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41-470: In 1952, a car club known as the "Choppers of Pomona" aided by a young police officer, Sergeant Bud Coons, advocated that a safe place should be provided for local area drag racers. Coons, along with fellow hot rod enthusiast, Pomona Police Chief Ralph Parker, and the city government of Pomona asked to lease the parking lot of the LA County Fairgrounds. Coons and Parker were instrumental in convincing

82-472: A Ford or Mercury flathead, with an Edelbrock intake manifold , Harman and Collins magneto , and Halibrand quick-change differential . Front suspension hairpins were adapted from sprint cars , such as the Kurtis Krafts . As hot rodding became more popular, magazines and associations catering to hot rodders were started, such as the magazine Hot Rod , founded in 1948. As automobiles offered by

123-437: A feeling of working class and lower class disillusionment with American popular culture either through a lack of economic opportunity in spite of the post-war boom or a marginalization enacted by the general domestic shift towards homogeneity in the 1950s. Most were male, usually ethnic or white working-class outsiders, and were often interested in hotrod culture or motorcycling. A handful of middle-class youth were drawn to

164-465: A hot rod as any motorized vehicle that has a replacement engine differing from the factory original. The forerunners to the hotrod were the modified cars used in the Prohibition era by bootleggers to evade revenue agents and other law enforcement. Hot rods first appeared in the late 1930s in southern California , where people raced modified cars on dry lake beds northeast of Los Angeles , under

205-403: A particular purpose, such as "hot-rodded amplifier ". There are various theories about the origin of the term "hot rod". The common theme is that "hot" related to "hotting up" a car, which means modifying it for greater performance. With regards to the word "rod", one theory is that it means roadster , a lightweight 2-door car which was often used as the basis for early hot rods. Another theory

246-475: Is no definition of the term that is universally accepted and the term is attached to a wide range of vehicles. Most often they are individually designed and constructed using components from many makes of old or new cars, and are most prevalent in the United States and Canada. Many are intended for exhibition rather than for racing or everyday driving. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. Some say that

287-537: Is speculated that the word originated in the late 19th century in the United States as a derogatory label for poor laborers, specifically those of Italian, Greek or Mexican descent. The similar term "greaseball" is a slur for individuals of Italian or Greek descent, though to a lesser extent it has also been used more generally to refer to all Mediterranean , Latino , or Hispanic people. Academic Jennifer Grayer Moore wrote in her book Street Style in America that

328-555: Is that "rod" refers to camshaft , a part of the engine which was often upgraded in order to increase power output. In the early days, a car modified for increased performance was called a "gow job". This term morphed into the hot rod in the early to late 1940s. The term "hot rod" has had various uses in relation to performance cars. For example, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment in its vehicle emissions regulations refers to

369-507: Is very little "vintage tin", the hot rods in Sweden are generally made with a home-made chassis (usually a Model T or A replica), with a Jaguar (or Volvo 240 ) rear axle, a small-block V8 , and fiberglass tub, but some have been built using for instance a Volvo Duett chassis. Because Swedish regulations required a crash test even for custom-built passenger cars between 1969 and 1982, the Duett option

410-657: The Ford flathead V8 engine (known as the "flatty") into a different car, for example, the common practice in the 1940s of installing the "60 horse" version into a Jeep chassis. Typical modifications were removal of convertible tops , hoods , bumpers , windshields , and/or fenders ; channeling the body; and modifying the engine by tuning and/or replacing with a more powerful type. Wheels and tires were changed for improved traction and handling. Hot rods built before 1945 commonly used '35 Ford wire-spoke wheels . After World War II , many small military airports throughout

451-449: The greaser lifestyle. Magazines like Ol' Skool Rodz , Gears and Gals , and Rat-Rods and Rust Queens cover events and people. There are magazines that feature traditional hot rods, including Hot Rod , Car Craft , Rod and Custom , and Popular Hot Rodding . There are also television shows such as My Classic Car , Horsepower TV , American Hot Rod , Fast and Loud , and Chop Cut Rebuild . Particularly during

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492-400: The 1950s and 1960s. Greasers were also perceived as being predisposed to perpetrating sexual violence , evoking fear in middle-class males but also titillation in middle-class females. Though the television show American Bandstand helped to "sanitize" the negative image of greasers in the 1960s and 1970s, sexual promiscuity was still seen as a key component of the modern character. By

533-445: The 1950s and early 1960s, greasers were colloquially referred to as drapes and drapettes . The greaser subculture may have emerged in the post– World War II era among the motorcycle clubs and street gangs of the late 1940s in the United States, though it was certainly established by the 1950s, when it was increasingly adopted by ethnic urban youth. The original greasers (often coming from "ethnic" backgrounds) were aligned by

574-562: The Folsom, Pompadour , Elephant's trunk, and Duck's ass , while females commonly backcombed , coiffed, or teased their hair. Male greasers typically wore loose work pants such as cotton twill trousers, common among the working class; dark slacks, or dark blue Levi's jeans , widely popular among all American youth in the 1950s. The latter were often cuffed over black or brown leather boots, including steel-toed boots , engineer or Harness boots , combat boots , work boots, and (especially in

615-737: The Southwest) cowboy boots . Other footwear choices included Chuck Taylor All-Stars , pointed Italian dress shoes, brothel creepers , and winklepickers . Male shirts were typically solid black or white T-shirts, ringer T-shirts, Italian knit collared shirts, unbuttoned shirts with sleeveless undershirts underneath, or sometimes just sleeveless undershirts or tank tops (which would have been retailed as underwear ). Choices of outerwear included denim or leather jackets (including Perfecto motorcycle jackets ). Female greaser dress included leather jackets and risque clothing, such as tight and cropped capri pants and pedal pushers (broadly popular during

656-456: The United States and Canada. The subculture remained prominent into the mid-1960s and was particularly embraced by certain ethnic groups in urban areas , particularly Italian Americans and Hispanic Americans . The etymology for the term greaser is unknown. By the time of the Civil War , the words "greaser" and "greaseball" were understood to carry racist and segregationist meanings. It

697-424: The country were either abandoned or rarely used, allowing hot rodders across the country to race on marked courses. Originally, drag racing had tracks as long as 1 mi (1.6 km) or more, and included up to four lanes of racing simultaneously. As some hot rodders also raced on the street, a need arose for an organization to promote safety, and to provide venues for safe racing. The National Hot Rod Association

738-496: The county to allow the use of the fairgrounds for the race by citing statistics that indicated deaths among kids declined sharply when given a supervised place to race. The county finally agreed, as long as the hot rodders would provide their own insurance, which they were able to do with gate receipts. At the time the county made the agreement, the parking lot was nothing but a gravel lot. The coalition of hot rodders, police and community leaders raised funds through donations and paved

779-608: The decade passed. Hot rods were used as the theme of Lightning Rod , a Rocky Mountain Construction roller coaster at Dollywood . Locals in Sweden and Finland , influenced by American culture, have created a vibrant local hot rod culture where enthusiasts gather at meetings such as Power Big Meet in Linköping and clubs like Wheels and Wings in Varberg , both located in Sweden. Since there

820-457: The early 1960s, a genre of "hot rod music" rose to mainstream popularity. Hot rod music was largely a product of a number of surf music groups running out of ideas for new surfing songs and simultaneously shifting their lyrical focus toward hot rods. Hot rod music would prove to be the second phase in a progression known as the California Sound , which would mature into more complex topics as

861-550: The event was sponsored by Winston (after NHRA's main title sponsor at the time, RJ Reynolds' "Winston" cigarette brand). From 2010 to 2019, and again from 2021 to 2022, the event was sponsored by the Automobile Club of Southern California , which is affiliated with AAA. The 2020 event was sponsored by Stellantis and Royal Dutch Shell when it was held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway because Clark County, Nevada allowed spectators when California still banned mass gatherings because of

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902-479: The global pandemic . Beginning in 2023, In-N-Out Burger will become naming rights sponsor for both the circuit and the NHRA Finals. From 1934 to 1937 a 1 ⁄ 2 mile dirt oval was located at the facility. The dirt oval was once again opened in the 1950s but closed in 1959. Pomona was also home to a 1.7 mile paved road course which operated in 1998 and 1999. From 1956 to 1961, a 2-mile temporary road course

943-400: The group. Their choice in clothing was largely drawn from a common understanding of the empowering aesthetic of working-class attire, rather than a cohesive association with similarly dressed individuals. Many greasers were in motorcycle clubs or in street gangs—and conversely, some gang members and bikers dressed like greasers—though such membership was not necessarily an inherent principle of

984-557: The lot. This was the birth of the dragstrip in Pomona. Though it was not considered a national event by today's standards, the very first NHRA event, the Southern California Championships, was held at this dragstrip on an April weekend in 1953. On Saturday, attendance was at two or three thousand and attendance was reported to be at 15,000 on Sunday. Compared to the 3.9 second numbers (at 333 yd 1 ft (304.80 m)

1025-406: The major automakers began increasing performance, the lure of hot rods began to wane. With the advent of the muscle car , it was now possible to purchase a high-performance car straight from the showroom. However, the 1973 Oil Crisis caused car manufacturers to focus on fuel efficiency over performance, which led to a resurgence of interest in hot rodding. As the focus shifted away from racing,

1066-479: The mid-1970s, the greaser image had become a quintessential part of 1950s nostalgia and cultural revival. The most notable physical characteristic of greasers was the greased-back hairstyles they fashioned for themselves through use of hair products such as pomade or petroleum jelly , which necessitated frequent combing and reshaping to maintain. Males sported coiffures adopted from early rock 'n' roll and rockabilly performers such as Elvis Presley , among them

1107-587: The modified cars became known as "street rods". The National Street Rod Association (NSRA) was formed and began hosting events. By the 1970s, the 350 cu in (5.7 L) small-block Chevy V8 was the most common choice of engine for hot rods. Another popular engine choice is the Ford Windsor engine . During the 1980s, many car manufacturers were reducing the displacements of their engines, thus making it harder for hot rod builders to obtain large displacement engines. Instead, engine builders had to modify

1148-532: The novel The Outsiders , an influential portrayal of greasers, claimed to know the term from her youth in 1950s Tulsa, Oklahoma . The name was also applied to members of the subculture partly because of their characteristic greased-back hair. The dominant name for the subculture during the 1950s was hoods , in reference to their upturned collars, with many also calling them J.D.s (abbreviated from juvenile delinquents ). Within Greater Baltimore during

1189-542: The pros are putting on the board presently, the best ET of that day was a respectable 10.93. In 1961, NHRA held its first ever Winternationals at the Pomona Raceway. It became NHRA's second national event. The first NHRA national event was the U.S. Nationals, which was nicknamed the "Big-Go". Thus, the Winternationals got nicknamed the "Big-Go West". It has remained at this location ever since. For many years, this event

1230-553: The rules of the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), among other groups. This gained popularity after World War II , particularly in California, because many returning soldiers had received technical training. The first hot rods were old cars (most often Fords , typically 1910s-1920s Model Ts , 1928–31 Model As , or 1932-34 Model Bs ), modified to reduce weight. Engine swaps often involved fitting

1271-459: The smaller engines (such as using non-standard crankshafts and pistons ) to obtain larger displacement. While current production V8s tended to be the most frequent candidates, this also applied to others. In the mid-1980s, as stock engine sizes diminished, rodders discovered the 215 cu in (3.5 L) aluminum-block Buick or Oldsmobile V8 could be modified for substantially greater displacement, with mainly wrecking yard parts. This trend

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1312-468: The subculture for its rebellious attitude. The weak structural foundation of the greasers can be attributed to the subculture's origins in working-class youth possessing few economic resources with which to participate in American consumerism . Greasers, unlike motorcyclists, did not explicitly have their own interest clubs or publications. As such, there was no business marketing geared specifically towards

1353-640: The subculture. Ethnically, original greasers were composed mostly of Italian Americans in the Northeast and Mexican American Chicanos in the Southwest . Since both of these groups were mostly olive skinned , the "greaser" label assumed a quasi-racial status that implied an urban, ethnic, lower-class masculinity and delinquency. This development led to an ambiguity in the racial distinction between poor Italian Americans and Puerto Ricans in New York City during

1394-544: The term "hot" refers to the vehicle's being stolen. Other origin stories include replacing the engine's camshaft or "rod" with a higher performance version. According to the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA), the term changes in meaning over the years, but "hot rodding has less to do with the vehicle and more to do with an attitude and lifestyle". For example, hot rods were favorites for greasers . The term has broadened to apply to other items that are modified for

1435-451: The term was not used in writing to refer to the American subculture of the mid-20th century until the mid-1960s, though in this sense it still evoked a pejorative ethnic connotation and a relation to machine work. George J. Leonard, who conceived Sha Na Na , coined the term "greaser" in 1967 after he heard Gilbert Highet read the line "The glory that was Greece " from Edgar Allan Poe 's poem " To Helen ". However, S. E. Hinton , author of

1476-497: The time period). In the early 1950s, there was significant greaser interest in doo-wop , a genre of African-American music from the industrial cities of the Northeast that had disseminated to mainstream American music through Italian American performers. Greasers were heavily associated with the culture surrounding rock n' roll , a musical genre that had induced feelings of a moral panic among older middle-class generations during

1517-539: Was founded in 1951, to take drag racing off the streets and into controlled environments. In the '50s and '60s, the Ford flathead V8 was supplanted by the Chrysler FirePower engine (known as the "early hemi"). Many hot rods would upgrade the brakes from mechanical to hydraulic ("juice") and headlights from bulb to sealed-beam. A typical mid-1950s to early 1960s custom Deuce was fenderless and steeply chopped, powered by

1558-702: Was located in the parking lot. Note: In 2021 The race was postponed due to COVID-19 until July 30 - August 1, 2021. NOTE: The Finals has been held in the Southwest area from 1965 to 1973, the Los Angeles metropolitan area from 1974 to 2019, and again since 2021, and Las Vegas in 2020. Hot rod Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimized for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and made to go much faster." However, there

1599-550: Was not limited to American cars; Volkswagen enthusiasts similarly stretched stock 1600cc engines to over two liters. The hot rod community has now been subdivided into two main groups: street rodders and hot rodders. There is a contemporary movement of traditional hot rod builders, car clubs and artists who have returned to the roots of hot rodding as a lifestyle. This includes a new breed of traditional hot rod builders, artists, and styles, as well as classic style car clubs. Events like GreaseOrama feature traditional hot rods and

1640-503: Was preferred, since it was considered a rebodied Duett rather than a new vehicle. Some 1950s and 1960s cars are also hot rodded, like Morris Minor , Ford Anglia , Volvo Amazon , Ford Cortina , and '57 Chevy , to name but a few. These are known as custom cars (sometimes spelled Kustom). Greaser (subculture) Greasers are a youth subculture that emerged in the 1950s and early 1960s from predominantly working class and lower-class teenagers and young adults in

1681-427: Was sponsored by Chief Auto Parts and later its successor AutoZone , but later was sponsored by CSK Automotive, and now its current successor, O'Reilly Auto Parts . 2008 saw Top fuel & funny car races be reduced to the present 1000 feet. The season closer, the NHRA Finals, was brought to the facility in 1984 from the now defunct Orange County International Raceway . When the event was first brought to Pomona,

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