roddingandracing
roddingandracing
.PHOTOS
2015 HOT ROD POWER TOUR
roddingandracing.photos
CAR SHOW COVERAGE
One of the things I enjoy whenever I cover car shows down here in the Houston area is when something new shows up...something I've never seen before. Recently this good-
looking "Hot Rod Wheelbarrow" was posted on Facebook by a custom builder with the caption "Another one sold. On its way to Houston". Hopefully I'll get to see it in person.
Back when Hot Wheels started their "Legends Tour", their only stop in Texas was up in Dallas and I didn't know about until after the fact. I of course missed seeing their full-size vehicles. But I got a break. Later that year, the USPS released Hot Wheels postage stamps and decided to show up at the Goodguys event at the Texas Motor Speedway which I always covered. Don't remember posting images on Facebook but I guess I did. They just posted the images I posted from eight years ago.
After Covid shut everything down, I joined a handful of Facebook Groups to share pictures with. I post three different groups of images...current show coverages, my old (50+ years) images and vehicles that are coming across the block at Mecum Auctions. I recently posted these two Mecum images on a Mopar Facebook Group and they used them both as their "Group Cover Photo".
My favorite vehicles from the upcoming (Oct 21-24) Mecum Auction in Dallas.
.....DIECAST, PLASTIC MODELING, ARTWORK, ETC.
I used wheels, tires and engine from the Chevy truck kit on the left, so I had to
order another kit for the build. I liked the oversize tires on the rear but with the axle, they stick out too much, so I ordered smaller 15x10 tires. The turbocharged VW engine I've had for a couple of years
and I'm getting ready to use it on a smaller scale VW Beetle. The Mustang / Transporter kit is a pre-order, but an older Mustang Modified kit is already available on Ebay. I like the patriotic paint scheme on the newer release, so we'll see what I can come up with.
...photographer's choice! (Exotics +)
Since I didn't cover any car shows in 2020 and very few in 2021, I decided to join several private and public Facebook Groups to share my old pictures, some going back 50 years! Below are the latest images I shared.
Whenever I post images on a Facebook Group, especially my old images, I really enjoy when car owners or family members respond. One of my latest posts were images that I took over ten years ago (2015) and the owner thanked me. GLAD TO DO IT!
Before heading out to cover the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green (KY) back in 2018, I made some prints of a handful of pictures that I had taken of "Big Daddy" Don Garlits. He had made surprise appearances in the past so I was hoping that he would show and I could get the pictures
autographed. As you can see above and right, he did and so did I. My old images, now autographed, were taken years ago at Alamo Dragway in San Antonio and Green Valley Race City in Fort Worth (top row). Both bottom images were taken at Eastex Dragway in Porter just north of Houston. Now as far as the political bumper sticker above, Garlits ran for Congress in Florida back in 1994.
After a couple of years with a two-door 1962 Chevy Bel Air which I wish I still had, I bought my first brand new vehicle; a 1972 Datsun pickup (left). Once I got used to working the manual shift, I slapped on some big-meat Goodyears on Ansen wheels. It got plenty of attention
whenever I picked up my younger siblings at Junior High and High School.
Check out my admission ticket from Houston International Speedway (above). Not sure of the year but only $3.00, it had to be from quite a while back.
Right after the Pandemic shut everything down, I joined several Private Facebook Groups to share my old images. As I share, usually 8-16 per week, I also post them further above. Before the Pandemic, I
also had a "RACING" page where I posted my old racing images. I've decided to post a condensed version of that page below. What I'm trying to show is the variety of motorsports that I frequented back then and as you can see, it was quite a few!
Yes, all the images above were taken by me over the years but this image was not. It's the only image I've ever seen posted that actually has me on it!
Although I never use my camera's motor-drive feature, I do get lucky enough sometimes to get an action sequence.
That's me on the right side (w/beard) leaning on the trailer at Eastex Dragway when Don Garlits was there.
GREEN VALLEY RACEWAY HISTORICAL AREA
Several years ago, I received an email from someone on the North Richland Hills (TX) City Council concerning a Green Valley Race City Historical site that was in the planning stages. They were asking permission to use several
of the images that I had taken at the track back in the '80s. I of course told them that it wouldn't be a problem. Below are the latest images of the site that were posted on a Green Valley Race City Facebook Page.
A quick check of the three information boards that are already put up (top, right) shows eleven of my images! I posted those images below and I hope I can make it up one day to check it out. (On the right image, you can see some of the original track that's still there)
It was a lot more fun to be 20 in the '70s than to be 70 in the '20s!
Time is precious,
Don't waste it.
2018 NHRA
HOT ROD REUNION
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Before heading to the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion in 2018 (Bowling Green, Ky), I decided to make some enlargements of images I had taken over the years including some of "Big Daddy" Don Garlits and Tom "the Mongoose" McEwen in hopes of getting them autographed. They had both showed up in previous years so I decided to give it a shot. As you can see above (left) and below, Garlits did show up and I was able to get some of my personal images signed. Not sure if he had planned on showing up or not but sadly, McEwen passed away three days prior at the age of 81.
All the images above were taken at Texas tracks that I frequented when I was a lot younger. Left to right...Alamo Dragway in San Antonio, Green Valley Race City in Fort Worth and the final two were taken here (Houston) at Eastex Dragway in Porter. The tracks have been closed for years.