VOLUME 167, ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2012

Hello all fellow Road Kings.

Well this is it, it’s the last one. After this one I got nothin for ya, that is until next year’s January newsletter. You know our car club has had one hell of a year, and you all should be very proud of the club. We have all worked very hard in many different ways to accomplish the successful year our club has had.

Also, all you guys that supported our E board throughout the year, your great ideas and suggestions helped the officers make in my opinion, some very positive decisions. And as far as Frank, Don, Chuck, and Roger are concerned, I couldn’t have performed my duties as club president without your support, and I thank you guys for that. I look forward to next year in helping the Road Kings in whatever way I can.

At the next meeting we will discuss the car shows for next year, voting on a couple of new perspective members, and hopefully some guys will step up and help with our events next year.

We have two new officers coming in, Chuck Null as Treasure and Brain Pucio as Secretary. They stepped up to help when the club needed them; more to come.

Don’t forget, club membership (dues) are due NOW!

So that’s it! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. Wishing everyone a great NEW Year to come. God Bless and remember, yep keep em out of the garage.

Rick

I want to thank everyone for a great year and looking forward to 2013.

With the 60th anniversary behind us, it is back to planning for the car shows, finding a member to plan our events, and get on with cruisin’ on down the highway again. Several of the wives have asked to put together a cruise through the back country, stop at a couple of shops and end up at a restaurant for lunch. So come on, let’s get started.

Have a safe and family filled Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!

HAVE FUN! Frank Nay

ROAD KING’S AWARD BANQUET

What a blast! Tons of fun, food, drink (coffee), friends and family, gifts and more gifts. In order to eat Brian Pucio would ask if anyone had a $2 bill, or a lighter (not a bic), hole in your sock, almost anything (scavenger hunt). The person that produced the item, their table received their dinner. Our table was really hungry by the time we were served.

A Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Bill Loven for his support throughout the years, (Road Kings I and Road Kings 2nd generation). Several members got up to speak about their life experience with Bill, and to his surprise his immediate family were there. CONGRATS Bill!

Following Bill’s award came the awards handed out to the Executive Board and the outgoing officers. This year we had two Racers receiving awards, Al White racing his fantastic GTO and to the surprise of many “Fast” Jack Beckman (Top Fuel Funny Car Champion) for 2012 was present to receive his award.

Party was fun, and it was wonderful to have in the same room TV Tommy Ivo, “Fast” Jack, and Jimmy Miles. Thank you all for coming.

BILL AND NANCY LOVEN WITH FAMILY

“FAST JACK”, JIMMY MILES, TV TOM

OUR PREZ SCHMOOZING WITH THE LADIES

CAN YOU GUESS WHAT IS INSIDE?

November Drag Race Report

Hi Kings and Queens, can you believe another year went by. All and all I had a great year racing the G.T.O, as always the support I get and enthusiasm from the Road Kings is immeasurable, and I really appreciate it. I really had a great year winning a championship in A/GAS with WCHRA, and 3rd and 4th in my other 2 assoc even though I missed several races during some family tragedies. The last race was a great happening, (THE HOT ROD REUNION) which is a compete circus, but a blast. I want to thank Bob Beck for his supper announcing. Thanks to Doug Auzene, Carl Grossman,Joel Embrick, and Stan Dalton for coming up for support. I fed and gave them as much to drink as I could. Thanks to Joe Heinemann for the best crew I’ve ever had. I was pitted across from 5 beautiful gals that were skimpily dressed for 4 days I think that made my quests very happy.

Oh yea the race,  I was #1 Qualifier for a while with a 7.606 on the 7.60 index. I wound up 3rd out of 32 cars, this class is really tight. I won round 1 on a hole shot running a 7.63 to a faster 7.62, but I left first and got there first. I red lit in round 2 with a .001 red, almost perfect, but red. Any way I had a great time and the car is all apart being freshened from one end to the other. Can’t wait for next year, and I think my first points race is the March Meet, Maybe we can have another Road King outing, I would like that. Til then Yours  truly  Al White  Again special thanks to Sue, Joe and Beverly Heinemann, Stan and Sharron Dalton.

“Todd Smith is the baddest hombre in the nitro pits right now. Those nine Valvoline guys gave me a chance to live my fantasy.”
In 2003, Beckman had to win the last 12 rounds of the season to win the Super Comp world championship.
“They’re both incredibly special,” he said of his championships. “This is different because there are so many more people who helped us get here from our crew to all the guys back in our fab shop and machine shop in Brownsburg, Ind., that build these cars. They bust their cans all year long.
“I still can’t believe we’ve done this.”
The following are Beckman’s results from Pomona’s Auto Club Raceway:
FUNNY CAR
Event winner: Cruz Pedregon (Cruz Pedregon Racing)
No. 1 qualifier: Ron Capps (DSR) 4.007, 319.29
Jack Beckman, Valvoline NextGen Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 3
1st round: BECKMAN (4.038 sec., 317.19 mph) def. Alexis DeJoria (6.564, 98.95 mph)
2nd round: BECKMAN (4.027, 317.79) def. Jeff Arend (4.113, 311.92)
Semifinals: Cruz Pedregon (4.023, 314.09) def. BECKMAN (4.086, 311.99)
THURSDAY QUALIFYING
Session 1: 4.117 sec., 273.00 mph

FRIDAY QUALIFYING
Session 2: 4.025 sec., 319.75 mph

SATURDAY QUALIFYING
Session 3: 4.292, 219.72
Session 4: 5.653, 121.44
NHRA FULL THROTTLE STANDINGS
(Unofficial final standings; DSR drivers in CAPS)
FUNNY CAR
1. JACK BECKMAN, 2,610
2. RON CAPPS, 2,608
3. Mike Neff , 2,497
4. Cruz Pedregon, 2429
5. Courtney Force, 2383
6. JOHNNY GRAY, 2,357
7. Robert Hight, 2302
8. Tim Wilkerson, 2,293
9. John Force, 2,281
10. Jeff Arend, 2,267
11. MATT HAGAN, 1,216
2013 MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES OPENER
Feb. 14-17, 2013: 53rd annual NHRA Winternationals, Pomona, Calif. cited:shoeracing.com

Jack Beckman
2012 Funny Car Champion makes NHRA history

POMONA, Calif. —

Talk about Cinderella. In one of the most surprising runs to a championship in NHRA history, Beckman went from the afterthought step-child to the top

For Beckman, it was elation, a stunning championship season that seemed unimaginable seven months ago. Beckman was asked to give up his car and crew to help Capps and his big-money sponsor, NAPA, swapping teams when Capps was down and Beckman was up.

“It’s incredible to be here now,” Beckman said. “It wasn’t my decision [to make the swap]. I thought we would be lucky to finish in the top five. People called and said I got the short end of the stick, but this is a business and Don always has given me a car that could win. I knew he would again.”

Don Schumacher hired Todd Smith to tune Beckman’s car, which had been Capps’ struggling car. But magic happened. Things clicked with Smith, Beckman and the crew.

Beckman said the championship happened because Rahn Tobler, his old crew chief who switched to Capps, helped Smith learn the ropes when he first arrived.
  
“Rahn and that team did everything they could to make sure Todd and this crew had everything it needed after the switch,” Beckman said. “I can’t say enough about these guys. My name goes in the record books, but they are the reason it goes in there.”

Beckman, however, is the man who kept his head up and stayed positive no matter what was thrown at him this season, including this weekend.

On Thursday, Beckman sat in his car while it became a four-wheel grenade, burning off one of his eyebrows while flames engulfed his car as its body shattered into a hundred pieces. The next day he was the top qualifier.

On Saturday, Beckman watched Capps become the No. 1 qualifier, making his lead over Capps only two points entering Sunday’s eliminations.

None of it mattered — not changing teams, changing cars, changing crew chiefs, not even an exploding hot rod three days earlier. When you beat cancer, every other challenge seems a little less difficult.

“Maybe it gives you a better perspective,” Beckman said. “It changes your frame of mind. Losing a round of racing isn’t the end of the world when you’re just glad to be alive. I’m just really glad to be here.”

Mark J. Rebilas/US Presswire

“THE FOLLOWING ARE PHOTOS TAKEN FROM MY TELEVISION WHEN “FAST JACK’S” CAR EXPLODED”

CITY OF BURBANK CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING PARADE
Mickey & Minnie Mouse arrive at Burbank City Hall’s Tree Lighting via Rich Raad’s 57 custom chevy on Saturday, December 1, 2012. Representing the Road Kings…