Folks Of Interest Remembering Pat Ganahl Today

5window. True and true. God Speed.

 

I was reading Rodder's Journal #86 last night and read the tribute that son Bill wrote about his Dad. One story was a rodder who was debuting his newest build and asked Pat what he thought. Pat (the guy with no filter) said, "It looks like a house painter pinstriped it." I almost choked laughing. When my wife asked what was so funny, I said, "You have to read it." because every time I tried to tell her I started laughing again.

That's the kind of stuff I want told at my "Celebration of Life!"

 

Pat's family car. HRP





and his '32 roadster.

 

One memory I have, which I never wrote about took place at El Mirage many years ago. I drove out to the top end to watch the cars come through and found Pat s sitting on the tailgate of his 56 pickup fiddling with his camera. I asked him where Baskerville was and without looking up, pointed to the track. There was old Dad, camera in hand on the course, taking shots as the cars came racing through the traps. Pat said, "out there, He's braver than me!"

 

And the short Kiwi guy. Dang didn’t realise it was 3 years ago since he p***ed .I came inside and my wife asked what was wrong, just heard the sad news, mere weeks after we met Pat. Cruising nats Santa Maria 2022.

 

Ahh yes, the late @pgan. A man of great character, integrity and honesty. Long may he live in our hearts and minds.

 

I saved all of his emails with discussions about the building of the Spalding, and other things we were up to. I was lucky to have had him for a friend !

 

Hail to the Chief.
Pat Ganahl Word Puzzle

Here is a list I made (Nerd!) of all the words that I had to look up that are from Pat’s articles.
In no particular order. See how many you know! (English Majors excluded.) That means you, Billy!
I was going to show it to him, but our paths didn't cross that often. (Since the Nostalgia Racing Days). I have stories, but I will cherish them alone).
Esoteric
Apocryphal
Empirical
Ephemeral
Idiosyncratic
Enigmatic
Imperious
Ubiquitous
Laconically
Iconoclast
Moribund
Erstwhile
Quintessential
Panoply
Obligatory
Indefatigable
Pragmatic
Eponymous
Ostensibly
Ethereal
Inveterate
Loquacious

And of course, Venerable.

 

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When I shot these photos of Pats dragster, years ago at the CHRR, I wasn't a member of the HAMB back then, and I didn't know who Pat was. I bet he wasn't standing more than a few feet away from the car when I shot these photos.

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