Back in the 1930s, there were a number of dry lakes in the western Mojave where hot rodders raced: Muroc (known today as Rodgers Dry Lake), Harper, Rosamond, El Mirage and Cuddleback. Muroc became part of Edwards Air Force Base and, thus, restricted in 1938. Rosamond was too soft, and Harper was deemed too short. Then arrived WWII, and racing came to a screeching halt since parts and gasoline were hard to find. After the war when racing started back up again, only the El Mirage was considered as a viable racing bed, where it became hallowed ground to those who raced . . . it’s where it all began.
This exciting hot rod was inspired by the late 1940s California dry lake roadsters raced at El Mirage. The names from the early years of SCTA dry lakes racing in Southern California are legendary. Chrisman, Edelbrock, Hilborn, Meyers and Navarro were big then, as they are now, each contributing to the beginnings of racing and hot rodding as we know it. This car is like owning a time capsule to those early days of California hot rodding. Behind the wheel, you would easily fit in with the original clubs of El Mirage, the Sidewinders and the Roadrunners, back in the 40s.
And then there was the East Coast. New Jersey began its beach racing tradition back in the summer of 1905 on a 1-mile straightaway in Cape May that was considered the world’s best racing beach. Featured at that exhibition were Louis Chevrolet, Henry Ford and Walter Christie, the speed record holder.
Fast-forward to The Race of Gentlemen . . . or TROG. The first race was on the beach in Asbury Park, NJ in 2012 a few days before Hurricane Sandy hit. The TROG has since moved to the flatter, wider beaches of Wildwood, still close to Asbury Park, and participants come from all over the world to race down the 1/8 mile straightaway, to the delight of thousands of spectators. Paving the way for other US races and exhibitions, the TROG is growing and gaining international recognition as well as an entire new generation of fans.
And, so, the history of hot rodding covers the entire United States and the world. Now you have a chance to own a piece of it and embrace the adventure yourself.
This little hot rod has it all . . . it’s not one of those kit cars you see on the road today. It’s dubbed the B-29 Bamboo Bomber because it carries an original 1929 Ford steel body and rides on a 1932 Ford Model B chassis. Then it’s been modified with period-correct speed parts including Edelbrock cylinder heads, Fenton headers, Thicksten hi-rise intake and upgraded 1940 Ford hydraulic brakes.
Other features:
And, so the big question is: Do you want to race in the TROG? You can with this amazing little speedster. Simply strip off the windshield and lights, and this hot rod is TROG-ready! Pendine Sands? Bonneville Speed Week? This tough 1932 Ford Roadster Hi-Boy is
all you need to follow in the tracks of so many hot rodders before you . . . and then create your own.
