Tom Magliozzi. When Magliozzi – one half of the Click and Clack brothers from NPR’s Car Talk radio show – died in November, media outlets from the New York Times to The Hollywood Reporter covered the news, and more than a few of them included reminisces of howling laughter at the jokes and assorted tomfoolery the brothers got into on their show. More than just a Boston accent and a Dodge Dart lover, though, Magliozzi knew his cars from his years owning and operating the Good News Garage, and probably got more people poking their heads under their cars’ hoods than any other radio host in history.
Andy Granatelli. Though he never raced in the Indianapolis 500, Granatelli – who died in late December 2013 – earned the nickname “Mister 500″ for all of his years of involvement with the race, either as a car owner, promoter, or simply for his enduring presence there. His career in motorsports extends far beyond the 500, though, from his hot rod aftermarket parts business to his time as a promoter for STP, and his work with Studebaker and Paxton. He also prepped race cars in "The Love bug" http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2013/01/where-can-you-find-andy-granatelli-bill.html and was at Nixon's White House Race Car Day http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/01/nixon-had-race-cars-over-to-white-house.html
Jack Brabham. To this day, Brabham remains the only driver to win a Formula 1 championship in a car bearing his name, which should say something both about the man’s driving abilities (along with the fact that the Australian won three Formula 1 championships) and his engineering and design proficiencies.
“Speedy” Bill Smith. Even if you only perused the Speedway Motors catalog over the years, you could see what sort of an influence Smith – who died in May – had on the racing and hot rodding world. As co-founder and operator of what he claimed to be the world’s oldest continuously operating speed shop (since 1952), Smith not only supplied and sponsored plenty of racers over the years, he also curated a much-lauded museum of extremely rare racing engines and other speed parts at the company’s headquarters in Nebraska.
James Garner. While most of the world knew Garner – who died in July – as a prolific actor, he also had a second career as a racer and team owner, with behind-the-wheel experience in Baja desert racing and behind-the-checkbook experience in endurance racing (American International Racing). http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/12/james-garners-american-intenational.html His 1966 film Grand Prix also remains a gearhead favorite to this day. He also was the Indy 500 pace car driver in 1975, 77, and 85
Dick Thompson. Known as the “flying dentist,” Thompson – who died in September – had the grit and the stamina to pursue a second career in both amateur and professional auto racing, almost entirely behind the wheel of a series of Chevrolet Corvettes, helping to legitimize that car as a capable sports car competitor. With such luminaries as John Fitch, Bill Mitchell, and Zora Arkus-Duntov backing him, Thompson became a legend among Corvette enthusiasts.
Mike Alexander. One of the famous Alexander brothers duo, Mike – who died in July – not only had a hand in such famous customs as the Dodge Deora and Chili Catallo’s Silver Sapphire, he also did design work for Ford through the Kar Kraft Design Center and for American Sunroof Corporation.
A.J. Watson. Indy car builder and mechanic, Watson’s cars are considered the last great front-engined cars to compete at Indianapolis. Watson – who died in May – did try driving early on in his career, but found greater success building his distinctive cars with offset engines for other racers, including Dick Rathmann, Rodger Ward, and A.J. Foyt.
Other notable deaths from 2014 include those of Corvette and AMC racing legend Jim Jeffords, Hagerty Insurance co-founder Frank Hagerty,
Ford director and scion William Clay Ford,
Don Garlits’s wife Pat Garlits,
funny car racer Raymond Beadle,
NHRA driver and crew chief Dale Armstrong,
Lister cars founder Brian Lister,
Hot Rod magazine’s Tom Medley,
Ramcharger Jim Thornton,
steam car collector Buck Boudeman,
and Mickey Thompson mechanic Fred “Fritz” Voigt.
From http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/12/30/racers-restorers-and-funny-men-a-toast-to-the-car-guys-who-passed-in-2014/
No comments:
Post a Comment