Racing – It’s a Family Thing

Well, Spring has sprung, and everyone’s getting ready for the new season of drag racing. We’ll soon be seeing what’s been going on in everyone’s garages over the Winter, whether it be a simple refresh or a new engine or suspension setup. There may even be some new cars out there, too. Of course, all track owners will be doing their annual dance with the weather, closely watching the forecast for wind, temperature, and precipitation, all of which do their best to stand in the way of the Test and Tune sessions before the races and events that count start. I watched an old Main Event video the other day and someone described a national event in drag racing as a “Happening.” It got me to thinking how that is so very true even at the local grass roots level. Sure, you won’t find the glitz and glamour of the pro scene, but you will find something even more valuable than winning a “Wally.” You’ll find the track family most have grown closer to than their own blood relatives. Seems like everyone there is willing to share whatever someone else needs. Then the intensity builds as the drivers work (sometimes joining forces) to get the cars ready.

And the fans? They start to find the best position to view the spectacle they came to see. Everyone seems to have their favorite part. Maybe even a couple they can’t decide between. It could be the tire-boiling smokey burnout to heat the tires. It could be the wheelstand coming off the line as the car launches. Or maybe they just like to guess who wins each round before it starts. Whatever it is, everyone in attendance is drawn to this “Happening” that assaults the senses. People in society have trouble getting along. People at the track are a tight-knit group who genuinely bond over this sport. Lots of smiles to be found (unless your car just broke), lots of people happy to share their experience of the day or are there to offer support to those whose day isn’t going quite as well due to some sort of mechanical mishap. For the most part, these are hard-working people. People who go to the track to play hard. People who care about their racing family extra hard. A family that goes beyond blood. A family you’d be happy and proud to be a part of. Whenever you have an opportunity this year, come out to the track, cheer on your favorite driver or car, and become a member of the family.

It’s Coming

It’s coming. It’s coming and no one can stop it. What’s coming, you ask? Another season of racing. In fact, in warmer parts of the country it’s already underway. And some may find this somewhat surprising. This is mostly because these days, no matter where you turn, it seems all the media is pushing is the narrative that electric vehicles are the future and it doesn’t help that the government has not only fueled that thought process, it’s jumped right on the bandwagon. As an extension of that, there are many out there who believe all motorsports as a whole are on life support and are on the way out. Others will point to the age of those who are out there racing, and argue the sport will be gone when those folks are. Something oft overlooked, however, is the fact the sport keeps a lot of these folks acting younger than their years. In any American town, you can find old folks sitting on their front porch, in their rocking chairs and discussing their latest illness or surgery and wishing for the good ol’ days. . . or you can go to the local drag strip and find someone the exact same age still loading and unloading a race car by themselves and pushing their cars to the edge down the track or helping someone else in the family to do it. Quite a contrast there, eh?

Seems like drag racing is a magical cure to keep them young. While NASCAR and NHRA are becoming more “politically correct” and losing their most fervent fans, the local dirt tracks and drag strips are still bringing in passionate fans and racers. With the way the economic climate in this country the way it is, we all wonder what 2023 will bring. Early indications are that racers and fans alike are going to keep going after the sport they love as much as they can. In fact, you may even detect an air of defiance in doing so, having a little extra incentive by bucking the government/media system. So far , attendance at the Lights Out race in Georgia saw record crowds. The World Series of Pro Mod (WSOPM) was an incredible event as well. The Gatornationals had huge crowds and huge ratings on TV. I don’t know about you all, but my social media feeds are filled with people getting excited for the start of the season at their local tracks. Some seem to have an open defiance in the face of the current economic climate, showing a determination that nothing will prevent them from racing. Maybe that’s an attitude we all need to have. A defiance, much like our heroes of the early days had when they were pushing the envelope, trying to discover new ways to make their cars faster than the other guys. Face it, we all need heroes. All of us have our heroes in the sport, people we searched for in the magazines in the newstands every month. People who we wanted to be when we grew up. There’s still a lot of those legends out there. If you get a chance, get yourself out to a nostalgia event and seek out those heroes of your youth while they’re still around. You’ll be amazed with the stories they have to tell. You’ll relive that thrill. And so will they.

I’m going to be doing racing articles, stories and other things here just to see how it plays out and how much interest there is in this sort of content. Let me know if you like the content I share here. It may develop into something much larger if there’s enough interest. If not, I’ll be better for the experience and hopefully I’ll make at least one person out there smile along the way. Probably not a full-track smokey burnout smile, but I’ll see what I can do.

Barb Hamilton, A True Legend

We’ve lost more than just a legend. We’ve lost a great person.

I remember the day well. It was a beautiful September afternoon in 2004. Thanks to an act of kindness, I was able to attend the 50^th US Nationals at Indy. For anyone into drag racing, Indy has always been the “big one,” and the 50^th anniversary was quite a bash. To see all those legendary cars from days gone by on display, all the cars most of us could only know by black and white photos in old magazines, was a special thrill. I was taking in all the cars I loved so much when I was a youth, when a brilliant blue Willys caught my eye. There was something vaguely familiar about it, but my memory bank just didn’t remember it quite like the others, yet there was something about it that reeled me in. Getting closer, I could see the paint was flawless, the car pristine. A sweet lady beside the car said, “do you like it?” My reply of, “it’s gorgeous, I love it!” made her face light up in a way that told me she was truly in love with this car. “I built this car. Step behind these chains and I’ll tell you about it.” That was how I first met Barb Hamilton, a true legend. Her eyes sparkled when she told me about how it was all as it was originally built by she and her friend Nancy back in the early sixties. She positively glowed when she opened the trunk to reveal the same old battery that was in there from the beginning (so huge it was probably larger than most modern 4-cylinder engines) and tell me about how it helped get her extra traction. When I told her how I admired how awesome the blue paint was, she told me a wonderful story of how it was painted by a friend with Schwinn bicycle paint and still completely intact. Barb was such a great storyteller, telling me everything about the car and how she had enjoyed building and racing it. When our conversation was over, I thanked her for her time and I could tell she was every bit as thankful to tell the stories as I was to hear them. I left thinking she was such a wonderful lady. I had no idea. No idea that I had just left the presence of the first woman in drag racing to receive an NHRA license for driving supercharged cars. No idea I was talking to the person who won the 1966 NHRA Springnationals and was runner-up at the 1968 Indy Nationals. No idea she was the class C/G record holder. I had just left the presence of one of only a very few women who built, owned, wrenched, and drove her own race car. I’ve had the blessing of being around strong women all my life from my mom and sisters right on down to my own wife, and Barb Hamilton embodied the same qualities of a strong woman those ladies in my life do, the ones we all admire. She loved the sport, she loved to race, and set out to do just that. Nothing to draw attention to herself, no looking for special treatment, no agendas, just going out and getting the job done the way she wanted to do it. She was there to race whoever was in the other lane not to make a statement but because that’s what she wanted to do. And do it she did. All with a humble style and elegance.

I caught up with Barb again several years later and got to meet her racing partner, Nancy. Nancy was the quieter of the two, but very much cut from the same cloth as Barb in her own way. Barb, of course, was still the same as when I first met her. Still all smiles, still humble, still elegant, still as genuine as anyone could be. In this day and age, it’s rare to come across anyone in any sport like that. Especially someone who made history with accomplishments that should be shouted from the rooftops. I last saw Barb last fall at Bruce Larson’s Dragfest. I was going to say hello, but it looked like she and her husband were having a close moment and I didn’t want to interrupt that. I wish now I had circled back, but we never know when the last time we see someone will be. I’m thankful I got to meet that wonderful lady at Indy that day. My life and the lives of everyone who ever met her are richer for knowing Barb Hamilton. For now, I’ll remember my memory of her taking an exhibition pass down the strip at Thompson, Ohio in her beloved “Miss Blue.” Although she’ll be greatly missed, her accomplishments will live on.

A Car (and Driver) with a Message!

If you’ve ever been to a nostalgia drag race or show, one of the things you’ll notice is there are a number of cars built to pay tribute to drivers or teams of days gone by. When I first started going to these shows, one of the things that surprised me was how many of these people had actual legends of the sport sign their cars in conspicuous places. The first time I saw Don “Big Daddy” Garlits’ signature on a dashboard, I thought it was such a wonderful idea! It struck me as a kind of two-way deal, with the car owner carrying a tribute to one of the all-time greats of racing and Don returning the favor by giving a “seal of approval” to the hot rod with his signature. Now, with that as an introduction, I have to tell you about my recent experience. I signed my first (probably last, too) car. No, the owner wasn’t paying tribute to me, nor was I giving his car my “seal of approval” (although I do approve of it wholeheartedly). The reasoning here was a completely different scenario as follows.

“Did you read the back of my car?”

“Oh yeah.”

“Did you say ‘yes’?”

“Yes I did!”

“Then I’d like you to sign my car.”

Meet James Joyce, driver of the ‘65 Comet wagon appropriately named “Old Testament.” Not typically the type of car built to attract attention, it is the message portrayed on the car itself that demands attention. The message, you ask? In big, bold letters across the back it reads, “This wagon was born again…how about you?”

James is your typical car guy. Before acquiring the wagon, he was building a ‘65 Mustang fastback. According to James, “I could never get the other car together, I was always fighting it all the time. Then I got this car. Every time I went to look for something for it, it was there. It was all because this car had a plan.”

The plan, if you haven’t figured out by now, is to spread the message of the Gospel through drag racing. And if the question on the tailgate isn’t enough to reel you in, the purpose of the car is reinforced by proclaiming “We Will Drag You Back to Jesus” and “Powered by Faith” on the sides.

Like most hot rods, there’s a story to the build. The oil pan came from Florida, the headers from Chicago, the transmission and converter came from Connecticut, the rear was originally built for the Mustang (in a divine twist, the rear was an exact fit!) and the intake came from southern Maryland by way of a trade. Through all this, James believes God provided the path for the car to make it to the end, that this car had a purpose beyond just drag racing. After watching this car make a pass down the 1320, it’s obvious this car (and driver) does have a purpose and one that will be successful. As it says on the side, I believe James and the Old Testament Comet will definitely drag people back to Jesus.

Jalopy Showdown – Beaver Springs, 2017

The annual Jalopy Showdown at Beaver Springs has always been a treat for gearheads of all ages. Always a handful of “rat rods” that bring out the jalopy side of hot rodding to be seen, full of the special ingenuity no longer experienced among the current generation of those on the street scene. The showdown part of the name is a middle misleading at times at this event. Richard Horton told me, “What makes this event really special is that everyone’s not in ‘kill mode,’ we’re all just out here to have fun.” He’s been having fun with his “Hyper” Nova for 28 years now, so that’s a good indicator of just how much fun he’s been having. John Labuda and Dave Fenzel both had feelings that were similar in nature, “just out having fun and enjoying the event.” Scott Hasko was getting ready to make another round and had to wipe down the bottom of his car to make sure nothing would drip down on the track. He was already looking forward to “freshening” up the engine after the season to get ready for next year. There was a bit of the showdowns of old as the East Coast Gassers run for points, their season nearly complete. They did put on quite a show, but they weren’t the highlight of the day. What was the real showdown, you ask? The real showdown on this day was for supremacy of wheelstanding. Just prior to the competition, Mike Etchberger suffered a setback at the starting line. A little post-breakdown thrashing had Etchberger back just in time to make the wheelstand competition. Successful wheelstands by Danny White, Mike Etchberger (whose car looked like it saluted the flag), and Don Moyer brought the crowd to its’ feet. In the end, Danny White successfully defended his title from the previous year with his wicked, wheelstanding Ford, but the matchup everyone wanted to see was the side-by-side competition between the Willys of Mike Etchberger and the Willys of Don Moyer. The side-by-side wheelstands by those two cars are what memories are made of. They are what really put the “showdown” in the Jalopy Showdown and keep us coming back for more.

The Writing Process and Roadblocks

It was a time to reflect as I was about to wrap up my third novel. A time to reflect on how I got to this point. I can’t deny the last five years haven’t been without challenge. No need to go into detail here, as I don’t share those details with others in person, either. Needless to say, when working on my first novel, I found the writing process to be somewhat therapeutic. Everyone is supposed to have a book in them, and I thought maybe this would be my only one. After a few starts and stops, I committed myself to the process of a minimum of 500 words a day until the story was complete. Oh, what a thrill it was to hold that first book in my hands! Other writers know what I’m saying here.  Long story short, the first book was a success and inspiration for a sequel was soon at hand. I only knew the middle of the story as I began to work on it, carefully piecing together parts to get the story off the ground and progress to the part I already knew. It was then a strange thing happened as I was working that project. A new story came to me before this project was complete. Somehow, I knew how the third story was going to end before the second one was complete. It was at that point where I felt compelled to put down that third story in outline form so I’d not forget it. I’m mentioning that detail because not only was that a move totally out of character for me, it was something I’d never done before in my entire life. Even in school, when we were required to do an outline for a project, I always did the project first and completed the outline last as an afterthought. Looking back, I’m calling the intuition to do an outline for that story divine providence. As this story unfolds, you will see why. I returned to that second story, and was starting to get together some ideas to market it. All of that came to a crashing halt as I lost my dad several weeks after completing that second book. My writing came to a halt with his death as I dealt with the emotions of that on top of the aforementioned “challenges.” My creative ability to write was gone for the time being. I wasn’t through dealing with those issues when I began to start showing symptoms of my own illness. After a couple months of thinking it would “go away” on its’ own, I finally relented and visited a doctor. The verdict was one I wasn’t happy with, Coronary Artery Disease. A catherization was scheduled to determine the extent, and after being postponed (due to Obamacare red tape), and moved back up thanks to someone cancelling (a little more divine providence) I was on the table to see how bad I was. Quite a marvel of modern medicine to be able to watch the surgeon poking around my heart on TV while it was going on, but I hope no one reading this will ever have the experience. The test revealed a 99-100% blockage of the Left Anterior Descending Artery. For those of you still reading, that particular artery has a nickname. It’s called “the widow-maker.” That’s right, the test revealed I should’ve been dead. More divine providence. One stent later, I was back in business, or so I thought. Dealing with the meds was an odyssey I wasn’t prepared for. Between the cholesterol, blood-thinning, and blood pressure drugs, my mind and body were a total mess. I was racked with aches, pains, a very foggy brain, and some pretty nasty mood swings. No room for creativity in that head! I gave up the thinners when I got lost on the way to work one morning. Knowing you were on the right road, but not knowing where you are isn’t a pleasant experience, let me tell you. I began exercising to get a handle on the blood pressure issue, when the cholesterol drugs reared their ugly head with another side effect. I went from feeling really good to not having the strength to walk 30 feet without stopping to rest in a matter of days. Needless to say, I was done with those drugs as well. It’s been over a year, and I still can’t tell if I’m totally recovered from that episode. Still battling fatigue, but I do know I’m dramatically better than the low point. That brings us to present day. If I hadn’t outlined that third story, it would’ve been gone. I looked at the outline numerous times, sometimes wondering where it came from, sometimes wondering where I was going with it, but always thinking it was going to be good if I could ever write again. I think the challenge of remembering the story is what slowly brought both it and the ability to write back. All starting with the first real outline I’d ever done. A process not familiar, but one I’ve already performed for the next book. This has been an incredibly strange process, a journey I hope me or no one else ever has to make again. My plan is to stay healthy and bring more stories to light. With that, I introduce to you readers the culmination of this journey, “The Mysterious Tunnel.” Find it at:

http://dlfordbooks.com/mysterioustunnel/ ‎

I’ll see you later…..

It’s Sunday evening. For nearly every Sunday evening for I don’t remember how many years, I’d be sitting beside my dad, visiting, watching TV, discussing life in general. Mom told me how much he enjoyed those visits and I enjoyed them too. Last Sunday, we watched the Pittsburgh Pirates lose their last game of the season. Dad had been sick, so when I left, I told him to get some rest and take it easy. It was very early the next morning when I saw him next. Already resting comfortably in the arms of Jesus. The last week was full of many details to be taken care of but I spent a lot of time reflecting on our life together. We were typical guys, neither of us were the type to say “I love you” that much, but that was one of the life lessons I learned from my dad. Don’t just say you care about someone, show it. I never doubted his love for me or my siblings and I know he never doubted our love for him. He wasn’t around much when I was growing up because he always had to work hard to provide for his family. In later years, I came to understand how much it meant to him to take care of his family since I now had one of my own. He never once let us down. We never had much, but we always had what we needed. He always supported us and provided for us. As we all moved on with our lives and families, dad continued to work. He touched a lot of lives and helped a lot of people along the way. Our neighbor had a simple graveside service when he died and dad loved the simplicity of it, deciding that he would want the same thing. He wasn’t one to call attention to himself. His was to be on a Thursday morning and the funeral director told us to be prepared for a small crowd since most people would have to be at work. I knew dad was well respected by many, but I was unprepared for what I found at the cemetery. I went there early to visit my grandparents’ grave and the church parking lot was already full. I had to park in the grass. Lots of people were already there and more were coming continuously. I slipped around behind the crowd to get to where my grandparents were buried and I could hear more arriving the whole time. I have no idea how many people did show up, but there were far more than anyone anticipated. Friends, family, and co-workers all came to pay their last respects, many staying afterward to share how much dad had meant to them or how good a person he was. They weren’t telling me anything I didn’t already know. My mom was touched by the outpouring of kindness from the community and I’m thankful for that. Everyone has told me they will miss my dad and I know I will. As I sit here alone on this Sunday evening I miss him greatly. There’s no way I could ever put into the words everything dad meant to me and my family. I do know that I’m not really alone. Part of him is part of me. Every time I look in a mirror I see some of his face. Whenever I talk, I hear parts of his voice, parts of his words. The last thing I said to him was “I’ll see you later.” And I will. Later, dad.

2014 York Nostalgia Nationals

Okay, that’s an awesome Hurst Olds I’m seeing before my eyes. Not far away is Miss Hurst herself, Linda Vaughn. Arnie “The Farmer” Beswick’s tiger-schemed Pontiac GTO is in the pit area. There can only be two possibilities that fit these surroundings. Either Rod Serling is going to step out from the tower and tell me I’ve been transported through the Twilight Zone back to the 60’s or it’s business as usual at the 11^th annual York Nostalgia Nationals at Beaver Springs Dragway. Anyone that ever saw an event at the old York US30 Dragway would feel right at home for this event. I could almost feel the spirit of Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins at my side as Mike Strickler came to the line in his tribute Camaro that honors his legendary father and Jenkins associate, Dave Strickler to face the equally impressive “Sweet Justice” Camaro of Jim Haislip in a match race. I’m sure “The Grump” would have been proud of the Jenkins Competition name on these cars.

Of course, no nostalgic glimpse into the past would be complete without funny cars and Bruce Larson and Rocky Pirrone supplied the thrills those ground-thumping nitro burners give to the fans. Just a few weeks earlier, I had watched Rocky race his immaculate Willys gassers and I jokingly asked him if he thought he had too many cars. Rocky just looked at me, laughed and replied, “is there such a thing?” Rocky brought two funny cars, the Frantic Ford Mustang and the War Eagle Firebird, while Bruce Larson was at the wheel of John Worm’s USA-1 Larson tribute Camaro. Those cars also included fan-pleasing back up girls just like the old days as well. In a twist that’s not seen every day, the lovely and talented Audrey Worm, who backed up Bruce Larson, was herself backed up by Bruce when she brought her front-engine dragster to the line.

A trip to the early days of drag racing would not be complete without a few rounds of old-time Super Stockers coming to the ling to face a flagman instead of the now familiar lighted christmas tree. George Nye, the voice of York US30 Dragway performed the honor of manning the flag and sending a number of pristine Ford, Chevys, and Mopars down the 1320 just the way it started out back in the day.

Of course, our beloved gassers were well represented by the 38 Special of Rick Osburn and the wheelstanding Willys of Mike Etchberger. Being around Osburn, and Etchberger, I’ve always been impressed with the way their wives support their drag racing habit. I was equally impressed with the duo of Chris and Debby Toth, who were racing their Fiat altered. It looked to me like the fun they were having together was something every couple should try to have together. Chris told me his dream was to have his picture taken with one of the trophies at the end of the day. His dreams were realized by hoisting his runner-up trophy high at the end of the event!

Did I mention that Al Gore was even on hand at this event? No, not that one, the “good” Al Gore (as he was quick to point out) was in attendance. Al was an integral part of Old Dominion Speedway, the first officially-sanctioned drag strip on the East Coast, and he’s still sharp as a tack at age 94. If that’s not a sure sign that drag racing keeps us all young, I don’t know what is. It’s quite possible the popularity of these nostalgia events may last longer than the era they celebrate. This world will be a better place if they do.

1st Rocking Chair Nationals! 2014

I remember it like it was yesterday. My buddy’s older brother invited the two of us along with him to the drag strip to race his ’67 Nova. I didn’t quite understand it on that day, why he had a smile a mile wide that wouldn’t leave his face the whole way home, because he had lost in the second round. It was a just a short time later that I learned it was a bigger deal to run a 13.96 ET on a 14.25 index than it was to bring home a trophy. Owning a 13-second car was a bigger thrill than bringing home the cup! Something else I remember from that day was getting to watch one of my favorite drivers, Gene Altizer, racing a funny car. Here it is, many years later and I’m back at the scene of the crime, Mason Dixon Dragway, for the 1st Rocking Chair Nationals and Gene Altizer is there once again, still involved in the sport.

Altizer was in attendance as a part of the legendary S&S Racing crew to kick off this inaugural event, and what an event it was! If your heart didn’t flutter when you entered the grounds, you either don’t care about cars or your heart wasn’t beating. As soon as you entered the gate, you came face-to-face with the car show area. There was certainly something there for everyone regardless of your automotive leanings and all the cars displayed in the car show were all top-shelf material. Amidst all the fine hot rods, I ran across one guy who was showing his car for the prime purpose of showing everyone a good time. Jeff Nutter had his HHR there decked out as the Haunted Hot Rod with all sorts of macabre visuals. As Jeff stated, “most guys here are saying don’t touch my car, while I’m pulling people in to see and touch everything. The kids really love it!” To me, it sounded like a good way to have fun and get people interested in the car show!

The drag cars on hand were right up to par with the show cars too. There were some really fine examples of front-engined dragsters, some altereds, a handful of “she’s real fine” 409s, and muscle cars galore. What really stood out and made the event special was the “bridge” between the old and new. One of the personalities interviewed at the start of the event was Rick Osburn, whose “38 Special” Chevy truck is a familiar sight to fans who frequent the gasser and nostalgia events. Osburn’s truck is sporting a new look of late that ties his modern day hot rod to the glory days of the past. Gone is the once familiar blower. In its’ place is Hilborn injection by none other than Gene Altizer. As evidenced by Rick’s massive wheelstands, Altizer obviously still knows a thing or two about how things go together.

Of course, that’s not surprising if you had heard S&S team member, Fred Bear, talking about how Altizer remembered everything, like who was in other lane, the elapsed time, etc. from years gone by. While I was visiting with Bear and Hales, Altizer produced a photo of them racing identical S&S cars at Mason Dixon 52 years ago! What a way to connect the old memories with the present day! There were other connections between past and present days as well. One that immediately caught my attention was an “Old Reliable” Camaro. It was one of my favorites back in the day, when I’d pour over all the hot rodding magazines to see what Dave Strickler and Grumpy Jenkins were up to. I just had to find out if this was the real car or a tribute car and what I found out was even more special than I imagined. Turns out that it was a tribute car, but it was owned by Mike Strickler, Dave’s son. Dave bought Mike the car when he was 16 and it was the very car that he taught Mike how to drive a stick shift in. Mike thought it only fitting the car be a tribute to his dad. I will say that, although no one’s as good as Dave Strickler was back in the day for shifting a four-speed, Mike does a pretty fine job.

Mike Etchberger’s wheelstanding Willys gasser is another good connection from past to present day. Mike’s car bears a healthy resemblance to Pork Zartman’s old car and the old-time gasser heroes love to watch Mike’s wheelstanding launches. Mike proudly displays his wheelstanding competition victories on his fenders and couldn’t wait to display his latest victory on his front fenders.

All in all, this first Rocking Chair Nationals seemed to be more about getting out of the rocking chair and getting down to the strip to make new memories, not about sitting in the chair and reminiscing about the old ones. What do you think?

2014 PA Gasser Nationals

It’s official. We’ve found the fountain of youth, but it’s not something you drink like the old legends go, it’s made up of hot rod iron and racing fuel. Okay, there may be a few shots of nitrous thrown in too for good measure. I offer evidence of that as one “Bones” Balough, legendary gasser pilot of days gone by. Sure, the calendar says he’s 79, and he was winning races before I was even born, but there were plenty of witnesses at the 2^nd Annual PA Gasser Nationals that saw Mr. Balough acting like a youngster. He even testified to the phenomena himself. He said when people asked him if he was afraid to drive race cars at his age that “when I get in the car, I feel like I’m 19 again.” Case closed.

Bones was on hand not only to drive one of Rocky Pirrone’s beautiful AA/GS cars, the “Boss Hydro,” but to connect the gasser memories of the past with the new memories created on that day. Oh, and I believe he had a little bit of fun doing it while he was at it! Bones said at the driver’s meeting that his most memorable win was the ’62 US Nationals, although he couldn’t recall who was in the other lane. He also fondly remembered being the first in the 9’s back in ’64 and stated that his favorite of all the cars he drove was the Big John Mazmanian Willys. That was appropriate since Rocky Pirrone’s gorgeous Mazmanian tribute car was also on hand. Pirrone’s cars were just a few of the fine examples of gassers that were present. The Beaver Springs Dragway was host to just about anything the hot rodding fan could desire. I’ve seen Earl Metzler’s incredible ’37 Chevy hauler before, but the sight of it hauling in Earl’s equally incredible ’34 five-window coupe continues to leave me breathless every time I see it. Earl built an equally impressive hauler for his brother’s car that was driven by Earl’s son, Brian.

As impressive as Metzler’s machinery was, there was a car that was equally impressive on the opposite end of the spectrum. Dan White’s ’55 Ford gasser will never win a beauty contest, but what it will do is wow the crowd with its’ wicked launches off the starting line. I had the honor of seeing one of those launches up close and personal in the wheelstand competition and it was a memory I won’t soon forget. Speaking of the wheelstand competition, I had the pleasure of observing wheelstanding expert Mike Etchberger as he plotted the best way to ensure his wheels would be up higher and longer than the others. Mike had the proper formula in place as he once again captured another wheelstanding crown thanks to a spectacular wheels-up launch and Dan White’s car getting just a little bit out of shape in the final. Those two guys definitely bring the crowd to attention when those wheels go up!

Barely behind those two is Rick Osburn in his ’38 Chevy truck and Dan Bergeron in his ’63 Nova. Seeing those four guys putting on a show every time they line up at the tree is the thing hot rod memories are made of! Adding to those memories was Steve Crook and his “Blew By You” AA/GS ’56 Chevy being backed up in old school style by his lovely lady, Pamela. Steve’s car, along with the supercharged Willys cars of the Kasinski brothers and Rocky Pirrone’s cars made thunderous passes that are impossible to forget. The participants also made memories of friends, family, and good times as well. Chris Toth and his wife Debbie campaign a Fiat Altered car and had the misfortune of breaking on Friday. You’d never know that by the gleam in their eyes and the smiles on their faces. They were having the time of their lives just enjoying the camaraderie of their fellow racers and the atmosphere of the event. I saw similar smiles on the faces of Scott and Mary Hasko and their crew. Scott told me how much fun they were having and how much enjoyment they got from competing, win or lose. It was a pleasure listening to them talk of the memories they were making that weekend and others of days gone by.

I’m sure Dave Dreyer will remember his runner-up finish in the Hot Rod category, not for any of the runs, but for being able to share the spotlight with his son and father. Nothing like three generations sharing a trophy at the strip! With all the families and good people involved at the PA Gasser Nationals, it’s easy to see the hot rodding torch will be passed on for many years to come!