Ol' Dad hisself, Gray Baskerville will be inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame. http://performancebiz.com/news/four-chosen-for-sema-hall-of-fame See, flip-flops 'n shorts are acceptable attire anytime, anywhere...especially in "Hat Rad" Heaven.
Great! He deserves it. Once, when americruise came though K.C. he was driving some hotrod [cadzilla?] and when I asked how how he liked it he went off on how the distributor had come apart up in the Rockies. He was KILLIN me! Waving his arms around and hopping up and down...super animated dude..instantly likeable...kinda like T man.
Gray was a character like no other and everybody liked him,he was almost hipper when he was talking and eat.lived and breathed hot rods. He defiantly was our kinda guy and I felt like I had met royalty when I was introduced to him the one and only time I was ever to meet him face to face,,such a cool and funny guy. I am happy with the decision to induct Gray Baskerville into the Sema Hall of Fame. I remember reading a tribute to Gray that said ,,he was loved by the readers but unappreciated by his industry but he felt like the business didn't GET IT! He said he wasn't a journalist but a Hot Rodder and couldn't wait to tell others what he seen/. We need more guys like Gray,, Sure you remember the T-shirts,shorts and sandals but don't forget those crazy horn rimmed glasses! HRP
Gray used to hang out at a shop where I worked. I consider myself lucky to have known the man. He "got it". JH
Gray is and was awesome!! I never got to meet the guy, but the stories are great! I loved his philosopy on hot rods. Build it and drive it always. His Deuce is the first one I think of when I think about Deuce Roadsters.
Any "stories"? The time he drove the '32, through nasty weather, to the Oakland Roadster Show...and they refused him admission... There must be a 1,006 stories to share...
I met him during the drivers meeting on the salt at the '98 Speedweeks.... thanked him for all his articles and inspiration down through the years. His retort? "Are ya havin a bitchin time?". Natch.
On one of my trips out west, I went to the Hotrod/Street Rodder photo studio and they have a giant double life size photo of Gray hanging on the wall.
I had an e-mail from a friend concerning Gray, and Bonneville 2000: "Mike Cook was running the 2000 Pontiac "Spirit of Bonneville" Bonneville SSEi in an attempt to break the then-209+ mph record. Someone else raised it to 218+ on the first day, while the Pontiac suffered from new-car teething problems. Cry in our beers? Hell no, it was Gray's birthday...so we got him a cake...and HE was the one with the tears in his eyes! GREAT TIME! We all miss him..."
The Jalopy Journal
