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Quarter Mile Foundation collects 25 interviews of drag racing/performance industry figures at PRI Show, Detroit

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Contact: Traci Hrudka
Quarter Mile Foundation
Phone: 440.888.0088

hrudka@sbcglobal.net (or)

Steve Cole, WRITEWords

Phone: 330.725.5462

scole@4writewords.com

Parma Heights, Ohio (January 25, 2015) – The Quarter Mile Foundation, in conjunction with the management of the Performance Racing Industry Show (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Ken Lingenfelter (The Lingenfelter Collection, Brighton, Mich.), were able to record the recollections of 25 drag racing and performance aftermarket industry people.

The Indiana Convention Center was the site for 20 interviews done between December 10 and 12, and five Detroit-area interviews were done at The Lingenfelter Collection in Brighton, which houses over 150 iconic vehicles.

Interviewed at the Performance Racing Industry Show (PRI Show) were: Ronnie Ball (Contingency Connection, former IHRA employee), Marvin Benoit (Quick Fuel Technologies), Preston Davis (“Tennessee Bo-Weevil” Top Fuel/Funny Car and nostalgia dragster driver), Chip Ellis (Pro Stock Motorcycle rider), Bob Glidden (10-time Pro Stock NHRA World Champion), Charlie Henry (retired Marketing Manager, Chrysler Corporation MOPAR Performance/Direct Connection), Ron Hope (“Rat Trap” Fuel Altered racer), Dave Hough (“Nanook” Fuel Altered racer), Dave Kirkland/Scott Lumbert (“Spirit of Texas” Top Fuel Hydro drag boat), Paul Lee (McLeod Clutches), Steve Lewis (PRI magazine/show founder), Jim Luikens (sportsman racer, performance automotive marketing specialist), Bill Martens (General Motors Performance Parts), Louise (“Land Speed Louise”) Noeth (automotive historian/journalist), Dave Sebring (former Top Alcohol Funny Car racer, manufacturer), Larry Shepard (retired Technical Manager, Chrysler Corporation MOPAR Performance/Direct Connection), Chris Thomson (K&N Filters/Airaid, former SEMA Board Member), Vic Wood (Aeromotive, SEMA Board Member), Jeep Worthan (Autometer – retired, former SEMA Board Member).

And for two days in the Detroit area (December 14, 15), the Foundation interviewed five additional people at the highly acclaimed Lingenfelter Collection facility. The interviews were done against the backdrop of some of the automotive industry’s most interesting and desirable cars.

The interviewees were: Joe Hilger (retired Vice President for DaimlerChrysler Global Service/MOPAR and “Father of the modern Hemi”), Fritz Kayl (Automotive engineer/founder Katech Inc.), Ken Lingenfelter (co-founder of Lingenfelter Performance), Jim Oberhofer (Vice President – Operations, Kalitta Motorsports, crew chief – Doug Kalitta MAC Tools Top Fuel team), and Jon Oberhofer (Kalitta Motorsports crew chief – Del Worsham 2015 NHRA World Champion DHL Funny Car team).

Additionally, Linda Vaughn contributed more depth to her previous interview’s insights at the PRI Show.

Quarter Mile Foundation Chairman, Traci Hrudka, commented: “The generosity of the Performance Racing Industry Show management, and at of Ken Lingenfelter, gave us platforms to expand the Foundation’s inventory of interviews, and gaining some important new perspectives regarding the growth of the sport and the performance aftermarket.

“We were particularly pleased to gain some insight into how the automakers have utilized drag racing and their participation within the performance aftermarket structure to extend their engineering and marketing reaches.”

With the addition of these 25 new interviewees, plus the seven interviews done in Great Britain in November, the Foundation now has 265 interviews of different individuals from the sport and the performance aftermarket.

 

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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.

Quarter Mile Foundation adds 16 interviews at York/U.S. 30 Reunion

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“Miss Mighty Mopar” – Judy Lilly

Parma Heights, Ohio (July 18, 2012) – The Quarter Mile Foundation’s efforts to capture first person interviews of many of the surviving pioneers of drag racing was boosted by the addition of 15 more veterans (plus a spouse) at the recent 11th Annual York – U.S. 30 Reunion and Nostalgia Nationals at the York (Pa.) Expo Center (July 13 & 14, 2012).

Using facilities within the York Expo Center at York Fairgrounds to record the interviews, the Foundation added a number of East Coast racers, promoters, photographers, journalists and aftermarket figures to the historical record of the sport.

The interviewees were:

• Margaret Altizer

• Arnie (“The Farmer”) Beswick

• Francis Butler

• Gordy Foust

• Dave Hale

• Ben Koch

• Judy (“Miss Mighty Mopar”) Lilly

• Larry Lombardo

• Bob (“Beaver Bob”) McCardle

• Bill Pratt

• Frank Spittle

• Jere Stahl

• Jim Stuempfle

• Chuck Stolze

• Arlen (“Akron Arlen”) Vanke

The Foundation was able to expand the interview of former NHRA Division One Director and York Reunion promoter, Darwin Doll, whose interview was shortened at the 2011 event. Additionally, Margaret Altizer, the wife of Gene Altizer (S&S Racing Team), added a wife’s unique perspective of the powerhouse “Gasser” teams in the 1960s, as well as her continued involvement with the team’s strong presence in the today’s drag racing nostalgia movement.

The Foundation has now recorded 179 pioneer interviews for the PROJECT 1320 documentary film about the early days of drag racing and the performance automotive aftermarket. Thanks to the continuing support of the National Hot Rod Association, the Foundation will be filming more pioneer interviews at the NHRA’s MAC Tools U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Ind. over the Labor Day weekend.

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

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At NHRA/Holley Hot Rod Reunion…Quarter Mile Foundation adds 16 interviews

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The NHRA/Holley Hot Rod Reunion (June 14-16) at Bowling Green, Kentucky’s Beech Bend Raceway provided an excellent location to secure interviews for the Quarter Mile Foundation’s “PROJECT 1320” documentary which chronicles the early days of drag racing, and the performance aftermarket.

A total of 16 new interviews were conducted at the track during the three day event celebrating the legendary stars and the cars which made them famous.

The interviewees were:

  • Paul “Hutch” Hutchins
  • Ron Leek
  • Randy Walls
  • Charles “Boogie” Scott
  • Gloria Gibbs
  • Tom Hoover
  • Bennie Osborne
  • Bob Bilbow & Bill Klein
  • Frank Hawley
  • Danny Porche
  • Larry Dixon Sr.
  • Nancy Leonello (with Barb Hamilton)
  • Dean Weasner
  • Terry Lorge

Following these interviews, the Foundation now has secured 163 interviews for the PROJECT 1320 documentary film series.

The next event where the Foundation will be gathering interviews is the 11th Annual York Reunion & Nostalgia Nationals, July 13th & 14th in York, Pa. Interviews with legends such as Arlen “Akron” Vanke, Arnie “The Farmer” Beswick, Judy “Miss Mighty Mopar” Lilly,Francis Butler and more will be conducted.  The Foundation will also film during the NHRA-MAC Tools U.S. Nationals over the Labor Day weekend.