Project 1320-Pioneers of the Quarter Mile

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Comment by Project 1320-Pioneers of the 1/4 on July 6, 2009 at 12:41pm

Traci Hrudka
June 18, 2009
Quarter Mile Entertainment
6210 Beverly Drive
Parma Heights, Ohio 44130

Traci:

The Petersen Automotive Museum would like to endorse Project 1320 and its educational mission. The history of the automobile is young compared to the history of The United States. United States history is young compared to the history of other cultures. But nowhere else on the planet has the automobile become so ingrained in local culture and history than in our country.
Our mission is to explore and present the history of the automobile and its impact on American life and culture using Los Angeles as the prime example. As such, the history of any motorsport is important to us.
Drag racing pioneers are responsible for the automotive aftermarket, the muscle car movement, modern safety equipment and keeping the nation safe by moving racing off the public streets and on to sanctioned race tracks. The people who created American automotive history and culture are aging quickly. If their stories are not recorded soon, they will be lost forever.
The Petersen Automotive Museum recognizes the Board of Quarter Mile Entertainment and its advisors as experts in the history of drag racing, capable of giving an unbiased account of the facts.
The Petersen Automotive Museum is willing to help Project 1320 in their efforts. We look forward to viewing the end results.

Regards,

Richard G. Messer
Executive Director








Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation, a Nonprofit Organization
Established by the Margie and Robert E. Petersen Foundation
6060 Wilshire Boulevard (at Fairfax) Los Angeles, California 90036 Tel 323-964-6356 Fax 323-930-6642 www.petersen.org

Comment by Project 1320-Pioneers of the 1/4 on June 3, 2009 at 7:54am

From "Big Daddy" Himself"

In my humble opinion the Quarter Mile Project has got to be one of the most important projects to be undertaken since I formed the Drag Racing Museum in 1976. It is something that should have been done years ago as we are losing our pioneers every day now and soon there will be nobody to tell the story of how it was "Back in the day".

Don Garlits

Comment by Project 1320-Pioneers of the 1/4 on May 29, 2009 at 11:48am

Hi Traci,
You've built a solid foundation and I hope things take off from here. We'll be in Norwalk in a few weeks. I hope you'll be there and look forward to discussing Project 1320 with you. Thanks for all you're doing to preserve the heritage of our sport. Your project will trace our roots to Santa Ana, Union Grove, US 30 Drag Strip, AHRA, NAAR, IHRA and even, for two years, NASCAR. Lets have fun!

Mike Lewis
Senior Vice President
Don Schumacher Racing

Comment by ROBERT "BOB" WHITE on May 29, 2009 at 10:55am

i changed my pic now everyone can see the fairbanks kits in the backround, will the "clutch flite" make a comeback. stay tuned

Comment by Wayne Wolfe on May 20, 2009 at 10:28am

To all Drag Racers Reunion members...please see
www.project1320.ning.com a very special project is underway!!

Comment by Project 1320-Pioneers of the 1/4 on May 20, 2009 at 9:51am

Project 1320 to chronicle drag racing’s pioneers
Documentaries to provide an oral history of the sport
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Contact: Traci Hrudka
Quarter Mile Entertainment, LLC
Phone: 440.888.0088/Hrudka@sbcglobal.net

Parma Heights, Ohio – Drag racing fans have long had a desire to learn about the birth of the sport from the legends and heroes of the formative years.

To this point, there has been a patchwork of efforts but without an integrated approach to tell the story of how men and women with mechanical talent, fearless determination and skill built the cars and events to capture the glory of being the quickest and the fastest down 1320 feet of asphalt.
The focus of Quarter Mile Entertainment LLC (QME) and its Project 1320 is to capture first person narratives about the life and times of these early heroes…from the period immediately after World War II through to the beginning of the “modern era”. The narratives of the sport’s pioneers will be supported with still images and home movies of the period to deliver the “Who, What, When, Where, Why” of the times.
At the heart of the project is the goal to produce a series of high quality documentary films centering on the individuals, manufacturers, sanctioning bodies and the behind the scenes people…what it took to bring this great sport to its current level. The individuals and manufacturers who will be a part of this series will include many household names but will also include many of the “lesser-knowns” whose contributions have faded in our minds, but who helped launch the sport, nurtured it through its early growth and finally saw it become a major motorsport. The goal is to place the series on a cable network to expose the greatest number of viewers to why and how this sport has grown in popularity.
“Our greatest concern is to capture the stories and personal perspectives of the legends of the sport that are still living,” says Traci Hrudka, chairman of Quarter Mile Entertainment. “We have lost a tremendous number of these people over the years, and time is running out to capture those oral histories in a digital format. If we ever want to do this, now is the time!”
The initial effort will be to provide an overview of the historical perspective of the sport – the key people and moments…the passion and the blood, sweat and tears it took to evolve the sport from a grassroots, never quit, “run whatcha brung” level to the point where corporate America and thousands of racers are involved on a weekly basis. It will also touch on how successful racers became successful business owners, supporting the racers with the products needed to get the finish line quicker and faster.
The blueprint for Project 1320 calls for a breaking down of the sport’s dramatic growth…by decades, the evolution of today’s major classes of competition, plus a look at the growth of the racing parts aftermarket, the influence of automaker participation and the support of corporate America, the historic race tracks and their owners and how the ideas of a small handful of men and women created the sanctioning bodies that have guided the sport.
The early grassroots support of Project 1320 has been amazing, fed by a word of mouth, internet-based network of old racers. A significant number of fans and racers have volunteered their home movies and pictures to this project. These images and movies will be digitized and archived for future use, as well as the first person interviews. The archives will provide much of the resource material for the subsequent project episodes.
Project 1320 will be seeking both corporate and grassroots support to document drag racing’s historic moments and personalities. The “Friends of Project 1320” program will soon be launched to allow individuals to help produce this undertaking, and to build additional support.
The Board of Directors of QME hope the project will generate even more support by fans and racers who uncover their personal archives of yesterday and share it with future generations of fans and racers.
The Board of Directors of Quarter Mile Entertainment LLC consists of: Traci Hrudka (Chairman), Harry Hibler, Don Garlits, Steve Cole and Wayne Wolfe. The Board of Directors is assisted by an Advisory Board of Wally Booth, Darwin Doll, Don Ewald, Carl Olson, Stephen Krystek and Bill Pratt.

Comment by Project 1320-Pioneers of the 1/4 on May 11, 2009 at 9:56am

Quarter Mile Entertainment
Presents

DRAG RACING HISTORY…
AS IT HAPPENED
TOLD BY THE PEOPLE WHO MADE IT HAPPEN

"Men Are Haunted by the Vastness of Eternity and so We Ask Ourselves Will Our Actions Echo across the Centuries? Will Strangers Hear Our Names Long after We're Gone and Wonder Who We Were, how Bravely we fought, how Fiercely we Loved”? TROY

What is it?
To produce a documentary film of such quality it will become a television series that will center on the individuals, manufacturers, associations and the behind the camera people and what it took to bring this great sport to the level of participation, spectators and fans to the level it is today. The individuals and manufacturers who will be a part of this series will include some of today’s stars but it will also include the “little lesser-known” people who invented and perpetuated the sport from its inception, into its early growth period and finally into becoming a major motorsport.
The ultimate goal is to allow the audience to see and feel the entire spectrum of emotions ranging from no pain no gain, the highs and lows of reaching the end of the ¼ mile. The risks, courage and the unity of the racers regardless of their competitive nature and most of all the need to continuously improve, develop and enhance the sport. The need for speed is forever glorified in the history of these individuals.

Working Hypothesis and Interpretation

In today’s world there is an inherent enthusiasm and lust to learn more about the past, whether it is referred to as history or nostalgia, more and more people (young and old) want to learn more about it regardless of the topic. That is why documentaries are made and why they are so successful. This film will show this in action by exploring the birth and evolution of a uniquely American Dream of Drag Racing. It will focus on the people that did it for the love of the sport and ultimately through their passion, resolve and ingenuity, the creation of an industry of intense entrepreneurs and enthusiasts.

Topic:

Each segment will include a bit of history showing how drag racing started, how the ¼ mile grid was established, who were the early participants and parts manufacturers, how it progressed from abandoned air ports to special-built facilities and much more. Through each decade starting in the 1940’s the audience will see the evolution and continuous improvement made by such racers as Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, Art Chrisman and Kenny Safford, manufacturers such as Barney Navaro, Vic Edlebrock Sr., Phil Wieand, and the Hrudka Bros., car builders such as Kent Fuller, Drag masters, Woody Gilmore and the Logge Bros., engine builders such as Ed Pink, Keith Black and Sid Waterman, track operators/promoters such as CJ Hart, Mickey Thompson, Bob Metzler and Larry Carrier. The list of names and categories goes on and on but you get the ideal of the scope of this program. The series will also show how these individuals helped influence the automobile industry as a whole, including the OEM’s, racing associations and manufacturers associations. Without these pioneers the sport/industry would not be what it is today. Their influence and need for updated equipment, parts, crews etc. was the starting line for industry growth. Their participation in the sport also contributed to a great number of safety features that extend beyond the race track to everyday driving safety and comfort. The viewing audience will hear and feel the explosive roar of the engines, learn the reason behind a burn-out, go onboard for a virtual ride, share in the thrill of the victory and the agony of defeat from the competitors view point – and hear it, in many cases, in their own voices.

Structure
This documentary series will cover birth of the sport starting in the 40’s and fifties, moving into the 60’s and on into the 80’s, 90’s and eventually, the current time frame. Each decade will depict how the sport evolved in perspective to drivers, equipment, cars, speed, safety and industry growth. The series will share the emotional roller coaster of the journey to be constantly going quicker and faster, to be safer but still push the limit, remember those who gave their lives for the sport and those who built entire careers around the sport. There will be crashes where they walked away and still got back behind the wheel, it will show why no one in the sport gave up whether it was from the lack of money, parts, many losses etc. but continued pursuing it because they simply loved the sport.

Resolution

We believe this documentary series will be good for the sport while highlighting the competitive nature of all involved, showing it was hard work, and passion and good ole honest American elbow grease that created this sport and the industry which evolved from it. We want to allow the older viewers an opportunity to relive some of their memories and at the same time show the upcoming generation where the sport came from, how it has evolved and give them the opportunity to experience what we did.

A personal message from the Board of Directors
Let's reach into the archives owned by everyone involved in the sport and put together a first class FILM/SERIES about the evolution of an idea, the traditions, the people and their involvement in the sport of drag racing. Most of us started with nothing but determination and plain stubbornness and we were able to do some pretty remarkable things and carve out a thriving industry and sport. This is a story that needs to be told, now! Timing is everything!
We am reaching out to all of us in our industry, that would like to put to FILM, the history of our sport and industry to all those who were there, and to an all new generation, all of us who grew up in the sport like to go fast, but we would also like to let those around us know how and why it happened and the enthusiasm that crafted our sport. Your interest in this project is greatly appreciated! This is a WIN WIN for all involved.
Simply put, we feel this will revitalize the American Automobile Enthusiast Market, meanwhile recording the history of our market, ensuring the preservation and memories of this unique industry for years to come. Let’s face it – everyone loves going fast - let’s show them how it was done!


TO THE FINSH LINE!


Board Members – Contact Info:
Harry Hibler = Harry@ZicronCorp.com
Traci Hrudka = Hrudka@sbcglobal.net Office: 440-888-0088, Cell: 216-409-1486
Don Garlits = Garlits@mfi.net Office: 352-245-8661
Steve Cole = scole@4writewords.com
Wayne Wolfe = waynewwolfe@bellsouth.net

Advisory Board
Don Ewald
Carl Olson
Darwin Doll
Wally Booth
Bill Pratt










6210 Beverly Drive Cleveland OH 44130-2910
440.888.0088 hrudka@sbcglobal.net
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