Category Archives: News & Events

Quarter Mile Foundation and Project 1320 News

Quarter Mile Foundation to have Drag Racing Star-filled Presence At 2018 SEMA Show

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Las Vegas, NV (October 23, 2018) – The Quarter Mile Foundation will be celebrating some of the most iconic racers from drag racing during the 2018 SEMA Show, as well as live music entertainment by Canadian music star Bradley Tucker. In an effort to preserve the history of drag racing, attendees of the SEMA Show will be able to meet drag racing legends at The Quarter Mile Foundation Booth #10010 in the Grand Lobby across from the SEMA Store of the North Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center from October 30th through November 2nd.

Headlining the drag racing personalities will be Steve Gibbs and Cindy Gibbs, founders of the Nitro Revival. Steve Gibbs’ impact on the sport of drag racing is without peer. His lengthy resume includes 48 years with NHRA, first as National Dragster advertising director, then rising up the ranks to Vice-President of Competition. From there Gibbs was the driving force behind the creation of the Wally Parks Motorsports Museum and the creation and operation of the NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion. To underscore his impact on motorsports worldwide, Gibbs was presented with the 2018 Global Achievement Award by the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

At a time when most people would be slowing down to enjoy retirement, Gibbs and a group of like-minded enthusiasts have embarked on a new adventure. Established in 2017, Nitro Revival recreates the sights and sounds of the early days of drag racing and hot rodding, and features fully-restored, nitro-burning relics from the sport’s “golden age”. The Revival also serves as a reunion for racers from that golden era, giving fans the experience of a drag racing museum come to life.

Rich Guasco and the “Pure Hell” Fuel Altered

Rich Guasco and the “Pure Hell” Fuel Altered will be making their first ever SEMA appearance at The Quarter Mile Foundation booth. The “Pure Hell” Fuel Altered first hit the drag strip in 1964 with a nitro fueled small block Chevy and a 92-inch wheel base. With Dale “The Snail” Emery’s driving and Guasco’s tuning expertise, “Pure Hell” became the first Fuel Altered to reach speeds over 180 MPH and in under 8.50 seconds. In 1968, “Pure Hell” reset the Fuel Altered top speed record by reaching 207 MPH after a new Hemi install during the NHRA Winternationals.
In addition, SEMA attendees will have the opportunity to meet with Pro Stock Driver Ralph Woodall. Woodall began racing in 1976 with a big block Camaro in Super Stock. By 1978, he added a second Super Stock Car and raced under the Budweiser banner. In 1981 Ralph went Pro Stock racing. In 1982, Woodall fielded a second Pro stock car with “Dyno” Don Nicholson driving. Ralph Woodall’s drag racing career included over 50 national records in NHRA, IHRA and AHRA. In 1986 Woodall retired from drag racing to focus on building new business, which led to significant developments and patented inventions for motorsports and for the automotive industry.

The Quarter Mile Foundation will close out the show with an experience of a lifetime. During SEMA Ignited on Friday, November 2nd, attendees will be able to experience Harry “Hand Grenade” Hibler firing up the Tony Nancy Sizzler Dragster!

Tony Nancy’s “Sizzler” Dragster

The SEMA Show kicks off October 30th and runs through November 2nd at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Quarter Mile Foundation Booth #10010 is located in the Grand Lobby across from the SEMA Store of the North Hall. Special guest appearance schedules to be released at the show booth.

ABOUT QUARTER MILE FOUNDATION
Quarter Mile Foundation’s mission is to collect and archive the history of the sport of drag racing, and related aspects of the high performance aftermarket, focusing upon capturing the first person oral histories of the pioneers and legends. The goal is to preserve interviews, in addition to photos, movies and video tape for present and future generations to see and experience how drag racing and the performance aftermarket impacted the North American automotive market. To build a permanent historical record of drag racing – its people, cars, events and industry, a record that transforms our past into present, and present into future giving context to ideas and anchorage to experience. For more information, visit: http://quartermilefoundation.org

Anthony Kirlew Joins Quarter Mile Foundation Board of Directors

Parma Heights, Ohio (February 22, 2018) The Quarter Mile Foundation is pleased to announce Anthony Kirlew as an addition to the Board of Directors. Mr. Kirlew previously served the organization in an advisory capacity and replaces Steve Cole who recently resigned from the Board.

Kirlew is a second-generation “car guy” who started his career in the automotive industry in 1987 and soon after caught the drag racing bug. As the founder of Infinion Marketing, he brings a background of nearly 20 years in marketing and public relations to the Foundation. He will work to help the foundation in their marketing and fundraising efforts to launch Project 1320, a documentary featuring numerous motorsports legends.

Chairman Traci Hrudka stated, “We are very excited to have Anthony on board and we truly want to thank Steve Cole for his service. Steve was pivotal in helping in our marketing and public relations campaigns and made huge contributions to the growth of the Foundation. We look forward to seeing that work continue with Anthony’s help.”

Kirlew will be attending the NHRA Arizona Nationals in Phoenix on February 24^th & 25^th at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park and will be providing free Quarter Mile Foundation decals for any interested racers, fans, or supporters.

Remaining Quarter Mile Foundation Board Members include drag racing icons Don “Big Daddy” Garlits, Harry “Hand Grenade” Hibler, and Don Ewald, among others. To learn more about the Quarter Mile Foundation, please visit: http://quartermilefoundation.org/

About The Quarter Mile Foundation
The Quarter Mile Foundation is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit foundation, which is producing PROJECT 1320, a for-television documentary film series about the history of drag racing and the parallel growth of the performance automotive aftermarket.

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Up on the Tire!

This is from the heart.

The majority of you know me and most of you know me very well. I say it like it is, I am not worried about being professionally correct or saying something I don’t feel strongly about. If you are easily offended, I would encourage you to not read any further, although I know you can not help yourself by doing so.

First and foremost I would like to thank everyone that has stood with us, believed, trusted and more importantly understands the need to preserve our history. Without all of you we would not have over 300 hours of memories preserved. Your generosity has been extraordinary and it is truly appreciated by us as a foundation and more importantly to our legends that told the stories.

I thought of giving up, 8 years into getting our legends stories has been the hardest struggle I have gone through. Getting people to believe, to help, to understand the need has taken a huge toll. Then it hit me, there will be obstacles, there will be doubters, there will be mistakes, but with determination, passion and loyalty to our legend’s history there are no limits to what can be done.

For those of you that have continually told me to my face time after time that you would help, this needs to be done, I’m so glad you are doing this, I need to send you a donation, give me another pledge form as I misplaced this first one you gave me, what can I do to help, not respond to my email or voicemails so on and so on. I do believe I have heard them all. Why do you lie or give lame excuses when the truth would serve you better? Do you not understand, you are not hurting me by not participating you are hurting our legends and the industry they built that you are so enjoying today, they want to be heard and the lack of response sure does tell them volumes. What absolutely makes me livid is when the legends donate so they can ensure their story will be heard and preserved. Have our legends just became a name on a list that get a small mention here and there, until they pass away then after a time there is no mention of them at all.

I know everyone sees, reads or hears how many of our legends are leaving us and with them the stories of their lives. Since a crusade of this magnitude has never been done time is the enemy. So many we have missed because we couldn’t get to them in time due to lack of funding. Is the lack of funding due to lack of interest? Someone please tell me as I can not for the life of me understand why we are not done and the documentary shown yet. This should not have to take this long. And yes, I get the question – “When will this be done, will I be able to see it before I die?” It will only get done as long as the funding is there. That is what I have to tell them. What do you think goes through their minds when I have to tell them that? I don’t think I need to tell you.

For God Sakes people I am in the fight of my life trying to follow through on what you have told me you would do. Again, it is not for me you are doing it for, it is for our history to carry on into and for the future generations. Like me or not, when you give you’re giving for the need not the cause.

If you do not wish to be a part of this just say so, do you think I relish sending email after email hoping for a response? Or even better yet, hearing more and more excuses to get rid of me so you don’t have to tell me the truth?

If you are not interested unsubscribe, but know this, you are unsubscribing to our heroes and legends, you are telling them you are not interested in what they sacrificed, and built with love, passion and determination, the will to not give up, the strength to keep going until they got it right, the hobby that became a multi-billion dollar industry.

Just for the hell of it, when you pass by them, thank them for the paycheck you are getting (if they are still alive) without them there would be no industry.

Please don’t let them believe you have given up on them or do not want their stories told and preserved.

Giving will not make you poor only the poorer for not.

Off Tire!

If you wish to help…
you can mail a check or money order payable to: Quarter Mile Foundation 6210 Beverly Dr., Cleveland, OH 44130 or click on the link that will direct you to our website…www.quartermilefoundation.org

Regards,

Traci Hrudka