Racing and Automotive Legends Hold Panel Discussion

Pink told a great story of how he organized a bowling team thatconsisted of Meeks, Vic Sr. (and Jr. as an alternate), Don Towle and oneof Pink's customers. "We weren't out to break any records," to which VicJr. chimed in, "maybe beer-drinking records." As the crowd laughed,Pink continued, telling everyone how they did, uh, have "many beerframes and got real loud. We just wanted to let our hair down. And youknow what? We won the league championship...but they never asked usback."

Ever-sharp Wally Parks quickly added, "Not too many of us in the roomcan let our hair down."

Parks remembered Vic Sr. as "an innovator. He was an icon to me, veryhonorable. He was one of the top men I've ever known."

Xydias, a super-close friend of Vic Sr.'s, agreed. "He was my mentor andbest friend. He was also a great businessman. And Xydias would know: hesold Edelbrock equipment back in the 1950s. He told stories of runningback and forth between Burbank and Hollywood to get Edelbrock manifoldsas customers waited in his shop. "When I first opened up SO-CAL SpeedShop, the first place I went for product was Edelbrock. You'd sell oneEdelbrock manifold and it would make your day 'cause you'd make about$20 on it, and that was a lot of money back then. I was a good Edelbrockcustomer!"

Xydias seemed to remember his moments with Vic Sr. (who passed away in1961) like they happened yesterday.

Iskenderian also vividly remembered Vic Sr.. He told a story from the1950s about Mickey Thompson, who was trying to get the good-natured Iskyto work on a racecar for him and build cams for him for free. "Vic Sr.asked me one thing: 'Has that man ever bought anything from you?' Iheard the significance in that," he said as the crowd laughed.

Vic's business sense wasn't only about money: it was about the products,especially R&D. "Vic Edelbrock Sr.'s philosophy was, 'never have yourcustomer's do your testing. Make the parts the best they can be.'"That's why Edelbrock equipment was so superior," explained Ed Pink.

Vic Jr. acknowledged his dad "had an incredible knack" for engines. Hetold the crowd about the time performance guru engine builder KeithBlack wanted his manifolds on some engines for a power boat race. "Keithtold my dad the manifold didn't work. That was something you didn't sayto my dad." Vic said his dad, with Bobby Meeks, of course, built theirown engines and won the race.

Speaking of products, McClelland playfully focused on Isky and hisfamous cams. "So Isky, "McClelland asked with a smile, "was it all BSabout the cams with the trick names such as the "404" and "5-Cycle?"Isky got a gleam in his eye and went along, admitting, "Yeah, it was alla publicity stunt. It could have been true it made them faster." Thecrowd loved it and roared with approval.

Isky told them what it was like to develop performance products in theearly days. "Back then, R&D didn't cost us anything. We did things bythe seats of our pants." He added, "A guy can invent something in hisbackyard and then an engineer will come along and put a formula to it."

Poking fun at fellow panelist Xydias, Isky told the time "Alexcomplained to Vic Sr. that his V8 didn't work. Vic switched two wiresand it ran fine." Xydias turned to Isky and deadpanned, "I don't knowwhere you heard that one..."

And that's how it went during the fast-paced event. The panelists notonly offered insight on the history of the performance and racingindustry, but we're not embarrassed to make light of themselves (or eachother) in the process. Vic Jr. told everyone how he was dropped into acan of super-thick "Gunk" as a youngster and how his mom wasn't toohappy about it. Parks immediately chimed in how that explained how "VicJr.'s hair is so blond when his dad's was jet black. It's because theybleached him to get the Gunk off."

Vic Jr. also made it clear that learning about testing engines andproducts from his dad and co-workers took time. "I was working on aflathead as a kid and they asked me, 'Jr., are you sure you checked thetiming marks?' I said, 'What timing marks?'"

The crowd appreciated the panel's humor and, of course, the history."I'd like to thank this outstanding panel," said Sam Jackson, executivedirector of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Going with the funflow, Jackson looked over the panel and added, "It's kind of nice to beone of the younger guys in the room."

McClelland let Vic Jr. have the last word of the day. "This is what'sit's all about ladies and gentlemen," Edelbrock said. "These are thestories, of our past, of our industry, of our sport. We never want toforget them. We want them to live on forever."

And they will, as long as the Parks Museum continues to present livinglegends who people can listen to...and laugh with.