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This Year's ECDTHOF and Reunion
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This
year's ECDTHOF and Reunion
promises to be the best yet.
With an outstanding cast
of Inductees representing many
phases of Motorsports.
I am very honored to be
among this year's Hall of Famers.
The photo shown with this
article portrays Ed Eaton, Wally
Parks and I together at the 2000
- 40th Annual Winternationals in
California.
We are now all three
included in the ECDTHOF.
Another of this year's
Inductees - Wendall Snowden,
past president of the S. Fla.
Timing Association, Founder of
the Chevy Bowtie Group, and a
nationally recognized 55 -56 and
57 Chevy Restorer and Expert.
Wendall is a long time
friend and colleague of mine.
This year's Wally Parks
Statesperson of Motorsports, Ms.
Linda Vaughn, has been a friend
for many years.
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 Ernie
Schorb (left) and NHRA
founder Wally Parks
flank another east coast
drag racing pioneer, Ed
Eaton during the
pre-race at the 2000
NHRA Winternationals.
Schorb was the first
NHRA Southeast Division
Director (now NHRA Div.
2) and Eaton was the
first NHRA Eastern
Division Director in
NHRA's very early days.
Schorb is credited with
naming the first
Winternationals, held in
February 1960, at an
ex-military airfield
near Daytona Beach. Ed
Eaton served for several
years with the early
NHRA staff and later was
pivotal in building and
operating drag strips
across the east and
Midwest for Detroit
Dragway mogul, Gil Kohn.
(Photo by Jim Hill) |
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With
this article, I hope to
encourage everyone to purchase
this year's ECDTHOF book with
all the information of the
Inductees, Class of '06.
Take the time to read all
the biographies on each of these
honorees.
This is your opportunity
to learn about their many
achievements and contributions
to Motorsports that brought them
to the attention of our Board of
Selectors.
On behalf of Nancy
Wilson, the Founder of ECDTHOF
and Renunion, please come and
take an active interest in this
year's 5th annual, three day
event.
The two main themes of
this event are to honor
Eastcoasters, mainly for their
contributions to Motorsports and
the creation of a first class
museum to keep our history alive
and well.
Also, to see one of the
greatest car shows in this part
of the country.
Look forward to seeing
the biggest turn out yet!
Regards to all,
Ernie
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 George
E. "Ernie" Schorb
credits NHRA founder and
Chairman Emeritus Wally
Parks (right) as his
mentor for a career in
drag racing that has
spanned four decades.
Ernie had a key role
in organizing and
presenting the
first-ever
Winternationals, held in
1960, at Flagler-Bunnell
Airport, in Bunnell,
Florida. Here Parks
presents Ernie with a
special "Wally" trophy
for his lifetime
achievements in service
to drag racing and NHRA.
The award was made prior
to final eliminations of
the 2000 NHRA
Winternationals, in
Pomona, California. The
two continue to remain
close friends.
(Photo by Jim Hill) |
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 Relaxing
at the NHRA Wally Parks
Museum, in Pomona,
California, Ernie Schorb
displays a multi-page
feature story that
appeared in the 2000
NHRA Winternationals
Souvenir Issue of
National
Dragster.
The
story, written by
Ernie's long time friend
and associate, Jim Hill,
told ofthe first
Winternationals, held in
February 1960, in
Florida. Schorb had a
key part in producing
the event and is
credited with naming it
"Winternationals". The
seven night event was
co-sponsored by NASCAR
and NHRA and their
founders, "Big Bill"
France, Sr., ofNASCAR,
and NHRA's Wally Parks.
Many racers who would
later lay claim to drag
racing fame competed at
the event, including Don
Garlits and Connie
Kalitta. East Coast Drag
Times Hall of Fame
member "Joltin Joe"
Jacono ran his Buick
powered dragster at the
event, driving down from
his native Chester, P A.
(Photo by Jim Hill) |
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 Pre-race
publicity for early drag
racing events was
considerably less
media-savvy than today,
but early race promoters
found inventive ways to
get it done. Ernie
Schorb, an early South
Florida hot rodder and
race promoter shows off
one of his early
pre-race posters. The
event was staged in May,
1954, and was affiliated
with the "Lend A Hand
Fund", a local charity
associated with The
Miami Herald and the
Dade County Sheriffs
Road Patrol. Behind
Schorb, at upper left,
is an original poster
promoting the very first
Winternationals, held
near Daytona Beach, in
February, 1960. Schorb
created the "Winternationals"
title, and with help
from various car clubs
ofthe South Florida
Timing Association,
organized and produced
that seven-night event
as ajoint venture
between NHRA and Wally
Parks and Bill France,
Sr., founder ofNASCAR.
(Photo by Jim Hill) |
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