When I thought just real quick about who could possibly fill Pat's shoes...it was you on top of the list. No pressure...just try an keep up the good works you have already started. Take us into the new age and be careful. Guy Weintraub Dallas, Tx.
Joey, that´s a great review on what you experienced with Pat. I agree with Guy and Pat , just keep going!
Joey, like you I was shocked and didn't want to believe that Pat's seemly never ending prospective on hot rodding had come to a end, there is not a doubt in my mind that he left some large shoes to fill. Today and the weeks ahead we will pay tribute to a man that stood head a shoulders above all the rest, literately and figuratively, Goodbye Too Tall Ganahl. Fortunately, Pat was prolific and he left us thousands of commentary's and numerous automotive books. HRP
I was going to meet a friend at the Riverdale track Saturday. He had left earlier, Friday morning, to set up his parts booth and watch some time trials that afternoon. Not long afterward, he left me a message saying a racer had been killed when his nostalgia dragster went off the end of the track. That took the wind out of my sails and I had second thoughts about attending. Knowing it would be difficult to get updated info. through local media, I got on the main board here, only to find out it was Pat G. and his well-known, late 50s Jimmy powered car! Like everyone else I was stunned and decided to forego the trip upstate for the weekend. Those will be mighty big shoes to fill, Joey, but your tribute here reminds me you may be the man for the job. Condolences to his family.
Mr. Weintraub is spot on, 100% correct in his remarks Joey. You already have a great start, carry on in the great tradition of writing about hot rods and capturing great images!
While I never had the pleasure of meeting Pat in person, we exchanged emails from time to time on the business of magazine writing. Quite simply, his success was based on the fact that he walked the walk and talked the talk. Too, his ability to communicate without condensation towards the readers was a skill few in this business can claim. I shall miss our exchanges.
I have to believe that is The reason that so many of us made the effort to read anything and everything we saw with his name attached and will for a lot of years to come. You never felt that you were being talked down to. I'd want to think that there are a lot of especially younger rodders on this board and others who gained interest beyond looking at cool pictures in the magazine because of what he wrote and the way he wrote it.
Sage advice and I Know that you Listened. Writers are very much like artists in that they have a distinctive style and once you have read/seen enough of their work, you will recognize it before attaching a name (nom de plume) to it. Ones that come to mind are Baskerville, Burnham, Ganahl and Ukrop (Yes, You My Friend)! I know everyone has their own list, this is just mine. I'm pretty sure that their writings have not only inspired some, but has also helped rekindle interest in this culture of ours. A Big Thanks, Carp.
Pat Ganahl passed away in a drag racing accident at the Estranged Car Club show,” said Anna Marco, a former longtime staff member of Rod & Custom magazine who worked under Pat Ganahl for many years. “He was in the Iacono dragster when it happened. He never lifted and went into the woods at the end of the track. We think he had a medical issue in the car, possibly a heart attack. and wanted one more run. His wife Anna was there and said he died doing what he loved because he wasn’t a retirement home kind of guy. I had the good fortune to meet Pat at the 2019 GNRS. I got him to personally sign one of his books, Hot Rod Gallery 11. Never met Pat before, but we chatted like we had known each other our whole lives. To say he was a walking Hot Rod Historian would be an understatement! Pat Ganahl will be truly missed.
The Jalopy Journal
