Even the nostalgia of hot rodding has to move into the computer age and so registration forms for the second annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion presented by DuPont Automotive Finishes are available online in Adobe portable document format at http://www.nhra.com/museum/2004/nhrr/registration.pdf.

Entry forms are due back to the reunion by June 4 to take advantage of the early registration discounts.

"Last year, we had a much larger than expected crowd, and we want to accommodate everyone at this year's event," said Bob Daniels, Reunion Director. "Only those who purchase their credentials in advance may attend the Pit Pass Barbeque and receive the 'goody bag' that includes the dash plaque and the National Hot Rod Reunion Annual."

Among those set as Heritage Award Honorees are pioneer aluminum dragster builder Al Bergler, veteran dragster owners Jim and Alison Lee, creator of the International Show Car Association Bob Larivee, Sr.., legendary racer Art Malone, and speed shop operator Bill Smith of Speedway Motors.

Linda Vaughn, Miss Hurst Golden Shifter, is the Justice Brothers Car Care Products Reunion Spotlight Award winner.

Produced by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, the Holley National Hot Rod Reunion, presented by DuPont Automotive Finishes, will include Crane Cams nostalgic drag racing in such classes at Top Fuel, Supercharged Gassers, classic Funny Cars and Super Stocks, along with a giant street rod, customs, classics and muscle car SofffSeal "show n' shine," swap meet for classic car and racing parts, special stage show and a separate amusement park with rides and games for all ages adjacent to the park.

Fashioned after the annual NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield, the event also includes the all-time favorite "Cacklefest" under the stars. The activity involves early-days-style front-engine dragsters being push-started, then all gathered together on the drag strip starting-line with engines running.

The Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, presented by DuPont Automotive Refinishes, will also cater to car clubs, with special contests and activities for clubs. Information-including a full activities schedule and entry forms-is available through the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. To receive updated information, prospective participants should send a post card or note to NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, P.O. Box 2345, Pomona, Calif. 91769. Or e-mail your name and address to museum@nhra.com.

"These were the wonder years," emcee Dave McClelland mused, "because it was a wonder how we survived!" McClelland was speaking to a crowd of more than 200 who came to the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum for a nostalgia-laced special panel discussion on the golden age of California dragstrips.

And after hearing numerous wild and wacky tales - cars driving on fire intentionally, wheel-stander exhibits, four jet dragsters racing at the same time, cars exploding and landing on churches blocks away, you got the idea McClelland wasn't totally kidding.

Called "The Men Who Ran Dragstrips We Knew and Loved," the two-hour-plus program consisted of a panel of eight former dragstrip operators who bared their souls about the early days of drag racing with historic and humorous anecdotes. The panel featured C.J. "Pappy" Hart of Santa Ana and Lions Dragstrips, Steve Gibbs from Irwindale Dragway and Fremont Drag Strip, "Hand Grenade" Harry Hibler from San Fernando Raceway, Mike Jones from Orange County, Don Rackemann from Saugus, Fontana and Riverside, Blackie Gejeian from Fresno, Chuck Griffith from Pomona and Lou Senter from Saugus.

It was hosted by legendary NHRA announcer and former Dallas track operator McClelland, who asked questions about the good old days and bantered back and forth with the panelists, eliciting witty, yet revealing remarks.

Typical exchange: McClelland to the soon-to-be 93-year-old Pappy Hart: "Pappy, you were the brightest guy in the world to start the first dragstrip. That was so smart."

Pappy: "That's right. I'm smart."

McClelland: "If you're so smart, why aren't you driving a Rolls?"

Pappy: "Because I'm a Ford man."

McClelland, laughing: "This is gonna be a fun day."

The crowd roared...and that was just the beginning. They laughed and reminisced throughout the event as the panelists brought the ghost dragstrips back to life with flavor and feeling.

Many, many subjects were broached, from driver safety - or lack of it, to noise laws, tow money, track economics, to, well, cheating. Or as wily Don Rackemann said, "money can be skimmed from many places."

Rackemann, who was candid as well as funny, evoked memories with stories on planes landing on tracks, 13-year-old flag men holding up traffic where a public street crossed a track during races, and, of course, making money.

Fessing up to what many already knew, Rackemann explained how he used to wink at certain drivers before he dropped the flag. For other racers though, he would nod his head. "A guy's got to make a buck," he deadpanned.

Speaking of money, a lot was discussed on tow money or appearance fees. Apparently most operators paid in some fashion, but Pappy Hart refused to concede…for awhile. After many good natured jokes, Hart said he gave "sympathy money" to some drivers.

Steve Gibbs said he slipped drivers money to make runs at Irwindale, or as he said they liked to call it, "where the smog meets the rocks." According to Gibbs, they actually had a sign at the end of the track which simply read, "Lots of Rocks." Gibbs also said Irwindale was known for its food, especially its hamburgers. "One of the owners of the track owned In-N-Out Burgers," he said. "Half the people would talk about the races, the other half would talk about the great food."

Another panelist with great stories was Fresno's Blackie Gejeian. He held up a photo of four jet dragsters running side by side. Asked how he did things like that and stayed out of jail, Gejeian just grinned. "We did things back then we shouldn't have, but the crowds loved it." Gejeian also said the having the four super-powerful dragster take off at once did, uh, cause some problems. "They just about blew off the fence. They also cleaned the track off - no rocks or anything left."

Always the showman, Gejeian gave great details on a car that was "burned down," how it exploded and flew into the air. "It looked a flying saucer," he said. "It was a good show, but the next morning I got a call from the local high school. They wanted to know why hot metal landed on top of 13 of their school buses."

Gejeian also told how Frank Pedregon Sr. (father of Cruz, Frank Jr., and Tony) used to light his car on fire and delight the crowd with a fireball run. One day his car flipped a few times and disappeared on fire into a ditch. The only injury was to his wife who broke her leg falling into the ditch to look for him. Hibler said the very next day Pedregon brought his car to San Fernando and said if he could get some oil, he'd run it. "The car was absolutely destroyed and he still wanted to run."

Apparently lighting cars on fire was a big crowd pleaser back then. Gibbs, who admitted he likes fireworks, talked about how, after an event, he filled a dead car with M-80s and gasoline. What he didn't know was that his friends doused the car with gas when he went to get a fire extinguisher just in case. "When I lit the fuse, the car turned into something from Apocalypse Now."

Keeping neighbors surrounding the local tracks happy was always fun. Harry Hibler said a church across the wash from the track "got upset when a car launched a head and it landed in front of it." McClelland said they put air conditioning in a local church and the pastor never complained about the noise again.

Through it all, the camaraderie among the tracks kept them going. Mike Jones said he was the new guy and used to get razzed by the others. "Steve Gibbs would call me up in the middle of the night, disguising his voice. He'd say he was driving the Flying Igloo and wanted to know if I could get him in the race at the last minute."

Gibbs, who was a racer's best friend, remembered the closeness between competitors and how they liked to joke around. He told the story of how a racer named Connie Swingle ("he used to march to a different drum," Gibbs said), used to do wheel stands in a ratty vehicle aptly called the Trash Truck. According to Gibbs, Swingle finished his wheel stand run and decided to do one coming back…even though racer Bob Riggle was about to do his wheel stand and had no idea what Swingle was up to. "Connie thought it'd be fun to have both cars meet in the middle doing wheel stands." And sure enough, Swingle did it. "Both their wheels were in the air," Gibbs said, "but Riggle didn't see the humor in it."

Pressed by Greg Sharp, curator of the Parks NHRA Museum, Gibbs told a heart-warming story of how "Jungle Jim" Lieberman and other drivers chipped in and gave him an envelope filled with money to keep Fremont running after rain ruined a race there. "I still get misty when I think about it" Gibbs said.

Camaraderie, excitement and fun weren't enough to keep the tracks going, though. In the end, all succumbed to the same thing: money. All the operators agreed that the price of the land, plus rising insurance costs, noise laws etc., were the death knell to the famous tracks.

"There was no ROI, return on investment," said Rackemann. "Economically it doesn't work. The property values are too high."

"We had a 50-year lease and they bought it out to turn the track into an office park," said Jones of the demise of the Orange County track.

"It was hell to lose a track like Fresno," lamented Gejeian. Shaking his head, he added, "it's now a place to park farm equipment. Hibler said noise laws closed San Fernando. Griffith, who ran Pomona (the only vintage So-Cal track still in existence), said noise laws always kept him at bay as well. "You just have to continue to fight it."

Fight it they did, up until the end. "It was more enjoyable back then," said Jones. There was room for innovation and that was the fun part."

"Safety came out of all the stuff we did," said Rackemann, and all agreed. "We had racers sitting on apple boxes with no safety belts," Senter said.

"These are the people that staged the races," McClelland said. "They were the front-runner of what we have today. We owe them a great deal of gratitude."

Famed racer Mousie Marcellus was in the audience and told the panelists, "I want to thank you all. I raced at every one of your tracks and had a ball."

NHRA Founder Wally Parks was very touched by the event, telling the audience and panelists something they've longed to hear for years about the infamous NHRA fuel ban that nearly tore the organization apart 40 years ago. "We thought we were on the right track doing the right thing…but we weren't. It didn't work and we were wrong. I'm sorry about what happened and thanks for putting up with us."

"A day of true confessions," McClelland said.

"We all felt we were doing the best job we could," concluded Gibbs. "There was money to be made, but money to be lost, too." It was a risky business."

But for one Saturday afternoon at the Parks NHRA Museum, the tracks of the past were alive and well again, and fun as always.

Hot rod season officially heated up at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, as almost 500 cars and a crowd of 1,200-plus packed the parking lot at the FairPlex for the first Twilight Cruise Night of the year.

"What began four years ago as a little get-together for rodders is now a family tradition here at the Museum," said Sam Jackson, executive director of the Park Museum. "We had a record 490 of the nicest street rods and a huge, enthusiastic crowd to help kickoff the season. Visitors from Germany, Australia and New Zealand were blown away by the scope and atmosphere of the event. It was truly spectacular."

Scheduled for the first Wednesday of the month -- from April through December - Cruise Nights transform the popular motorsports museum in Pomona, Calif., into hot rod heaven as cool pre-1970 rods, customs, classics and muscle cars fill not one, but two parking lots. "Cars filled both the front parking lot and 'Thunder Alley' behind the Museum, stretching our capacity but adding to the enjoyment had by all who attended," said Jackson.

Another Cruise Night tradition is having guest celebrity judges chose the evening's top cars. Automobile Club of Southern California Funny Car star Gary Densham was one of our featured judges. He chose one of the four cars from this event which will participate in a pre-opening ceremonies parade at the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals this November. "Gary was awed by the quality and variety of cars presented and commented on how difficult it is to choose just one winner," Jackson said.

Densham picked a clean 1956 Chevy owned by Nick Barron of Irwindale as his favorite. Legendary NHRA announcer Dave McClelland, who also handled the hosting duties, was a guest judge and chose Larry Beck's '56 convertible Ford Crown, while "TV Tommy" Ivo picked Charlie and Elaine Tachojian's '51 Ford Woodie.

Other winners included Tracy Smith's 1959 Chevy 348 (chosen by James Giovanni of BASF Corp.) and the "Look Ahead" award went to Joe and Joyce Rode for their '47 Ford convertible (picked by J.R. Martinez Design and Power Puzzles).

The next Twilight Cruise is set for Wednesday, May 5. Cruise Nights, which run from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and are hosted by the Cal Rods car club, include raffles, prizes and a huge 50/50 drawing. Admission to the Twilight Cruise is free, and those who attend receive $2 off admission to the Parks Museum. Drivers who display cars receive one complimentary museum pass. Food and beverages are available for purchase.

The rest of the Twilight Cruise Night schedule is: May 5, June 4, July 2, Aug. 6, Sept. 3, Oct. 1, Nov. 5 and Dec. 3.

It's hot rod season at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, and it all starts Apr. 7.

On the first Wednesday of the month -- from April through December - the popular motorsports museum in Pomona, Calif., transforms into hot rod heaven as more than 300 cool pre-1970 rods, customs, classics and muscle cars fill the parking lot for Twilight Cruise Night.

"It's one of the great Southern California family treats," said Sam Jackson, executive director of the Park Museum. "It's a fun evening and great way to see our terrific museum and hundreds of the coolest cars around!"

This is the fifth year for the museum's Twilight Cruise Night program. The event, which runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is hosted by the Cal Rods car club, attracts nearly 1,000 people and includes raffles, prizes and a huge 50/50 drawing. Admission to the Twilight Cruise is free, and those who attend receive $2 off admission to the Parks Museum. Drivers who display cars receive one complimentary museum pass. Food and beverages are available for purchase.

The complete Twilight Cruise Night schedule is: April 7, May 5, June 2, July 7, Aug. 4, Sept. 1, Oct. 6, Nov. 3 and Dec. 1.

Three legendary racing cars have driven into the 100 Years of Ford Racing Heritage exhibit at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, and the exhibit's stay at the Museum has been extended to June 1, 2004.

Among the cars on display is an exact replica of "999," the Ford racer driven to fame by Barney Oldfield in 1903. Commissioned in 1902, "999" got its name from Oldfield, who likened its power to that of a record-holding locomotive of the New York Central line that carried the same name. The replica belongs to the permanent collection of the Motorsports Hall of Fame Museum in Novi, Mich.

Joining "999" and other exciting vehicles in the original exhibit are a Miller-Ford Indy car, a Mercury Super Cyclone Comet, and a "hot rod" Lincoln.

This 1935 Miller-Ford highlights the racing efforts of chassis designer Harry Miller, manufacturer Henry Ford, and consultant Preston Tucker.

In honor of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, an original 1935 Miller-Ford, driven by George Bailey in the 1935 and 1938 500s, has been moved into place. The car highlights the racing efforts of chassis designer Harry Miller, entrepreneur; manufacturer Henry Ford, and consultant Preston Tucker. Tucker put the deal together long before he began to build the cars that bore his name. The car is currently owned by Tom Malloy of Corona. Road racing and off-road racing are highlighted with two of the cars entering the exhibit. Exact replicas of the 1954 Carrera Panamericana Lincoln and the 1964 Mercury Super Cyclone Comet that ran in the grueling East African Safari Rally.

Owned by Roger Clements of Perris, the Lincoln replicates the car raced in perhaps the toughest event ever created – La Carrera Panamericana, which ran 1,908 miles on the Pan-American highway from Mexico's border with Nicaragua in Tuxtla Gutierrez to the finish at the Cuidad Juarez Airport near the U.S. border. The Lincoln team finished first and second in class with Ray Crawford and Walt Faulkner driving. Lincoln's participation in the event marked the return of Ford Motor Company to motor sports following World War II.

"This car so closely resembles the original that even the mechanics who built the original thought that this was the actual car," said Greg Sharp, curator of the Wally Parks Museum.

This Lincoln replicates the car raced in perhaps the toughest event ever created, La Carrera Panamericana.

Mercury's foray into rallying is marked by the 1964 Super Cyclone Comets that ran the 12th East African Safari Rally. This event, running 3,100 miles through Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, was conducted mostly on unpaved roads. While they didn't win, two of the Bill Stroppe-prepared cars did finish in an era when the Ford Motor Company was just beginning to build "compact" cars. Only 21 of the 94 starters finished the event. The replica, owned by Charles Rollins of Costa Mesa, was built in honor of his late father-in-law, Ray Brock, who drove the original.

The exhibit tells the story of Ford's remarkable success in virtually every type of professional motorsports. Highlighting the display are some of the most important race cars ever built, including cars from Ford's earliest days, NASCAR, drag racing, the Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans.

"This exhibit has been one of our most popular," said Sam Jackson, executive director of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. "We're pleased to feature these legendary cars and extend the exhibit's run so more Ford enthusiasts can see this racing heritage first hand. The exhibit spotlights Ford's phenomenal presence in racing, featuring significant race cars that are rarely seen."

"These are some of the most significant race cars in not only Ford Motor Company's history, but in all motorsports history," said Dan Davis, Director of Ford Racing Technology. "We're glad the public has this opportunity to gain a first-hand appreciation of Ford's unparalleled contribution through our display at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum."

Also on display are several Cosworth Racing engines, including an Indy/CART "XB" from the 1992-95 era, when Ford returned to this type of racing, and an F1 Zetec-R that brought Michael Schumacher his first world championship.

The tracks are long gone, but the titans who ran them are still here and they're coming together for a special panel discussion on Saturday, April 17, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum.

C.J. "Pappy" Hart of the Santa Ana Drags and Lions Drag Strip, Steve Gibbs from Irwindale Dragway, Harry Hibler from San Fernando, Mike Jones from Orange County International Raceway, Don Rackemann from Saugus, Fontana and Riverside and Blackie Gejeian from Fresno will talk about the famous tracks that made up the roots of drag racing. The program is titled, " Dragstrips We Knew and Loved (and the Men Who Ran Them)."

The panel, hosted by legendary NHRA announcer and Dallas track operator Dave McClelland, will include presentations on the famous dragstrips, a question and answer session, autograph opportunities and a tour of the Museum, including the extended exhibit, "100 Years of Ford Racing Heritage." Door prizes and a light buffet brunch are also included in the $20 per person ticket fee.

"This event follows the wildly successful 'Brunch with Art & Alex and Friends' panel discussion we had back in December," said Sam Jackson, executive director of the Parks NHRA Museum. "That sold out and people are still talking about it."

To purchase tickets, which will be held at "Will Call," fans can contact Karen Shaffer at 909/622-8562 by April 9.

With lively auctioneers entertaining the audience and smooth-talkin' Dave McClelland explaining the historical significance of every item, participants at the special racing-themed memorabilia auction at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, bought it all…literally. All 113 auction items were snapped up at the Feb. 19 event in Pomona, Calif., raising more than $35,000 for the Museum.

The auction featured several pieces from the personal collection of NHRA Founder Wally Parks and his wife Barbara, who were in attendance and autographed all the goodies. Historic and collectible hats, shirts, jackets, plaques and photos were donated by the Parks and others, much to the delight of motorsports collectors!

Auction items included everything from a late-'50s Puyallup Dragway poster to an old Irwindale Raceway jacket to, believe it or not, an 8-ft. diameter Union 76 ball from Irwindale Speedway.

Dana Mecum of Mecum Auctions flew in to help out and brought along a great auction crew. The crowd played off the auctioneers, who kept the energy and excitement going throughout the two-hour-plus auction. At one point, one of them attempted to prompt more bidding by telling a prospective buyer that "$50 is nothing. You spend more than that at Starbucks…"

Some of the highest-ticket purchases included a '50s era racing helmet (pictured) painted by famous hot rod artist Von Dutch, which sold for $2,500; Kent Fuller's 1961 Fremont jacket with his 8.20 ET world record embroidered on the back ($3,000); and the 1999 chrome-plated ground-breaking shovel from Las Vegas Motor Speedway ($3,000). An invitation to a Hot Wheels Hall of Fame event, which included a die-cast car and that was signed by Jay Leno, Wally Parks, Richard Petty, John Force and Christopher Titus, brought in $1,300, while a Tom "The Mongoose" McEwen jacket went for $350.

Speaking of McEwen, he was an active participant, bidding on several items. One he walked away with was an uncut collection of photo place mat featuring racers such as Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, Shirley Muldowney and, of course, McEwen. "Buy it, Goose," joke McClelland. "Maybe you can get it autographed!"

"What a great, fun evening," said Sam Jackson, executive director of the Parks Museum. "I'd like to thank Wally and Barbara and all the others who generously donated memorabilia to the auction, plus those who helped put it on, including Dana Mecum, and many members of the Cal-Rods Car Club, who regularly volunteer at their 'adopted' Museum. This type of event really helps the Museum continue to preserve motorsports' legacy."

Additional replays of television coverage of the 2003 Holley Hot Rod Renunion presented by DuPont will air on ESPN2, Thursday, Feb. 26, from 1-1:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 10, from 2-3 a.m.; and Sunday, April 25, Noon - 12:30 p.m. All times Eastern.

NHRA Founder Wally Parks and his wife Barbara are dipping into their personal collection of rare racing memorabilia … and that's a good thing for motorsports collectors! Several select items from the Parks collection, as well as other unusual, unique and historical pieces will be available at a special racing-themed memorabilia auction, Thurs., Feb. 19, at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona.

Blue leather Cragar racing jacket. All leather, motorcycle style, 1960s.

Simpson driving helmet, autographed in 1997 by NHRA drivers, including Joe Amato.

Wool (melton) Irwindale Raceway jacket, original.

The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum street sign, aluminum. Approximately 24 x 18 inches, autographed by Wally Parks.

"All proceeds from the auction will go to support the ongoing programs at the Museum," said Sam Jackson, executive director of the Parks Museum. "Thanks to Wally and Barbara, and a host of others who have generously donated memorabilia, this auction will allow the Museum to continue to preserve Motorsports' legacy."

Buster Couch’s chief starter uniform (shirt and pants). “Buster Couch” and “Chief Starter” embroidered on right front.

Wool (melton) Fremont Drag Strip jacket, original.

Tire from Art Arfons’ Green Monster land speed record car.

According to Jackson, 120 unique items will be auctioned off, including an original Fremont DragStrip jacket, a tire from Art Arfons' "Green Monster" land speed record car, an autographed Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum metal street sign, plus rare Hot Wheels toys, vintage racing programs, posters and banners, photos and more.

Invitation to the first Hot Wheels Hall of Fame induction ceremony, 2003. Wally Parks and Richard Petty were the first inductees. Invitation is a presentation box with a limited-edition Hot Wheels surf van, marked “Hot Wheels Hall of Fame, 2003.” Extremely limited edition. Autographed by Richard Petty, Jay Leno (host), Christopher Titus (speaker), and John Force (speaker). Can be autographed by Wally Parks at the auction.

"There's going to be some truly historic items on the auction block," Jackson said. "If you're a collector, you don't want to miss this event."

The fundraising event, which runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (a preview is set from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.), is open to the public and free, but for those who wish to bid on items, there is a $5 nonrefundable bidder's fee. For more information, visit www.nhra.com/musuem. To guarantee your bidding number, please register in advance by calling 909/622-8562.

What happens when six pioneers in motorsports get together to swap race stories? Well, when it includes legends such as Art Chrisman, Alex Xydias, Bobby Meeks, Jim Dilamarter, Bill Stroppe Jr. and Wally Parks, you get lots of insight, plenty of history, a taste of irrelevance and a whole lot of fun. And that was the perfect receipt for the approximately 250 who turned out for the recent "Brunch with Art & Alex and Friends" event at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, Calif.

Brought together as part of the Museum's latest exhibit, "100 Years of Ford Racing Heritage," the all-star lineup was in top form, each offering glib, personal views of Ford motorsports and their own legendary exploits. Moderator Dave McClelland kept the program flowing, making sure the panel discussion format was crisp and light, loaded with laughs and lore.

Soon-to-be 91-year-old Wally Parks, the founder of the NHRA, started the fun: "I wasn't around when Ford started 100 years ago…but I wasn't far behind." From there, each panelist introduced themselves. William "Willie" Stroppe Jr., president of Stroppe & Sons and son of fabled Ford Racing sage Bill Stroppe, candidly told the crowd, "My dad was a hard act to follow."

"I'm honored to be here with people like myself," Alex Xydias, Founder of So-Cal Speed Shop and a land speed pioneer, chimed in. "I was going to take credit for building all my engines…but Bobby Meeks is here. Damn!"

Xydias kept the crowd laughing, by adding, "The scariest job in racing was riding shotgun with Bill Stroppe."

Meeks, the famed Ford flathead engine builder who began working with Vic Edelbrock Sr. back in the late 1930s, told many good yarns. "I took care of Vic Edelbrock Jr. when he was growing up. I taught him to behave…and don't tell anybody nuthin!"

Meeks offered special insight into the experimentation of nitro methane as a fuel additive. "What made me use nitro methane? Everyone else was afraid of it…and that was good. I started experimenting with and thought, 'Boy, this stuff is pretty good!' I kept adding more and more and we'd go faster and faster. And folks kept asking, 'What are those guys doin'?'"

Egged on by Vic Edelbrock Jr., who was in the audience with his wife Nancy, Meeks told the story of how he and his crew had kept his "secret ingredient" quiet at Bonneville back in the '40s. "We we're running the flathead with nitro in Bonneville and the valves would get real hot. At night we'd have to sneak behind the hotel room, use the light from the bathroom and replace the valves. Everyone thought we we're just sleepin'."

The use of nitro – and how it was kept hidden – was the liveliest of debates during the brunch. "We were cheaters before they (drag racers using then illegal nitro methane) were," said Parks. "We were hot rodders. We knew how to cheat."

"Yeah, I blew up a lot of engines using nitro … but we went fast," said racing icon Art Crisman.

Vel's-Parnelli Jones Racing Team Crew Chief Jim Dilamarter surprised everyone when he told the crowd, "We qualified a lot with nitro!"

"That revelation was worth the price of admission today," said McClelland.

"After one run on the dyno using a can of nitro, I called Commercial Solvents and ordered a barrel of the stuff," said Meeks.

After an hour of non-stop stories, the panelist fielded questions from the audience. One was about "speed secrets" and if they were shared. "Never share one speed secret with one living being," was the advice from Xydias.

Dilamarter was asked about the ongoing CART/IRL feud. "The open-wheel racing wars have created a disaster. I'm sorry to see the situation. It was foolish of CART to take on Tony George and the IRL because the Indianapolis 500 is the mecca of open-wheel racing. This allowed NASCAR to surge ahead in the TV ratings, sponsorship and taking young drivers."

On the NHRA front, Parks gave a brief overview, saying "Drag racing is the number one form of motorsports for participation and continues to grow." He added, "I read that one dragster puts out more horsepower than the first four rows of cars at a NASCAR race."

The brunch highlighted the new Ford Racing exhibit, which runs until Feb. 6, 2004. It features "999," on special loan from the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich., one of Ford's earliest successful racing cars, along with a John Force NHRA Funny Car, Bobby Unser's Pikes Peak-winning Ford Torino, an original Ford GT40, the So-Cal Speed Shop's "belly tank," Parnelli Jones' "Big Oly" Ford Bronco, "The Assassin" front-engined top fuel dragster and much more.

Thanks to the efforts of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum and the Cal-Rods Car Club, hundreds of toys and gifts were donated to Pomona-based Inter-City Volunteers during a toy drive at the Twilight Cruise Night of the year. Bill and DeAnna Shacklett of Inter-City Volunteers (shown here with NHRA founder Wally Parks, NHRA Board Member Dick Wells, Museum Executive Director Sam Jackson and retired NHRA Vice President Steve Gibbs) gratefully accepted the toys and plan on giving them to needy families in the Inland Valley for the holidays.

Thanks to a concerted effort by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum and the Cal-Rods Car Club, hundreds of needy families in the Inland Valley will receive toys and gifts for the holidays.

A massive toy drive, held during the final Twilight Cruise Night of the year at the Parks Museum, generated truckloads of gifts that will be dispersed by Pomona-based Inter-City Volunteers, a nonprofit charity group. According to Sam Jackson, executive director of the Parks Museum, families hit hard by the recent wild fires will benefit most from the toy drive.

"Inter-City Volunteers will get the gifts to the families hit hardest…the ones that really need some holiday cheer. I'd like to thank Cal-Rods for their generous donation which was used to purchase hundreds of gifts, and to all those who brought toys. This was a very special event."

Gifts were placed around the Wally statue in the Museum's lobby and the festive atmosphere carried throughout the evening. More than 400 street rods and hot rods filled the Museum parking lot and approximately 1,000 people attended, including NHRA Founder Wally Parks and his wife Barbara, and Automobile Club of Southern California President and CEO Thomas V. McKernan Jr.

Salsa Pictures of Hollywood, Calif., recently used the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum as the set for a party scene in the upcoming VH1 TV movie "Thirty Days Until I'm Famous." The crew also filmed at several locations throughout Fairplex.

The shoot, which lasted two days, involved completely draping the Museum doors and windows externally to control ambient light, dozens of extras for a party scene, and extensive rearranging of the Museum's collection. The usual cast trailers, catering trucks, technical and lighting vehicles and support vans as well as personal vehicles for the cast and extras dominated the area around the Museum.

Salsa Pictures will release official information about the film, its subject, cast and presentation schedule in the next few weeks.

One hundred years ago, Henry Ford started Ford Motor Company with the prize money he won from racing a car he personally built. So it's not surprising that motorsport has always played a prominent role in the success of the company. This 100-year heritage of Ford racing will the subject of a special new exhibit at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, Calif. The exhibit opens on Fri, Nov. 7, 2003 as the focal point of the semi-annual Night of Champions event at the Museum, and runs through Feb. 6, 2004.

The exhibit will tell the story of Ford's remarkable success in virtually every type of professional motorsports. Highlighting the display will be some of the most important race cars ever built, including cars from Ford's earliest days, NASCAR, drag racing, the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"We are extremely pleased to present to the public a sampling of the rich and diverse history of Ford racing," said Sam Jackson, executive director of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. "The exhibit will spotlight's Ford phenomenal presence in racing, featuring significant race cars that are rarely seen. It's perfect timing for the exhibit, because it follows the one we just presented, 'A Salute to Parnelli Jones,' which featured many of his Ford-powered cars. Parnelli Jones was one on the most famous of all Ford drivers."

Vehicles driven by Jones, along with other Ford racing legends such as Dan Gurney and John Force will be on display.

"These are some of the most significant race cars in not only Ford Motor Company's history, but in all motorsports history," said Dan Davis, Director of Ford Racing Technology. "We're glad the public will have this opportunity to gain a first-hand appreciation of Ford's unparalleled contribution through our display at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum."

According to Greg Sharp, curator of the Parks Museum, among the cars on display will be an exact replica of "999," the Ford racer driven to fame by Barney Oldfield in 1903.

Commissioned in 1902, "999" got its name from Oldfield, who likened its power to that of a record-holding locomotive of the New York Central line that carried the same name.

Also on display will be several Cosworth Racing engines, including an Indy/CART "XB" (1992-95 when Ford returned to this type of racing) and an F1 Zetec-R (the Michael Schumacher engine that brought him his first world championship).

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