roddingandracing
I mention further below that I try to update every five days; by calendar date (5, 10, 15, etc.). I was actually caught up, even deciding to post a couple of last year's shows below. Then, my back went out...not serious, but painful for a few days; even now (and no, I haven't gone to the doctor yet!). Because of the mostly morning pain, I stayed away from updating my site and even working on my model kit projects. I didn't update on the tenth or fifteenth! Here I am, on the sixteenth (Saturday), and just got home from covering three and a half shows (one small one!). So I decided to go ahead and publish what I have right now and shoot for my next update on the twentieth. Fingers crossed!
roddingandracing
.PHOTOS
2015 HOT ROD POWER TOUR
CAR SHOW
COVERAGE
Weather forecasters kept saying that the rain chances for all last week were unpredictable; they weren't kidding! The LONE STAR DELUXE was this past Saturday and the forecast for the day of the event started at 40% on Sunday, 30% on Monday, 70% on Tuesday and up to 80% on Wednesday. It wasn't until Friday night that they changed it to a 40% chance, but the system coming from the north was going to start dissapating about 100 miles north of Houston. The weatherman said that it was more like a 30% chance, but probably 20% or even 10%! The event was a "Rain or Shine" event so it didn't really matter but it was nice to hear.
I update every five days (by calendar date) and not wanting to edit quite a few pictures we took at the above LONE STAR DELUXE in just one day, I decided to post images from a couple of last year's events below. The TEXAS ELITE AUTO SHOWCASE and the TEXAS TRUCKING SHOW are scheduled on the same date (July 25-26), at the same location (NRG Park)! But even with all that, I postponed
this update for five more days due to some medical issues that kept away from the computer a few days. I just hope I can make it out to a handful of shows this coming weekend!
2025 TEXAS ELITE AUTO SHOWCASE
2025 TEXAS TRUCKING SHOW
I joined the above Facebook Group to share my old images that I took at the track starting back in the late '60s. I recently posted an image of the "Invader" T-Bird (left) that I took at the track back
then and one of the group members "enhanced" it for me (right). It's now sharper and has better color. It's not the first time someone had "corrected" one of my old images and I really appreciate it when they do it. I really need to start learning how to do this stuff.
.....DIECAST, PLASTIC MODELING, ARTWORK COLORING BOOKS
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Finally got the final two of eight diecast from CAR TUNED Series 10. They're the 1956 Ford F100 and their DIV-ROD.
Looks like "TOONED" vehicles are becoming popular and diecast companies are filling the gap. Check out one of those from HOT WHEELS (left). Car is based on the Dodge DEORA II Show Car (above) that they currently sponsor.
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.
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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.