GASSER Roundup 10/13/2012

So Cal Club Rep Vic Young has been covering and touting this event for a couple of years.  If you're a West Coaster or even an East Coaster looking for something to do the weekend before the California Hot Rod Reunion, this is the place to be.

The Chili Chowdown is famous for being delicious.  Lightweight eater, The Karate Kid, Vic Young even sneaks a second helping so I know it must be good.  

Bring your car or just your self.  You'll have a blast, meet friends old and new, and see some cool rides.

Ernest

July 30:  ISSUE 121 (Summer 2012) was handed over to the US Post Office today.  How long it will take to reach your mailbox?  Two to three weeks depending upon where you live.  It's always longer than we'd like, but eventually you'll get it. 

Photographer Bob Wenzelburger and writer Dana Ford jam-packed this issue with coverage of our 11th Annual GASSER Reunion.  Charles Whetstone turned in three great articles on cars at the Reunion.

As you might have noticed, there have been some changes to the homepage.  The Racing Events' button will take you to news/info on upcoming events.  In addition to Gene's ever-present Catoe's Corner, Kurtis Hicklin has his own 'korner'. 

OK, back to work.  I hope you enjoy the new issue! 

Ernest

READY for the REUNION?

Rock'n Race!  I'm already packing for the flight from Tucson to Buffalo in two weeks.  On June 7th, I'll be co-pilot on a road-trip with Kurtis Hicklin from Buffalo to Beaver Springs.   Great chance to see more of NY and PA.  I don't know if this desert-boy can handle that much green or not, but I'll try.

Bruce Blackway is 'GASSER Model' builder.  You might have seen his ads in the magazine.  Bruce is bringing models to give away as awards for the car show and races.  We'll determine the who, what, why and when after I get there.  

Event Shirts:  As you can see from the above image, we're paying tribute to Byron Stack on the front of this year's shirt.  Still can't believe that he is gone. 

If you have any questions, give me a shout at (520) 743-6860 or email me at: GASSERGUY@gmail.com.  I can't always respond instantly, but I'll call or email you back as soon as possible

See you at the Reunion!    Ernest

On Byron Stack....

It with a heavy heart that I have to tell you that Byron Stack passed away in his sleep the other night.  A vital part of the lives of those who love GASSERS was due to Byron's devotion to the cars and stars of the Gasser Era.  It seems impossible that I will never hear his distinct and warm voice again, nor see him on the starting line or in the pits.  This photo is a rare one of he and me because he's not wearing his famed straw hat. 

We'll be honoring Byron in the next issue of the magazine and at the upcoming GASSER Reunion at Beaver Springs Dragway. 

Thanks Byron for being in our lives.

Ernest

Gasser Reunion 2012

MORE INFORMATION COMING ~ CHECK BACK VERY SOON.

FALL 2011 ~ ISSUE 118!

CHANGE was in the air as I put together this issue. To speed up delivery of the magazines to Midwest and Eastern members, I moved the printing/mailing of the magazine from Arizona to Illinois. At the same time, I made the magazine dimensionally larger and went to a higher grade of paper.

Then, there was this great photo David Miller shot of Ron Normann's pickup at the Nats. The horizontal photo didn't work for my typical vertical front cover, but it worked surprisingly well for both covers. Looking at the front cover alone, you might have thought it was a coupe. Open to both covers and...a little bit of a surprise.

Since I was changing the covers, I decided to put the Contents section on the back cover as well. Hard to stop change when it gets rolling. LOL

None of this would be possible without your articles and photos. A VERY special thanks goes out to our photographers: Bob Wenzelburger, David Miller, Charles Whetstone and Ron Updike.

I'll see you at the races! Ernest

ISSUE 117 IS IN THE MAIL!

SUMMER 2011 (Issue 117) was put in the hands of the US Post Office this morning.  If your membership and address are current, look for it in your mailbox in the coming days.

DOUBLE COVERS!  I couldn't decide between Richie Coury's photo of Rocky and Bob Wenzelburger's wheelstand shot of Mike, so I went with both of them.  Definitely a 'collector copy'.

Coverage of the historic 10^th Anniversary event includes: fun-to-read event stories by Dana Ford, Vic Young and Richie Coury; amazing photos by Bob Wenzelburger, David Miller, Richie Coury and Mario DuCre; and featured car articles and photos by Charles Whetstone.

My thanks again to Beaver Bob, Jack Olcott, Kurtis Hicklin, Gina 'GASSERGAL' Kozak, trophy-artist Ken McIntyre and all who attended for making the 10th Annual GASSER Reunion the best ever.  

Ernest 

Club Rep Bill Darland Passes Away

Sadly, we have to report that Club Rep Bill Darland, age 62, passed away on July 28 in Eugene, Oregon.  Bill had a great sense of humor, as evidenced in the top photo.  Bill and friends were cruising in their rods to Vegas in the Spring of 2008 and, of course, had to stop by 'Area 51' for a photo shoot before heading on to the rockabilly music and car show known as Viva Las Vegas.

It was at Viva that Ken and I met Bill.  We put him and his Willys sedan right next to us in the Club Display.  His enthusiasm was infectious and his willingness to support the club was overwhelming.  From that moment on, he became the Club Rep for the Northwest.  I enjoyed his car and event articles as well as our conversations by phone and email.  It doesn't seem possible that I won't see his smiling face ever again.  Our condolences to his family and friends.

A Celebration of His Life will be held at 2pm on August 14th at the 1052 Fairfield Avenue, Eugene, OR 97402-2070  (541) 689-0247. 

Rest In Peace Ol' Friend....   Ernest & Ken

THANKS!

When Club Rep Gene Catoe's health took a turn for the worse and he said, "I'm not going to be able to make it to the Reunion," the New York state team of GasserGal Gina and Kurtis Hicklin eagerly volunteered to work the club booth.  It wouldn't have happened without them.  If you were there, you know they were a hard-working, courteous, friendly and fun couple.  

Look for them at the upcoming GASSER Nationals!

Thanks Gina & Kurtis!

ISSUE 116 is in the mail!

May 9th:  Spring 2011 (Issue 116) is in the hands of the US Post Office.  If your membership is current, you should be receiving it very soon.  I think you'll like it.  This issue includes:

• Catoe's Corner by Gene Catoe
• Richie Coury's coverage of this year's 4Wide at zMAX
• Gerry Sevigny's gorgeous black '40 coupe
• The GG's Del Mar show by Ron Updike
• Jim Bleil's reporting on the Dr. George Car Show
• Jeff Cryan's article on the Cavalcade of Cars
• The SWC Swindler II by Richie Coury
• Tracy Pendleton's historic T-Bird Gasser
• Reunion & Nationals Updates & Hotel Information
• East Coast Gassers coming to Reunion by Jack Olcott
• Swap Meet (new listings)
• AND Vic Young's coverage of a cool GASSER Garage!

If you need to renew, now is the time to do it.  

You won't want to miss this issue!   

RACING BACK TO THE SIXTIES!

GASSER REUNION 2011

June 10-12, 2011:  It's been ten years since we held the first Gasser Reunion and this anniversary event shirt design takes us back in time.  'Big John' Mazmanian racing 'Ohio George' Montgomery!  Sadly, John is no longer with us but his son, 'Big Vic', will be at the Reunion along with 'Ohio George'.  The response to having the event at Beaver Bob's dragstrip has been unbelievable.  I have to thank Jack Olcott for 'encouraging' me to "Give Beaver Bob a call."

See you there!  Ernest

FIRESUIT PHIL: 1940-2011

Sadly, 'Firesuit Phil' passed away on Monday. Phil and his historic '46 Ford Gasser were a vital part of all of our events. I was stunned to hear of his passing.

On behalf of all the club members, I sent a stand of flowers to be displayed at his funeral service on Thursday. I included a note that in part read, "Those aren't clouds in the sky. That's Phil doing Heavenly Burnouts."

Ernest

ISSUE 115 (Winter 2011)

IN THE MAIL!

• Issue 115 is being mailed today (Feb. 2)!
  
• Gene Catoe's column starts us off and leads into...
  
• Richie Coury's article on a 'A Promise Kept'.
• Ken McIntyre & photographer Bob Wenzelburger have a great multi-page article on the 19th California Hot Rod Reunion.
• Bob WOW'd me with his 'Tale of Two Garages'...and the photos only hint at the cool stuff in the garages. I've been in one of the garages, Don Moyer's, and was in awe (OK, envy) of his collection.
  
• England's 'Nervous Nick' Brooke-Langham sent us his article on K.S. Pittman to reprint here in the states. You'll love it.
• Vic Young, So Cal Club Rep, had the joy of having his 'Bad News Travels Fast' Willys cast in Faith Granger's new hot rod movie, 'Deuce of Spades'. Vic wrote about his experiences and the World Premier that he attended. You'll definitely want to see the film!
• Eldon & Nancy Miller's 'Black Widow' was elegantly photographed and written-up by Charles Whetstone.
• Club Rep Jeff Cryan covered both the Jalopy Show Down and Sunday Niagara drags.
• Before you get to the Swap Meet section, get the 'Lowdown on Lowhorn, Part II' by Ron Updike.
• The beautiful cover photo of Jack Warren's 'Barn Find' Willys was shot by Ben Ryan. Thanks Ben.
  
• And thanks to all of you who contributed photos and write-ups for the Gasser Gossip section. I love reading your stories.

Ernest

Tucson Tragedy

Fellow Members: The Safeway store that was the scene of Arizona's terrible tragedy was my grocery store. It was only by chance that I was not there that morning. Chance was not so kind to Maureen's step-mom's friend and Maureen's sister's friend who both died that morning. Let us all remember our humanity, regardless of our political differences. See you at the races! Ernest

STUCK IN THE SIXTIES?

Is it just me?

I listen to songs from my high school years and am pulled back into those wonderful times. I remember feeling bad when I graduated high school in '64. I didn't know why, but I had the feeling that something joyous was now gone forever.

Memories: I was in Junior English when it was announced that Kennedy had been shot. Until his burial, nothing else was on the TV. The weird thing for me was that when he was elected in '60, a fellow freshman classmate said, "He'll never live out his term. He's going to be assassinated." Although my guess is that the kid was referring to the fact that Kennedy was Catholic, it was such a strange thing for anyone to say that it stuck with me.

Drugs in the early Sixties were things like Penicillin or polio meds (1962's Sabin Oral Sunday memories). Marijuana at that time was considered to be on the same level as heroin. Boy have times changed.

I can't say I like everything about those times. Racial hatred, the KKK and even religious bigotry were rampant.

However, I would LOVE to be able to go back to those years, attend once again the high school dances, and go drag racing. I did all that but would love to do it again and again and again.

Sorry, but I REALLY do miss the Sixties!

Ernest

FIRE IT UP!

We're going racing in 2011! Guys are coming from the 'Left Coast' to race at the 10th Annual GASSER Reunion (June 10-12, 2011). Left or West Coasters ask me, "Where the heck is Beaver Springs?" I tell'em, "Somewhere in the woods of PA." To us desert boys, all those tree states look alike (way too much green). LOL.

However, my East Coast racer friends LOVE Beaver Springs and Beaver Bob. They convinced me, as did Bob, to move the Reunion this year to Pennsylvania. So far, all the responses have been EXTREMELY positive.

And, it's not that far from our 9-year base in Clevleand. In fact, it's cheaper for me to fly into Cleveland, rent a car and drive 4-5 hours to Beaver Springs than to fly to any closer city in Pennsylvania, New York, Jersey or Maryland.

If you're an East Coaster, you're probably NOT taking your car out in the snow for a test run. You're doing the garage thing. Which reminds me, we have a phenomenal 2-page spread of two stupendous 'barn find' garages in Ohio in the next issue. You'll have car and parts envy for sure when you see them.

The best thing about doing what I do, is hanging with each of you at our races. Have a Happy New Year and I'll see you in Pennsylvania!!!

Ernest

Gasser Reunion 2011

See you There!!!

GASSER REUNION 2011!

10th GASSER Reunion

June 10-12, 2011
Beavers Springs Dragway
Beaver Springs, PA

It's 'official'. The tenth anniversary of the GASSER Reunion will be held at Beaver Springs Dragway. We debated moving the event out of Ohio, but when Beaver Bob called yesterday and said he wanted the event at his track...there was no debate. "The Beaver" has the historic look of a Sixties race track, a history of great events and will expose the Reunion to a new audience. As soon as I get back from Thanksgiving in San Francisco, I'll begin updating the EVENTS page of the website and include a list of hotels, entry forms, etc.

2011 GASSER Nationals! We love Ohio's fans so we're in talks with an Ohio track to be the home of the Nats. No date has yet been set. STAY TUNED!

Will there be a third GASSER Magazine event in 2011? Sounds great to me. I can't get enough of watching Gassers lighting the tires and blasting down the quarter mile. If you're in agreement, where would you like to see it? Email me with your ideas. GASSERGUY@gmail.com

Ernest

CRUISIN' TIMES AD!

Cruisin' Times. It's the Midwest's number one resource for cruises and car events. Flip open the current issue to the middle center spread and you'll see our eye-popping ad for the 9th Annual GASSER Reunion.

If you're a rodder, you'll notice that after paying your 3-day weekend admission, your car entry is FREE. Dash plaques to car show entrants. Celebrities will pick winners and award trophies.

If you're a spectator and can only come on Friday or Sunday, clip and use the 'super saver' $5 discount coupons. Two people can use one coupon and thereby save $10 between them! There's two coupons in the ad so you can give one to a friend.

At Reunions past, most of the racers and all of the rodders had to park on grass. That was cool as long as it hadn't been raining for a week or we were caught in sudden downpour. This year, that soggy bottom problem is over. All the racers and all the rodders will park in the paved pits. Even the Swap Meet will be on pavement.

If you're a racer, you'll love the FREE electric hookups. As far as how the show is going to be run, I've heard the wildest, crazies and totally wrong rumors. Here's the TRUTH. We're running it the same way we ran it for 8 years. Get into a staging lane and run, as many times as you choose. We'll only call cars to staging lanes when it's time for eliminations. Why change what works?

More later...it's Memorial Day weekend and we're headed out to lay flowers and a flag on a veteran's grave. Semper Fi

Ernest

Front to Back!

ART HISTORY 2010! This is how the back of the 2010 GASSER Reunion event shirt came into being. If you've collected any of the past Reunion shirts, you know that the back of the shirt always says PARTICIPANT. I'd always been taken with t-shirts that said in large capital letters on the back, STAFF, SECURITY or PHOTOGRAPHER. For the 1st GASSER Reunion t-shirt, I put PARTICIPANT on the back. To me, the word represented all those who participated in making the event a success. That included racers, rodders, vendors, track and magazine staffs, the photographers and most of all, the spectators.

Often, large Roman numerals were placed below the word to signify the number of the event. This year, it would have, should have and could have been 'IX'. But something happened on the way to the screen printer.

Ohio's Don Moyer has supported the event above and beyond the call of duty. He displayed his Rebel Reaper Willys at the Cleveland Autorama and has spread the word to all his friends and fellow racers. So, instead of the expected Roman numeral, I decided to thank Don by putting his car on the back and above our standard PARTICIPANT. I had the car artwork from the front of Don's GASSER Nationals shirt so it seemed an easy design change. All we had to do was put the old Front image on the new Back.

I emailed artist Earl Kendall a rough draft image of my idea. I told him that the only thing that concerned me was what color to use for the word 'participant'. Earl emailed me a sample sheet of my design with 9 different colors. He expected me to choose one that I liked and tell him the corresponding number. Instead, when I saw all 9, with their numbers, I saw a complete design that rivaled Andy Warhol's 'Campbell Soup Cans' artwork. His accidental choice of 9 colors was also a subtle reminder that this was indeed the 9th Annual GASSER Reunion. It said all I wanted and more.

I don't know what Earl thought when I emailed him what I wanted to do with his sample sheet. Being a Christian gentleman, he didn't tell me I was crazy, he simply turned his immense talents to giving me a work of art.

The result is what you see above and what you'll see full-size on the back of the 9th Annual GASSER Reunion t-shirts. If you're at the event when you get your shirt, have artist Earl autograph it. Don't look for an Andy Warhol look-alike. Earl will be the normal looking artist-guy hanging out in the club tent.
THANKS EARL!

Ernest