“We are excited to name these two men who have meant so much to the racing and performance industry as our 2008 co-recipients of the Wally Parks Motorsports Statesman Award.  Isky’s name is synonymous with racing, and Bones Balogh has worked alongside Ed since both were teenaged dry lakes racers as well as having a distinguished career as a race driver”, observed Executive Director Nancy Wilson.

            “I’m confident that both these individuals would be heartily approved of by the man it’s named for, the late Wally Parks.  It’s even more special that Wally knew Isky and Bones personally, and only recently Wally and Isky appeared together for a question and answer session at the Wally Parks-NHRA Museum of Drag Racing, in Pomona, California”, added Ms. Wilson.

            The legend of “The Camfather” extends to the birth of hot rodding.  A pioneer racer and innovative industrialist, Isky was deeply involved in the formation of the industry.  In 1963 Isky joined with a handful of fellow speed products manufacturers and distributors to form SEMA.   Ed also served as its first President, in 1963-64.  He was named to the SEMA Hall of Fame in 1978, and honored in 1985 as a member of the Chevrolet “Legends of Performance” group.  Ed remains active in the operation of his famous company, Isky Racing Cams, now managed by Ed’s sons, Richard and Ron Iskenderian.  Among the “firsts” credited to Isky is the screen printed racing t-shirt, paying cash contingency awards to racers, numerous ingenious marketing programs to promote his newest racing cam grinds, and many engine valve train component innovations.

            Robert “Bones” Balogh has worked closely with and for Ed Iskenderian for decades, and is known as the tuning and dyno testing wizard of Isky Racing Cams.  Balogh is perhaps more famous as the driver of “Big John” Mazmanian’s famed supercharged Gassers from the 60’s, including Mazmanian’s B/Gas Supercharged Corvette and the strikingly beautiful, awesomely fast, candy apple red, ’41 Willys that was one of the era’s most famous race cars.  Together with Stone-Woods-Cook, K.S. Pittman and “Ohio George” Montgomery, Bones Balogh’s “Big John” 392 Chrysler powered ’41 Willys was one of the top-tier of nationally popular, A/Gas Supercharged match racing.

            The East Coast Drag Times Hall Of Fame® happens each year in Henderson, NC.  Festivities include  Friday’s free barbeque and car show, an enormous and growing, 1,500+ entry, all-types Show & Shine car show on Saturday, and on Sunday, the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.

            Wally Parks, for whom the award is named, was the founder of the National Hot Rod Association and a primary mover in the formation of the NHRA-Wally Parks Museum, in Pomona, CA.  January 23, 2008, the date on which the award recipients are announced, would have been Wally’s 94th birthday. 

Previous honorees include Bret Kepner, drag racing journalist and historian, 2007 recipient, and Linda Vaughn, “America’s First Lady Of Motorsports”, in 2006.

            For information on attending or participating, contact:  Vance County (NC) Department of Tourism, 946-T, West Andrews Avenue. Henderson, NC 27536, or call (866) 438-4565, or see the web site at eastcoastdragtimeshalloffame.com.

            The Hall Of Fame Weekend, October 17-18-19, 2008, is sponsored by The Vance County Tourism Department and co-sponsored by Superior Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep of Henderson, NC.