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Parma Heights, Ohio (February 16, 2012) – On Saturday evening, February 11, the Sheraton Inn – Fairplex’s Vineyard Ballroom (Pomona, Calif.), was filled to capacity with drag racing legends, NHRA Full Throttle World Champions, performance aftermarket industry figures and fans to honor everyone’s “Big Daddy” – Don Garlits – who set the sport’s Gold Standard across his racing career of 56 years. The “Don Garlits 80th Birthday Rat Roast” was hailed as one of the highlights of the 52nd Annual NHRA Winternationals, the opening event of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season.

The event was presented by the National Hot Rod Association to benefit the Quarter Mile Foundation and its PROJECT 1320 documentary film mission to chronicle drag racing’s history using first person interviews of the surviving pioneers and legends.

The overflow crowd was held captive by stories from the seven roasters – Jerry (“The King”) Ruth, Dave McClelland, Tommy (“TV Tommy”) Ivo, Ed Pink, Ed (“The Camfather”) Iskenderian, Sid Waterman and Don (”The Snake”) Prudhomme, and then the Garlits rebuttals. Master of Ceremonies, Bob Frey, made the show move smoothly, and added his humor to the event. Several little known stories came to the surface, a few rumors were confirmed or buried, and laughter and applause were the order of the evening. An auction of some historical drag racing memorabilia items added to the high spirits of the evening.
“The Don Garlits 80th Birthday ‘Rat Roast’ was a wonderful evening and a fitting tribute to a man who has epitomized the sport from its early days,” said Tom Compton, president, NHRA. “We were proud to orchestrate and stage this gala event for the benefit of the Quarter Mile Foundation and also raise awareness for its worthwhile and important mission.”

Traci Hrudka, Chairman of the Quarter Mile Foundation said, “This event turned out to be very close to what we envisioned when it was first conceived. The staff of the NHRA’s Marketing and Communications Departments worked very hard to make this a very memorable event.

“We heard high praise from all of those in attendance about the evening’s warmth and high energy, which was the frosting on a highly successful event.

“We were blessed to have the NHRA believe in the Foundation’s undertaking to do this documentary and to have the support of so many companies, racers and fans to make it an entertainment and financial success. The funds which were raised will be a tremendous help in getting to the legends and pioneers of drag racing and the performance aftermarket, and to get their historical perspectives on tape for posterity.

“In addition to the success of the Roast, we were able to get an additional 14 interviews recorded over the weekend. That was a major plus as well!”

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PHOTOS courtesy National Hot Rod Association

Photo File Name
DGarlits-TCompton – Don Garlits and Tom Compton
DGarlits-THrudka-JRuth-BFrey – Don Garlits, Traci Hrudka, Jerry “The King” Ruth and Bob Frey (Master of Ceremonies)

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Starting in 2006, each year the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame, in association with US Automotive, has honoured those who, over the years, have made a significant and lasting difference to the development of drag racing in the UK. Full details and longer citations of all the inductees since 2006 can be found on www.britishdragracinghof.co.uk.

This year American drag racing legend and Quarter Mile Foundation board member Carl Olson is one of five new inductees. After a racing career during which he won many Top Fuel dragster titles he was appointed NHRA Vice President responsible for International Relations. In 1993 he became President of the FIA Drag Racing Commission, responsible for all international drag racing. He used his influence to raise the status of European drag racing to stand alongside other forms of motor sport and produce the fantastic European Championships we enjoy today. It is for this work that he has been inducted into the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

The other 2012 inductees are Tony Murray, The Brachtvogels (Phil, Frank and Alex), Barry Sheavills and Dave Lee Travis. The unique crystal tablet ‘Bootsie’ Awards will be presented at the Joint APIRA-SPRC Dinner Dance and Trophy Presentation held at St Johns Hotel, Solihull on February 11th 2012. In their different ways all of them have been a positive influence on the sport and those who enjoy drag racing today, as competitors or spectators, owe them a debt of gratitude.

The name Tony Murray crops up regularly in the history of drag racing in the North of England. Starting with the development of the Crosland Moor drag strip in the mid-1970s he remained a leading PDRC organiser until his untimely death in 1992. Whether it was digging holes for Armco barriers or acting as Clerk of the Course, Tony Murray was a true club man. Without his passion the establishment of a viable drag strip in the North might not have been achieved and it is for this that he has been inducted into the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

From the early 1970s to the present day the name Brachtvogel (Phil, Frank and Alex who died in 2001) has been around drag racing. They spent years at the top of two-wheeled drag racing, developing Top Fuel motorcycles in co-operation with Pete Davies and John Clift. They were innovative in their approach, sometimes leading the world. Their bikes became a classic route into Top Fuel for many of today’s stars – and they were British built. This, along with Alex’s dedication to improving the expertise and conditions of marshals, is why the Brachtvogels have been inducted into the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

Barry Sheavills has been part of UK drag racing since 1970 and there are not many four wheel classes in which he has not competed. A leading light for many years he has several firsts to his name – debuting the UK’s first purpose-built Super Gasser, running the first Alcohol dragster 5 in the UK, the first Top Fuel dragster 4 in the UK and the first Top Fuel dragster 300 mph by a European. It is for his long career at the top of drag racing and his constant work in promoting the sport that he has been inducted into the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

Dave Lee Travis spent most of the 1970s driving a Chevrolet powered Escort called Tender Trap that ran 10s and a Top Fuel Dragster called The Needle that got down to mid six second runs at over 220 mph. As a Radio and TV presenter he was able to give drag racing a huge media profile; a major factor in broadening the sport’s appeal. He was a great ambassador for the sport and it is for this constant and never matched high level promotion of the sport that he has been inducted into the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame.