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Los Angeles, CA. - The 12th annual California
Roadster Assn. Reunion/luncheon took place Saturday, January 14 from
11:00 a.m to 2:45 p.m in the Founders' Ballroom of the Knott's Berry
Farm Resort Hotel in Buena Park. There were more than 200
reservations and 192 persons attended according to CRA Reunion
organizers Walt and Dottie James. Emcee Walt James, 82,
introduced the 2006 honoree--popular Chuck Hulse, the 1959 CRA
sprint car champion when he drove the Morales Brothers Tamale Wagon
Offy. Hulse, from La Palma, CA, later became a four-time
Indianapolis 500 starter from 1962 to 1967 and veteran of the USAC
National Championship Trail. He also raced on the USAC sprint car
and midget circuits. The 78-year old (on October 3) driver attended
the luncheon with Danna, his wife of four years, his sons Lee, 54,
and Chuck, Jr, 52, his two
granddaughters, and Danna's family.
Hulse regaled attendees with a 12-minute recap of
his racing career. He said the first race he ever saw was during the
1930s at Atlantic Speedway, Bandini and Atlantic Blvds., in
southeast Los Angeles County. "I came out of the Army in 1949
to race and first met Walt James at Carrell Speedway and he was on
crutches. Guys helped him into his car and he went fast. My first
ride was at the rough Huntington Beach quarter-mile by the sand
dunes. I won my heat and the semi and was fourth in the main. But
there were only ten cars." Hulse continued, "I first
raced at Carrell Speedway in Gardena in 1951 in jalopies and
midgets. (Colby) Scroggin and (Nick) Valenta went by me on the
backstretch so
fast they scared me half to death. I then thought what if it happens
twice. A turn three crash in 1952 put me out of racing three months.
In 1953 I got Clem Tebow's C-T Automotive Ardun-Mercury ride that
solved overheating problems and I started winning races. I was
leading CRA points and at South Mountain Speedway (Phoenix), a track
with a lot of holes, I finished fifth. Tebow asked me what happened,
so I quit on the spot."
In 1954 Hulse said he drove for Harold Miller,
Robinson & Zabel, Pop Miller and Hank Blum's big wheel-base GMC
that Chuck said he crashed at Pike's Peak. In 1957 he won at Miramar
for Zabel and Bromme and USAC barred him for non-USAC racing. He ran
Pike's Peak again in 1958. Chuck secured a ride for the 1959
Indianapolis 500 in the Eddie Kuzma-built No. 43 Chapman Spl
roadster. Chuck said he was not allowed to compete at Indy because
he had not been racing in USAC. Billy Garrett had his career-ending
crash at Milwaukee in that car and Johnnie Tolan was unable to
qualify it. "I ran CRA all year, won main events and set a
30-lap track record that stood for years. Then Walt (James) called
me about the new Roger McCluskey-built Morales Brother Tamale Wagon
ride and I won the 1959 CRA championship." Chuck said his
long-time wife Betty "BJ" died in 1997. He then introduced
his proud family members in attendance.
Chuck, who raced out of Downey, CA and was known
as the Pepsi Kid for his cola choice, later told me about his Indy
500 career. In 1960 the 5'7" 160 lb driver passed his drivers'
test in the Chapman No. 43, but a practice accident damaged it. On
the final qualifying day he ran four laps in the No. 59 Sorenson Spl.,
but his speed was too slow to make the field. In 1961 Chuck made one
aborted qualifying run at Indy. His rookie year was 1962 in the
Federal Engineering Kurtis 500 roadster. He started 16th and he was
running well when a broken fuel pump drive put him out on lap 92 for
21st position. In 1963 he drove the No. 10 Wayne Ewing-built Watson
roadster that Eddie Sachs drove as No. 12 a year earlier. Chuck said
he was on 18-inch tires and winner Parnelli Jones had faster 15-
inch tires, yet Chuck started 11th and finished eighth. He later
finished second in the Phoenix race. In 18 USAC sprint car races he
won one and finished fourth in national points. Chuck said he
had a bad crash in a USAC sprint car race at New Bremen, OH on May
3, 1964 in Willie Davis' sprint car. A car spun in front of him and
he rode over a wheel, flipping about 17-times. He had no broken
bones, but the G-forces caused eye problems. Being unable to focus
his eyes properly kept Chuck out of racing two years. He had been
entered in the No. 7 Dean Van Lines car for the 1964 Indianapolis
500.
In 1966 at the Indy 500 Chuck drove the No. 12
Leader Card A. J. Watson rear-engine car and started eighth. He was
in eighth position on lap 23 when George Snider spun in front of him
and took off the front of Chuck's car. He ran the entire circuit and
finished fifth or better five times to earn eighth in 1966 USAC
points. In 1967at the Indy 500 Chuck drove the No. 8 Lindsay Hopkins
Lola-Offy. It was the car Graham Hill drove to victory in 1966 as a
Lola-Ford. Chuck started 27th and finished seventh as one of the
numerous cars in the final lap crash that winner A. J. Foyt drove
through to the checkered flag. In 1968 Chuck was entered in
the No. 14 Myron Caves Quaker State Spl. He switched to Watson's No.
90 Zecol Lubaid Leader Card car and was fast enough to make the 500.
On Sunday, May 19 Chuck contacted the north turn wall with the right
rear. The car had minor damage and Chuck was unhurt. "I just
got out of the car and gave up racing cars." Chuck, who has
noticeable hearing loss, has invested wisely in real estate. Today
he is retired and manages his property holdings, including a medical
center. Chuck and Chuck, Jr attend the Indy 500 every four or five
years. Chuck, Jr raced CRA sprint cars for years and today Chuck, Jr
still races formula cars.
J. C. Agajanian, Jr spoke and presented the last
of 500 special Aggie 50-year anniversary Turkey Night Grand Prix
gold coins to Walt James for his many years of devotion to motor
racing. J.C told the story of giving one of the gold coins for luck
on Wednesday night, November 23, 2005 to a dejected Jason Leffler in
the pits at Irwindale Speedway. Jason had just blown his midget
engine and did not have another engine. Jason put the coin into his
racing uniform pocket and then borrowed an Esslinger engine from
Western Racing. The next night Jason won his second TNGP at
Irwindale in his own midget with the coin in his uniform pocket.
The first presentation of the Walt and Dottie
James perpetual trophy-a glass bowl mounted atop a wooden base with
plaques for the names of future recipients. John Steves, new
president of WRA Vintage Racing, introduced the new trophy and said
it was named for Walt and Dottie to honor them for all their help to
open-wheel racers. The first year honorees were Ed Justice, Sr, 84,
Wilda Kindoll, widow of JFK Co. owner Jack Kindoll, the three-time
CRA champion car owner, plus open-wheel and long-time car
owners/race officials Bill and Evelyn Pratt.
Justice, Kindoll and Evelyn Pratt thanked all for
the honor. Justice spoke about his racing involvement from the 1930s
and working with his brother Zeke building midgets for legendary
Frank Kurtis. He said his Justice Brothers Auto Museum on Huntington
Drive in Duarte has 120 cars and racing memorabilia in four
buildings now. It does not charge admission. The new James trophy
will be on display at the Justice Brothers Museum. Ed works there
Monday-Friday 9 a.m to 3 p.m and loves to give tours. Evelyn said
she and Bill "started racing in 1948 in jalopies and midgets
and sprint cars. We both drove at one point and I operated a wrecker
at Aggie's Ascot track for five years. I've been a racing official
for 40 years and will be back in the pits with USAC/CRA this year.
Some people say I'm mean or rude, but I just have a job to do."
CRA Reunion attendees introduced by emcee James:
DRIVERS-Tony Simon, five-time CRA champion Jimmy Oskie, Buzz Rose,
Rosie Roussel, Chuck Conrad, Bob Behrens, Dee Jones, Jerry Hudson,
Don Weaver, Billy Wolfe, Jim Wood, Ken Holden and Skip Hedrick. CAR
OWNERS-Greg Cunningham, Joe DeMartini, Jim Ruth, Marshall Hansen,
George Glover, Frank Becker, Ken Hillberg and Ralph Baiza.
MANUFACTURERS-Nick Arias, Ed Iskenderian, Louie Senter, Andy Casale
and Jim Cavanaugh.
OFFICIALS-Rusty Espinoza, Ed Hudson, Art Loya, Tim Kennedy, Tony
Gonzales, Don
Read and Ray Vodden. MEDIA-Dick Wallen, Windy McDonald, Jim Bruce,
Ralph
Foster, 92, Jim Chini, Richard Parks, Scott Daloisio and Chris Holt.
DRIVERS
WIDOWS-Arza (Duane, Sr) Carter, Manon (Dempsey) Wilson, Joyce (Tony)
Farr, Dottie (Walt) Kennedy, and Jennie (Johnny) Moorhouse. Jan
Freeland and her daughter
attended, but her husband/Indy 500 veteran Don Freeland was unable
to attend.
PAST CRA REUNION HONOREES-Gene Ellis, Dick Hughes, Jack & Howard
Gardner, and Ken Stansberry.
After considering making the 2006 CRA Reunion
luncheon the final one, Walt and Dottie James agreed to organize
another CRA Reunion luncheon next year. Attendees welcomed that
news. The name of the honoree will be selected later. People
remained in the room after the reunion concluded and exchanged
information. Among the persons absent this year were long-time CRA
and Ascot Park personalities Jim and Sandra Bartosh. We learned they
sold their home in Gardena and relocated to Texas.
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