roddingandracing
roddingandracing
.PHOTOS
2015 HOT ROD POWER TOUR
CAR SHOW COVERAGE
roddingandracing.photos
I should be posting these images further below as "On The Road" instead of "Car Show Coverage". I couldn't make it to the "TEXAS HOLD'EM SHOW" in Pasadena (TX) last weekend so I hung out at the Pasadena Convention Center for a
couple of hours during Move-In Day early Friday afternoon and that's when we took these pictures. I also covered an event in Alvin later that same day.
BUSY, BUSY WEEKEND! This past weekend we planned of covering a Friday Night Cruise (Pearland), two early shows on Saturday (Pasadena, Pearland), a five pm show (Dickinson), a seven pm show (Pearland), an early show on Sunday (Tomball) and a car show / bikini car wash (my truck was dirty!) here in Houston. The Pasadena event never materialized (two cars) and the bikini car wash either hadn't started or was done. So, I now have five coverages in queue with coverage coming soon. On top of that, my next update isn't until Sunday (July 5) and I'll have more coverages from the July fourth weekend by then! I'm glad I enjoy this stuff!
I posted coverage of the weekly Friday Night Cruise here in Pearland (TX) on my last update but inadvertently left out this Pro Street '56 Chevy. Actually, it was the rear view that my son took that I had forgotten about so here it is...both views!
Went to cover a nearby car show in Dickinson (TX) this past weekend and my brother told me to circle back...he had seen some type of "Mud Vehicle" in someone's back yard. Above left is that "Mudder". While we were waiting for vehicles to arrive, a nice-looking, heavy-duty wrecker drove by towing a public transport vehicle (above, right).
.....DIECAST, PLASTIC MODELING, ARTWORK, ETC.
Wanted to lower the front end of my Nova project so I made modifications without measuring. As
you can see above center, there's very little clearance under the exhaust. Sometimes it works out! I'm also using an already modified and detailed front grill assembly that survived my first project that accidentally got destroyed.
Finally got the bodywork done. Installed the engine but it didn't fit right so I had to pull it back out which is a gamble since I use super glue a lot now. I also broke down and purchased a spray paint gun system, and this project will probably be my first time using it.
...photographer's choice!
The two Exotics (above) were taken at a CAR CULTURE HOUSTON gathering at the Pearland (TX) Town Center. It was a regular locale for them until last year after the Center started charging for parking. The Center is an "Open Mall" and the parking in front of the shops is limited and employees were parking there!
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.
Recently, the man who owned and showed this "PEGASUS" T-Bird Show Car commented on one of my posts, so I decided to post a few of my images of the vehicle on the ISCA Facebook Page.
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.
I've been retired seven years now and I still cover car shows on the weekends. I've been doing it for over fifty years and it wasn't until I retired that I realized that it's actually therapeutic for me! While I'm at the car shows, I record most racing events on cable TV that I can watch during the week. I also spend a lot of time here, on my website. On top of that, if you've noticed further above, I got back into the hobby of plastic model car building after a thirty-year hiatus. So I guess I've "RETIRED HAPPY!".
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.