La Verne Holiday Car Show will be on Saturday, November 23, 2024, news.

42) Here is a gallery of images from Day 1, October 11, of the 2024 Chattanooga Motorcar Festival: https://www.sparkplug

society.com/Galleries/CMF-Media-2024. Please credit Chattanooga Motorcar Festival. Images include: a) Road Rally Chattanooga, b) Luftgekühlt Display and Panel Discussion with David Hobbs and Patrick Long, moderated by Bob Varsha, c) Panel discussion – the legends of motorsports: Jochen Mass and David Hobbs, moderated by Bob Varsha, d) Broad Arrow Auctions Preview, e) Panel Discussion – Neuroscience – Dr Thomas Declin and Keith Martin, moderated by Ken Gross, and f) Car Clubs and Car Displays in West Village. From Judy Stropus, Media Director, Chattanooga Motorcar Festival.

43) The Quick 32 Sportsman Series and Pro Bike & Sled Series (PBSS) Championship Point Award Series for 2024. The 2024 Pro Bike & Sled Series (PBSS) Championship Point Award Series was won by Lee Burgess with 645 points, followed by Josh Costa in second with 632 points, Josie Brooks in third with 600 points, Bill Pippard in fourth with 577 points, Drew Nearhoof in fifth with 564 points, Dick Nearhoof in sixth 541 points, Mike Puglia in seventh with 538 points, Nicole Albin in eighth with 534 points, Mike Nearhoof in ninth at 360 points and Bob Salerno in tenth position at 336 points. Bruce@JAJentertainment.com.

44) EDITOR: Here is a nice little video by Hidden Garages with some of the Hidden Pioneers. See: https://www.youtube.

com/watch?v=ismxNtJAAQY. This group does a great job inspiring high school students about the opportunities in technology and automotive jobs. Please support them.

45) BLAST FROM THE PAST…… From the Wally & Barbara Parks story, We Did It Our Way. The Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) became the FIA in 1947.

46) CSI Bill Montgomery is proud to introduce his Team of “COOL” STREAM Hidden Pioneers! hiddenpioneers.com, or nextlevelglobalsolutions.com.

47) Ak Miller stories continued. It was those absences that led to his legend. He raced in Mexico and Baja and Italy and Pike’s Peak and Bonneville and the dry lakes and the list goes on and on. Ak tells the story about a motorcycle race in Baja California, or it could have just been an outing. He was woefully unprepared and somewhere in the trackless desert he literally falls off his bike so dehydrated that he can no longer sit upright. “My arms are spread-eagled out and I’m looking up at these buzzards flying overhead and I know that soon I’ll just be a meal for them. Along comes another racer and he stops and says, ‘Ak, how’re you doing.’ ‘I’m just takin’ a short rest,’ I tell him, and he says, ‘Good, I’ll tell ‘em up ahead to set a place for you at the cantina,’ and off he goes. Well, I can’t let the guys down, so I dragged my half-dead body back up on that motorcycle and left the buzzards hungry.” (source-Wally & Barbara Parks story, We Did It Our Way)

48) The 30th Annual Petersen Gala online auction, honoring Founding Chairman Bruce Meyer. Auction closes October 19, 2024, at 6:30pm. VIP tour of Jay Leno’s Garage fixed bid of $5000. CSX2001 Shelby Cobra tribute starting bid $100,000. SpaceX Rocket Factory tour starting bid $12,500. Education match any amount will make a difference. Support the Bruce Meyer Internship or Scholarship programs. From: Petersen Automotive Museum at 323-964-6390, or development.

49) Racing History Project books by Dave Wolin: a) Ascot, b) Ascot Chronicles, c) Riverside Volume 1, d) Riverside Volume 2, e) IMSA RS, and f) Showroom Stock, the Rise and Fall of Showroom Stock Racing. From: racinghistoryproject or

Racing History Project, Box 5578, Bakersfield, California 93388.

50) BDRH member Tony Magwick was feeling nostalgic and on the 19th of September Tony decided to visit Blackbushe Airport, scene of the first round of the 1964 International Drag Festival 60 years ago. Here’s his report…In order to mark the day, a visit was made to the airport, taking along a selection of programmes of the Festival, as spread between these were signatories of Dante Duce, Tony Nancy, Ronnie Sox and Eamon Hurley, along with some completed-on-the-day results, and a selection of entry tickets and grandstand tickets. One could only imagine being at the event back in the day…It’s probably fair to say it’s been 60 years since the programmes were last at the venue, and who knows when the sounds recorded back in the day were last heard at the airport. Perhaps it’s a little bit sad doing the above, but it felt to me that the day needed a little nod, and a silent thank you to those that made it all happen. 1971 saw my first visit to the drags at Blackbushe, a mere 7 years after that ’64 Drag Festival, followed by various visits during the ‘70’s. As Denis Jenkinson wrote on his kitchen wall, “Aah nostalgia, the real thing.” From: John Hunt at johnhunt.drn.

51) Jeremy Croiset, CEO of NASA, joined us for the 4th Annual Race Industry Week. Hosted by George Tamayo of RACER.com. Automotive Specialists Racing Engines will present this live webinar on Wednesday, October 16 at 9 am PST. Presented by Keith Dorton, Owner, and Jeff Dorton. Hosted by Brad Gillie from SiriusXM, Ch. 90, The Late Shift. From: Epartrade at team.

52) Vintage Metal magazine (www.vsccwa.com.au), October 2024-Issue #391 of The Journal of The Vintage Sports Car Club of Western Australia. “Cris Farrar brought Focus Driver Performance to my attention when she received a communication from Thermoline telling her about that company’s connection with Focus Driver.” This company creates the very same heat, humidity and stress in its driver’s program as on the track race conditions does, preparing a driver for the actual race. The company is based at based at Sydney Motorsport Park and Queensland Raceway.

53) I really like reading and enjoying your columns. I’ve sure learned a lot… Thank you for taking the time to do it…JD Tone

JD: And thank you for all the info you’ve given me and especially how LSR timing tags were made. I now go to the Trophy guy who made the new tags for things that I use. Send me more LSR news.

54) Steve Phelps, President of NASCAR, has joined the list of featured industry speakers during the 5th Annual Race Industry Week, Monday through Thursday, December 2-5, 2024.
AND: Penske Racing Shocks manufactures custom damper solutions for all forms of motorsports and is currently featuring their Street Stock. Visit us at SEMA Booth #23465. From: team.

55) The NHRA Breakfast, which is always one of the most popular events of the annual SEMA Show, is slated to take place Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at the Westgate Las Vegas Casino Paradise Event Center, hosting four NHRA stars. A staple of the SEMA Show for more than two decades, takes place from 7:30-9 am with a special topic: “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants.” NHRA stars Ron Capps, Tony Schumacher and Austin Prock, along with crew chief Jim Oberhofer will appear – as well as a celebrated surprise guest, to discuss the “giant” that helped start their drag racing career. nhracommunications.

56) SHERM PORTER’s Calendar of Events at fuely32.

November 1-3, 2024, ANRA, Season Finals, Auto Club Famoso Raceway, CA. For info: www.anra.com.

November 22-December 1, 2024, November Auto Show, LA Convention Center. For info: https://laautoshow.com/.

November 2, 2024, Cayucos Car Show. For info: Rick Roquet 805-995-3809, 805-995-1200, relax.

November 3, 2024, Spring Turlock Swap Meet & Car Show, For info: 209-201-8491, or www.springfallturlock.com.

November 3, 2024, Nojoqui Falls Fun Run, Central Coast Street Rods, Solvang, CA, https://centralcoaststreetrods.com/.

November 3, 2024, Champagne, Pete & Cars, Pete’s Birthday Celebration, Stockton, CA. More info to come.

57) All American Truck Show & veteran coat drive, November 9, 2024, 9am-2pm. Collector car & parts sale Lions indoor swap meet, March 15, 2025. 2024 Lions Automobilia Hall of Fame Awards dinner & silent auction, November 14, 2024, hosted by Jack Beckman, contact Lana Chrisman for tickets at media. 3 Museum Couples Cruise, February 15, 2025, including Segerstrom Shelby Museum, Marconi Auto Museum and Lions Automobilia Museum, 7:30am to past 2 pm. Lions Custom Celebration Car Show – Saturday October 19, 2024, 9am-4pm. From: media, Lions Automobilia Foundation, 2790 E Del Amo Blvd, East Rancho Dominguez, CA 90221-6008.

READERS: Descendants of the Wally Parks Family will be at the Hall of Fame; come and join us.

58) “As a superstar, he’s the despair of the breed. He drives a USED car, for cryin’ out loud. He’s never busted a barroom mirror. He doesn’t spit tobacco. He collects art, not phone numbers. He’s on the team bus more than the driver. His idea of a good movie is one where everyone keeps his clothes on, and the good guys win.” – Jim Murray, 9/22/1974. “A Blushing Superstar-Steve Garvey in 1975, Cincinnati Reds manager Sparky Anderson was asked, “Are you sorry they found a spot for him to play regularly?” Anderson sighed. “Not really. The first time I saw him hit, I knew they’d find a place for him. Even if they had to make him chairman of the board.” From: Jim Murray Memorial Foundation, sent in by Linda Murray.

59) Eyes on the Road exhibit closes November 3, 2024, Hammer Gallery, 1st Floor, which includes 1933 Dymaxion Prototype Two; 1955 Ghia Streamline X “Gilda” Concept; and 1956 Astra-Gnome Concept. Gypsy Rose: Car, Myth, Legend. The Junkyard: Rudi Klein Collection, YOUTUBE, by Leslie Kendall. Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036. From: Petersen Automotive Museum info.

60) Books on Mark Greene’s Cars Year website mentioned by those appearing on Mark’s Podcast.

Rich Fowler – Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell.

Jimo Balaam – Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson.

Kelly Collins – All but My Life, by Ken W. Purdy.

Stefan Schleissing – Money Master the Game, by Tony Robbins, and A French Kiss with Death, by Michael Keyser.

Bruce Thomson – The Decline and Fall of the American Automobile Industry, by Brock Yates & Thinking Small, by Andrea Hiott.

G. Michael Dorvillier – Code Name Johnny Walker, by Johnny Walker.

A.J. Gordon – Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman, by Matt Stone and Go Like Hell, by A.J. Baime.

Bill Thomas – Killing Patton, by Bill O’Reilly.

Michael Knab – Catch 22, by Joseph Heller.

61) Hot wheels legend tour event re-cap El Segundo, CA. Our NASA display table featured a model rocket, drone, toy rover by Mattel, Barbie Doll of Katherine Johnson, crowd favorite and selected Custom Hot Wheels such as 1964 Lowrider Gypsy Rose, 1965 Ford Mustang Red, Acura NSX, Camaro, Corvette, Delorean Time Machine & a few other makes/models for the kids to look and play with. We displayed some Space Force pens and gave out 100 that came to our booth looking at our table. We had some NASA stickers and some magazines to hand out to some selected spectators that showed interest. VIP designers Bryan B & Larry Wood stopped by to say hi and take a few cool pics with our Team. “Thank you.” This was a great show, and I want to thank Mattel for having us out to meet new people & network. Special thanks to Bryan B & Vinny who made sure we got taken care of as promised. From: Hidden Pioneers hiddenpioneers.

62) Wally’s stories: courtesy of DRIVE Magazine, by Wally Parks (to be serialized in coming newsletters). TRAILBLAZER

Came the magical day when Mr Cole and his entourage would come to see us, and we all were on edge, awaiting his verdict. He arrived at the shop and after introductions to Vic Hickey and Jack Henry plus several of our associates, he was given a carefully detailed description of the vehicle’s components and our ultimate hopes for the Trailblazer’s off-road marketing future. Then came the awaited moment when Hickey would invite Ed Cole to come and witness the ‘Trailblazer’ in action – in the San Gabriel riverbed. Cole’s response was to ask for a pair of coveralls to don over his business suit. And they headed across the river bridge, with Ed in the passenger seat and Vic at the wheel. Hickey was also a daring young pilot, locally infamous for having flown his small plane under the low Imperial Street bridge. So, my final admonition was a warning to Vic to take it easy, as Mr Cole was a very important cargo.

63) In 2024, Charlie Emler won the Quick 32 Sportsman Series Championship Point Award Series, Tony Platania was second, Buddy Forrest third, Tyler Rudolph fourth, Craig Chadderdon fifth, Luke DeJonge was sixth, Brett Bennett seventh, Ron Szewczyk eighth, Doug Lynden ninth and Gary O’Connell in tenth place. The Pro Bike & Sled Series (PBSS) Championship Point Award Series was won by Lee Burgess, followed by Josh Costa in second, Josie Brooks in third, Bill Pippard in fourth, Drew Nearhoof in fifth, Dick Nearhoof in sixth, Mike Puglia in seventh, Nicole Albin in eighth, Mike Nearhoof in ninth and Bob Salerno in tenth position. Bruce Mehlenbacher at Bruce.

64) Here is a gallery of images from Day 2 (including Day 1), October 12, of the 2024 Chattanooga Motorcar Festival: https://

www.sparkplugsociety.com/Galleries/CMF-Media-2024. For editorial use only. Please credit Chattanooga Motorcar Festival. Images include, a) Car gatherings, live music, Kids’ activities, b) Ferrari of Atlanta display, c) J. Willard Marriott Ferrari Club, d) Jaguar Club, e) Panel discussion – Eclectic Discussion of Motorsports Today: David Hobbs, Linda Vaughn, Lyn St James, Patrick Long. Moderated by Bob Varsha, f) Panel discussion – The State of Car Collecting Today: Wayne Carini, Corky Coker, Keith Martin. Moderated by Ken Gross, g) Broad Arrow Auction at Convention Center, and h) Panel discussion – Ferrari Collecting, Restoring and the Value of the Brand: Kevin Caulfield, Connor Cogan, Steve Ahlgrim. Moderated by Ken Gross. From Judy Stropus

65) NHRA officials announced the eight NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competitors in contention for the 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year award. Jasmine Salinas joined the Top Fuel ranks in Phoenix when she stepped in for her father, Mike Salinas. Salinas has three quarterfinal round finishes. Her best qualifying effort came in Seattle where she qualified fifth. From: nhracommunications.

66) The Ultimate Guide on NHRA Drag Racing Series Betting in the US. Hedging Bets to Minimize Risk: Hedging bets is common strategy punters use to minimize risk and potentially secure a profit regardless of the race outcome. In NHRA betting, hedging can involve placing additional bets to offset potential losses or guarantee a certain level of return. For instance, if you have placed a bet on a specific driver to win the race, you can hedge your bet by placing additional wagers on other drivers to finish in the top positions. https://nxtbets.com/the-ultimate-guide-on-nhra-drag-racing-series-betting-in-the-us/. John Towle

67) Vintage Metal magazine (www.vsccwa.com.au), October 2024-Issue #391 of The Journal of The Vintage Sports Car Club of Western Australia. Richard Parks’ newsletter has lots of … information in it. Recently there was mention of Eddie Meyer, who was a leading manufacturer of speed equipment for the flathead Ford V8 and V8-60 engines. A link … to the Eddie Meyer Display at the Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska. Doug Clem, whose Eddie Meyer Museum (is at) Museum of American Speed, set up the display and some exhibits are on loan from Doug. https://whygoby.smugmug.com/Eddie-Meyer-Display. …It covers engines, race cars and hydroplanes built and raced by Eddie and his son Bud, who worked with him in the business and took it over in 1973. Eddie died in 1983, Bud in 2014 although the business closed in 2002. …I should perhaps remind readers that the Simca Vedette V8 was based on the Ford V8-60. From Bob Campbell (Editor)

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