Wallace Gordon Parks (January 23, 1913 – September 28, 2007) was an American writer. He was the founder, president, and chairman of the

National Hot Rod Association The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all over the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers in its rosters, the NHRA claims to be the largest motorspo ...

, better known as NHRA. He was instrumental in establishing drag racing as a legitimate amateur and professional motorsport.

Biography

Parks was an accomplished automobile writer and hobbyist, and co-founder and first editor of the magazine ''

Hot Rod Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimised for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and made ...

'' in January 1948. He was also instrumental in the founding of ''

Motor Trend ''MotorTrend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949. Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles published ''MotorTrend'' until 1998, when it was sold to ...

'' magazine in September 1949. As editor of ''Hot Rod,'' he began to promote safety in the organization of

drag racing Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most ...

, both in the magazine and by organizing "Safety Safaris," the first of which toured the United States in 1954, teaching drag race organization and safety at tracks around the country. This was the first concerted effort in getting racers off the streets and onto controlled race tracks. In 1951, he founded the National Hot Rod Association, which stands today as the largest motorsports sanctioning body in the world, and became its president for several decades after leaving the magazine business. His wife, Barbara, who preceded him in death in 2006, worked for the NHRA as its Chief Secretary in its formative years. Parks played a part in promoting drag racing outside of the United States, organizing tours to England in 1964 and 1965, in collaboration with

Sydney Allard Sydney Herbert Allard (19 June 1910 – 12 April 1966) was the founder of the Allard car company and a successful rally driver and hillclimb driver in cars of his own manufacture. Trials, hillclimbs, rallies, and road racing Born in London, E ...

, and to Australia in 1966. Winners of National Hot Rod Association national events are awarded a trophy statue nicknamed the

Wally Wally may refer to: Music * Wally (band), British prog rock band ** ''Wally'' (album), a 1974 album by Wally * ''La Wally'', an opera by Alfredo Catalani Other uses *Wally (given name), a list of people and fictional characters *WALLY, a propose ...

. The trophy is a bronze statue of a Top Gas racer next to a tire on a wooden platform. As the NHRA celebrated its 60th anniversary season in 2011, pewter Wally trophies were awarded to all of the winners during that season. Other events celebrating milestones may award Wally trophies in varying colors. Parks died on September 28, 2007 due to complications from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severit ...

, at the age of 94. Prior to his death, he was chairman of the

Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum houses a collection of memorabilia, automobiles, and motorcycles related to the sport of hot-rodding. It is located on the edge of the Los Angeles County Fairplex. History The museum was created by a grou ...

Pomona, California Pomona is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Pomona is located in the Pomona Valley, between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 151,713. The main campus of California State Polyt ...

Awards

Parks was inducted into the

International Motorsports Hall of Fame The International Motorsports Hall of Fame (IMHOF) is a hall of fame located adjacent to the Talladega Superspeedway (formerly Alabama International Motor Speedway) located in Talladega County, east central Alabama. It enshrines those who have co ...

in 1992. He was inducted into the

Motorsports Hall of Fame of America The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) is hall of fame that honors motorsports competitors and contributors from the United States from all disciplines, with categories for Open Wheel, Stock Cars, Powerboats, Drag Racing, Motorcycle ...

in 1993.Wally Parks
at the

Bibliography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Parks, Wally 1913 births 2007 deaths American magazine editors 20th-century American non-fiction writers Drag racing Deaths from pneumonia in California International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees Motoring writers People from Alfalfa County, Oklahoma 20th-century American male writers