Wally Parks, the Father of Drag Racing

Some can argue that drag racing was born in Goltry, Okla. in 1913 along with Wallace (“Wally”) Gordon Parks. The Father of Drag Racing as he was more commonly referred to was the founder, president and chairman of the board of the National Hot Rod Association.

“The name Wally Parks is synonymous with drag racing, and his vision and direction will guide NHRA for years to come,” Tom Compton, president of NHRA said.

Parks and his family lived in Kansas until he was 8. In the 1920’s they moved to California, where he became interested in cars and began building Modle T Fords and Chevy fours. Ten years later he attended his first dry lake bed race where he discovered his interest in performance. It was at races like this where drag racers first began to congregate.

Parks was one of the founders of the Road Runners Club, drag racing’s most successful organizations, which was created in 1937. Along with six other clubs, the Road Runners Club became a charter member of the Southern California Timing Association organized to conduct land speed record events on the dry lake beds of Southern California. Parks served as an SCTA official until World War II began and after serving his time in the South Pacific, he was elected president of SCTA. In 1947, Parks decided to retire from General Motors where he worked as a road test driver and process engineer, to focus on his duties as the SCTA’s general manager.

In 1948 Parks helped launch Hot Rod magazine, which became one of the largest circulation auto enthusiast publications.

The first SCTA “Speed Week” was held at Bonneville Salt Flats in 1949 where racers first began to race for time rather than speed.

When Parks was named the first official editor of Hot Rod magazine in 1951 he quickly gained a following and the power to create the National Hot Rod Association. The creation of the NHRA enabled Parks, its president, to institute safety rules and performance standards for the sport and gave him the ability to create order from chaos.

“For me the biggest thing Wally did for the sport was not only putting drag racing on the map, but he promoted its growth and innovated safety. The two things that keeps the sport growing even today,” Geoffrey Kruetzer a La Verne resident and dedicated NHRA fan and follower said. “This is why I love National Dragster so much, not only do I learn so much about the sport I love, but I get to keep my knowledge of what is going on in the word of competition horse power. This enables myself to bring new ideas and concepts to building my own power.”

“Everyone in drag racing, and the industries formed to service the sport, will forever be indebted to Wally, his vision, his focus and his desire to create, build and grow NHRA," Compton said.

The NHRA held its first official race in 1953 at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona, Calif. More than 6 million dollars has gone into that original track and today it is home of the season-opening CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals and the season-closer, the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals.

In 1963, Parks reassigned his positions of editorial director for all of Bob Petersen’s automotive magazines including Hot Rod, Motor Trend, Car Craft, Sports Car Graphic and Motor Life. He wanted to focus his time on the expansion and awareness of NHRA.

Parks received countless awards throughout his lifetime including the Car Craft magazine’s Ollie award. He was also named Man of the Decade, 1962-1972, by Popular Hot Rodding magazine and was recognized as Man of the Year by the Specialty Equipment Market Association. Parks was honored in 1988 and 1994 by the American Auto Racing and Broadcasters Association for his progressive efforts in motorsports. In 1992 Parks made history when he was drag racing’s first inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Ala., and in 1993 he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in Novi, Mich.

In 1994 Parks received recognition in the form of a large bronze statue of himself which was presented at NHRA’s Gainseville Raceway. The statue was later moved to its current location outside of the NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, Calif.

Parks was also the first recipient of the Don Prudhomme Award, a trophy presented by NHRA to an individual who has made a profound impact on the growth of the NHRA POWERade Series.

At the 2001 NHRA Awards Ceremony, Parks was recognized for his dedication to the sport and received the Blaine Johnson award. He was again recognized in 2002 with the Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award and was presented with the all-bronze sculpture created to honor those who have contributed to the history, growth and well being of the hot rod industry. In 2003 the Motor Press Guild in Los Angeles named Parks the Dean Batchelor Lifetime Achievement Award winner.

Parks remained on the NHRA board of directors and continued to contribute to the sport until his death in September 2007 at the age of 94. Wally Parks is a name that will never be forgotten as his dream continues to live on and grow.

"Words simply can't describe the immeasurable impact Wally has had on the sport he created and the millions of people's lives he touched along the way,” Compton said.

The NHRA POWERade series is currently the second most popular form of auto racing in America behind only NASCAR and far outpacing IRL, F1 and Champ Car. It has 80,000 members, 140 member tracks, more than 35,000 licensed competitors, more than 5,000 member-track events and is continuing to grow.