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A Tribute to Wally Parks
Wally Parks, 1913-2007Dear friends,
Wally Parks was a friend to thousands, and I am pleased to have been numbered among them. His gentlemanly demeanor was an example that I have tried hard to emulate in my career. His sense of humor was always a pleasant surprise. His leadership was the stuff of legend. In my life I have had few heroes...but Wally Parks was one of them.
Wally helped me out from time to time and sometimes without my asking. As an example; back in 1997 the SCTA asked me to write an article for the 49th Annual Bonneville Speed Week Program. I was wondering about the details behind the first Speed Week in 1949 when I received a letter from Wally. It transformed the article, "My Memories of Bonneville Are All a Blur." Here is Wally's letter, or see the entire article here.
Dear Gale:
Alex Xydias told me you're having some difficulty unraveling the history of hot rod cars running at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Here, right from the old horse's mouth, are some details of the history of hot rod cars running at the Bonneville Salt Flats:
In 1948, when I was secretary and general manager of the SCTA as its first full-time employee, we had contacted the old AAA regarding the hope we might run our cars on the Salt. In a reply letter from Mr. Art Pillsbury, then the AAA's chief steward for auto racing in the United States, we were advised that "the world record in Class C is 203 mph and it is highly doubtful any hot rod will ever attain that speed."
Posted by Gale Banks on October 01, 2007
