US Nats ? For You Older Guys

[gsa612]

Originally Posted by Mark Yacavone

Bobby, I'm going to guess it was in the early 80's. I don't know who started it.
Tony Feil used to call them "tire rollers".
I don't believe that's supposed to look like Wally Parks
Most likely , it's P.T. Barnum ;-)

I was thinking mid 80's.The reason being the motion picture guild had a TM on "Oscar" so NHRA had to change it.It took 25+ years for the guild to become aware of it!.Now NHRA calls it a Wally.So fast forward 20 yrs,just before the 50th anniversary at Indy,a guy who was a friend of Wally Parks,Jack Jones who ran a dragster around 1969 files a lawsuit against NHRA.He claims the statue is of him,standing at a track in Socal with his hand holding down a fire mask,gloves on top of a tire,and holding his helmet in the other.He also has the original photo of him that was used for the design.The point was he did not want the term "Wally" to be used on something bearing his resemblance with no compensation.I believe him and NHRA came to some agreement and Wally lives on!! gsa612