You have your Time Magazine Person of the Year, your Heisman
Trophy Winner, your Late Show Top Ten List, and your Best Dramatic Actress in a
Supporting Role. I have this blog, which has been noted as one of Google’s 100 Most
Insignificant Sites, which I assume formally qualifies me to list what I deem
to be the coolest and coldest events of 2012.
Coolest (in no particular order):
THE ROAD RASH TOUR:
Yet another of my extended hitch hiking journeys across the
U.S. produced the usual results: A wicked case of permagrin, more new friends,
and enough hot poop to nourish this blog and several issues of Hot Rod Deluxe
magazine. Major stops included Speedway Motors, the Sandhills Open Road
Challenge, Speed Week, the Pebble Beach Concours de Elegance, and the
California Hot Rod Reunion.
WATCHING SCOTTY POLLACHECK CONTEND FOR NHRA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR HONORS IN PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:
THE GOSSON BROS. RACING HOME FOR WAYWARD HOT RODDERS (including myself):
Can you believe I write this drivel from such a palace? I know, me neither. Amazing. This is my office - just one of many, many rooms that I spend a lot of time dusting...
Lance and Diane Sorchik made their maiden voyage to the northwest this fall and I was honored to offer them room and board. Lance dug Twisty Ron Austin's race trailer. Kiwi "House" Gilbert brought his whole fam damily for a stay, but we were having too much fun to stop for photos. Rick "What?" Smith is a regular visitor at my place. Here he is (sans cigar) getting my old Anglia teched in. I miss it, but it's in good hands...
I’ve been house sitting for the neighbors since June.
They’re really nice people and I’m very honored that they trust me with their
amazing home. I call it The Museum, for its dense collection of artifacts from
around the globe and across the span of time. Wandering rodders have always
been welcome at my place, which is usually a tiny rented room. But in 2012, I
was able to offer genuine comfort to weary friends for the first time. For
that, and the silent solitude to write in, I’m ever so grateful.
THE RETURN OF PROJECT SPORT TOURING:
Right where I left it, fifteen years ago. The cowl is a '31 Briggs-body Model A and the rear half is a mystery piece (it was represented as a '27 Rickenbacker, but I soon learned that Rickenbacker never offered an open car. It might be a Studebaker). These components represent a $25 investment. As of today, I also have a frame, drivetrain and suspension to go with this tin. I can't show or tell you any more, as this project will be detailed in an upcoming book. You have to squint really hard to see the potential here, but trust me, it's gonna be cool.
Fifteen years ago, I began mocking up a Model A-based jalopy
in my shop. When a hot job offer dictated a long distance move, the project
was abandoned in a field at Dr. Lockjaw’s farm. It would still be sinking into
that field today, were it not for the Good Doctor’s generous offer to help me build
it in his shop! So I go out there every Sunday (30 miles each way) and Doc coaches
me in converting my dubious vision into reality.
Delayed gratification at its best! It will take a while at this rate, and I’m
fine with that. Having lost my shop over five years ago, it just feels good to be accruing greasy cuts, burns and blisters on my fingers again.
Thanks Doc!!!
ERICA ENDERS WINS PRO STOCK. TWICE!:
Flat black and slammed hard, how could anyone resist EE's badass Chevy? Especially when it beat all the big scary baddies. Crewchief (and Erica's main squeeze) Dave Connelly makes it go and Victor Cagnozzi primes the pump. They actually made P/S event coverage interesting to watch, twice, in 2012. More of this, please.
Well, it’s about time. When Pro Stock was instituted in
1970, many of us fans expected Shirley Shahan and Judy Lilly (at least) to appear in the new class, but apparently their
invitations to the party were “lost in the mail”. Okay, they both may have just
preferred to stay in Super Stock for all I know – I’m not privy to that
information. But I do know that Enders’ 2012 wins are the first estrogen powered event
victories in Pro Stock since the NHRA deemed the factory hot rods a PR gift
from God, FORTY TWO YEARS AGO. Good Lord, what’s that smell? For today, I’m
wearing a clothespin on my nose and congratulating Erica Enders and her tribe
on this monumental achievement. And I’m hoping someone up in the tower has
noticed that something smells sadly wrong in Mudville.
GRAND OPENING OF THE GOSSON BROS. RACING LIBRARY:
The Austin Bantam altered from New Zealand, Renault sedan delivery from France, and primered Deuce roadster from Switzerland are only three of over a dozen such overseas racers who breached U.S. borders to race in the land of the fast and told all to yours truly. If you think getting out to the local track can be a challenge, try racing on the other side of the planet!
Similar to the Model A project, this is also a long
distance dream, slowly coming into focus. I’ve alluded to it before here on the
blog, and only mention it again now out of pure adrenaline poisoning. Every
day, the first GBR book gets a little closer to print, and it’s looking pretty damn good (thanks to Lance Sorchik artwork and Christy Collins design)! And
there are more fun surprises heading your way under the Gosson Bros. banner. Stay
tuned...
FEARLESS FELIX FALLS TO EARTH:
The above artwork was supposedly done by Felix at five years old. If that's true, I'm even more impressed with his vision and faith. No Red Bull needed - Felix' adrenaline valve is stuck open. Can you imagine doing this?
As you know, I’m all
about the leap of faith and trusting in the present moment. That’s why this guy
is my new hero. Fearless Felix Baumgartner from Austria, fell over twenty four
miles after stepping from his custom NASA-style capsule, wearing a space suit,
a helmet and a grin. Felix clocked a four-plus minute E.T. and cleared the
traps at 833.9MPH (or Mach 1.24), breaking the sound barrier in the process. Baumgartner
shaved a whopping sixteen seconds off of the previous E.T. record, set 50 years
earlier by his hero, retired Air
Force Colonel Joe Kittinger, who coached Baumgartner through the experience.
Fearless Felix had hooked his capsule to a balloon in Roswell, New Mexico (of
course) and ascended to 128,100 feet before taking the big dive. When his face
shield fogged over at stratospheric altitude, Felix shrugged it off and fell
blind. He spun out of control at one stage of the drop, but reeled himself back
in. After cheating death by freefalling through the sound barrier, Felix
quipped, “At a certain RPM, there’s only one way for blood to leave your body,
and that’s through your eyeballs. That means you’re dead. That was what we
feared most.” But Baumgartner survived and was humbled in the process:
“Sometimes you have to go up really high, to understand how small you really
are.”
THE PUBLIC REACTION TO THE MASSACRE AT SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
No caption required. This now iconic image still triggers every nerve ending in our souls.
Not car-related, but this is even more important: People across the country are actually talking to each
other! And it isn’t about the usual banality we use to distract ourselves from
reality – it’s actually about reality itself. Sure, some are posturing themselves
and most are pushing agendas, but they’re all talking about it, and get this – most
are speaking from the gut – not the so-called intellect. That means there’s a
chance that positive change could come of this discussion and American society
could potentially take its first shaky baby step forward in decades! Shooting
from the hip, so to speak, this appears to be a divisive train wreck approaching -
but when you stand back for some perspective, you can see people feeling,
people opening up, people soul searching, people intently listening – all the
required ingredients for growth. I’m so damn proud of every one of us, I could
salute! Keep this momentum going and it’s bound to deliver us to places unimaginably
wondrous… Eventually.
The Coldest (in no particular order):
THE MASSACRE AT SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
From the Civil War to 9-11 and beyond, we figured we'd seen the worst that humans were capable of. Like any pivotal event, the timing of this one made the difference. Time will tell how much difference.
We’ve absorbed some heavy hits over the last two centuries
in this country. But perhaps nothing has delivered such a collective wince and
shudder. Today we are a black and blue nation. How to heal from this? Discussions
on eradicating mental health stigmas and consideration of gun control are underway. The world is
watching our next move very carefully.
THE PASSING OF TONY WATERS:
THE PASSING OF TONY WATERS:
People in the know tell me that Tony never missed a single event at his home track - Famoso Raceway, near Bakersfield. I don't know how he could do that and hit every SCTA Speed Week too, but he pulled it off for a lot of years. Tony was a lifetime member of the Smokers Car Club that hosted the Fuel & Gas Championships (AKA March Meet) at Famoso. Tony's Fuel Altered ran regularly and successfully against the rail jobs. The other (color) shots are from October - the last time I saw Tony, running A/Fuel with son Darrell at the 2012 Hot Rod Reunion. Godspeed.
You might know Tony as the runner up at the inaugural 1959
March Meet in Bakersfield, where he was forced to lift (to avoid hitting raucous
spectators, or because of sand blowing onto the track - depending on which
legend you believe) while battling Art Chrisman for the Top Eliminator title.
Tony preferred to be known as a stable fixture at both Bakersfield and Bonneville,
or later, a force in NHRA’s Heritage Series A/Fuel class, where he fielded a throwback
grassroots nitro entry with his son Darrell. I met Tony a few years back, when our
local hero Mike Austin was driving the A/Fueler for Tony (the car was built and
stored here at Bill Comstock’s shop). In fact, I was there when Mike drove the car to Tony’s
only March Meet win - what a night that was! During that time, I was honored to hang a bit with Tony
and the guys. When I last saw Tony (on the starting line at the 2012 Hot Rod
Reunion), he shot me a quick grin and knowing nod, acknowledging our little
connection. Last night I heard that he had passed on. Today I can tell you one
of the worst kept secrets in drag racing: When Surfer Mike Sorokin was killed,
it was in Tony Waters’ dragster – a fact that tortured Tony so profoundly that most
drag journalists omitted it from their coverage of The Surfers’ story, and Tony’s. I was always amazed that the press could muster that kind of respect
for anyone, but once I connected with Tony, I understood. You had to admire the
guy, period. His passion was that pure. A service for Tony will be held on
January 5th at Hillcrest Mortuary in Bakersfield, at 11:00AM. A
Celebration of Life will follow at Woolgrowers restaurant (where Tony was also
a mainstay). Tony Waters was 85 years old.
THE FINAL PRINTED ISSUE OF NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE:
This will likely live on as an infamous milestone. I only
read Newsweek in waiting rooms, but it was a lifesaver for me at those times.
That doesn’t matter. What matters is that another mainstream print publication
has decided it can’t afford to pull precious resources from its digital persona
to support its failing print alter ego. This saddens me. That’s right – the
same guy who’s been preaching that growing pains are healthy is not happy with
this one. I confess – I’m all too human. But hey, I don’t have to like
change to accept it.
Here’s hoping that 2013 will spawn a new age of understanding
and acceptance for all of us. Or at least take us a step in that direction. See
you there!
My apologies to any
Psy fans who hit this site in search of more Gangnam-style video. Have a super
sparkly day!
Happy new year! Tell Ron Austin I said hi! (we went to school together)
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