Vic Edelbrock

Otis Victor Edelbrock, Sr. (1913 - 1962) was an American automotive aftermarket performance parts engineer and racer. Victor, known as "Vic", established Edelbrock Corporation in Beverly Hills in 1938 and is the father to Otis Victor Edelbrock, Jr., who is now President and CEO of the Edelbrock corporation.

History

Vic Sr. was born in a small farming community near Wichita, Kansas in 1913. After the family grocery store burned down in 1927, Vic left school at the age of 14 to help support the family by working as an auto mechanic in a repair garage. [http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/misc/company/edelbrock_history.shtml History at Edelbrock's official website] ]

In 1931, the Great Depression hit Kansas, and Edelbrock decided to immigrate to California to live with his brother. He married Katie in 1933, and opened a repair garage on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. The business experienced growth in 1934 and relocated to the corner of Venice and Hoover in Los Angeles. Bobby Meeks was hired as an assistant.

Between 1934 and the start of World War II, the small repair garage relocated three more times. Vic, Jr. was born in 1936. Two years later in 1938, he purchased a project car, a 1932 Ford Roadster hot rod. [ [http://www.corvettefever.com/eventcoverage/153_0401_edelbrock_tour_vics_garage/index.html Corvette Fever periodical] , Retrieved June 26 2007] For this car, Victor designed and manufactured the first product to feature the Edelbrock name, the "Slingshot" manifold, which essentially launched the new business known as "Edelbrock". Edelbrock took the car to the Bonneville Salt Flats, and went 121.42 MPH weeks before America joined World War II. [http://www.worthyofhonor.com/Inductees/Edelbrock_Vic.htm Biography] at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame]

During World War II, Vic's machinist skills were put to work welding in the Long Beach shipyards and hand fabricating aircraft parts. First. Vic worked at the Todd Shipyards, then later Edelbrock went to work for Len Saulter, machining parts from newly developed exotic metals. This work was categorized as critical to the war effort and would keep Vic from being drafted for the remainder of the warMadigan, Tom. "Edelbrock: Made in USA", Tehabi Books, 2005.] .

Racing Fame

A major source of Edelbrock's fame in automotive racing was as a car owner. Offenhauser motors had a great power advantage over all of the other motors. Rodger Ward used Edelbrock's V8-60 midget car on August 10 1950 to break the Offenhauser-equipped winning streak at the legendary Gilmore Stadium using his secret blend of nitromethane. Edelbrock and Ward followed up the win by travelling to Orange Show Stadium and winning the following night. The wins propelled Ward's career and Edelbrock Corporation. Nitro is now banned from almost all forms of dirt track racing (due to the required high maintenance costs). Nitromethane is now the industry standard as fuel in all top fuel dragsters and funny cars in drag racing.

Vic died of cancer on November 11, 1962 at the early age of 49. His son, Vic Edelbrock, Jr., led the company in the following decades.

Career awards

*He was named to the SEMA hall of fame 1977.

*He was inducted in the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 1994.

*He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2005.

ee also

* Edelbrock
* Vic Edelbrock, Jr.

References