MAGAZINE

T 'n' A

RG LEE 'BLOWIN" OUR DOORS OPEN (A LITTLE)

'HOT ROD' IS DERIVED FROM 'HOT ROADSTER'. THIS IS ONE

TWO-SPRINGER IS A GENUINE OLD DIRT DIGGER

MODEL A SWAP AT OLD FORD PARTS STORE

Laid-back? Yeah, that's it.

There is further evidence of the passing of the torch from one generation to the next, where the greybeads are appearing in more swap spaces than the galoots; it looks like the greybeards have proven themselves to the grizzled old coots that have hoarded this junk since it cycled out of fashion (and value). Now the parts are enjoying another life in the 6v spotlight of desire. And so are the coots.They're really cool guys. And most of 'em don't know it. Kinda like Hop Up Guys, huh?

PERSONALITY

It was something about the aesthetic of the car and how moving that element was, and how it related to the action, and nostalgia and....you've been there, haven't ya?

It took about 30 seconds for an affinity to develop. When we learned that this was a retired sprinter and roaring roadster driver, we wondered why he wasn't surrounded by the in-crowd guys and holding court somewhere else in the pits. He had been, but had snuck away to see the car and, Hey! NEW BEST FRIEND.

Did you expect any less? Joe Whatsyerflattie is old news, ya know?

Ed Lockhart. GENTLEMAN Ed Lockhart was his moniker at the races, and in the racing press. He is, too. This retired aerospace engineer, early hot rodder (tells a dandy story about how he off-roaded his Model A to work each day), racer, race historian, WRITER, poet, aviator (member of UFO: United Flying Octogenarians....... Yeah, Boys, that means 80 or more!), inventor, chassis builder....and it goes on and on. And now he's a Hop Up Guy, too. Whether he like it or not. We're keepin' him.

LOCKHART LEADS INTO FIRST TURN. NOTE ALIGNMENT OF ALL FOUR WHEELS ; NOT FOR LONG, THOUGH!

ANY RESPECTABLE GREASER WOULD STRAIGHTEN THAT AXLE AND USE IT ON A ROADSTER!

Ed flies up to River City now and then, we pick him up in a beater old Ford pickup, scarf some Mexican food at Gay and Larry's (don't say it) then off to the barn and the gallery and some tire kickin', literature reading, picture lookin' and the dang day will be gone before you know it . Then he's flying back to his home field and we're already planning the next Pow Wow. Heap Big Hop Up Doin's.

That 'Gentleman' handle really does fit, too, 'cuz he's almost too slick to be a hairy-legged sprinter pilot. He enunciates. Uses multi-syllabic words. The 'engineer' portion of his character is more obvious than the racer; this is probably the persona of a John Gerber, whose engineering talents led him to be more of a builder-innovator than a driver. But he did both. Same with Ed.

And we used the word 'retired' loosely. Loosely, because that might imply a sedentary, reflective, shawl-draped rock through life, with more prospects behind than ahead. Nope. This rascal has too much to do. He's rockin', yeah, but that's only HALF of it ......... he's ROCKIN' and ROLLIN' through fly-ins, races, writing articles for this mag and that bulletin, and composing prose, tongue-twisters and puns that will crack you up, and obligating himself to more of it each day.

JIGGLER ASKED ED TO TAKE A RIDE IN POISON LIL WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE TOLD HIM?

ED RAN HIS OWN 270 JIMMIE AT THIS TIME

This act began with a youngster's fascination with a car. Yup. Just like you and me. Early efforts were in the hopped-up Model A roadster he drove to work, finding a shorter route - off road - on which he would time his commute each day. Now, what better apprenticeship for a dirt track helmsman than this? Of course he turned out to "have the stuff", got himself a ride and well, boys, as they say, Ba Da Bing! Ba Da Bang! Ba Da Boom!

We'll report more on this New Best Friend as time goes by......but don't expect to get it all...........we learn more each time we see him and, you know, we might just want to pass it on ourselves someday, to some new Hop Up Guy who wants to hear it first-hand....... .......but will settle for second.

e hopup verita