PRDA

Can't believe this is flying under the radar here.

PRDA

If anyone could appreciate the history and understand the humor it would be us.

I didn't know that was still around. Wasn't Tony AtoZ a member? Cannonball was a great book, I may have to read it again.

I have a hard time spending my day polishing race car drivers when I don't get to play with race cars... That doesn't say polish does it? Polish, right? Yeah... I got nothing.

Yes, Tony was one of the two VP's. The other was Brad Neimcek. The Pres. was Oscar Koveleski of Auto World Model Car catologs and Can Am racing. Interesting side note: Tony Adamowicz was the only (potential) Indy driver to run a qualifying lap under caution.

Cannonball? Would you ever travel across the states in a cargo van with a NASCAR prepped motor, five 55 gallon drums of race gas plummed together, a cot, a port-o-toilet and and enough Mr. T's polish kiskas for a week? Where's my hat?!

Memberships are still available. $3.00 for lifetime entitlement to all priveledges and verbal brick bats that may accrue.

Members must meet at least one of the following criteria:

Be a racing driver and be Polish.

Be a racing driver and not be Polish.

Not be a racing driver and be Polish.

Not be a racing driver and not be Polish.

Notice: No waivers granted. To maintain our high standards, these rules are strictly enforced.

John Brown, you deserve the PRDA "Pole Award" for that comment. . .

My favorite Oscar pic from the 1960's, Can Am, "Big Wing" era:

I still have the patch

Old-time modelers may recognize Oscar Kovaleski as the owner of AutoWorld, once the mail-order mecca for all things made to scale.

And he was a long-time Can-Am competitor.

maroon92 wrote: I didn't know that was still around. Wasn't Tony AtoZ a member? Cannonball was a great book, I may have to read it again.

Book, er bible was awesome. Was lucky enought to have Brock sign mine.

The $2004 Challenge SL2 proudly wore PRDA stickers. By coincidence, I run #54 myself.

oldsaw wrote: Old-time modelers may recognize Oscar Kovaleski as the owner of AutoWorld, once the mail-order mecca for all things made to scale. And he was a long-time Can-Am competitor.

And the 1970 SCCA A Sports Racing National Champion!

I grew up a sportscar fan in the American South. Even my own dad looked like me like I'd joined the chess club instead of playing football (and I even actually played football..).

Oscar's Auto World was a lifeline. I even ordered the Motorsport catalogs (at 8-10yrs old) just to see pics of racing sportscars.

Great pic of Oscar!

friedgreencorrado wrote: I grew up a sportscar fan in the American South.

That's funny! It was tough as a road racing fan in the South at the time.

My Dad was transferred to Atlanta in the summer of 1970. That was a major culture-shock after growing up in Connecticut. He eased my misery of relocation by taking me the first Can-Am at RA; begging really paid off. God, I love that man.

Seeing those cars with him was even better than the time I convinced him to escort me and watch the FA series run at Thompson, CT.

Definately my favorite series and era of sports car racing. Even thou most of it was before I was born. Pure power and grunt.

Second would be F5000.

Another excellent example of the PRDA mentallity courtesy of PRDAracing.com:

phaze1todd wrote: Another excellent example of the PRDA mentallity courtesy of PRDAracing.com:

The greatest thing about that photo is that even though it's obviously "out of context"..Oscar still thought it was funny enough to sign it!

phaze1todd, I recall you saying that your dad was an FF racer who actually worked at Auto World for awhile..how much of this stuff do you have?

Those pics are from the PRDA website.

I went to the swap meets at Autoworld in the early 70's. One year Oscar was tooling around in a Kubelwagen(sp?) and generally just having fun socializing with fellow car nuts. He also had his Can Am car on display in his trailer with the plexiglass sides. A genuine character and not too shabby a race car driver also.

AutoWorld was my favorite place to drag my Dad in the mid-70s. We lived about 3 miles from there and I used to build a lot of models. They had THE most awesome stuff lining the shelves. Everything from planes/ships to the 1/12 die casts of race cars that you had to assemble with a file and solder. The ones with working steering/suspension (we couldn't afford those, I always left with something in a Revell box).

They also had a giant (well, it seemed really big to an 8yr old me) slot car track with really detailed replicas of all the Can-Am cars. It was like magic. I never met Oscar - I don't think he worked the store at all but I guess my dad knew him somehow - I'll need to ask him the next time I see him.

I googled his KidRacer stuff - It lists an address about 5 minutes from my house - now I'm wondering if he isn't the really old guy in the Caterham I see buzzing around on sunny Saturdays. I suppose I'd be stalking if I looked him up.

GPS,

He's up in da summit. Don't know about the Caterham, but I think he's the one with the yellow 'Vette with all the decals on it. I think some of the decals are for KidRacer for the tax writeoff.

Flea market was always a highlight in my youth. Overlooking the big colm pile. Somewhere in my brother's garage is a Hop Rod.

Can't remember the name of the bar next door. Been in a couple of bands that used to play there.

phaze1todd wrote: Those pics are from the PRDA website.

Thanks! Odd thing is, I'm familiar with the Auto World history site it links to, but had never noticed the PRDA site.

Sign up and contribute. Site's been off to a rough start.