Folks Of Interest Washington State Hot Rodding Legends

Sure enough.. Washington State, I remember back when he bought the 63 splitwindow right off the showroom floor... had to trade in our 55 Bel air in 65 for a shiny new SS396 Impala so we could tow the Vette to the car shows.. Yep, he's my Dad..
Ken Olson

 

Check out the "Great Oregon Racers" new thread and look at the head of steam it's got. Maybe we should start one. Of course, there was some overlap.

 

Don't let these threads die!!!!!!

 

Dick Page is an inducted member of the Washington State

Steve Bender
www.washingtonstatehotrodhalloffame.com

 

Bud Prufer from Deer Park brought a rodded '32 roadster back from California when he was discharged from the Navy in the early 50's. Raced it for several years in the late' 50's at Deer Park. Later built a VW beatle bodied B/Altered running a DeSoto hemi. Ran that in the early 60's at Deer Park and some up at Calgary, BC.

Also remember the team of Kynett and Renner running a Chevy powered slingshot with 6 97's on it at Deer Park. Their shop was down the alley from my grandparents and that's where this kid of 10 or 11 got bit by the car bug pretty bad ...

 

Are you referring to Jim McKay who owned Hill Auto Parts in Ballard? Great guy, passed away a few years ago. His wife is still living.

 

Jerry Ruth grew up on the Benson Highway between Renton & Kent. His family owned Ruth Reality on the corner of 196th and Benson hiway. One night we were hanging out at West Brothers Texaco when we hear some one starting up a blown street rod. It was pitch black out and hear comes Jerry in a 36/37 chev coupe screaming north on the Benson. I jumped in my 57 pontiac and pulled up the road for his east bound run. Jerry went by in the chev and i threw gravel all over the car chasing him. Jerry finally stopped when he coasted into the garage behind his moms house. The car chasing him was an unmarked state patrol. He got us both. jivin jer went to Kent so I think he's right.

 

I borrowed this shot from another HAMB thread, has to be Kent in 1963, the Willys pu of Bill Lewis and Wayne Harry,shown here with the Olds in it. Bill and Wayne out of Vancouver, raced this truck with an assortment of engines. The first was a 180 degree crank flathead, and for a short time with a "blown flathead" that was on loan from their pal Lloyd Clemmons. they switched to the Olds shown here, before Wayne teamed up with Jack Coonrod and they installed a Chrysler. I see all four of these guys from time to time, hot rod legends all. BTW the dragster in the background is Jim Green's "B-Boys, TE440 Chassis Research car, another legend for sure!

 

This is a reminder that the season for "Beaches Cruise In" at PIR starts Wed, June 6, the Slo-Poks are the featured club. This is also the 60th year of the club's operation, Don Pennington (Old Striper) here on the HAMB and Al Drake are writing a book on the 60 year history of the club. The Poks have some of the coolest, traditional cars around, let's hope for good weather on Wed.

 

Nope

Beatle Bailey
Jim Woods
Gary Johanson
Don Chapman
Kenny Riggs
Earl Floyd
Some of The guys that got me going when I was a kid.

 

Kenny, Just picked up some olds parts from me for the new project.

 

Jerry Ruth is doing good. I have been working on a mill at his shop for him. The man is a wealth of knowledge and has some awesome cars.

 

Couple of pics from the Washington State Hot Rod Hall of Fame banquet.....

Dick Page first inductee 1987



Terry Seaholm second inductee 1987

 

Marty, I might add that the Willys P.U. is still around and owned by one of our members.

 

Does anyone have any info on this car ?

 

it had a Yblock in it

 

the late Bob Hill from yakima and his candy red 32. he used to come down to oregon and stripe and letter cars for me in the 80's very talented

 

fordnutz. Hello You are correct about Jesse Boots Olson... He did Retire Professionally, but has not Stopped Stripping. To this day he is still Doing private jobs.. and Art Work. I am his Future Son in Law. Boots Curently resides in Surrey B.C. Feel Free to contact me personally... I am working with Boots to make his works available online and creating a Facebook Fanpage / Blog....

 

The King 64 Funny Cars at SIR

 

How about one of the great chassis builders from Tacoma Wa. AL SWINDAHL..... mhrip. Gary Ebert. Pin Striper...

 

Green has the rail restored and displays it at nostalgia events. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

This is an old thread but I still enjoy reading it.
Yes, Reg Washington's Chev 2 door was known as the brown bomber.
It is amazing how well he did with a column shift.
He almost always won his class.
Several of us with flathead powered cars use to weigh down to his class and beat him just to keep him humble. Jack Conner was in Reg's class with his 33 Dodge hardtop circle racer with a 241 Dodge hemi and used to beat him easily. Reg never turned his Jimmy over 4500.

I remember Red Goebel's blue roadster with a Chev 6 in it at the Shelton drags.
He must have been turning that thing 7000 because it sounded like a mad bee.
At that time I had never heard a 6 turn like that.

This thread could easily have a spinoff titled "Where are these people now?".

 

Old thread, first time reader,, HI NIKKI !!

 

I did't go back, and read all the prior postings, but, with the most recent news, Tom Willford better be close to the top of the list. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

Looking for photos of the Poage & Goddard AA/GD. It held the national record twice in 1971.

 

Growing up in Puyallup, I used to get my weekly fix of Drag News at Doug's Racing Stables...

 

Jim Sibley, used to have a shop in Bellingham--talented builder and driver:

http://www.jimsibley.com/

 

Wow, a lot of great names I haven't heard in a long time.
I remember seeing some of those cars at Mission.
The Frizzel Bros. sponsored my quarter midget back then.

What about the fella in Bellingham, his last name escapes me Bert ?
Front motor fuel car builder and tuner.

Sibley used to run a white bug called "The Sonic Muffin"

 

That's a cool truck forty1, to bad you don't own it any more. It's in the shop now being repainted the same colors.

 

Actually, the "Sonic Muffin" was owned and driven by a racer named Don Ruckman, although Jim Sibley drag raced VWs for many years. When the new Mission Raceway reopened in 1992, Sibley was racing a rear engine Porche powered dragster. I still see Sibly at Mission semi regularily, not sure if hes still racing, but he had been drag racing a motorcyle for the past several years.
I certainly remember the Frizell Bros. green "Suddenly" Camaros racing in Modified Production, one of thenicest looking cars anywhere!
As for other Washington State racers, how about;
Gaines Markley,
Hank Johnson,
"fast" Marty Maltias.
Pete Kost (and family),
Jim Waldo (and family),
Dave Wren,
Richard Vaughn,
Tom Turner,
Hancock&Woodall/Hancock&Lane,
Cal Method (and Mary Ann),
Dick St. Peter,
Steve Nolan,
Walt and Pat Austin,
Bucky Austin,
Frank Hall,
Mike Rendell,
Jim Warter,
Gary Rouse,
Jerry Pruitt....