Rodding Around

InTheGarageMedia.com

Shades of the Past: Hot Rod Roundup sign
1932 Ford Highboy Roadster in black
red gear icon The Last Roundup
T

his year will be the last Hot Rod Roundup event sponsored by the Shades of the Past Car Club out of Maryville, Tennessee. This will be the 39th year and it marks the end of a long tradition for the two-day car show. It has long been recognized as one of the finest events in the country.

It appears that the contract that Shades of the Past has had with Splash Country Water Parks runs out this year and it cannot be renewed. The club has looked about and feels it cannot find a suitable location. We can only hope something can happen and the event in some form or fashion “rises from the ashes.” It should be noted that the Triple Crown of Rodding will continue in the coming years. Location is yet to be determined.

What has turned out to be one of the most sought awards offered by any show over the past 39 years, there is no denying that their Top 25 is true recognition for a “job well done” for all sorts of hot rodders. In the recent past the Magnificent 7 as well as the Triple Crown of Rodding has added another level of topflight awards. Coupled with this there are (were) 33 other recognition awards. Additionally, it must be one of the largest 50/50 drawings in the country when it comes to an automotive event. Often the cash pot approaches $50,000-$60,000. There is also a $10,000 cash prize awarded to another individual selected via a drawing who has preregistered prior to the approximate May 15 deadline. Of course, one cannot forget about the giveaway hot rod. In the past few years, it has been a ’32 Ford highboy roadster that is truly an amazing hot rod, and what an amazing prize to win. For the past number of years, the car, no matter what style, was built at Alloway’s Hot Rod Shop. The remaining funds are used by the club for numerous local charities. This will be a shame to see this magnanimous gesture go away.

It’s the weekend after Labor Day, this year September 9-10, 2022, and should you find yourself out and about, make plans to attend the last great Hot Rod Roundup.

Modern Rodding Street Cruiser, Rod, and Machine of the Year awards displayed on top of a wooden crate
A book cover photograph of the Legacy of Justice: An American Family Story by Tom Madigan with Ed Justice Jr.
red gear icon Legacy of Justice
A new book from ejje Publishing Group tells the story of the Justice family from the racetracks to building an international lubricants company. Legacy of Justice An American Family (illustrated with 540-plus color and black-and-white photographs) covers over 100 years of history during a time that has been called the “golden era” of racing. Authors Tom Madigan and Ed Justice Jr. constructed the story using first-person interviews and information from the extensive Justice family archives.

The reader is taken into the very beginnings of the legendary Kurtis-Kraft race shop, NASCAR stock car racing, and more. Zeke Justice was the first employee at Kurtis-Kraft with brother Ed joining the crew after his discharge from the 8th Airforce in World War II. The Justice Brothers were the first multi-car product sponsors in NASCAR, starting even before the formal organization of the sanctioning body.

The book covers the family’s participation in 73 of the 102 Indianapolis 500s, which include a victory in the 1950 Indianapolis 500 with Frank Kurtis and Johnnie Parsons. Later that same year the family would claim victory in the first Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway with Johnny Mantz. This victory would make history as the first 500-mile NASCAR race and as the first NASCAR race on pavement.

The book opens with a foreword by Dan Gurney and Parnelli Jones, who were both longtime Justice family friends. Legacy of Justice is available through specialty automotive booksellers, independent bookstores, Amazon, and directly from the publisher.

Modern Rodding

VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 25 • 2022