Folks Of Interest Autographs...who ya got?

I don't go looking for them but I have been lucky enough to get:
Vic Edlebrock Jr. (on a Poster)
Shirley Muldowney (on a poster)
Jessie Combs (on a poster)
Rodger Ward (a painting, a trading card and a Photo)
Johnny Rutheford ((photo)
Henry Gregor Felson (a 1st edition of "Hot Rod")
Smokey Yunich (on an unpoened hot wheel of his 55 Chevy)
Tommy Ivo (on a Socal "T" shirt)
Dean Torrance of Jan & Dean (on a "T" shirt)
Gracie Slick of Jefferson Airplane (on a photo)
as well as several sports figures. I have been in the right place at the right time.

 

Here's my Avatar, and name. The "Boeing Bomber" has been to Bonneville 6 times, and each time, I hunt down our kind of Celebrity, or some times I'd just bump into them. On this side of the bike you can see;
Bill Burke.
Gary Meadors
Boyd & Jo Coddington
David Frieburger
Ron Main
Jerry Kugel
Chico Kadama (MQQNEYES)
and Gene Winfield

 

On the Port side I have George Poteet
Troy Trepanier
Jimmy Shine
Rick Vesco (444 MPH)
Danny Thompson (Micks kid)
Mike Lavalee (creator of True Flames)
Tex Smith
Roy Fjastad
Roy Brizio
and Tonya Harding ( She races her Dad's '31 coupe)

 

I took one of my saddle bags, ( a 50 cal. ammo box) on a trip to L.A. and ran into Ed Iskendarian at the NHRA Museum. Then later bumped into Bruce Meyer at the Peterson. Stopped off at Foose Design, but Chip was out. ( I got his on a poster in the shop anyway) So I went down the street and rapped with Mitch Lanzini the painter while he signed it. On the way back to the hotel, I stopped in at Mooneyes and met Dean Moon Jr. He gave me a tour of the place, and showed me how they made spun discs.

 

David Frieburger-Senior Editor of HOT ROD Magazine was the first to sign.

 

Roy Fjastad

 

Troy Trepanier at the "Camel Toe Racing" pits.

 

And I am not kidding, Tonya Harding. Her Dad's Banger powered '31 full fender coupe is brown and black, and complete down to the cowl lights. That's it in the background. She made it into the record books at just barely over 100MPH. They're the "Lickity Split Racing Team.

 

Well let me see where do i start.
Dave Hales
Fred Bear
Gene Altizer
Pork Zartman
Ed Iskendarian
Don Gartlis
Barbara Hamilton
Chuck Finders
Larry Roberts
Don "The Snake" Prudome
John Force
Ashley Force
Bones Balogh
Ohio George Montgomery
Jerry Mallicoat
Gary Mallicoat
and thats just on the door of our coupe

 

Bill Hines
Gene Winfield
Troy Ladd
Paul Lemat

 

Gee Stevie... I see you and your car all of the time and I usually always have a Sharpie pen with me. Don't be shy, just ask me to sign...

 

My pal Gene Cromer

Smokey Yunick

Brock Yates

Don Garlits

Richard Petty

David Pearson

Cotton Owens

Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Jeff Gordan

Ernie Irvin

Benny Parsons

and a few lesser know drivers. HRP

 

A buddy & I were at a show & talked to George Barris. Had him sign our t-shirts. Then, HE WANTED A PICTURE OF US WITH HIM. That's the first time a celeb wanted my photo. And the last time, come to think of it.

 

I've got a pic of Arlen Ness and myself together at a motorcycle rally. It was 11pm and he was just walking down the street looking at bikes. Mostly a younger crowd at that time of night, no one recognized him. I introduced myself, we talked a while, then I ask for a pic together. When the crowd started to take notice, he said "I gotta go" and just blended away into the crowd.

I've got Dyno Don Nicholson's autograph on a pic of his car. The day I talked to him, he was exhibition drag racing a 62 Chevy, he was 62 yrs old, and he went a little over 200 mph. I hope I can run 200 mph in sumpthin when I'm 62. We visited for 15-20 mins, he was super nice and down to earth guy.

Vic Edelbrock Jr's signature on an Edelbrock ball cap from '98 Power Tour.

And lastly, a picture of me and Donna Douglas (Elly May Clampett).

 

My hero's are a little different.

Sir Douglas Bader.

Sir Archibald David Stirling.

Two that actually have some real meaning.

Doc.

 

I have two just taken out of my bar, and they are for sale.

Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app

 

I really don't understand the quest for autographs. Are you really after the potential value of that signature after the signatory dies? How can you stand and talk to a car celeb about stuff that interests you both, and then ask for an autograph? Demeans the requestor in my mind. A few moments before you were peers to a certain extent, now you're just a person standing there with your hat in your hand....

 

Every great autograph I've gotten I lost. But I still have the memory of meeting some heros. For a kid from cornfield Indiana those are some great memories. Normie G, Fat Jack Robinson, Boyd, John Force, Grey Baskerville, Got on TV with Big Daddy at Indy 2 years ago. I hate asking for autographs but when you look at them you go back to that moment.

 

dale earnhart sr.
kyle petty
alan kuhlwicki
ed roth
don gartlits
bobby allison
john force
tommy ivo
alex xydias
jimmy shine

 

The last one I got at LARS this year. Ed's a great guy.

 

Guess who this is signing my dash while I had it out for a rebuild.

 

I actually have "Big Daddy" Roth on a T-shirt and on a Rat Fink Zippo lighter. The lighter is scratched in with a scribe.

 

I have Gene Winfield's on a T shirt, and Ed Iskenderian's on the dash of my Austin gasser.




And another autograph from a non car person, but a personal hero from my youth. I was walking past the lobby shoe shine stand in the building I was working in back in 1982. As I glanced in I saw Muhammed Ali sitting in a chair having his shoes shined! I grabbed the notebook and pen in my pocket and asked for his autograph and he gladly signed it. I turned to leave and saw a crowd of hundreds had gathered in the few seconds I had taken to get the autograph!

 

Nice....

I also have Adolph Galland and Johnnie Johnson

 

Yeah, I tend to agree. I really feel weird asking anyone for an autograph. I would rather just have a conversation with them.

I'm terrible about taking photos too. I always feel like stopping to take a photo interrupts the moment. Consequently, I don't have pics of ANYTHING. I know, without pics it didn't happen, right? Yeah well, I have them in my head.

 

I think learning about Rocket Richard is in the mandatory curriculum at the public school level in Canada.

 

It's not just Canadians!

I don't have "the Rocket's" autograph but I do have Howie Meeker's.

 

I can understand your perspective, but I find an autograph request to be a great ice breaker when you see someone who inspires you.

It also allows me the time to think of something better to say than "duh", or "um", or "hey...I know who you are".

When I asked for Norm Grabowski's autograph, he launched into a comic routine about his quest for a Sharpie that worked. I'll always remember it, and think of that moment every time I look on the garage wall and see his signature.

I once asked for Troy Trepanier's autograph, and it launched us into an hour long discussion on metal forming and colour sanding. He introduced me to his dad, and the kid who does all his paint work at the shop.

For these reasons, I think autographs are cool.

 

I got Carroll Shelby with a photo in 1982 at a SAAC meet in Dearborn. Then a photo taken by someone else at the same time with me in it was published in a book. In 2005 I got the book autographed by him at a autograph session in Atlantic City. When Carroll looked at the photo of us together, he said I looked exactly the same but he couldn't say the same for himself!

My 15 minutes of fame I guess!

 

Really?