Motorsports Newsletter 11/06/24

By Richard Parks

1) EDITOR’S CORNER: All links in the newsletter need to be copied and pasted into your browser in order to work. This weekend the Nitro Revival Reunion will be at Irwindale Dragway. I want to see you all there. A great event. On the 14th is the Lions Hall of Fame honoring the early land speed and drag racers in Rancho Dominguez, CA.

2) REMEMBERING OUR LOST FRIENDS DEPARTMENT: August “Augie” Pabst, courtesy of Pagenkopf Funeral Home (serialized part 4). Not interested in sitting still, he took over as President of Pabst Farms, a large-scale farming and commercial drying operation in Oconomowoc Wisconsin in 1984, until retiring in 2012. Pabst Farms was started by his grandfather, Fred Pabst Jr, who, along with his grandmother, Ida, raised Augie after his own father, Augie Sr, died at the age of 34. Augie spoke often of beloved memories riding horses with his grandfather, surveying the Farm. More recently he enjoyed visiting the stables where his daughter Eugenie’s horses are boarded. He enjoyed feeding treats to the horses and “horsing around” as he called it, being at the barn always brought him back to his childhood. Sent in by Dave Nicholas.

3) A friend recently finished the racing season at Irwindale Raceway. He was informed that the raceway, including the oval track, was closed for good. Apparently commercial industrial buildings will be erected on the property. If true, so sad for SoCal drag racers. I assume street racing with resume causing great problems for all. What have you heard? Big John Morehead

JOHN: I was at the Irwindale city council meeting when Irwindale was approved back in the ’90’s, but I haven’t heard any news lately. About a decade or more ago the track and land were sold to investors who had plans to erect wholesale outlet stores, but that fell through due to recessions, lack of financing and an abundance of such stores. Sad news if this is true, but racers have expected it for some time.

4) It’s been a while, but I wanted to let you know I began my own automotive podcast. My goal is to talk about my racing season, what we’re up to in the shop and what car events we’re doing. The link is below, and a new episode is posted every Tuesday afternoon. Go to gr44xjs

READERS: Cord keeps the podcast factual and moves the show along quite well. You will enjoy this young man’s podcast.

5) 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. A former editor of RACECAR magazine, he also has contributed to enthusiast publications including Autosport, AutoWeek, Car and Driver, Cycle, Cycle World, Motor Sport, Private Pilot, Racer,

Road & Track, Vintage Racecar and current regular client Vintage Motorsport. The author of 15 books published to date, with more underway, Lyons has won several prestigious honors, including the Motor Press Guild’s Dean Batchelor Award (twice) and the International Motor Press Association’s Ken Purdy Award. In 2011 he gained the International Automotive Media Award for Lifetime Achievement. Sent in by: Doug Stokes. Pete Lyons’ website is at https://www.petelyons.com/my-books.

6) The fan favorite, Pistons and Props event, December 5-7, 2025, continues HSR’s established tradition of ending and starting the season at Sebring International Raceway. Adam Saal SaalGoodPR

7) Attached is a flyer from the SCTA announcing that Stand 21 will be conducting a safety seminar at the November 9, 2024, 5pm at the Tech Station. El Mirage meet. Not sure if you received this or not and it may be too late to announce but here you go. Also, I plan on attending the Nitro Revival on Saturday. I understand that you will be going with Dick Martin. He’s a friend too! See you there! Cheers, Mike Kaehny (mike.kaehny)

MIKE: I end the week on Tuesday night, and begin sending the newsletters out on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I’ll be at Gibb’s Nitro revival at Irwindale Dragway, on Saturday, November 9, 2024, from 12 to 3pm. Come by and see Dick Martin and the other celebrities at the autograph tent.

8) 10th Running of Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Daytona Classic 24 Hour Presented by Mission Foods at Daytona International Speedway. 140 vintage and historic sports cars from the last 60-plus years converged on Daytona International Speedway (DIS) for the 10th Running of the HSR Daytona Classic 24 Hour Presented by Mission Foods this weekend at DIS, October 30-November 3, 2024. From Adam Saal

9) I will be at the Quarter Mile Foundation booth, #22299, located in Hot Rod Alley. throughout the SEMA Show. Returning to the show for the first time since 2019, he will have his books available for purchase. Come get an autographed copy and have your picture taken with Don! Don Garlits is on the Board of the Quarter Mile Foundation. From Don Garlits

10) 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. From:

media, Lions Automobilia Foundation, 2790 E Del Amo Blvd, East Rancho Dominguez, CA 90221-6008.

11) Newest BARC boy. I am happy and proud to announce our first grandson, born today just after midnight; Sunny Cibulka. My daughter and son in law are doing fine. Yes, I already have his helmet and suit. I have sent a note to Lando telling him to win soon or Sunny will be coming after him. DN lots of photos update next week. Dave Nicholas at davnik6.

DAVE: Congratulations to the mother and father and all your family. The BARC Boys have a fine tradition and now it will continue onto the next generation of road course and sports car racing in the hills of the Midwest, Appalachian and northeast US.

12) This Week on Cars Yeah Mark Greene interviews McKeel Hagerty, Isaac Bunick, Louie Shefchik, and Tod Cooperider. Mark can be reached at 4618 131st St Ct NW, Gig Harbor, Washington 98332, or by email at info.

13) Books &Manuals, CarTech Publishing, 6118 Main Street, North Branch, MN, 800-551-4754, www.CarTechBooks.com.

How to Restore Your Chevy Truck: 1973-1987. Practical Engine Airflow. And Streamline Aluminum Trailers.

14) Mission Foods and Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Finalize Long-Term Partnership. #1 Tortilla Company in the United States Named Presenting Partner of the New HSR Classic Endurance Championship Presented by Mission Foods. Juan Gonzalez, Mission Foods Chief Executive Officer stated, “We are very excited to partner with Historic Sportscar Racing to launch the new HSR Classic Endurance Championship. It’s exciting to be part of the first major endurance championship in the U.S. for vintage and historic race cars, and it’s an honor to support HSR and all its participants and fans.” From: Adam Saal

15) Wally’s stories: courtesy of DRIVE Magazine, by Wally Parks (serialized in coming newsletters). LAW ENFORCEMENT

article written for DRIVE Magazine by Wally Parks.

Among the first to recognize the growing problem was the California Highway Patrol’s Commissioner, Clifford E. Peterson, whose expressed philosophy in cases like this was, ‘You can often gain more with law ‘encouragement’ than with law ‘enforcement.’ And to back up his theory he assigned two of his CHP motorcycle officers to the exclusive task of working with hot rod clubs and motorcycle groups – Chuck Pollard in the South and Ezra ‘Ez’ Ehrhart in the North. To help overcome his area’s street racing problems, Pollard worked closely with Orange County’s Sheriff in gaining permission to run drag races on an unused runway at the old Santa Ana airport, with C. J. Hart and Frank Stillwell as its operators. Up north, Officer Ez Ehrhart was active in helping to attain similar locations, like Lodi, Kingdon and other temporary drag racing sites.

16) The Quick 32 Sportsman Series was established in 2009 for high-horsepower Sportsman class teams to compete on a special event basis. The Series comprises Top Sportsman, or ‘door’ cars (full-bodied, full-fendered cars) and Top Dragsters. ‘Quick 32’ denotes 32 qualified teams, 16 entries in the Dragster class, and 16 in the Sportsman class. The race format is such that cars must qualify for a 16-car elimination field for each class. The unique race format pits Dragsters against Dragsters and Sportsman cars against Sportsman cars. There are two sets of eliminations, one for each class. Secondly, the winning Top Dragster entry faces off with the winning Top Sportsman entry to determine the overall event champion. Competitors must race within a dialed-in, indexed racing environment, using the full lighting system on the starting Christmas Tree in the eighth mile.

17) The Smothers Brothers’ Flirtation with Oldsmobile, written by Diego Rosenberg for The ClassicCars.com Journal: Your daily dose of steel, rubber and soul. Part 12. Jeff asked if the Olds was for sale. “Only to the right person,” responded Jeremy. Jeff so admired Jimmy, and his interest was piqued by this Brand X ragtop, but he didn’t think he’d be able to afford such a car and restoration. “I knew I wasn’t that guy.” When asked what he would do with the car, Jeff responded by saying, “I would have it restored as you raced it.” That seemed to have made an impact on Jimmy and his family because when Jeff made an offer for a package deal on the Chevy parts and the Olds, the Waibel family got in a huddle to discuss. “You just bought my car!” Jimmy proclaimed. They shook hands. Jeff wondered, “Why me?” because several well-heeled Oldsmobile guys had been chasing the car for years. Clearly, it was his enthusiasm for the driver and racing history that sealed the deal.

18) National Motor Museum exhibition – Burnout! 60th Anniversary of British International Drag Racing Festival. 27th September 2024 Drag Racing Heritage the National Motor Museum exhibition highlights the history of the first ever British International Drag Racing Festival held in the UK in 1964. It documents how, by the early 1960s, British motor sport enthusiasts had developed a drag racing scene inspired by American vehicles and culture and how they were inspired to organise a large-scale event, similar to those held in the US at the time, with American nitro-fuelled vehicles and top drag racing drivers. Sydney Allard, a UK car designer, and rally driver built the first British dragster in 1961 and later sold a smaller version in kit form. The scene gained momentum in 1963 when US drag star Dante Duce challenged Allard to a series of races in the UK.

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

Ak Miller was honored on June 28, 2005, at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, California. The event was organized by Dick and Beverley Martin and was attended by nearly 100 of Ak’s friends. Ak Miller is a legend among hot rodders and racers. He followed his brothers, Lawrence and Zeke, into dry lakes racing in the 1930’s, and has participated in all forms of motor racing, including road racing, Pike’s Peak Challenges, land speed and off-road racing. Ak returned from fighting in the Battle of the Bulge in WWII to continue with his racing career and opened a garage with his brother Zeke. He followed his good friend, Wally Parks, as the President of the SCTA (Southern California Timing Association) and was an avid land speeder. (Parks June 28, 2005)

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

Alex Littlewood – Do More Faster, by Brad Feld.

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

Howard Swig – Motorbinder, by Roy Spencer.

Tom Hale – Automobile Quarterly, the company is out of business, but past issues can be found at eBay.

Colleen Boyle – Golf in The Kingdom, by Michael J. Murphy.

Alan Wilson – Challenge Me the Race, by Mike Hawthorn, The Peter Principal, by Laurence J. Peter, Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell, Drive by Desire: The Desire Wilson Story, by Alan Wilson, and Zapped, by Alan Wilson.

TJ Grewal – Le Mans 55: The Crash That Changed the Face of Motor Racing, by Christopher Hilton.

Pete Cowic – Any Impossibility in Metal Shaping, by Cass Nawrocki (out of print).

Myron Vernis – The Reckoning, by David Halberstam.

21) The race first became a Southwest fixture in 1985 and will continue its status as a fan-favorite during the 40th anniversary season in 2025. This season, Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) won in Phoenix, with Prock enjoying his first-ever career Funny Car victory in the process. Top Fuel’s Tony Schumacher’s has five Phoenix wins, while Funny Car legend John Force has eight wins at the facility. Top Fuel’s Antron Brown, as well as Funny Car drivers Ron Capps and Matt Hagan, all have three wins at Firebird Motorsports Park, while Greg Anderson’s three wins leads active Pro Stock competitors. From: National Hot Rod Association at nhracommunications.

22) BLAST FROM THE PAST…… From the Wally & Barbara Parks story, We Did It Our Way.

John Cobb returned to the Bonneville Salt Flats on September 16, 1947, and drove his Railton Mobil Special internal combustion dual engine 23.9 Litre (1460 cubic inch) W-12 Napier Lion supercharged aero land speed car to records of 394.196 mph (634.397 kph) and 394.19 mph (634.39 kph). His first single pass was over 400 mph (402 mph), but he could not back up that speed. This was the first time that a number of hot rodders came out to the Salt Flats to see speeds of this nature and it caused an immediate sensation.

23) LAS VEGAS-With John Force returning to the track on Friday for the first time since his crash in June, team drivers Brittany Force and Austin Prock both went to the top in Top Fuel and Funny Car, respectively, securing the provisional #1 spots at the 24th annual Ford Performance NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. nhracommunications.

EDITOR: Welcome back John. He probably won’t go racing this year but having him well is what matters.

24) 5th Annual Race Industry Week, December 2-5, 2024. No charge to attend. PETER THUL Senior Director for Sport at WRC (World Rally Championship). ALFONSO CARTUJO Sporting Director of Dorna Sports (MotoGP). JOSE GRIJALVA President and Race Director, SCORE International. LAURI EBERHART, ESQ. CEO of Friends of Laguna Seca. BRAD GERBER VP Sales & CDO of NHRA. JEREMY CROISET CEO of NASA (National Auto Sport Association). JASON DIENHART President/CEO of Global Time Attack and Super Lap Battle. RJ TILL Vice President of World Racing League. From: team. Contact

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9_27inNOSM–AtdqtPRsig#/registration.

25) Start racing today with NHRA Street Legal. From: National Hot Rod Association updates. DIVISION 6

Northwest Alaska, Alaska Raceway Park, Palmer, Alaska (1/4-mile) 907-746-7223 http://www.raceak.com/.

Alberta RAD Torque Raceway, Edmonton Int’l Airport, Canada (1/4-mile) 780-461-5801 https://www.radraceway.com/.

M.H.D.R.A. Raceway, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada (1/4-mile) 403-548-7061 http://www.mhdra.com/.

British Columbia, Mission Raceway, Mission BC, Canada (1/4-mile) 604-826-6315 http://missionraceway.com/.

Idaho, Firebird Raceway, Eagle, Idaho (1/4-mile) 208-938-8986 https://firebirdonline.com/.

Montana, Lewistown Raceway, Lewistown, Montana (1/4-mile) 406-350-0733 http://www.lewistowndragracing.com/.

26) Max Hoffman: Million Dollar Middleman, by author Myles Kornblatt, Saturday, November 23, 2024, from 11am-3pm at Autobooks-Aerobooks, 2900 W. Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA 9150, 818-845-0707, www.autobooks-aerobooks.com.

27) 10th Running of the HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour Presented by Mission Foods Hits Halfway Early Sunday Morning cruised through the Midnight hour and straight to the halfway mark early Sunday morning at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) where some first-time race leaders and former HSR Classic 24 race winners alike stepped up to set the pace in their respective Run Groups at mid-race. As usual, contenders have emerged, and heartbreak has occurred as teams, drivers and cars from around the world compete in six different Run Groups in a twice-around-the-clock succession of 24 back-to-back segments. Each Run Group – from A through F – takes to the track four different times over the course of the two-day event. From Adam Saal at SaalGoodPR.

28) Books from Dalton Watson Fine Books at www.daltonwatson.com: The Automotive Alchemist, by Andy Saunders. Bahamas Speed Week, by Terry O’Neil. Bugatti, the Italian Decade, by Gautam Sen. www.daltonwatson.com.

29) To drive sales and growth, Hidden Pioneers will employ a multi-faceted marketing strategy encompassing social media, word-of-mouth, logo placement, radio ads, local media appearances, videos, event booths, branded vehicles and uniforms, and holiday promotions. The sales process focuses on building awareness, converting followers to leads through educational content, developing lead relationships, and closing sales with service agreements. From hiddenpioneers.

30) Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines, has joined the impressive lineup of featured speakers for the 5th Annual RACE INDUSTRY WEEK, Monday through Thursday, Dec 2–Dec 5, 2024. From: team.

AND: The following companies will be at the SEMA Show. Speedhut Premium Gauges will be in booth 22614. OmniWall will be in Booth 37157. Darton Sleeves will be at Booth #21234. Victory Performance will be at Booth 22763. EIBACH SPRINGS SPORTLINE/Sport Performance Springs will be at booth #AAPEX booth #A5747.

31) Vintage Metal magazine (www.vsccwa.com.au), October 2024-Issue #391 of The Journal of The Vintage Sports Car Club of Western Australia. Member Profile: Doug Jack. Words and pictures by Craig Marsland.

Doug Jack grew up in New Zealand and loved watching motor racing at the Pukekohe and Bay Park racetracks where the seed was sown that one day he would have a go himself. Fast forward to the early 1970’s Doug and a few mates decided to visit Australia and see what opportunities there were to make their fortune. As an accomplished grano worker, Doug’s skills were in demand and soon found himself living and working in Kalgoorlie. At the time many of the young local girls and guys were running around in GT Falcons, Monaros etc and the local Ford dealer Westland Autos was heavily into racing the GT Falcons. Doug had to be one of the gang and purchased a near new Hot Mustard big tank E38 Charger as his daily drive. Come 1975 and Doug visited Wanneroo Raceway where the new division of Street Car racing had just started (a disguise for Group C Touring Cars). All enthused Doug went home, packed his bags and moved to Perth and by the beginning of 1976 his then four-year-old E38 was now converted to a full-blown Group C Touring car racer.

32) Books: Sports Car Racing in the South: Volume I 1957-1958, Volume II 1959-1960, Volume III 1961-1962, Willem Oosthock. The Golden Days of Thompson Speedway and Raceway 1945-1977, Terry O’Neil. See: www.daltonwatson.com.

33) NHRA officials announced the eight NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competitors in contention for the 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year award. Derrick Reese attended five events this season. He qualified for the Sonoma race as well as the Charlotte fall event. From: nhracommunications.

34) About the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America: The MSHFA is the only hall that honors all American motorsports: cars, motorcycles, airplanes, off road and powerboats. Its mission is to celebrate and instill the American motorsports values of leadership, creativity, originality, teamwork and spirit of competition. Founded by Larry G. Ciancio and led by first President Ronald A. Watson, it held its first induction in 1989. Watson spent the next 30 years tirelessly building it into the nation’s premier such hall until his passing in 2019. The original museum in Novi, Michigan, relocated to Daytona Beach, Fla., in 2016 and greets more than 100,000 guests a year. MSHFA is operated by the nonprofit Motorsports Museum and Hall of Fame of America Foundation, Inc. Photos courtesy of the NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images, the Detroit Public Library National Automotive History Collection, PPIHC Archives and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Adam Saal

35) Familiar and former HSR Classic winners who have answered the early call to lead at Daytona include Todd Sloan in his ex-Michael Shank Racing 2006 No. 60 Riley XX Daytona Prototype in Group D. A popular and fan favorite entry has taken the lead in Group B with Jim Norman and former HSR Classic Daytona winner Scooter Gabel co-driving the Alegra Motorsports 1980 No. 00 Interscope Porsche 935 K3. Norman and Gabel, who also have Rolex 24 At Daytona class victories on their racing resumes, and the European-supported Alegra team have not put a wheel wrong in the first half of the race. A victory come Sunday morning would be a first for a Porsche 935 in the 10-year history of the HSR Classic races. Adam Saal at SaalGoodPR.

36) Collector Car Corner: Cars We Remember. Big Dodge rumors and some history about the beloved brand, by Greg Zyla. (to be serialized). I learned early on not to believe everything you see on YouTube/social media as many posts are after “clicks,” be it true or false, because that’s how many “YouTubers” make money. I did some digging as I’ve seen numerous Dodge YouTube posts stating in one way or another the end of Dodge. Specifically, and thanks to official MOPAR sites, the owner of Dodge is currently Stellantis, and according to its CEO Carlos Tavares, is not seeking new partners. Tavares did confirm that the company has received offers from Chinese automakers looking to purchase certain brands within its portfolio. “Several Chinese auto makers approached me to acquire some brands, but I refused,” Tavares stated at the Paris 2024 auto show. This interest high lights the appeal of Stellantis’s European brands, which include established names like Fiat, Dodge, Jeep and Alfa Romeo. Greg Zyla is a syndicated auto columnist and welcomes reader questions at greg. (Continued)

37) LAS VEGAS (Nov. 3, 2024) – In a winner-take-all semifinal matchup in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, Jordan Lazic defeated Kris Thorne on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to clinch his first world championship in the category as part of the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals. The event was the final of 10 races in NHRA Pro Mod and the last of the category’s four-race “Road to the Championship” playoffs was powered by JBS Equipment. The final round of the event will be completed on Monday. From: nhracommunications.

38) The latest November Vintage Metal magazine is at https://indd.adobe.com/view/b9923ea3-ac80-45a0-af88-3e2e1ae3c564,

or the pdf is attached. I had fun doing this one. I hope you enjoy it. Regards, Bob Campbell, Editor.

BOB: Thank you again for the great journal. Aussies sure know how to improve on the original. We love hot rodding and motorsports here in the states and all the variations of racing. Keep sending as it expands our views of the world of motorsports.

39) Chris Ward, HSR President, said, “The passion Juan Gonzalez and his team have as the world’s leading brand of tortillas and wraps is mirrored by Mission Foods’ strong motorsports support that clearly reflects their energy and drive as a leader in both the food industry and at the track. It’s hard to believe Mission Foods has only been a motorsports sponsor for five years as its familiar branding and logo is seemingly everywhere today across a vast array of high-speed four-wheel and two-wheel disciplines. Juan has been a successful driver himself in HSR for years, winning both the Mission Foods presented HSR Sebring Classic 12 and HSR Daytona Classic 24 in the past, and it is an honor to now have the fine corporation he leads with us in the HSR partnership family.” From: Adam Saal

40) Younger Cars for Northam and Albany. We expect to expand the ranks of competitors at our famous “round-the-houses” regularity events at Northam and Albany next year. We have been negotiating with Motorsport Australia to open up the eligibility criteria for these iconic events to encourage new competitors and broaden the appeal for spectators. It is likely that from next year, we will introduce a new category of production sports cars in Groups 2B to 2F, manufactured before the year 2000. This would enable cars such as the early Mazda MX5 and RX7, Toyota MR2, Ford Capri (FWD), Honda S2000, Porsche Boxster and 944 and many others to compete in regularity in front of the large crowds we attract at both the Northam Motorsport Festival in April and the Albany Classic in June: 25 years old or older from next year. Glenn Swarbrick (Vintage Metal magazine)

41) Group F saw the Matador Motorsports 2017 No. 02 Cadillac DPi of co-drivers Pierce Marshall and Eric Foss step up to lead the fastest collection of cars in the race at halfway. Marshall and Foss are focused on an HSR Classic 24-Hour race win after previously winning both the HSR Classic races at Sebring and Watkins Glen. Group E has emerged as a production-based GT battleground with the British duo of Mike Jordan and his son Andrew Jordan leading by a scant 7.337 seconds at the mid-race mark in their Jordan Racing Team 2011 No. 77 Porsche 997.2 GT3 Cup. From Adam Saal at SaalGoodPR.

42) The Ultimate Guide on NHRA Drag Racing Series Betting in the US. Staying Informed About NHRA Betting. You must be proactive and seek any relevant information and insights about NHRA drag racing betting. This involves: Following NHRA news and driver updates to understand the latest sports developments, such as driver performance, team changes, and technical innovations. Utilizing NxtBets sports betting resources and NHRA guides that provide valuable analysis, tips, and strategies to inform your betting decisions. https://nxtbets.com/the-ultimate-guide-on-nhra-drag-racing-series-betting-in-the-us/. John Towle

43) National Motor Museum exhibition – Burnout! 60th Anniversary of British International Drag Racing Festival. 27th September 2024 Held at various venues, including Silverstone and the Brighton Speed Trials, the event sparked significant interest. To capitalise on this enthusiasm, Allard’s British Drag Racing Association (BDRA) undertook the challenge of organising a major event. Gerry Belton, BDRA’s General Manager, coordinated with Wally Parks, president of the US National Hot Rod Association, to bring 12 American drag vehicles to the UK to race at six one day meetings over three weekends. The events were held at Blackbushe Airport in Surrey and four other airfields, Chelveston, Woodvale, Church Fenton and Kemble, which were owned by the Royal Air Force. The Royal Automobile Club, responsible for UK motor sport competition and car building regulations, also supported the initiative.

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

LAW ENFORCEMENT article written for DRIVE Magazine by Wally Parks

And while all this action was taking place, Los Angeles’ Chief of Police William H. Parker, with growing similar problems in and around his territory, had assigned one of his men, young Officer Gordon Browning, to the dual role of working with local high schools in promoting safe driving programs and assisting with methods of controlling street racing. It was Officer Browning, a 1953 NHRA board member, who located and – working with the Harbor Commission and L.A. Recreation Departments – gained permission that led to opening of the famous Lions Associated Drag Strip, with the Long Beach Lions Clubs as its original operator and sponsor. Working on a similar wavelength was Los Angeles County’s popular Sheriff, Eugene Biscaluz, whose outlying territories were experiencing their share of street racing complaints. In full support of the formation of car clubs, he assigned one of his best men, Sheriff Lou Cassulo to the express detail of working with car clubs in the development of non-racing activities, like car shows, organized road runs, community safety checks, etc.

45) Longtime historic and vintage racing team Autometrics leads the way in Group C after two rounds with team drivers Cory Friedman and Travis Bedson maintaining a more than 3-minute lead in the 1995 No. 14 Autometrics Porsche 993 RSR. In Group A, defending winners Iconic Racing and team drivers Gérard Lopez and former professional sports car racing World Endurance Champion Marcel Fassler are halfway home to a second-consecutive victory in the Iconic Racing 1969 No. 60 Lola T70 Mk III. Lopez and Fassler maintained a 40 second lead at the halfway mark. From Adam Saal at SaalGoodPR.

46) The Pro Bike & Sled Series (PBSS) was organized early in 2011. It was established for motorcycle and snowmobile drag racing teams to compete regularly in an organized and professional racing environment. The Series comprises a qualified field of 16 quick motorcycles and snowmobiles and presents the best in E.T. style, dialed-in drag racing. This Series competes on a Sportsman ladder. Contestants race in the four-to-five-second range at speeds approaching 140 mph in the eighth mile. Competitors in these exciting Series adhere to the technical and safety rules as outlined by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) and the World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA).

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

Tim Considine – American Gran Prix by Tim Considine and Time and Two Seats by Janos L. Wimpffen.

Mike Phillips – Listeneing Pays by Rick Bommelje.

Bob Green – Going Faster by Carl Lopez and The Centered Skier by Denise McCluggage.

Eddie Alterman – The Arsenal of Democracy by A.J. Baime.

Dwight T. Knowlton – The Little Red Racing Car by Dwight T. Knowlton.

Mark Hyman – Passion to Perfection by Richard Adatto.

Brad Fanshaw – Sensory Overload by Toby Brooks with forward by Brad Fanshaw.

Jason Engel – The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.

Alex Finigan – The Immmortal 2.9 Alfa Romeo by Simon Moore, The Legendary 2.3 Alfa Romeo 8C2300 by Simon Moore,

Excellence was Expected by Karl E. Ludvigsen and The Rodder’s Journal Magazine.

48) Vintage Metal magazine (www.vsccwa.com.au), October 2024-Issue #391 of The Journal of The Vintage Sports Car Club of Western Australia. Member Profile: Doug Jack. Words and pictures by Craig Marsland. Heading picture: The 340 V8 powered Charger at Northam. Inset: The impressive array of inlet trumpets. Above: Doug’s E38 in Kalgoorlie. Right: The E38 transformed into a racer and restored by Craig Marsland. Below: Back view of the transformed E38, both shots on the mid-coast of NSW.

the local heroes such as Wayne Negus, Rod Donovan, Ian Diffen, Tim Slako and others, plus the likes of Alan Moffat, Peter Brock etc when they visited the West and records show he finished in third place at one event, so he could also drive very well.
Looking for improvement Doug experimented with a 340 V8 in the Charger with four down draft IDA Weber carbs off Ian Diffens similar car, but never got it sorted enough to race.

49) NHRA officials announced the eight NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competitors in contention for the 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year award. Sienna Wildgust, hailing from Stratford, Ontario, has attended nine events thus far in 2024, qualifying for six. Her highest qualifying effort came in Las Vegas where she qualified 14th. From: nhracommunications.

50) People’s Choice Demo Day Saturday, November 2 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM Join us for a day that celebrates the spirit of competition through the lens of motorsport’s most iconic machines! After an enthusiastic voting period, your four most cherished cars have emerged victorious, each symbolizing its country’s proud racing heritage. From: Simeone Museum at

newsletter.

51) DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (November 1, 2024) – SascoSports, Inc, and Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) have executed a multi-year partnership agreement that will see the longtime vintage and historic racing company continue as HSR’s Tire Supplier and At-Track Service and Support Partner.

52) I am in contact with a guy who is looking for and August 1949 RTA Program to borrow for a display next summer in Pasadena to commemorate the Nisei (Japanese Americans) who ran at the dry lakes. His name is Oliver Wang and is a college History professor that is putting this thing together. He has already contacted Jim Miller about the program, and I’ve been trying to help him. But all the guys I knew that might have something like that have passed on, and I’ve run out of possibilities. But I thought with your broad reach you might turn someone up that had one they’d be willing to loan him. Will you give it a try. It is an integral part of our early racing history. Miler Mike Stewart

MILER MIKE: I spoke to Oliver a few months ago, in the summertime, I think. My father’s records contain the April, May, June and September Russetta Timing Association (RTA) programs, but no July or August programs. Either my father never obtained the July or August programs, or they weren’t available. Yet Oliver saw a portion of that August program and mentioned it to me. I put his request into the newsletter then and will do so again today. I sent Oliver a breakdown of the Nisei dry lakes racers from the programs that I have, including the clubs that they belonged to. Lou Baney’s son, Frank, may have programs from that era. Also check with Fran Hernandez’s sons Randy and Rick. Ernie Nagamatsu referred Oliver to me; check with Ernie. I don’t have Frank’s email address and would like to get it if you find it.

MIKE: I don’t recall seeing any RTA programs in my father’s historical collection. The only thing I have from August 1949 is one of Dad’s trophies and the corresponding timing tag. Randy Hernandez

53) Vintage Stampede: Our final competition event for 2024 is the Vintage Stampede at Wanneroo Raceway on Sunday, 1 December 2024. We have changed the format of this event in response to feedback from members and competitors so that it will comprise regularity and sprints in the morning and afternoon. There will be no hill-climb at Jacks Hill because of the low entry numbers in recent years. Glenn Swarbrick (Vintage Metal magazine, Western Australia)

54) Iconic’s bid to be the first team in HSR Classic history to pull off “double double” finishes in consecutive years was cut short early when Lopez encountered a slower GT-class competitor in the infield early in the first Group F race. Neither driver was injured in the contact incident that ensued, but both the GT entry and the Lopez and Fassler ex-JDC Motorsports 2019 No. 5 Cadillac DPi were eliminated from the race. In addition to Group A in the Lola, Lopez and Fassler drove the Cadillac to a Group win last year, but any chance to get both cars back in the winner’s circle again will have to wait another year. From Adam Saal at SaalGoodPR.

55) BLAST FROM THE PAST…… From the Wally & Barbara Parks story, We Did It Our Way.

An interesting article appeared in the June 1948 issue of Popular Mechanics. No names are mentioned but the SCTA is credited in the story. This leads me to believe that the author of the article, who is not mentioned, conferred with my father on the content. The title of the article “Detroit never satisfies them” refers to hot rodders; the photographs, though generic to dry lakes racing, are representative of the sort of positive story that my father constantly pushed on the national magazines. He went after every sort of publication in print trying to make inroads with readers of all persuasions. This was a major coup as Popular Mechanics gave the subject of hot rodding seven pages, sixteen well-captioned photographs and two graphs. He was very pleased.

56) DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (November 1, 2024) – Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) confirmed today that this weekend’s 10th Running of the HSR Daytona Classic 24 Hour Presented by Mission Foods will be featured for the second-straight year in and expanded schedule of livestream coverage – presented by Matador Motorsports – on the HSR and IMSA YouTube Channels this Saturday and Sunday, November 2 – 3, from Daytona International Speedway (DIS).

57) Collector Car Corner: Cars We Remember. Big Dodge rumors and some history about the beloved brand, by Greg Zyla. (to be serialized). At the same 2024 Paris show, Stellantis Chairperson John Elkann and Tavares doubled down on recent rumors and made their intentions clear: “The company is not considering any mergers or acquisitions at this time, despite interest from other automakers,” said Elkann. He and Tavares again emphasized that Stellantis is focused on optimizing its current operations and maintaining its competitive position without seeking external partnerships. As for your Renault question, during an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP), Elkann directly addressed rumors about a potential merger with Renault, a French auto motive company that is best known for being the “nail in the coffin” of the former AMC company downfall. Renault partnered with AMC in 1979 and was the beginning of the end for the former Rambler nameplate. Greg Zyla is a syndicated auto columnist and welcomes reader questions at greg. (Continued)

58) Another early setback was endured by four-time HSR Classic race winner Toni Seiler in his Waite-N-See Motorsports 1969 No. 7 Lola T165 in Group A. After winning the opening segment, Seiler’s Lola encountered carburetor issues early in the second Group A round and finished six laps behind the winning Iconic Lola. Seiler and his repaired Lola will mount a rebound bid to get back in contention as the Classic 24 begins its second half of 2024 competition early Sunday morning. The 10th HSR Classic Daytona 24 continues through morning hours and straight to just before 1 p.m. EST Sunday when the final checkered flag of the weekend will bring the race weekend to a close. From Adam Saal at SaalGoodPR.

59) WE’VE BEEN ASKED FOR HELP DEPT: The photographs in question involved the formation of the Community Services Organizations (CSOs) in California, including their first meeting, which was at Asilomar in Monterrey, and the early days of the United Farmworkers. Could you ask one of his children if it IS possible that he’s the Lee Blaisdell that took some photos of that kind of subject matter, and if so, be in touch with me by return email? I’m asking you to be the conduit and thank you in advance for anything you can do. We would want to make sure Lee Blaisdell gets properly credited, etc. Many thanks, Kenn Rabin (Archival producer, The Fred Ross Project, LLC), PO Box 515, Fairfax, CA. 94978. kenn IMDB:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0704899/?ref_=nv_sr_1.

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