roddingandracing
I've always liked automotive caricatures ("CARtoons") and a few years ago, I purchased a couple of designs (right) from Wayne Sadler (CARTOONS 'R' WAYNE) and I used them on a couple of previous pages ("RODDING", "RACING"). I recently ran across them and decided to "revamp" my website a little and repost them.
Ever since I've had this website, I've updated once a week, unfortunately we sometimes cover 2-3 shows on any given weekend which usually puts me behind on posting car show coverages. I started posting more than one show per update about a year ago, but that cut back on the amount of images I would post. I've decided to start posting updates every five days instead of every week which would then cover three shows instead of two every two weeks. To keep my head straight, I'll update every five calendar days (5, 10, 15, etc.) and maybe this way, I can then post extended coverages. Hopefully it'll work out!
roddingandracing
.PHOTOS
CAR SHOW COVERAGE
GATEWAY CLASSICS has several showrooms all over the country including three here in Texas. Several host monthly car gatherings including this one in Houston. Just in case you're in the market, below is some of their current inventory down here in Houston.
TRUCKS & COFFEE
CYPRESS, TEXAS
Usually, on the last Sunday of every month, we cover a monthly event up in Tomball. I had never been to the above TRUCKS & COFFEE gathering on that same Sunday and since it starts three hours earlier (8am), we decided to swing by. I love trucks and we will be back again but next time, stay a little longer.
A couple of Houston area shows we covered this past weekend (above). Show coverage will be posted soon.
I got back into plastic model car building after 35 years and although I'm working on projects that will take a while, I work on easier builds on the side including the above AMT SLAMMER Road-Block Cop Car. The paint and graphics were on the model out of the box so I had to sand it down and repainted it. As you can see above, I painted it black with white hood. I then added aftermarket decals to resemble a Texas DPS vehicle.
I posted the image above, left on a T-Bucket Facebook Group to celebrate the July 4th holiday. One of the Group members commented that the rod had too much red on it so I replied to him with the image above, right. He quickly answered back with "That's better!". (same car, different years)
A little over a year ago, my wife switched us from cable to a streaming service and one of the added channels was YouTube. Since then, my son and I like to watch "Guess the Song" games where they play a small part of the song and then you guess. Recently they played "Little Deuce Coupe" by the Beach Boys and my son asked if I had ever seen the car on the album cover (above, left) and here it is (above, right). I caught it at a car show up in Detroit back in the 2000s.
HISTORIC VENUE! Experience the first-ever car show inside a major league baseball stadium, Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros.
The above poster(s), were posted on the Houston Coffee & Cars Facebook Page announcing the upcoming ALL*STARS CAR SHOW in the home of the Houston Astros, Daikin Park. The first-time event will be held on August 2, 2025 from 10am - 5pm. 200+ vehicles are expected along with 70+ Hypercars (Exotics) which will be parked directly on the playing field. General Admission to the show is $20.00 but to go down to see the Hypercars close up, the limited tickets will be $40.00 and are scheduled for two three-hour shifts; 10am - 1pm and 1:30pm - 4:30pm. Updates to the show and Hypercar "unveilings" are forthcoming and I'll be posting them below. Hope to see you there!
(I've always called vehicles like Ferraris and Lamborghinis "EXOTICS" but now they go by "HYPERCARS"! I did some searching to see what the difference was and they narrow it down to three items...Horsepower, Rarity and of course with rarity, comes Price!)
Their first Hypercar "Announcement" (left) is the PAGANI ZONDA F. A quick check of its "Rarity" showed only 25 built and its current (2024) "Price"? How about between 9 and 10 million dollars!!!
Just announced was the appearance of an ASTON MARTIN V12 SPEEDSTER (right). Production began in 2020 with only 88 built. Current value (2023) is 1.2 million dollars.
As you can see on the right, I already have images of them both, taken at Houston Coffee & Cars events. The Pagani was at their December 2024 event and the Aston Martin showed up this past February.
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.
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.
Posted a couple more images of my son (right) enjoying (?) himself. The photo with the late George Barris standing in front of the Munster Koach I've posted before. Took this at the Houston Autorama. Ran across the Indy Car image recently that was taken at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum while we were following the Hot Rod Power Tour.
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. Here are the latest images of the site that were posted on a Green
Valley Race City Facebook Page. A quick check of the information boards that are already put up 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 far 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.
EVERYTHING
HURTS AND
I'M TIRED
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.
2018 NHRA
HOT ROD REUNION
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.
2018 NHRA
HOT ROD REUNION
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.
2018 NHRA
HOT ROD REUNION
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.