In Memoriam – Blackie Gejeian
And yet another sad note… We wish to offer our condolences to the family and friends of Blackie Gejeian. Blackie passed away at the age of 90 on September 2nd.
Michael “Blackie” Gejeian was a true auto show icon and hot rod legend. He was at the forefront of the California custom scene from the very beginning and made his mark in hot rodding, drag racing and show cars. He grew up on his family’s farm near Fresno, CA and learned to race on those dirt roads. That training eventually led to five NASCAR dirt track Championships.
Upon returning home from the Navy in 1945, Blackie built his first hot rod. His 1926 flathead Ford-powered Roadster was all black, and that, combined with his penchant for wearing all-black leathers, earned him his nickname. The Roadster was involved in a crash in 1948. After a multi-year rebuild, it emerged as a show car, which featured the very first chrome undercarriage. Blackie renamed it “Shish Kebab,” and in 1955 it was named the “World’s Most Beautiful Roadster” at the Oakland Grand National Roadster Show. Blackie, along with George Barris and Richard Peters, then built the “Ala Kart.” Blackie and Peters did the chassis, and Barris did the body and styling. Ala Kart went on to win over 200 trophies and was named “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster in 1958 and 1959.
Blackie was a promoter at Clovis Speedway from 1960 to 1980, and his involvement increased its popularity and turned it into one of the greatest dirt tracks in the country. He was also the owner of the Fresno Dragway for 18 years.
Blackie launched the Fresno Autorama in 1958 and ran it for 51 years before health issues forced him to step down. Known for its exclusivity, the only way an entry could get into the Fresno Autorama was if Blackie invited it himself. The Fresno Autorama was sanctioned by ISCA, and Blackie was an ISCA Producer Member.
In addition to the many awards and accolades Blackie received throughout the years, he was also inducted into the Grand National Roadshow Hall of Fame in 1961, received the International Show Car Association (ISCA) Legends of Hot Rodding Award in 2010 at the SEMA Show, and was honored with a plaque outside of the Fresno Convention Center in 2009.
In Memoriam – Steve Tansy
On another sad note, we offer our condolences to the family of Stephen (Steve) Tansy. Steve passed away August 30th in Tipton, Indiana.
Steve was a former ISCA producer member who produced the Chattanooga and Birmingham shows and several other Southern shows in the past, and he was named “Show Car Producer of the Year” in 1975. He also received Lifetime Achievement awards from Championship Auto Shows, Chattanooga Auto Shows and Classic Car Revival (CCR). Steve competed in the NHRA Funny Car division from 1971-1975. He also won a Hot Rod Magazine “Top Ten” street rod award in 1979 for his state-of-the-art 1915 Center Door “T”.
Steve is survived by his wife Judy, son Scott Tansy, daughter Diana Heard, and three grandchildren.
In Memoriam – Dan Lee
We regret to inform you that our friend and colleague Dan Lee passed away recently.
Dan and his wife Mary have acted at Entry Chairpersons for the Omaha World of Wheels for the past ten years. Dan had also served as the President of the Midwest Street Rod Association for the past six years.
Dan was an integral part of the success of the Omaha World of Wheels, and he will be sorely missed.
Our deepest condolences go out to Dan’s family, especially Mary and sons Jon and Jason.
New Orleans Not on the 2017 Schedule
Please note that the New Orleans World of Wheels will not be produced in 2017.
Championship Auto Shows Adds Two New Shows
Championship Auto Shows, Inc. has added two new shows to the Summit Racing Equipment Show Car Series Schedule: Minneapolis and Edmonton.
Both cities have held World of Wheels events in the past. The 18th Annual JBs Power Center Edmonton World of Wheels Presented by Carlson Body Shop Supply Ltd. will take place March 3-5, 2017 at the Edmonton Expo Centre and the 50th Anniversary O’Reilly Auto Parts Minneapolis World of Wheels will be held March 17-19, 2017 at the US Bank Stadium.
Please arrange your schedules to participate in these two returning events.
For more information on these shows, please check out the Schedule tab.
PPG to Sponsor 2017 ISCA Paint Awards
What finishing detail elevates a custom vehicle from a good looking custom to an outstanding one? A fabulous paint job! Paint is what ties everything together, and the ISCA Paint Awards were created to acknowledge this fact.
We are proud to announce that PPG will be sponsoring the ISCA Paint Awards for 2017. So ISCA members, if there’s a paint project in your future, thank PPG for their support by using PPG paints.
NEW PRIZE MONEY PAYOUTS FOR 2017 SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT SHOW CAR SERIES ISCA CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
Along with the changes to the qualifying requirements for the ISCA Summit Racing Equipment Show Car Series Championship Finals, we have upped the ante by adding more cash to the Championship Finals prize money pot!
Effective for 2017, prize payouts will reach to Fifth Place in each Category (Custom, Truck, Rod, Street Machine, Restored):
5th Place Finishers will receive $ 750.00
4th Place Finishers will receive $1,000.00
3rd Place Finishers will receive $1,500.00
2nd Place Finishers will receive $2,500.00
1st Place Finishers will receive $5,000.00
The First Place finishers in each Category are crowned the Category Champion. The Overall Grand Champion will be chosen from among the five Category Champions and will receive an additional $5,000.00. So, the Overall Grand Champion will drive away with a total of $10,000 in prize money ($5,000.00 from the Category win and $5,000.00 as Grand Champion). Not bad for a few weekends of enjoying car show camaraderie while showing off you custom vehicle!
If you have any questions regarding the ISCA Summit Racing Equipment Show Car Series competition or Championship Finals, please contact Bob Millard at 586-703-2381.
NEW QUALIFYING REQUIREMENTS FOR 2017 SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT SHOW CAR SERIES
Minor changes could mean major results!
ISCA has modified the qualifying requirements for the 2017 Racing Equipment Show Car Series Championship Finals. Beginning with Chicago this past March, there will no longer be “A” or “AA” rating associated with each show. All shows are now considered equal in this respect. The “L” ratings for each show will remain in place, as they determine the payouts for each event.
A participant only needs to win Best or Outstanding in their category, or any two of the following awards: Detailed, Engineered, Undercarriage, Paint, Engine or Interior to receive credit for any given show. As in the past, the participant must accomplish this at least four (4) times in the season to qualify for the ISCA Championship Finals.
Check out the Standings section of the ISCA website above, to see how this change will make things clearer for the participants involved.
Winners of the 2016 NORTHEAST CHALLENGE!
This year, producers of the ISCA shows in Montreal, Boston, Quebec City and Moncton introduced the NORTHEAST CHALLENGE in which participants qualified by competing at all four shows. Here are the winners of the Challenge:
1st: Robert Cooke, 1969 Camaro, $2,000.00
2nd: Doug Juonis, 1931 Ford, $1,500.00
3rd: Pablo & Lisa Cruz, 2005 Saturn, $1,000.00
Congratulations and thanks for participating in the NORTHEAST CHALLENGE!
New Waco Show Set for November 18-20, 2016
We are happy to announce that a new Waco area show is set for this Fall.
The Central Texas World of Wheels will be held at the Bell County Exposition Center in Belton, TX
November 18-20, 2016. The event will host approximately 130 to 140 vehicles. Bill Kirkland is the Producer of Record, and you can reach him at (254) 982-4024 or
greenmchn1@gmail.com. The associated website for the show is
www.classicautoproductions.com. We ask that our members come on out to support this new show.
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