POMONA, CA — For nearly 67 years the name Edelbrock has been synonymous with performance and racing. The story of this remarkable family and company, which helped shape the hot rod car culture and launch an industry, began in 1938 with Vic Edelbrock Sr. working in a small garage in Los Angeles. It continues today with Vic Edelbrock Jr. at the helm of the $115 million-plus Edelbrock Corporation. Now this story of ingenuity and automotive performance will be told through a special exhibit at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California.
A new exhibit, titled “Edelbrock: A Performance Legacy,” will run from Oct. 16 through Feb. 14, 2005. Historic cars and never before seen photos and artifacts from Vic Edelbrock Jr.’s personal collection will be featured. Several special events will highlight the exhibit’s 4-month run, including an opening-day panel discussion featuring Vic Edelbrock Jr. on Sat., Oct. 16; an Edelbrock Night of Champions on Fri., Nov. 12 (in conjunction with the Auto Club NHRA Finals); and a gala Museum fundraiser and tribute to the Edelbrock Corp. on Thurs., Dec. 2. The exhibit is set to close after the 2005 K&N Filters NHRA Winternationals.
According to Greg Sharp, curator of the Parks Museum, the Edelbrock exhibit will feature famous race cars, hot rods and other vehicles, including:
* The #27 Kurtis Kraft Midget: the first V8-60-powered midget to win a main event at Gilmore and the first to use nitromethane. It beat the Offy-powered cars and became a legend. The exhibit will also showcase a restored 1946 Ford Woody wagon towing the historic midget.
* The Original Vic Edelbrock Sr. 1932 Ford Roadster: the very one Vic Edelbrock Sr. raced on the dry lake beds in Southern California and developed his reputation as a racer and a builder of performance components.. The Roadster was the company’s original test vehicle and one of the first cars used to develop aftermarket performance products. The Roadster (with the Edelbrock “Slingshot” manifold) burned up the dry lake beds in the early 1940s. Among its best runs was a 121.42 miles per hour blast on Nov. 16, 1941, at Rosamond Dry Lake, just three weeks before the attack at Pearl Harbor.
*TLC “Rides” 1932 Ford Roadster: Built by famed street rodder Roy Brizio for The Learning Channel’s popular Rides TV show. The flamed roadster is the latest addition to the Edelbrock vehicle collection. The 1967 Hot Rod Magazine Camaro: A one-off SS 350 experimental drag car engineered by GM’s Herb Fishel. Edelbrock used it to develop new products.
Sharp also said that Edelbrock artifacts such as trophies, engines, old company catalogs, prototype products and even Vic Sr.’s original toolbox will be on display.
For more information about the Museum and the exhibit, go to: www.nhra.com/museum.
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