Trick Ride

Media Preview: Wed., July 2, 3 p.m., Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, Pomona Fairplex

CONTACT: Bill Groak, PCGCampbell, 310/224-4941, bgroak@pcgcampbell.com
Della Domingo, SEMA, 909/396-0289, ext. 130, dellad@sema.org

WHEN: Wed., July 2: 3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. (media preview, reception and ribbon-cutting ceremony)

WHAT: Opening of a new, permanent exhibit at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, honoring the 125-plus members of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Hall of Fame. The exhibit opens Wed., July 2 during the Museum’s monthly Prolong® Cruise Night celebration which will be themed “SEMA Night” for the evening.

Highlights of the new exhibit include:
– A touch-screen system where visitors can single out SEMA Hall of Famer and learn about his or her background. SEMA Hall of Famers include NHRA Founder Wally Parks, Zora Arkus-Duntov, Vic Edelbrock and Linda Vaughn.
– Interactive John Force 2007 Ford Mustang Funny Car body which visitors can sit in and take it for a simulated ride through the history of SEMA.

ALSO: The Museum’s monthly Prolong® Twilight Cruise Night takes place later that afternoon from 4 p.m.-7, p.m. featuring hundreds of colorful hot rods, street rods, muscle cars and classics. A true Southern California family-fun event.

WHERE: Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of So. Calif.
1101 W. McKinley Ave., Bldg. 3A
Pomona, Calif. 91768
909/622-8562

PHOTO OPPS: New SEMA Hall of Fame display, plus John Force 2007 interactive Mustang Funny Car

INTERVIEWS:  Chris Kersting, SEMA president & CEO; various SEMA Hall of Famers, Tony Thacker (executive director of the Parks Museum), Greg Sharp (curator of the Parks Museum)

RSVP: Della Domingo, SEMA, 909/396-0289, ext. 130; dellad@sema.org

Photo depicts a 19-year-old trophy queen named Raquel Tejada, who later become Raquel Welch. WOW, PRE-CAVE WOMAN EVEN! Fans of this woman know what I’m speaking about.

POMONA, Calif. (June 9, 2008) - NASCAR, trophy queens, vintage motorcycles and the 75th anniversary of the Model 40 Ford are all part of the excitement coming to the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by Automobile Club of Southern California, the second half of 2008. Here’s a brief checklist of what’s ahead:

- New exhibit: NASCAR: A Salute to 60 Years of Racing opens Aug. 6 and runs through Mar. 1, 2009. Authorized by NASCAR, exhibit will feature racing memorabilia and photos, along with a selection of race cars, including one of the most famous, Dale Earnhardt’s 1998 #3 Chevy Monte Carlo courtesy of Schroeder Racing Products.

- New exhibit: Trophy Queens, a photo exhibit honoring the glamour girls of racing, runs Aug. 27 through August 2009. Included in the dozens of rare shots of models presenting racing trophies from the ’50s through the ’70s are images of a 19-year-old Raquel Tejada, later to become Raquel Welch and Barbara Huffman, i.e., Barbara Eden star of the long-running “I Dream of Jeanie.” Also highlighted is the most famous trophy queen of all, Linda Vaughn, known as the “First Lady of Motorsports.”

- Special event: Indian Day, honoring the 100th anniversary of Harley-Davidson racing, Oct. 25, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Presented by Duke Video USA, this annual event features scores of vintage motorcycles, especially Indians. Plus, Sam Wheeler, owner/driver of the 355-mph E-Z-Hook motorcycle, will host a special seminar. Attendance free to those who bring a pre-1965 motorcycle.

- New exhibit: The 75th Anniversary of the Ford Model 40 goes from Dec. 3 to spring 2009. Exhibit, sponsored by Steve’s Auto Restorations, highlights one of the most popular hot rod platforms around, the 1933-’34 Ford. Among the cars in the exhibit will be three of the most famous: the Billy F Gibbons’ ZZ Top Eliminator, the Pierson Brother’s Coupe and the Pete & Jake’s California Kid. Also on display will be the Super Bell Coupe, Big Al and the Mooneyham & Sharp 554 car.

Currently on display at the Parks Museum:

- “A Tribute to American Ingenuity,” honoring the 60th anniversary of Honest Charley Speed Shop as well as the 50th anniversary of Coker Tire: through Nov. 16.
- Celebrating 60 Years of Hot Rod Magazine: through October 2008
- Bakersfield: A Salute to the March Meet - 50 years of Racing: through August 2008
- 70th anniversary of the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California: A retrospective of the historic association which continues to sanction land speed record racing. Through June 2008.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary and named for the founder of the National Hot Rod Association, the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California houses the very roots of hot rodding. Scores of famous vehicles spanning American motorsports history are on display, including winning cars representing 50 years of drag racing, dry lakes and salt-flat racers, oval track challengers and exhibits describing their colorful backgrounds.

The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., PST. Current NHRA members are admitted free and Auto Club members enjoy a $2 discount. Admission for non-members is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors 60 and older, $5 for juniors six through 15, and free for children under the age of five. The Museum is also available for special group tours. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located at Fairplex Gate 1, 1101 W. McKinley Ave. in Pomona. For further information on special exhibits, museum events or directions, call 909/622-2133 or visit http://museum.nhra.com.

Charles “Boogie” Scott said he has no idea where he got his nickname from. ‘I’ve had since I was a baby,” the Louisiana native said in his distinctive drawl. “I grew up with it.” Boogie has also earned the title of being a “racer’s racer.” His career is the envy of all hot rodders: for some 50 years, Boogie has built and driven championship quality cars for the street, the strip and the salt. Still active, Boogie was a recent inductee into the exclusive Bonneville Salt Flats 200 MPH Club, and continues to construct a variety of cars at his Covington, La. shop. In fact, he’s building a Cacklefest car (a remake of the Cupit and Cunningham dragster). He’ll take a break when he visits Beech Bend Raceway Park as an Honoree at the 6th annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion, June 13-15.

Charles “Boogie” Scott

1. How does it feel to be an Honoree for the 6th Annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion? What does the Reunion mean to you?

Boogie Scott:  I’m pretty much honored. I didn’t know they’d take someone from this area (Louisiana) and I wasn’t famous across the country. I was really surprised, especially when I found out who else was being honored, (Bob) Stange, (Dick) LaHaie, Gabby Bleeker.this is really an honor to be in that group.

I’ve been to all the National Hot Rod Reunions. I drive my ‘27 Track T Roadster up every year. Even been to Bakersfield. The Reunions mean a lot to me. A lot of guys just aren’t around anymore. I like to see the younger guys there and the old guys who keep coming back. I’m not out of racing - I’m still building race cars. I’ve been building race cars and street rods for 50 years, so I never left. I have a car going to Bonneville. I got the record there in my class a few years back. I went 238.5 mph.

2. When you were racing and building cars decades ago, did you think you’d be honored years later? Are you surprised that people remember your racing and rodding exploits?

Scott: I didn’t think about - nobody thought about it back then. We were just havin’ fun. I had a regular job doing sheet metal work. Building cars and racing was more like a hobby. Then I got more work building cars and realized I could make a living doing what I enjoyed. I never, ever thought about the future. Never knew there was anything to be honored for. Back then, hot rodders had a bad name - we were called hoodlums. Who would have thought that hoodlums would be honored one day?

Am I surprised people remember me? Well, yes and no. People are glad to see me and I’m glad to see them. People come up to me after 40 years and we just talk and have a good time. Younger people know me as a car builder, not a racer. Young or old, we always have something to remember and talk about.

3. What are some of your fondest (and funniest) memories about drag racing in the in the early days? What do you miss most?

Scott: I’ve got lots of good stories to tell, so it’s hard to pick one. I remember a race once in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1961. It was in the A-Altered class and I was in ‘32 Ford that was being push-started by my ‘51 Ford station wagon with a ‘51 Olds engine. I was up against a guy with a ‘39 Ford with a Chevy engine. My car and the push car left him standing at the line. Not only did I beat him, but so did my push car! I beat him twice. It was like rubbing it in, beating him twice.

Another time I was racing and I veered a little of the track and took out all these little flags the promoter, Bob Veselka, put on the side of the track. I also took out some timing equipment. When I got back I told Bob I was sorry, but he said to ‘do it again. The people in the stands enjoy it.’ I guess I put on a good show.

I guess I don’t miss it that much ’cause I’m still doing it. I do miss racing without spending a lot of money. It takes more money to race today. Now it’s work. Back then it was fun.

4. Are you surprised at the popularity of nostalgia drag racing and hot rodding? Why do you think people enjoy it so much?

Scott: I’m not really surprised because there are still a lot of people who enjoy it. Old-timers are racing again and people are coming back to watch. People get tired of watching the same 16 cars compete over and over again. The cars are pretty much the same today. Back then, no two cars were alike and you had 40 in each drag racing class. People remember old-time racing and good it was.

5. What do you think of drag racing today compared to when you were on the circuit?

Scott: Today you need experts and a paid crew. Everybody use to be there for a good time. Today there’s a lot of work and expenses so there’s no way to have the same kind of fun we did. It’s more of a business today. The drivers today really don’t do anything else besides drive. That’s why I’ve always admired Don Garlits - he did it all: built his own cars, towed them, and raced them, everything but drive the push car. It’s too specialized today. But I can’t complain ’cause today they hire guys like me to build the cars, and I can’t say that’s bad.

The 6th annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, June 13-15 at Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, Ky., is a 3-day festival of speed, hot rods and American automotive enthusiasm.  Produced by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum and presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, the Reunion is part of the museum’s “living history” philosophy, which works to bring to life the sights, sounds and people who made history in the early days of drag racing, land speed racing and the golden age of American car culture.

Unique among motorsports events, the Reunion honors some of the top names in hot rodding from the past and features a fabulous array of cool drag cars, street rods and customs of the historic and present-day hot rod eras.

Individual tickets are available at the gate. Cost per person: Friday, $20; Saturday, $20; Sunday, $15.  Children 15 and under are free when accompanied by an adult.

The Reunion features a wide variety of activities and events, including:

- Hot Heads Eliminator NHRA vintage drag racing, featuring some the sport’s most famous and historic cars and drivers, racing in such classes at Nostalgia Top Fuel, Altereds, Supercharged Gassers, Classic Super Stock, Hot Rods and others.
- Street rod “show ‘n shine,” presented by SoffSeal, with thousands of gleaming pre-1972 hot rods, custom cars, classics and muscle cars.  “Memory Lane” will have a display of nostalgic race cars.
. Open house at Holley, Thurs., June 12, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., followed by the Heacock Classic Insurance Show ‘n Shine cruise (featuring the 2008 Vettetastic Treasure Hunt) to the Holiday Inn University Plaza, the host hotel. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 5 p.m.
- National Hot Rod Reunion Reception, held at the Holiday Inn University Plaza’s Sloan Convention Center ballroom on Friday evening, June 13.  Open to everyone at no charge, it’s a tribute to the Reunion’s Grand Marshal and Honorees and a chance for fans to meet some of drag racing’s heroes.
- Cacklefest on Saturday evening, where nitro-burning historic, front-engine top-fuel dragsters and other classic race cars are push-started just like in the “old days.”
- The Swap Meet and Reunion Midway filled with manufacturer exhibits and demonstrations
- A separate amusement park with rides and games for all ages adjacent to the park.

Information, including a full activities schedule, is available through the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at http://museum.nhra.com.

Proceeds of the Holley Hot Rod Reunion benefit the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Celebrating its 10th anniversary and named for the founder of the National Hot Rod Association, the Parks Museum presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California houses the very roots of hot rodding. Scores of famous vehicles spanning American motorsports history are on display, including winning cars representing 50 years of drag racing, dry lakes and salt-flat racers, oval track challengers and exhibits describing their colorful backgrounds.

The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific. Current NHRA members are admitted free and Auto Club members enjoy a $2 discount. Admission for non-members is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors 60 and older, $5 for juniors six through 15, and free for children under the age of five. The Museum is also available for special group tours. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located at Fairplex Gate 1, 1101 W. McKinley Ave. in Pomona. For further information on special exhibits, museum events or directions, call 909/622-2133 or visit http://museum.nhra.com.

What better gift is there, to give dad on Father’s Day, than a car? And you can give him one by being one of the first 1,000 people through the spectator’s gate on Father’s Day, Sun., Jun. 15, at the 6th Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion.  The 3-day Reunion, which runs from Jun. 13-15, will be held at legendary Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, Ky.

“We’re giving the first 1,000 spectators through the gate a Mattel Hot Wheels collectible die-cast car to help celebrate Father’s Day,” said Tony Thacker, executive director of the nonprofit Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, which produces and benefits from the event.  “Usually, it’s the kids asking dad to give them a car, but by getting dad up early, the kids will be able to give dad a car - and get one for themselves, too.”

Mattel, which is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Hot Wheels, has long been a supporter of the Parks Museum, located in Pomona, Calif.  The company produces more “cars” than any other company and Hot Wheels was the major sponsor of drag racing legends Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen during their heyday on the track.

The 6th annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, June 13-15 at Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, Ky., is a 3-day festival of speed, hot rods and American automotive enthusiasm.  Produced by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum and presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, the Reunion is part of the museum’s “living history” philosophy, which works to bring to life the sights, sounds and people who made history in the early days of drag racing, land speed racing and the golden age of American car culture.

Unique among motorsports events, the Reunion honors some of the top names in hot rodding from the past and features a fabulous array of cool drag cars, street rods and customs of the historic and present-day hot rod eras.

Those purchasing their credentials at least three weeks before the event receive significant added value including a “goodie” bag, Reunion program, commemorative dash plaque and a colorful and collectible plastic souvenir credential.  Three-day credentials ($55 each) are available at 800/884-NHRA or through an application on the Museum’s web site at http://museum.nhra.com. Individual tickets are available day-of the event. Cost per person: Friday, $20; Saturday, $20; Sunday, $15.  Children 15 and under are free when accompanied by an adult.

The Reunion features a wide variety of activities and events, including:

- Hot Heads Eliminator NHRA vintage drag racing, featuring some the sport’s most famous and historic cars and drivers, racing in such classes at Nostalgia Top Fuel, Funny Car, Altereds, Supercharged Gassers, Classic Super Stock, Hot Rods and others.
- Street rod “show ‘n shine,” presented by SoffSeal, with thousands of gleaming pre-1972 hot rods, custom cars, classics and muscle cars.  “Memory Lane” will have a display of nostalgic race cars.
- Open house at Holley, Thurs., June 12, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., followed by the Heacock Classic Insurance Show ‘n Shine cruise (featuring the 2008 Vettetastic Treasure Hunt) to the Holiday Inn University Plaza, the host hotel. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 5 p.m.
- National Hot Rod Reunion Reception, held at the Holiday Inn University Plaza’s Sloan Convention Center ballroom on Friday evening, June 13.  Open to everyone at no charge, it’s a tribute to the Reunion’s Grand Marshal and Honorees and a chance for fans to meet some of drag racing’s heroes.
- Cacklefest on Saturday evening, where nitro-burning historic, front-engine top-fuel dragsters and other classic race cars are push-started just like in the “old days.”
- The Swap Meet and Reunion Midway filled with manufacturer exhibits and demonstrations
- A separate amusement park with rides and games for all ages adjacent to the park.

Information, including a full activities schedule, entry forms and tickets, is available through the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at http://museum.nhra.com or by sending a post card or note to NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, 1101 McKinley Ave., Bldg, 3A, Pomona, Calif. 91768.   Requests can be emailed to themuseum@nhra.com.

Proceeds of the Holley Hot Rod Reunion benefit the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Celebrating its 10th anniversary and named for the founder of the National Hot Rod Association, the Parks Museum presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California houses the very roots of hot rodding. Scores of famous vehicles spanning American motorsports history are on display, including winning cars representing 50 years of drag racing, dry lakes and salt-flat racers, oval track challengers and exhibits describing their colorful backgrounds.

The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific. Current NHRA members are admitted free and Auto Club members enjoy a $2 discount. Admission for non-members is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors 60 and older, $5 for juniors six through 15, and free for children under the age of five. The Museum is also available for special group tours. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located at Fairplex Gate 1, 1101 W. McKinley Ave. in Pomona. For further information on special exhibits, museum events or directions, call 909/622-2133 or visit http://museum.nhra.com.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (May 21, 2008) - And you thought nostalgia dragsters were fast! The JCB GT, the world’s fastest backhoe loader dragster, with driver Neil Smith behind the wheel, will be speeding down the track, June 13-15, at the 2008 Holley National Hot Rod Reunion at Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, Ky. Powered by a 1,300-horsepower engine, the “backhoe on steroids” is capable of speeds more than 150 mph and lights up the sky with its flame-shooting exhaust.

“The JCB GT is an absolute thrill to watch,” said Tony Thacker, executive director of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, producers of the Reunion. “People will be cheering—they’ve never seen anything like it. The Reunion will be packed with drag racing action, including Top Fuel, but this is something special that the whole family will love.”

The JCB GT was introduced in Las Vegas at the 2005 Con-Expo, the world’s largest construction industry exhibition. The idea for the machine came from JCB Chairman, Sir Anthony Bamford, the son of the company’s founder, Joseph Cyril Bamford. Irish comedian Frank Carson spurred the idea in 1985 by regularly delivering a joke about a JCB backhoe loader that whizzed by at 100 mph. The first JCB GT was created three years later and was debuted to the public at Donington Race Park in England on Aug. 1, 1988. The JCB GT wowed audiences for many years after its initial launch and has entertained crowds at major racing events the world over, including the British Formula One Grand Prix and the Australian Formula One Grand Prix.

And now the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion can be added to the list.

The 6th annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, June 13-15 at Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, Ky., is a 3-day festival of speed, hot rods and American automotive enthusiasm. Produced by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum and presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, the Reunion is part of the museum’s “living history” philosophy, which works to bring to life the sights, sounds and people who made history in the early days of drag racing, land speed racing and the golden age of American car culture.

Unique among motorsports events, the Reunion honors some of the top names in hot rodding from the past and features a fabulous array of cool drag cars, street rods and customs of the historic and present-day hot rod eras.

Those purchasing their credentials at least three weeks before the event receive significant added value including a “goodie” bag, Reunion program, commemorative dash plaque and a colorful and collectible plastic souvenir credential. Three-day credentials ($55 each) are available at 800/884-NHRA or through an application on the Museum’s web site at http://museum.nhra.com. Individual tickets are available day-of the event. Cost per person: Friday, $20; Saturday, $20; Sunday, $15. Children 15 and under are free when accompanied by an adult.

The Reunion features a wide variety of activities and events, including:

- Hot Heads Eliminator NHRA vintage drag racing, featuring some the sport’s most famous and historic cars and drivers, racing in such classes at Nostalgia Top Fuel, Funny Car, Altereds, Supercharged Gassers, Classic Super Stock, Hot Rods and others.
- Street rod “show ‘n shine,” presented by SoffSeal, with thousands of gleaming pre-1972 hot rods, custom cars, classics and muscle cars. “Memory Lane” will have a display of nostalgic race cars.
- Open house at Holley, Thurs., June 12, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., followed by the Heacock Classic Insurance Show ‘n Shine cruise (featuring the 2008 Vettetastic Treasure Hunt) to the Holiday Inn University Plaza, the host hotel. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 5 p.m.
- National Hot Rod Reunion Reception, held at the Holiday Inn University Plaza’s Sloan Convention Center ballroom on Friday evening, June 13. Open to everyone at no charge, it’s a tribute to the Reunion’s Grand Marshal and Honorees and a chance for fans to meet some of drag racing’s heroes.
- Cacklefest on Saturday evening, where nitro-burning historic, front-engine top-fuel dragsters and other classic race cars are push-started just like in the “old days.”
- The Swap Meet and Reunion Midway filled with manufacturer exhibits and demonstrations
- A separate amusement park with rides and games for all ages adjacent to the park.

Information, including a full activities schedule, entry forms and tickets, is available through the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at http://museum.nhra.com or by sending a post card or note to NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, 1101 McKinley Ave., Bldg, 3A, Pomona, Calif. 91768. Requests can be emailed to themuseum@nhra.com.

Proceeds of the Holley Hot Rod Reunion benefit the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Celebrating its 10th anniversary and named for the founder of the National Hot Rod Association, the Parks Museum presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California houses the very roots of hot rodding. Scores of famous vehicles spanning American motorsports history are on display, including winning cars representing 50 years of drag racing, dry lakes and salt-flat racers, oval track challengers and exhibits describing their colorful backgrounds.

The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific. Current NHRA members are admitted free and Auto Club members enjoy a $2 discount. Admission for non-members is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors 60 and older, $5 for juniors six through 15, and free for children under the age of five. The Museum is also available for special group tours. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located at Fairplex Gate 1, 1101 W. McKinley Ave. in Pomona. For further information on special exhibits, museum events or directions, call 909/622-2133 or visit http://museum.nhra.com.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (May. 19, 2008) - Dick LaHaie was arguably the most humble, yet fiercest competitor around. Selected No. 31 on the NHRA’s all-time Top 50 drivers list, it’s no surprise the Lansing, Mich. racer/owner/crew chief was named Grand Marshal of the  6th annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion, June 13-15, Beech Bend Raceway Park. LaHaie has proven himself worthy of numerous honors, and is a member of The Drag Racing Hall of Fame. In a career that has spanned nearly 50 years, LaHaie won The NHRA Top Fuel championship as a driver in 1987 and as the crew chief for Scott Kalitta in 1994 and 1995. LaHaie joined Don Prudhomme Racing and guided Top Fuel ace Larry Dixon to NHRA Top Fuel world championships in 2003 and 2004. LaHaie retired as Dixon’s crew chief following the 2005 NHRA season but decided in 2007 to return as a tuning consultant for Kalitta Motorsports. In addition to his professional racing accomplishments, LaHaie, 66, and wife Claudia own several show quality street rods.

1. How does it feel to be named the Grand Marshal for the 6th Annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion? What does the Reunion mean to you?

Dick LaHaie:  At first I was shocked, but I’m extremely honored. I never looked for recognition like this - I was doing what I loved to all my life. I was just a guy out there trying to win. I guess as it turned out, I was pretty successful. Maybe I’m just dense, but it (recognition) never crossed my mind. I was never one of those guys who walked with their chests out, like (Tom “the Mongoose”) McEwen-ha-ha. McEwen’s an old friend and I was telling him and (Don “The Snake”) Prudhomme recently, ‘the older you get, the better you were.’ But seriously, we all had a lot of fun back when and I made a lot of great friends in drag racing. Many of my old friends will be congregating at the Reunion - that’s why it’s so special to me. I can’t communicate with everybody so it’s great to see them at the Reunion. I look forward to seeing all the Division 3 guys - Pat Dakin, G.L. Rupp, Dale Funk - we used to compete against each other, racing pretty damn hard.

2. When you started racing back as a teen in the late ’50s, did you think you’d be honored years later? Are you surprised that people remember your racing exploits?

LaHaie: I never had a clue: I only wanted to run a car down the track. I always wanted to win, but that wasn’t the biggest thing. If your number was still on your windshield at the end of the weekend, that meant you did ok. I guess I’m not surprised people still remember me - it was something I did for 47 years. What does surprise me is that people will come up and talk to me about a ‘55 Olds that I ran in Stock Class the late ’50s. But that’s what racing is about: camaraderie. Racing brings people together.

3. What are some of your fondest (and funniest) memories about drag racing in the ’60s-’70s-’80s? What do you miss most about the “old days?” Do you keep in touch with a lot of your old drag racing friends?

LaHaie: Drag News used to have a Jr. Eliminators list and in 1965, the Heidelberg Roadster from Springfield, Ill., was No. 1. I took my Fuel Roadster and drove down from Lansing, Mich., to Alton, Ill. and submitted a challenge to match race it. I had the No.6 spot at the time. In the first round - it was a best of three format - I whipped them handily. I was really excited to be a win away from the No. 1 spot and I got cocky. But I learned quickly how humbling the sport can be. My crankshaft broke - I was devastated. My mind was going 100 miles per hour thinking what to do, but it was over. I didn’t have extra parts. It was the hardest thing in the world to watch him run single to keep his title. Two weeks later, though, he came up to Michigan and I whipped him two straight like a stepchild to win the title, which I never relinquished. This was all about the agony of defeat and the thrill of victory.

My most exciting time in my life was in ‘87. That was the first year of major corporate sponsorship and I won the championship as a driver with just my family as the crew. It was just my daughter Kim, my son Jeff and my wife Claudia. That was the highlight of my career.

What I miss about the old days was the camaraderie and the fact you had to do everything yourself. It wasn’t like today and the ‘UPS cars’ - where if something breaks you just order another part and they overnight it to you. I miss the challenge of out-thinking my opponents. It wasn’t who had the most money - it was about who built the best car and ran the fastest.

I do keep in touch with my friends, but many of them are dying off, and that’s scary. It’s sad to see the heroes of the sport dying off.

4. Are you surprised at the popularity of nostalgia drag racing? Why do you think people enjoy it so much?

LaHaie: I think it’s popular because the nostalgia races are places where old guys like me can enjoy themselves. It’s like going back to another era, and I think younger folks like that too. In my day it was more of a rogue era, not as commercialized. There were no set schedules. There were more race tracks and you could race everyday of the week. There were 12 to 14 tracks in Michigan. You went to the people instead of the people coming to you. But nostalgia is big today in everything from cars and boats to coins and guns. It brings the interest out in people. It’s human nature to be interested in times past. I know I am. Even I am amazed when I see the old-time cars. I still can’t believe we raced those things. Because we did, things are much safer today, though.

5. Since you were a driver, owner and crew chief for many years, what do you think of drag racing today compared to when you were on the circuit?

LaHaie: The drivers are much more professional and polished today. That started with all the corporate sponsorship stuff in the ’80s. Today’s drivers work out a lot and are more physically fit. We didn’t do any of that. They also know how to speak in front of a TV camera. But the basics are still the same: two cars on the line, first guy to the end of the track wins. Today you just have better tracks and equipment. There’s not as much on the driver to get to the finish line. In my era, we were all green and didn’t know how to do something until we tried it. Today it’s more scientific. You can map out an ignition curve. In my day, we were lucky to have an ignition!

The 6th annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, June 13-15 at Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, Ky., is a 3-day festival of speed, hot rods and American automotive enthusiasm.  Produced by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum and presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, the Reunion is part of the museum’s “living history” philosophy, which works to bring to life the sights, sounds and people who made history in the early days of drag racing, land speed racing and the golden age of American car culture.

Unique among motorsports events, the Reunion honors some of the top names in hot rodding from the past and features a fabulous array of cool drag cars, street rods and customs of the historic and present-day hot rod eras.

Those purchasing their credentials at least three weeks before the event receive significant added value including a “goodie” bag, Reunion program, commemorative dash plaque and a colorful and collectible plastic souvenir credential.  Three-day credentials ($55 each) are available at 800/884-NHRA or through an application on the Museum’s web site at http://museum.nhra.com. Individual tickets are available day-of the event. Cost per person: Friday, $20; Saturday, $20; Sunday, $15.  Children 15 and under are free when accompanied by an adult.

The Reunion features a wide variety of activities and events, including:
- Hot Heads Eliminator NHRA vintage drag racing, featuring some the sport’s most famous and historic cars and drivers, racing in such classes at Nostalgia Top Fuel, Funny Car, Altereds, Supercharged Gassers, Classic Super Stock, Hot Rods and others.
- Street rod “show ‘n shine,” presented by SoffSeal, with thousands of gleaming pre-1972 hot rods, custom cars, classics and muscle cars.  “Memory Lane” will have a display of nostalgic race cars.
- Open house at Holley, Thurs., June 12, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., followed by the Heacock Classic Insurance Show ‘n Shine cruise to the Holiday Inn University Plaza, the host hotel. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 5 p.m.
- National Hot Rod Reunion Reception, held at the Holiday Inn University Plaza’s Sloan Convention Center ballroom on Friday evening, June 13.  Open to everyone at no charge, it’s a tribute to the Reunion’s Grand Marshal and Honorees and a chance for fans to meet some of drag racing’s heroes.
- Cacklefest on Saturday evening, where nitro-burning historic, front-engine top-fuel dragsters and other classic race cars are push-started just like in the “old days.”
- The Swap Meet and Reunion Midway filled with manufacturer exhibits and demonstrations
- A separate amusement park with rides and games for all ages adjacent to the park.

Information, including a full activities schedule, entry forms and tickets, is available through the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at http://museum.nhra.com or by sending a post card or note to NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, 1101 McKinley Ave., Bldg, 3A, Pomona, Calif. 91768.   Requests can be emailed to themuseum@nhra.com.

Proceeds of the Holley Hot Rod Reunion benefit the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Celebrating its 10th anniversary and named for the founder of the National Hot Rod Association, the Parks Museum presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California houses the very roots of hot rodding. Scores of famous vehicles spanning American motorsports history are on display, including winning cars representing 50 years of drag racing, dry lakes and salt-flat racers, oval track challengers and exhibits describing their colorful backgrounds.

The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific. Current NHRA members are admitted free and Auto Club members enjoy a $2 discount. Admission for non-members is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors 60 and older, $5 for juniors six through 15, and free for children under the age of five. The Museum is also available for special group tours. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located at Fairplex Gate 1, 1101 W. McKinley Ave. in Pomona. For further information on special exhibits, museum events or directions, call 909/622-2133 or visit http://museum.nhra.com.

BOWLING GREEN. Ky. - (May 5, 2008) - Fans arriving early for the 6th Annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, June 13-15, Beech Bend Park, Bowling Green, Ky., will get a few special pre-event treats. On Thurs., June 12, early-bird enthusiasts can take a tour of Holley Performance Products from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., go from there on the Heacock Classic Cruise - which also includes a treasure hunt - and then end up at for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Holiday Inn University Plaza at 5 p.m.

“This is the way to really kick-off the Reunion,” said Tony Thacker, executive director of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, producers of the 3-day event. “Everyone participating will have lots of fun.”

The day’s events begin at 10 a.m. at Holley (1801 Russellville Road) where visitors can tour the 250,000-sq.-ft plant and see how Holley, in business for 105 years, makes its world famous carburetors and other products. “Visitor’s will also get to see Weiand intake manifolds, water pumps and superchargers being made and get to tour through our engineering vehicle and engine lab where they house their chassis and engine dynos,” said Bill Tichenor, Holley marketing manager. “Visitor’s can also have a hot dog lunch be entered into a drawing for apparel and speed parts from Holley brands. Winner’s results will be posted at the Holley racer trailer at the track.”

At 2 p.m., is the Heacock Classic Cruise (which originates from Holley) and takes the form of a scavenger hunt organized by the American Red Cross to benefit their Vettetastic 2008 program. The Parks Museum will make a significant donation to the charity, according to Thacker. “The scavenger hunt ends at the Holiday Inn University Plaza’s Sloan Convention Center at 5 pm for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. It kicks off the weekend in grand but casual style,” he said.

The 6th annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, June 13-15 at Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, Ky., is a 3-day festival of speed, hot rods and American automotive enthusiasm. Produced by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California and located in Pomona, Calif., the Reunion is part of the museum’s “living history” philosophy, which works to bring to life the sights, sounds and people who made history in the early days of drag racing, land speed racing and the golden age of American car culture.

Unique among motorsports events, the Reunion honors some of the top names in hot rodding from the past and features a fabulous array of cool drag cars, street rods and customs of the historic and present-day hot rod eras.

Those purchasing their credentials at least three weeks before the event receive significant added value including a “goodie” bag, Reunion program, commemorative dash plaque and a colorful and collectible plastic souvenir credential. Three-day credentials ($55 each) are available at 800/884-NHRA or through an application on the Museum’s web site at http://museum.nhra.com. Individual tickets are available day-of the event. Cost per person: Friday, $20; Saturday, $20; Sunday, $15. Children 15 and under are free when accompanied by an adult.

The Reunion features a wide variety of activities and events, including:

Hot Heads Eliminator NHRA vintage drag racing, featuring some the sport’s most famous and historic cars and drivers, racing in such classes at Nostalgia Top Fuel, Funny Car, Altereds, Supercharged Gassers, Classic Super Stock, Hot Rods and others.

Street rod “show ‘n shine,” presented by SoffSeal, with thousands of gleaming pre-1972 hot rods, custom cars, classics and muscle cars. “Memory Lane” will have a display of nostalgic race cars.

Open house at Holley, Thurs., June 12, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., followed by the Heacock Classic Insurance Show ‘n Shine cruise to the Holiday Inn University Plaza, the host hotel. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 5 p.m.

National Hot Rod Reunion Reception, held at the Holiday Inn University Plaza’s Sloan Convention Center ballroom on Friday evening, June 13. Open to everyone at no charge, it’s a tribute to the Reunion’s Grand Marshal and Honorees and a chance for fans to meet some of drag racing’s heroes.

Cacklefest on Saturday evening, where nitro-burning historic, front-engine top-fuel dragsters and other classic race cars are push started just like in the “old days.”

The Swap meet and Reunion Midway filled with manufacturer exhibits and demonstrations
A separate amusement park with rides and games for all ages adjacent to the park.

Information, including a full activities schedule, entry forms and tickets, is available through the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at http://museum.nhra.com or by sending a post card or note to NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, 1101 McKinley Ave., Bldg, 3A, Pomona, Calif. 91768. Requests can be emailed to themuseum@nhra.com.

Proceeds of the Holley Hot Rod Reunion benefit the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Celebrating its 10th anniversary and named for the founder of the National Hot Rod Association, the Parks Museum presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California houses the very roots of hot rodding. Scores of famous vehicles spanning American motorsports history are on display, including winning cars representing 50 years of drag racing, dry lakes and salt-flat racers, oval track challengers and exhibits describing their colorful backgrounds.

The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., PST. Current NHRA members are admitted free and Auto Club members enjoy a $2 discount. Admission for non-members is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors 60 and older, $5 for juniors six through 15, and free for children under the age of five. The Museum is also available for special group tours. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located at Fairplex Gate 1, 1101 W. McKinley Ave. in Pomona. For further information on special exhibits, museum events or directions, call 909/622-2133 or visit http://museum.nhra.com.

Hot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. Nobody knows for sure the origin of the term “hot rod.” One explanation is that the term is a contraction of “hot roadster,” meaning a roadster that was modified for speed. Open roadsters were the cars of choice to modify because they were light. Hot Rod may also refer to the connecting rods, cam, or pushrods inside the engine or to the exposed frame rails of such an automobile. It has also been noted that burning out the connecting rod bearings was a very common failure mode for souped up four-cylinder Fords, particularly the Model T, and “hot rod” could refer to that phenomenon. It was adopted in the 1930s or 1940s as the name of a car that had been “hopped up” by modifying the engine in various ways to achieve higher performance.

The term can also apply to other items that are “souped up” for a particular purpose, such as “hot-rodded amplifier”.

Late 1930s-1950s early days

The term seems first to have appeared in the late 1930s, when kids from southern California would race their modified cars on the vast, void dry lake beds northeast of Los Angeles under the rules of the Southern California Timing Association. The activity increased in popularity after World War II, particularly in California, due to returning soldiers, many of whom had been given technical training in the service. The original hot rods were old cars (most often Fords, typically Model Ts, Model As 1928-31, 1932-34 Model Bs, or V-8s) that had been modified by to reduce weight and improve aerodynamics. Typical modifications were removal of convertible tops, hood, bumpers, windshields, and/or fenders); lowering the chassis; and modifying the engine by tuning and/or replacing with a more powerful type. Wheels and tires were changed for improved traction and handling. “Hot Rod” was sometimes a term used in the 1950s as a derogatory term for any car that did not fit into the mainstream. Hot rodder’s modifications were considered to improve the appearance as well, leading to show cars in the 1960s replicating these same modifications along with a distinctive paint job.

Post WWII origins of organized rodding

After World War II there were many small military airports throughout the country that were either abandoned or vary rarely used that allowed Hot Rodders across the country to race on marked courses. Originally Drag Racing had tracks that may have been as long as one mile or more, and included up to four lanes of racing at the same time. As hot rodding became more popular in the 1950s, magazines and associations catering to Hot Rodders were started. As Hot Rodders began to race on the street in addition to drag strips, a need arose for an organization to promote the images of Hot Rodders. Hot rodders including Wally Parks created the National Hot Rod Association NHRA to bring racing off the streets and onto the tracks. They created rules based on safety an entertainment, and allowed Hot Rodders of any caliber the ability to race. The annual California Hot Rod Reunion and National Hot Rod Reunion are held to honor pioneers in the sport. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum houses the roots of hot rodding.

1970s rise of the street rod

As automobiles offered from the major automakers began increasing performance, the lure of Hot Rods began to wane. You no longer needed to put a Cadillac engine in a Ford roadster to be fast. You could now buy a Pontiac GTO that out performed your Hot Rod, and still have adequate room to fit the wife and kids. After the 1973 Oil Crisis the public called on automakers to offer safety and fuel efficiency over performance. This led to a resurgence of Hot Rodding, although the focus was on driving Hot Rods over racing so the term ‘Street Rod’ was coined to denote a vehicle manufactured prior to 1949, often with a late model drivetrain for reliability. Street Rodding as it was now known was a different phenomenon that Hot Rodding, as Street Rodding was mainly family oriented. National events were hosted by the National Street Rod Association (NSRA), which also stressed safety as the NHRA did 20 years before, but this was safety for the street as opposed to on the race track. Each NSRA event has a ‘Safety Inspection Team’ that performs a 23 points inspection process that goes beyond what normal State Safety Inspections Require.

Modern rodding

There is still a vibrant Hot Rod culture worldwide, especially in the United States and Sweden. The hot rod community has now been subdivided into two main groups: hot rodders and street rodders. Hot rodders build their cars using a lot of original, old parts, and follow the styles that were popular from the 1940s through the 1960s. Street rodders build cars (or have them built for them) using primarily new parts.

Nowadays one thing in common is the wish by their owners for hot rods is to make them noticeable. There are many different sects of Hot Rodding now, there are (amongst others):-

* Billet Rods (noted by many items being machined from Billet aluminum),
* Traditional Rods (those that built according to a particular point in time and stick to those build techniques and materials),
* Rat Rods (those that are pieced together to look like old time jalopies, although some times they require more work than a show rod), and
* Show Rods (Hot Rods created to compete in National Car Shows such as AMBR (America’s Most Beautiful Roadster), and the Detroit Autorama).

The Street Rod Nationals serves as a showplace for the majority of the hot-rodding and street-rodding world to display their cars and to find nearly any part needed to complete them. Collectively they are all referred to as Hot Rods.

Debates within the car community

Hot rods are part of American culture, although there is growing controversy within the automotive hobby over an increasing trend towards the acquisition and irreversible modification of surviving historic - some even very rare - vehicles rather than the traditional hot rodding concept of the salvage and remanufacture of reusable junked parts.

New “retro Inspired” steel bodies

As the supply of original steel bodies dwindles to nothing, those who reject fiberglass replicas can buy new reproduction bodies. They are not actual antiques, but often are superior in some aspects such as build quality to original hot rod bodies. The best bodies can command a price of US $10,000 or more.

I am going to a local HotRod show here, like a car crafting expo if you will. I will be sure to get all the pictures and interviews I can. Check back by Monday.