Dick Martin honors, Five Guys April 23, 2012
By
Dick Martin honors,
Five Guys
04-23-12
Story by Richard Parks
Photographs by Roger Rohrdanz
Dick Martin is a writer and a hot rodder with a love for his hobby, which is also his sport and his business. He’s also a good friend and a friend of hot rodders everywhere. When he is not writing on hot rodding and the men and women who love cars, he is organizing events to honor others. I remember the time he put together the luncheon for Ak Miller at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, just before Ak passed away. I also remember the faces of men and women who hadn’t seen each other in years and how this event brought back old friends who for a few hours were young again in their memories. Martin did the same thing not long ago by organizing an event at the museum to honor Tom Medley. While these events are intended to honor those we truly respect, it is also an honor to receive an invitation to attend one of these luncheons. This year, on April 23, 2012, Martin held another luncheon to honor five wonderful hot rodders with deep roots in our sport. They were; Nick Arias Jr, Fred Carrillo, Stu Hilborn, Ed Iskenderian and Louie Senter. If you read my columns and stories you know these five men very well and if you’re a hot rodder you have probably purchased some of their products over the years. Martin could not organize his events if he didn’t have a large group of family and friends to assist him. His wife Beverley and his daughter Holley Martin Barela kept him focused and picked up the extra work, as organizing events for 130 people is not easy and that’s how many came to the show.
Along with Martin and his family he had the help and support of Robby Robinson and his family who catered the food. Steve Shaw and his wife Diane and son Jim helped put together the guest list and maintained order during the pit pass process. Dennis Johnson and his wife Evelyn provided the jackets, one to raffle off and the others given to the honorees with the logo designed by Steve Shaw who also designed the name tags. Bill Hamilton and Harald Zechner did the videographing for the event. Paul Stemrich crafted the beautiful metal art mobile with the various men listed in powder coated metal. Bill Gudvangen, Roger Rohrdanz, Jim Miller and Dave Wallace Jr made a photographic archive of the event with captions. Bonnie Peterson provided the 5 framed hand stitched logos of the event. Rose Dickinson and Wayne Phillips oversaw the logistics on behalf of the museum and made sure the sound systems worked well and provided the chairs and tables for the event. J. R. Mattson came at the request of Martin to make his beautiful balloon sculptures which captivated the old youngsters as well as the little children who came with their parents. Ed Justice Jr, the CEO of Justice Brothers and a very talented prestidigitatianist, did his magic act. Ed also broadcasts a radio show and is a member of the Magic Castle, a group that extends membership to magicians based on talent. Ed does this trick where he asks three different men (Dick Guldstrand, Nick Arias III and J. C. Agajanian Jr) to think up a card in the deck, and then he calmly goes through the deck and reveals the card and all three men have chosen the same card. How he does it we have been attempting to find out for years, but as you know, magicians never reveal their secrets.
There was delicious food provided by Robby Robinson and Beverly Martin and Coca Cola products provided by the Museum’s sponsors. Martin held a raffle to give out wonderful prizes and we all signed a get well card for Stu Hilborn, who couldn’t make it to the event due to an injury. Though Stu was not there, many guests rose from their chairs and asked for the microphone to tell about these five men and they did not forget Stu and his achievements. Before the event we all gathered at the museum and walked around the exhibits and marveled at this first class place where hot rodding is remembered and history is being kept alive for the next generation. We talked with each other and met friends who we haven’t seen in a while. That in itself would have made this event a memorable occasion, but the best part were the speakers who told stories of the five men being honored, four of whom were on hand for the luncheon. Dick Martin emceed the event and did an excellent job of thanking everyone who participated and remembering to comment on all those things that an emcee is responsible for.
Ed Pink spoke to the crowd. “I raced at El Mirage when I was too young to have a license and drive on the street,” he told the crowd. “I worked for Louie Senter when I was a youngster. Louie did so much for the racing community. There wasn’t a racing league or a type of auto racing that Louie wasn’t involved with. He is also a friend to everyone. If a hot rodder or racer didn’t have enough money to pay for parts then Louie would extend it to him on credit. Some small speed equipment makers would give Louie parts on consignment and sometimes Louie would sell these but not collect and yet he would make sure that the manufacturer got paid. Louie Senter was everybody’s friend and Ansen Automotive was a favorite of racers and car guys from Coast to Coast. His wife Betty would look over the books and wonder why the sales were so high, but couldn’t find the money. She created a system to try and make sure that Louie got paid for his products, but it didn’t help much. Louie ‘sponsored guys’ that he didn’t even know that he sponsored,” Ed said as he looked at Senter’s table. Pink went on to add that Louie loved his family and took great pride in helping his grandson Shane Scully with his racing career. Ed was also one of the first and foremost supporters of SEMA, when it was organized in the 1960’s to help support manufacturers and provide policies with legislators around the country. Pink ended by telling the crowd that, “Louie Senter was a mentor to everyone who needed help in motorsports.”
Dave McClelland and Don Prudhomme were invited to speak. Dave is the gravelly voiced announcer for the early NHRA and other auto racing leagues that we all grew up with and loved to listen to. Martin asked him about his racing career. “As some of you know,” Dave spoke in his low baritone voice, “I drove a ’61 Fiat nicknamed the Tuna Tank in the late 1960’s and ‘70’s. One day the staff at the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) was called into a special meeting by our President, Wally Parks, who was angry about how the employees were being perceived by the public. He raised his voice and told us, ‘You’re not working in a tuna factory; you’re working for the NHRA.’ Well, the guys that worked for the NHRA back then had a sense of humor and the next day they came to work in t-shirts that said ‘Tuna Tank.’ That’s how they gave my Fiat the name Tuna Tank,” said McClelland. “It’s a pleasure to be here today because I’m one of the youngest guys in the room, except for Snake (Prudhomme) here,” Dave joked. “If you put all the guys being honored here together you could have the parts to build a really great race car,” McClelland told the guests.
Don Prudhomme took over the microphone and told the crowd, “I mainly worked for Keith Black when I was younger, but I knew these guys being honored here and I had a great respect for them. I thought I was really successful until we got the bill from Ed Pink on his pink stationary. Ed can really add well and his bills added up fast for those great engines of his,” Don joked with his friends. “I’m glad that we could meet here together and have the chance to see these great men today,” he told the crowd. Dave McClelland took the microphone and told those in attendance, “We are so happy to have a chance to honor these five men, including Stu Hilborn who couldn’t be here today for health reasons. Iskenderian is going to celebrate his 91st birthday this year and Larry Trefz of LTR racing engines is going to have the party at his place in Lake Isabella, California and the public is welcome to join in the festivities,” Dave concluded. Dick Martin spoke and told the group about Nick Arias Jr and how his knowledge and experience with engine building advanced the science of racing. “Nick Arias Jr is being inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame and deservedly so. Nick attended Los Angeles Polytechnic High School during the Great Depression and gained a great knowledge of engine design and building. I am fascinated by Nick’s knowledge with engines,” Martin mentioned.
Jack Sparks told the crowd about his experiences with the five men being honored and of his father, Art Sparks. Ed Iskenderian spoke and told the story of the pilfered Potvin blowers that has always been a crowd pleaser. Ed has a lot of old stories. Martin told the audience about the close friendship of Ed and John Athan, an engineer who helped Isky with his cam grinding business. John also worked on Isky’s famous dry lakes roadster and then built his own roadster that was used in an Elvis Presley movie and is called the Elvis roadster, though it is owned by Athan. Dick Guldstrand told the crowd that he was proud to have been included. He was best known for his Corvettes and as a race car driver in his youth. He moved around from sponsor to sponsor in those days and came to know the five men honored quite well. Dick Martin then asked if the guests would like to have something to eat and the response was unanimous. After the luncheon Martin began the raffling of the embroidered jacket, the metal art created by Paul Stemrich, special clocks and autographed posters. Dick avoided an auction, preferring to have a raffle as that gave everyone a chance to win a gift to take home from the event.
Here is a listing of the guests who attended the Five Guys event; J. C. Agajanian Jr, Terry Anderson, Nick Arias Jr and Carmen Arias, Nick Arias III, Steven Arias, Carmen Arias (Nick’s daughter), Christine Avalos, Andrew Avalos, Christine Arias, Joshua Avalos, Adam Avalos, Emily Avalos, Gale Banks, Holley Barela, Richard Batchelor, 'Fast' Jack Beckman, Suzy Beebe, Fred Blanchard, Bill and Catie Burke, Dick Burley, Barry Calvert, Peter Calvert, Gary and Collene Campbell, Brent Cannon, Fred and Elizabeth Carrillo, Art Chrisman, Norman and Virginia Colegrove, Rose Dickinson, Mike Easley, Dema Elgin, Don Enriquez, Bob Falcon, Sharon Fernandez, Gale Forester, Bill Fowler, Mike Galluci, Steve and Gloria Gibbs, Scott Greatrake, Lou Grignetti, Dick Guldstrand, Bill Gudvangen, Horst Halas, Gloria Arias Hampton, Harry Hibler, Duane Hilborn, Ginny Hilborn, Sam and Bonnie Hollingsworth, Ed and Claire Irving, Ed Iskenderian, Richard Iskenderian, Don Johnson, Dennis and Evelyn Johnson, Ed Justice Jr, Bob Leggio, Tim Love, Jack Lufkin, Ron Main, Dick and Beverley Martin, J.R. Mattson, Dave McClelland, Rodger McMartin, Chuck Meschter, Bert Middleton, Orah Mae Millar, Robin Millar, Jim Miller, Bobby Millner, Don Montgomery, Jim Moran, Jim Murphy, Paula Murphy, Guy Newhouse, Chuck and Barbara Nippress, Jay Ohrberg, Richard Parks, Dave Patterson, Bonnie Peterson, Wayne Phillips, Ed Pink, Don Prudhomme, Ronnie Rapp, John Redican, Dr Richard and Bobbie Riddell, Robby Robinson, Roger Rohrdanz, Joe Roseberry, Ken Scott, Rodney and Marsha Scully, Louie and Betty Senter, Tom Sewell, Greg Sharp, Jim Shaw, Steve and Diane Shaw, Chuck Skaggs, Vicky Smith, Dan and Edris Snipes, Jack Sparks, Sheri Steinbacher, Paul Stemrich, Lee Thyer, Don Trapp, Jim Travis, Lanny and Diana Trefz, Cindy Verkooij, Dave Wallace Jr, Joan Weiand, Ed West, and Howie Zechner.
Those who sent their best wishes but couldn’t attend the event were; Cary Agajanian, Chris Agajanian, John Athan, George Barris, Brian Brennan, Leigh Buttera, Raymond Carrillo, Robert Carrillo, Pete Chapouris, Mike and Penny Cook, Judy Thompson Creach, De'ette Crow, Bob Danly, Marion Deist, Tony Derosa, Vic Edelbrock Jr, John Ewald, Rob Fortier, Tom Fritz, Pat Ganahl, Don Garlits, Faith Granger, Steve Green, Richard Hampton, Don Henry, Stu Hilborn, Mark Honeycutt, Jeffrey Immediato, Tom Ivo, Parnelli Jones, Chris Kersting, Chuck Koch, Jerry and Judy Kugel, Craig Lockwood, Tom Malloy, Bob and Lynn McCoy, Tom Medley, Marilyn Miller, Sharon Murphy, Spencer Murray, Danny Ongais, David Parks, Jerry Pitt, Don Prieto, Phil Remington, Joe Scanlon, Al and Jane Teague, Danny Thompson, Tim Timmerman, Linda Vaughn, Don Weaver, Vic and Arlene Wood, Alex Xydias, Don Zig, and Carmen Zig-Price.
Gone Racin’ is at [email protected].