Sunday, May 30, 2010

CRUISIN' TIMES AD!

Cruisin' Times. It's the Midwest's number one resource for cruises and car events. Flip open the current issue to the middle center spread and you'll see our eye-popping ad for the 9th Annual GASSER Reunion.

If you're a rodder, you'll notice that after paying your 3-day weekend admission, your car entry is FREE. Dash plaques to car show entrants. Celebrities will pick winners and award trophies.

If you're a spectator and can only come on Friday or Sunday, clip and use the 'super saver' $5 discount coupons. Two people can use one coupon and thereby save $10 between them! There's two coupons in the ad so you can give one to a friend.

At Reunions past, most of the racers and all of the rodders had to park on grass. That was cool as long as it hadn't been raining for a week or we were caught in sudden downpour. This year, that soggy bottom problem is over. All the racers and all the rodders will park in the paved pits. Even the Swap Meet will be on pavement.

If you're a racer, you'll love the FREE electric hookups. As far as how the show is going to be run, I've heard the wildest, crazies and totally wrong rumors. Here's the TRUTH. We're running it the same way we ran it for 8 years. Get into a staging lane and run, as many times as you choose. We'll only call cars to staging lanes when it's time for eliminations. Why change what works?

More later...it's Memorial Day weekend and we're headed out to lay flowers and a flag on a veteran's grave. Semper Fi

Ernest

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Front to Back!

ART HISTORY 2010! This is how the back of the 2010 GASSER Reunion event shirt came into being. If you've collected any of the past Reunion shirts, you know that the back of the shirt always says PARTICIPANT. I'd always been taken with t-shirts that said in large capital letters on the back, STAFF, SECURITY or PHOTOGRAPHER. For the 1st GASSER Reunion t-shirt, I put PARTICIPANT on the back. To me, the word represented all those who participated in making the event a success. That included racers, rodders, vendors, track and magazine staffs, the photographers and most of all, the spectators.

Often, large Roman numerals were placed below the word to signify the number of the event. This year, it would have, should have and could have been 'IX'. But something happened on the way to the screen printer.

Ohio's Don Moyer has supported the event above and beyond the call of duty. He displayed his Rebel Reaper Willys at the Cleveland Autorama and has spread the word to all his friends and fellow racers. So, instead of the expected Roman numeral, I decided to thank Don by putting his car on the back and above our standard PARTICIPANT. I had the car artwork from the front of Don's GASSER Nationals shirt so it seemed an easy design change. All we had to do was put the old Front image on the new Back.

I emailed artist Earl Kendall a rough draft image of my idea. I told him that the only thing that concerned me was what color to use for the word 'participant'. Earl emailed me a sample sheet of my design with 9 different colors. He expected me to choose one that I liked and tell him the corresponding number. Instead, when I saw all 9, with their numbers, I saw a complete design that rivaled Andy Warhol's 'Campbell Soup Cans' artwork. His accidental choice of 9 colors was also a subtle reminder that this was indeed the 9th Annual GASSER Reunion. It said all I wanted and more.

I don't know what Earl thought when I emailed him what I wanted to do with his sample sheet. Being a Christian gentleman, he didn't tell me I was crazy, he simply turned his immense talents to giving me a work of art.

The result is what you see above and what you'll see full-size on the back of the 9th Annual GASSER Reunion t-shirts. If you're at the event when you get your shirt, have artist Earl autograph it. Don't look for an Andy Warhol look-alike. Earl will be the normal looking artist-guy hanging out in the club tent.
THANKS EARL!

Ernest

Issue 112 is in the mail!

Spring 2010 (Issue 112) is headed to mailboxes across America, Europe, New Zealand and Australia. The cover features artist Earl Kendall's beautiful representation of Jim Wilkens racing at Summit Motorsports Park. The artwork will also be on the front of this year's event shirt.

My thanks to each of you who contributed to making this another issue worth reading again and again. Inside, you'll find Ron Updike's GRAND NAT’L ROADSTER SHOW and 10th DEL MAR NATIONALS articles, Bob Wenzelburger's photo feature on the CLEVELAND AUTORAMA, Vic Young's fascinating tale of exploring the DON GARLITS MUSEUM, Jim Squires' coverage of the KANSAS CITY WORLD OF WHEELS and his own '33 Willys, Don Moyer's great read on his REBEL REAPER Willys, Gregory Scott's story of bringing home a CANADIAN WILLYS, as well as photographer Richie Coury's terrific report on the 4-WIDE NATIONALS.

As always, Club Rep Gene Catoe and his family are out there, setting up the club display, making new friends and signing up new members. Gene was invited by the NHRA to bring his nostalgia GASSER to zMAX for the 4-WIDE Nationals. Catch his coverage in another of his warm CATOE'S CORNER columns.

My thanks to all of you. We're your magazine because you write the articles, take the pictures and tell your stories. I love it. It's like sitting on a stack of slicks in the corner of your garage and listening to a friend. What more could a car guy want?
"Yeah, I'll take another cold one. Thanks."

Ernest



JIM WILKENS is UP for the Reunion!

Jim Wilkens is coming to the Reunion! In addition to being a pedal-to-the-metal racer, Jim is known for his put-it-on-the-bumper wheelstands. I love the "No Wheelie Bars" sign he posts on his trailer at each event.
When you get to the Reunion, stop by Jim's pit and say hello. They don't come any nicer than Jim when he's out of the car. When he's in it--well, you don't want to be in the other lane.

Ernest