Joe Hrudka RIP

I often passed by the Hrudka household when I was a kid growing up in Parma, Ohio (I think they actually lived in nearby North Royalton). Saw the brothers race at Dragway 42 and later Norwalk when my dad or brother would take me to the races. That was a long time ago. RIP, Mr. Gasket.
 
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Remember seeing those guys race at various tracks with the "chopped top" Camaro in Northeast Ohio when I lived there. RIP Mr. Gasket!
 

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I'm surprised the article doesn't mention Joe's role in the resurgence of NHRA Top Fuel at the 1984 US Nationals. According to Chris Martin's Top Fuel Handbook, page 114 talks about Garlits returning to Top Fuel after a 4 year layoff, and also Joe Hrudka's Cragar Weld Top Fuel Classic, the first of many Top Fuel and Funny Car specialty races to come, where 8 Top Fuelers would battle it out during Saturday qualifying for a big payday. Joe's companies put up the prize money. Garlits return, and the Top Fuel Classic, stimulated racer and fan interest in what had become a moribund class, and the rest is history. Similar specialty races-within-a-race, such as the long-running "Big Bud Shootout", became staples at NHRA events for years to come.
 
I talked to Joe a couple of times when he was helping out in the Manufacturers Midway, probably at U. S. Nats. He was at the height of his business success and was acquiring many companies, but was a perfect gentleman who always would interact with fans. Now many of our performance companies are owned by private equity companies. Joe loved Drag Racing !
 
I remember when Joe bought Rupp Industries. ( Snowmobiles )
Used to joke about my Mr. Gasket sled. Lol
He also raced at the Toledo municipal Airport in the 60's with many eventually well known racers. Dick Titsworth, John Mihalko, Bob Gottachalk.
RIP Joe.
 
Butch said:
I remember when Joe bought Rupp Industries. ( Snowmobiles )
Used to joke about my Mr. Gasket sled. Lol
He also raced at the Toledo municipal Airport in the 60's with many eventually well known racers. Dick Titsworth, John Mihalko, Bob Gottachalk.
RIP Joe.
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Also, Gene Schwartz and Ron Hassel.
 
cknight said:
Also, Gene Schwartz and Ron Hassel.
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Ron Hassel. Wow! Never thought I would see that name pop up again. He was maybe my first drag racing hero (for lack of a better word) when I was a kid. He ran a D/G 56 Chevy, which ran well but was nothing special in the looks department. But then he showed up one fine spring morning at Dragway 42 with a candy apple red '40 Willys B/G. It was a gorgeous. And it obliterated the B/G national record. Like I said in an earlier post -- that was a long time ago.
 
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Prestaged said:
Ron Hassel. Wow! Never thought I would see that name pop up again. He was maybe my first drag racing hero (for lack of a better word) when I was a kid. He ran a D/G 56 Chevy, which ran well but was nothing special in the looks department. But then he showed up one fine spring morning at Dragway 42 with a candy apple red '40 Willys B/G. It was a gorgeous. And it obliterated the B/G national record. Like I said in an earlier post -- that was a long time ago.
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At least Ron's '56 (white and green) had red painted steel front wheels! Ron gave me my start at Crane Cams, I owe him a lot. He passed away about five years ago.
 
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Chase, I've known you since your Turbo dragster and Crane Cams days. But where did you begin your racing days. FL native or a transplant?
 
Hi Harry, you're not going to be stalking me now, are you? We moved from Fairview Park, Ohio (west side of Cleveland) in the summer of 1957 to Hialeah, FL (I was 9), a Miami suburb. At that time, I had no experience in (or awareness of) drag racing. I was a model airplane guy. About two miles east of my house was the Amelia Earhart airport (the original Miami Airport). I would hear loud engines from that direction on occasional weekends. After checking with a few neighbors, I first heard about Drag racing. The Cabriolets Road Club was based in Hialeah, and some members ( Dave Boyd, Jerry Tyson, Eddie Careccia, Dean Powley, Roy Thompson, Tut Clark, Larry Crawford, Dan O'Connell, Jim Hill) lived nearby. When NHRA/Hot Rod Magazine was "into" car clubs, they were constantly rated in the top five in the US. Went by their fully equipped club garage with neighbor Dick Allely (Club Treasurer) for a start. I was't yet old enough to drive, but they tolerated me hanging around and asking lots of questions. The South Florida Timing Association (Ernie Schorb) put on the races the first and third Sunday of each month. Chrondek timers, maintained by president Jerry Tyson who developed the Christmas tree with OV Reilley. NHRA "hired" (passes and motel rooms) the club to operate the timing deck at th US Nationals, from 1961 to 1970. I met a lot of the racers , and was ready to be a go-fer at any time. I was mentored by a lot of folks Like David Smith, Pete Van Kirk. Bob Stratman, Ron Hassel, Wilton Zaiser, etc. After school, I worked as a polisher at a plating shop, and then for a company that designed and produced ultrasonic frequency detectors to find leaks in pressurized phone lines. On to Crane, usually helping Bob Stratman at the races. He gave me my first opportunity to drive, as after building another twin SBC (two speed) A/D in 1971. I loved to fabricate stuff, he now had two complete twin A/D's. That worked out fairly well, catching the eye of Industrial Spring Manufacturer Al Lidert. The first Golden Gator was initially to be a Top Gas car, but we know what happened there. I'm sure this is too much info, way more than what you, or anyone else,wanted. So wake up and get back to what you were doing. I am indeed fortunate. Cheers, Chase
 
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cknight said:
Hi Harry, you're not going to be stalking me now, are you? We moved from Fairview Park, Ohio (west side of Cleveland) in the summer of 1957 to Hialeah, FL (I was 9), a Miami suburb. At that time, I had no experience in (or awareness of) drag racing. I was a model airplane guy. About two miles west of my house was the Amelia Earhart airport (the original Miami Airport). I would hear loud engines from that direction on occasional weekends. After checking with a few neighbors, I first heard about Drag racing. The Cabriolets Road Club was based in Hialeah, and some members ( Dave Boyd, Jerry Tyson, Eddie Careccia, Dean Powley, Roy Thompson, Larry Crawford, Dan O'Connell, Jim Hill) lived nearby. When NHRA/Hot Rod Magazine was "into" car clubs, they were constsantly rated in the top five in the US. Went by their fully equipped club garage with neighbor Dick Allely (Club Treasurer) for a start. I was't yet old enough to drive, but they tolerated me hanging around and asking lots of questions. The South Florida Timing Association (Ernie Schorb) put on the races the first and third Sunday of each month. Chrondek timers, maintained by president Jerry Tyson who developed the Christmas tree with OV Reilley. NHRA "hired" (passes and motel rooms) the club to operate the timing deck at th US Nationals, from 1961 to 1970. I met a lot of the racers , and was ready to be a go-fer at any time. I was mentored by a lot of folks Like David Smith, Pete Van Kirk. Bob Stratman, Ron Hassel, etc. After school, I worked as a polisher at a plating shop, and then for a company that designed and produced ultrasonic frequency detectors to find leaks in pressurized phone lines. On to Crane, usually helping Bob Stratman at the races. He gave me my first opportunity to drive, as after building another twin SBC (two speed) A/D in 1971. I loved to fabricate stuff, he now had two complete twin A/D's. That worked out fairly well, catching the eye of Associated Spring Manufacturer Al Lidert. The first Golden Gator was initially to be a Top Gas car, but we know what happened there. I'm sure this is too much info, way more than what you, or anyone else,wanted. So wake up and get back to what you were doing. I am indeed fortunate. Cheers, Chase
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Chase and everyday is a gift
 
Thanks for the background story, just think if you stayed around Cleveland you could've been at Mr Gasket or Lakewood. Lol
 
Flicka said:
Chase and everyday is a gift
Click to expand...
Very true Dave, and you figure into this saga. When Al looked to get into drag racing, encouraged by his sons (his racing experience was racing midgets at Soldier Field in Chicago after WWII), his first acquisition was purchasing your top line Top Gas car, the legendary Hand Grenade R&B car. IF he had obtained a lesser quality piece, and become disappointed, that could have ended all of his quarter mile aspirations quickly. So, I've got you to thank (blame) for all this. Your friend, Chase
 
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cknight said:
Very true Dave, and you figure into this saga. When Al looked to get into drag racing, encouraged by his sons (his racing experience was racing midgets at Soldier Field in Chicago after WWII), his first acquisition was purchasing your top line Top Gas car, and then go up into the legendary Hand Grenade Buterra car. IF he had obtained a lesser quality piece, and become disappointed, that could have ended all of his quarter mile aspirations quickly. So, I've got you to thank (blame) for all this. Your friend, Chase
Click to expand...
Thank you Chase 👍
 
Nunz said:
Wow I never saw pics of that car, always thought he stopped racing after the gasser era of the '60s while building Mr. Gasket. Pretty cool.
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I'm not sure of the Monza, but the chopped AA/GS Camaro was part of the lure to get Ron Hassel back to Mr. Gasket from Crane. Im quite sure it was a Dave Meal car. Dave has retired from Disney World,but I believe he is still in the Orlando area. Gene Schwartz would know.
 
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