The Passing of a Pioneer

Wally Parks Dies at 94

By Bill Moore   Photos courtesy of NHRA

Wally Parks was a giant, HOT ROD magazine's first editor and the founder of the National Hot Rod Association the world's largest automotive sanctioning body.

Briefly, I worked with Wally at DRIVE! Magazine to produce his monthly column, Looking Back. It was an ongoing memoir of the things that had shaped his life. After about six months, Wally backed away from the column. Always a perfectionist, he said he was feeling too much pressure to get it done on a deadline basis.

And Wally's life was filled with so much that even he had trouble relating all of the things he had accomplished in the world of automobiles . . . but here are a couple of basics from that history, some of it from The Associated Press, and some of it from Johnny McDonald, who was the longtime Motorsports Editor at The San Diego Union. Johnny conducted his interview with Wally in 1973.

Wally's son, Richard, was part of the editorial efforts at DRIVE!. He and photographer Roger Rohrdanz teamed up to cover a wide range of car shows and events, and they've been featured right here in SpeedMachines.

First, the basics of Wally's passing, this abbreviated note from The Associated Press out of Burbank, California: Wally Parks died Friday (September 28th) at Providence St. Joseph's Medical Center of complications from pneumonia, said Michael Hollander, a spokesman with the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona.

As a test driver for General Motors, Parks started organizing car races in Southern California's dry lakebeds in the 1940s.

"He effectively created drag racing," Hollander said. "These kids were racing jalopies and he wanted to get them off the streets and start them racing in an organized manner. He set up a system of timing and scoring and turned it into a legitimate sport."

As president of the Southern California Timing Association, Parks set the distance of a quarter-mile as the standard length of a drag race.

The Hot Rodder who developed a sport

Wally Parks established safaris to sell an idea

He was a hot-rodder, a builder of fast cars and a key member of the Southern California Timing Association.

Wally Parks stood out among the many drivers who sought speed records at Muroc Lake.  He had a vision, but he would not be able to cultivate his plans until he completed his service time after World War II.

Taken from the pre-war format of the SCTA, he introduced a standing-start, acceleration event that would eventually mushroom into the nation's premier competition: drag racing.

Still working as editor of HOT ROD Magazine, he began organizing the National Hot Rod Association.  When the responsibilities became too large, he resigned his position at HOT ROD to devote full-time to the infant sport.

And it took a considerable amount of campaigning to convince people it was a legitimate sport.  In those early days, he established Safaris that would visit with police, city government and other groups to explain the virtues of drag racing, all across the country.  

He spoke of two types of school kids.  He understood what motivated those in the stick and ball sports, but he explained that there was another segment of kids who devoted their time to working on automobile motors and then seeking a drag strip to satisfy a need for speed.

Wally waged a campaign with newspapers, particularly those who chose to use the word "drag race" for an illegal speed run on city or county streets.  And, it took a while before major newspapers would acknowledge this new, organized sport and send a reporter to cover sanctioned events.

"We found that as far as the rest of the world is concerned, they still didn't know that there is a sophisticated, organized sport called drag racing," Parks said.  "Our problem is to expand the promotions."

Drag strips were being constructed, customarily in the outskirts of town where property was cheap and there were few subdivisions around.  An immediate problem was that the noise of the starting blasts carried for miles.

"As the town grows, the property becomes expensive and developers build homes," Parks said.  "The drag strips would be forced to shut down, either for promotional reasons or by the noise problem."

Through the years he understood so well that the promotional job would not be easy.

"Due to the nature of its multiple competition classes, it is hard to comprehend clearly all facets of the sport," he said.  "Possibly that is the 

reason the average sportswriter might ignore it.  The sport was too difficult to give a clear, concise report."

He said that because of this there was a condensing of some classes, putting the emphasis on Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock as the headliners.

Parks was proud of NHRA's safety record and would stack it up against any other sport.  

"We don't have to be criticized for being an unsafe activity," he said.

Wally is a firm believer that drag racing has a lot more things going for it than other forms of motorsports.  "In drag racing you can invite the public to come into the pits and stand beside the big names.  They can talk with them, have their pictures taken with them and get a good look at the cars."

It has been a series of transitions, but from a national standpoint, it rivals other sanctioning motor sports organizations in sponsorships, entries and fan support.  Two of the oldest are the Nationals in Indianapolis and the Winternationals at Pomona.

"As far as the fans are concerned, we have a combination of sports and recreation which happens to afford entertainment," said Parks.  "We consider the nationals represent an on-the-job training school because most of the crews will come from all parts of the country."

He was asked in this 1973 interview if such super stars as Don Garlits and Don Prudhomme might hurt the sport because of their domination.

"It is hazardous to invest too much in a small group of individuals, regardless of how good they happen to be," Parks replied.  "Nobody can question the drawing power of Prudhomme, Garlits and Gary Beck.  They are top stars and have earned that status the hard way.

"But I think when you have 300 total drag strips throughout the country you are stretching your premium too thin if you feel these are the only names that will attract."

He indicated that the major national events can attract from 300 to 1,200 cars with no two cars exactly alike.  And the action is swift, with runoffs every 20 seconds for six to eight hours.

Wally is particularly amazed by the fortitude and staying power of the fans, who sit for hours in all types of weather conditions to witness these speed runs.

"We haven't fully diagnosed the reason for that," he replied.  "Some of the people have been coming out for years and years."

Wally never lost sight of his original intentions: "We must not overlook the fact that the main purpose and origin of the association, and that we must provide a place for individuals to run their cars rather than on the street," Parks said.  

"We still have an obligation to the community and must assure them that this is the legal form of drag competition."

So there you have it, a brief glimpse of Wally Parks from several perspectives. Please check www.NHRA.com  for upcoming funeral arrangements and memorial ceremonies.