There’s been so much written already about The Race of Gentlemen (or TROG as it has been labelled) that it seems a little pointless expanding on the actual event here. Suffice to say, Stromberg was well represented in both personnel and product, with so many of the racers running Stromberg 97 carburetors, of course. I guess the big question is whether we believe there is change in the air. Have people (in particular an ever so slightly younger demographic of “traditional” hot rod types) had enough of parked car events and will we see more and more of this kind of trip harking back to ‘fun with cars’ – actually driving the damn things. We’re already climbing hills, racing round circuits, dragging in the dirt and dodging the waves on four wheels – who knows what next? Whatever it is, if it’s even half as good fun as the vibe throughout the weekend at TROG 2015, bring it on!
As ever, thanks to all the great friends we met and made over the weekend. Our pictures are just a rambling pile of different things that caught our eye throughout the weekend. For more of the same, check out the website: www.theraceofgentlemen.com and book your diary for October 2 – 4 2015. Wildwood, NJ, USA.
Golly, just realised we never posted our pictures from The Second Annual Pendine Sands Amateur Hot Rod Races, hosted by the Vintage Hot Rod Association. Here’s a healthy selection of the pics we (Clive and Rick Pearmain) took. You might notice how many of them are of Stromberg 97s. That’s because there were so many Strombergs at Pendine we couldn’t stop ourselves. It filled us with pride almost as fast as the pub on the quay filled us with Welsh beer. As we drove to the event, we wondered whether this could be the first UK meeting that Americans fly over to be part of, just as so many of us UK folks fly over to US events. And sure enough we met a great couple who had read about it on the interweb literally a few days before, and booked a flight. There they were, hanging out on a beach miles from nowhere, just enjoying the old style hot rods. That’s what the old car hobby does to us.
Event congestion meant we didn’t make the inaugural VHRA ‘Amateur Hot Rod Races’ at Pendine Sands, but judging by the pictures, a huge load of fun was had by everyone who made the trip to Wales. Sun, sand, sea, traditional hot rods – what more do you want? The event is widely covered on the net by those in a far better position to report than us, so we won’t try here. Our buddies did send us a few pictures, though, including many of the Stromberg-equipped motors that were on the sand – and a few with Stromberg sign writing too (big thanks!)…. So here they are. If they’re your pics and we need to credit them properly, please let us know. Good work Neil and everyone else for making VHRA Pendine a real killer event for traditional rodders here in the UK.
