The Prolong Super Lubricants-sponsored Twilight Night Car Cruise at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is held on the first Wednesday of the month, from April through December.  The first cruise of 2007 was held on April 4^th and the crowds were larger than usual because of the warm and sunny weather in the area.  Over 400 hot rods were parked everywhere and the throngs of happy cruisers were enjoying the festivities.

The Cruise officially starts at 5 p.m., but cars began arriving at noon and continued to come and go all evening.  There were booths with displays, along with hot rods and other vintage era cars. Leslie Moyens and Jim Davis were on hand to represent the Auto Club of Southern California.  The Auto Club feels there is a growing need for specialty insurance among hot rodders.  A brand-new booth next to the speaker’s podium was reserved for Prolong Super Lubricants, the new title sponsor of the Twilight cruise.  Jeff Victer and George Hayward were on hand to answer any questions and to show off their line of car care products.

Steve and Gloria Gibbs were visiting from Utah.  Gibbs is the Vice President of the Motorsports Museum.  Tom Hartigan and Ed Sobiecki were happy spectators.  “We’ll be back again for the next Prolong Twilight cruise,” they promised.  John Duran stopped by to say hello.  He is one of the tireless volunteers that helps out at the events put on by the museum.   Wayne Phillips works for the museum and he waved as he rushed by.  Tony Thacker, director of the Motorsports Museum and hot rodding author, gave me a rundown on upcoming events  The Heroes of Speed exhibit honoring the Don Blair Speed Shop, on the 60^th anniversary of the famed store is now open.  The George Barris Custom car exhibit is also open to the public.  The Annual Motorcycle Day will honor the Harley/Davidson motorcycle on August 25^th.  Thacker is currently writing a column for DRIVE! Magazine and has finished two books: Sundays with Von Dutch and ’32 Ford Deuce.

Art Chrisman said that his famous No. 25 drag car is on display at Joe’s Garage, a race car museum in Tustin, California.  Art mentioned that his friend, Joe MacPherson, who owns Joe’s Garage, passed away recently. 

The Cal-Rod Car Club was selling raffle tickets for a small-block Chevy engine.  The club not only helps the Motorsports Museum with the Prolong Twilight cruises, but also raises funds for the Ronald McDonald House and the City of Hope. I saw Bobbie Colgrove, Steve McElroy, Donna Crowther, Dick Wells, Bill Groak, and Mike Hollander touring the museum.  Others enjoying the scene included Lee Vodden, Jim and Wilma Crickon, Mike Mulford, Big John Morehead, Vic Cunningham and Greg Sharp. 

Dave McClelland, was the M.C. and spoke at the podium before the assembled crowd.  Jerry and Andy Hutchcroft came all the way from Arizona.  Jerry owns and publishes the Roddin’ and Racin’ Newspaper.  He is also the producer and owner for the Roddin’ and Racin’ TV program on Arizona/New Mexico Fox Sports Network.  He does the hosting, sells ads and sometimes works the camera himself.

A group of happy and excited spectators traveled all the way from Norway to be with the Prolong Twilight cruisers.  Geir Brustad owns a ’73 Coupe de Ville and comes from Tromso, Norway.  Others in the group included Raymond Paulsen, Peter Spaine, Paal Johansen, and Torbjorn Fredericksen.  “We love the American way of life and especially the car culture,” said Geir ‘Mustang’ Stangvik.  “We’ll be over here for three weeks to see all the car shows and sights that we can,” he said.  The group belongs to the Midnight Sun Cruisers Car Club, which is affiliated with the American Car Club of Norway (ACCN).  In a thick but very understandable English, Geir said, “we want to get away from the snow.  We came to see the American cars.”  Just then a Mustang drove slowly by and Geir took out after it with glee.  Lene Brustad said that she owned and worked on her ’75 Camaro, “but I can’t drive it until I get my license at 18,” she said.  “It is much stricter in Norway than here and I’m only 16,” she told me.  Other members of the group included Lisa Larsen, Sara Jonnysdatter and Andreas Brustad.  In the crowd was Bob Muravez, known as Floyd Lippincott Jr, when he was racing.  Bud and Lynne Rasmus never miss one of these events.  They have been hotrodders and supporters of the Museum all their lives.

The Motorsports Museum opened their doors to all the spectators and waived the admission price.  The cars were all pre-1972 models and ran the gamut from ’32 roadsters to muscle cars. 

Gone Racin’ is at RNPARKS2@JUNO.COM.