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Parma Heights, Ohio (October 24, 2011) – The Quarter Mile Foundation will have a strong presence at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, December 1-3, 2011 at the Orange Country Convention Center, Orlando, Fla.

The Foundation will occupy Booth 801, near the Show’s Media Center, and will be sharing the location with one of the most important drag racing vehicles in the sport’s history – Don Garlits’ “Swamp Rat XIII.” The Foundation will use the show to continue filming interviews with drag racing and performance industry legends for the PROJECT 1320 documentary film series.

Foundation Chairman, Traci Hrudka said, “The Foundation, working with Steve Lewis Founder/Publisher of Performance Racing Industry, the PRI Trade Show production team and Don Garlits and the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, have allowed the foundation to display the iconic ‘Swamp Rat XIII,’ which because of the catastrophic accident at Lions Drag Strip, led to the demise of the front-engine dragster when Don perfected the rear-engined dragster design. The Foundation will share the booth with the car, which will allow us the opportunity to reach the motorsports community with our message and the importance of the PROJECT 1320 documentary.

“We are also very pleased to use the PRI Show to continue to gather the interviews for the PROJECT 1320 documentary. The number of drag racing and industry legends who gather at the show makes this a great place to capture the memories of their lives.”

Steve Lewis, PRI Trade Show producer, commented about the presence of the legendary car at the show, saying, “I see the presence of Don’s ‘Swamp Rat XIII’ as a major enhancement to our show. The car’s history and unintended impact on the sport of drag racing is the stuff of legends.

“This is the first time this car has been out of Don’s museum since it was rebuilt/restored, and we are extremely grateful to him to allow us to showcase this car during the 60th Anniversary of the National Hot Rod Association and of organized, sanctioned drag racing. This will be one of the most significant cars of the many on display during the show.

“We are also very pleased to have the Quarter Mile Foundation share the area. The Foundation and the PROJECT 1320 documentary about the history of drag racing and the performance aftermarket is a very important, and much needed, undertaking. The ability to have them share the spotlight with this significant piece of drag racing history seemed to be a natural fit.
“We at PRI are extremely pleased to have a role in assisting in building the awareness of the undertaking, and having such an important, history-changing race car in this year’s show.”

Traci Hrudka added, “This could not have happened without Don Garlits and his enthusiasm for sharing the car with the show-going public. He will be around the car most of the show Thursday and Friday, answering questions and signing autographs.

“The Foundation will also raffle the ‘Vintage Rat’ big block Chevrolet engine – the last engine built by the late Joe Mondello. We’ll pull the winning name at the World Products booth (2523) on Saturday afternoon at time to be announced.”

PHOTO CREDITS/CAPTIONS: Don Garlits and “Swamp Rat XIII” (near lane) vs. “Kansas John” Wiebe (far lane) at the Beeline Dragway, 1970. Credit: Don Garlits/Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, Ocala, Fla./Garlits Swamp Rat XIII – Bee Line Dragway 1970 – 300dpi
Don Garlits and “Swamp Rat XIII” roll to the starting line at the 1970 NHRA US Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park. – ©Ray Mann Collection, quartermilestones.com/Garlits Swamp Rat XIII – US Nationals Indy 1970

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Parma Heights, Ohio (September 29, 2011) – The Quarter Mile Foundation will have a prominent presence at the SEMA Show 2011, according to Traci Hrudka, the Foundation’s chairman.

“Thanks to the efforts on the foundation’s behalf by SEMA and CONVEXX, the SEMA Show’s management firm, particularly Peter MacGillivray (SEMA Vice President, Events & Communications) and Chuck Schwartz (Chairman of CONVEXX), we have secured an excellent location in the Grand Concourse of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“The location (Booth no. 10900) is in a very high traffic, high visibility area between the North and Central Halls. Being able to work with the Association and the Show management assures us of an excellent venue to share our goals and accomplishments with show attendees and the other exhibitors.”
As it did in 2010, the Foundation will be conducting digital video interviews of industry and drag racing pioneers throughout the course of the show. These first person narratives are at the core of the PROJECT 1320 documentary film series about the birth and growth of drag racing and the performance automotive aftermarket between the late 1940s to the end of the ’80s.
The Foundation encourages you to stop at our exhibit area and further familiarize yourself with our efforts to preserve the history of drag racing and the industry it created. For more information visit our website: www.PROJECT1320.com.

Since the interviewing process began at the 2010 SEMA Show, the Foundation has interviewed 66 individuals, and accumulated over 80 hours of their recollections and observations.

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Parma Heights, Ohio (September 27, 2011) – Traci Hrudka, Chairman of the Quarter Mile Foundation, and John Coughlin, Vice President of JEGS High Performance of Delaware, Ohio, announced the well known retailer of aftermarket performance parts has made a generous contribution to the Foundation, in support of the ongoing PROJECT 1320 documentary.

“JEGS has always been a company which is known for its generosity and support of worthy charitable causes,” stated Ms. Hrudka. “The JEGS organization, led by Jeg Coughlin, Sr., has grown to become one of the leading retail entities in the automotive performance aftermarket. Jeg, Sr. is a Hall of Famer, and he was a relentless drag racer during the 1970s in his Alcohol and Top Fuel dragsters, and Funny Cars. While the yellow and black logo has been a pacesetter in the aftermarket, the yellow and black race cars campaigned by Senior’s sons and now some of the grandchildren, have been NHRA Full Throttle Series World Champions in several classes, including Jeg, Jr., whose six titles include four Pro Stock titles.

“Within the business and the extended Coughlin family they also share their good fortune with the JEGS Foundation, supporting cancer research, particularly childhood cancer. We, as the Quarter Mile Foundation feel very fortunate that the family and the JEGS High Performance organization believe in our mission to preserve and share the heritage of the sport and the industry through the oral histories of our pioneers. We wish we had a crystal ball to know where the sport and industry will go, but we certainly know where we came from and who brought us here and to be able to share that with the generation of today and those to come is something we can do.”

“JEGS, and the Coughlin family, is excited to help the Quarter Mile Foundation preserve history,” explained Scott “Woody” Woodruff, Director of Media & Motorsports. “There is a lot of knowledge, experience and passion within our industry and sport both past and present. It is becoming increasingly evident we are losing the legends and pioneers of the industry and drag racing, and with their passing, we lose the direct link to our past. Being able to share the past with generations to come will only strengthen the sport and the industry that has been so kind to all of us. We hope others will join us and the Quarter Mile Foundation to preserve our legacy.”