Lundberg felt, as a drag racing historian and an Accredited Senior Appraiser by the American Society of Appraisers, the need to establish criteria which would define various types of restoration/recreation of any such vehicle, which would help establish its value and validity.

He had been a part of an online discussion with the members of the highly respected “Standard 1320” group regarding categorization of various types of restorations and recreations which had occurred over the years. He told the group he would develop a set of criteria, based upon points raised in that discussion.

He then contacted several other individuals who had deep roots in the vintage/nostalgia drag racing vehicle world – Greg Sharp (curator of the NHRA Wally Parks Motor Sports Museum), Bill Pitts(restorer of the famed “Magicar” front engine top fuel dragster), Carl Olson (former NHRA Vice President and restorer of sprint cars and drag racing cars) and Steve Gibbs (former NHRA Vice President  Competition, Board member of the NHRA Wally Parks Motor Sports Museum, cofounder of the California and National Hot Rod Reunion events). Gibbs and Sharp also co-created the “Cacklefest” concept. All shared concerns about the current state of the restoration/recreation market environment.

Steve Gibbs authored the designations while the group supplied project suggestions and proofreading. Then he and Olson proposed the Quarter Mile Foundation be utilized to distribute the Guideline White Paper to those who are participating as restorers/recreators, event promoters and automotive vehicle appraisers. Gibbs and Olson are also board members of the Quarter Mile Foundation.

Why use the Quarter Mile Foundation? 

Lundberg said, “The Quarter Mile Foundation is already capturing the oral histories of the surviving legends of the sport and the aftermarket industry for the PROJECT 1320 film documentary series.

“Our small group who are involved with the vintage/nostalgia restoration market felt the Foundation is an ideal vehicle to use for distribution of these criteria. Since the Foundation is independent, unbiased and objective, it does not have a position other than that of protecting another key facet of the sport – in this case, the cars and their technological progress across the decades.”

Traci Hrudka, Quarter Mile Foundation chairman commented, saying, “Our board members, following the input of Jon (plus Carl and Steve), agreed this would be a logical forward extension of the Foundation’s goals. There is a need for the Foundation to look past the completion of the PROJECT 1320 documentary. By providing a service to the vehicle restoration and recreation market to define and protect the integrity of these historic race cars, we continue to fulfill our goal of preserving the sport’s history.”

What about the valuation of these cars?

According to Lundberg, the criteria may add to and protect the value of these cars. “I have seen cars which have been misrepresented sell for far more than they were actually worth, and then seen the devaluation when the new owner had the car appraised,” he said. “There is a need to protect both buyer and seller. There is also a critical need to establish a stable value with supporting documentation for insurance purposes.

“The business of appraising race cars is a very narrow field, and one which must recognize that a brand new race car undergoes continual change from the time the original paint dries in the quest to remain competitive. The important thing the restorer/recreator must do is identify the specific time, and bring the car back to that point. Additionally, there must be as large a data base as possible using photos, moving pictures, interviews with builders, owners, team members, etc. to give the historic perspective and provenance to the effort.

“With those pieces in place, the credentialed appraiser can evaluate; and with knowledge of the sales values – plus both historic and current genre awareness – for similar vehicles restored or recreated, place a value on that specific car.”

Lundberg also points out that these criteria have received concept approval by the Automotive Services Group of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA). The accompanying White Paper will be formally presented to the Personal Property Committee of the ASA for approval.

Use by nostalgia drag race event promoters These guidelines will go into effect on June 1, 2011, and will be first used to designate vintage/nostalgia drag racing cars participating at the NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif. on October 21, 2011. The criteria will updated annually, and published every February 1 by the Quarter Mile Foundation.

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 This document contains the actual guidelines as developed by the panel as mentioned above

VINTAGE DRAG RACE VEHICLE DESIGNATION INTRODUCTION:

The following presentation constitutes a series of recommendations dedicated to
sorting out the many and varied approaches to an increasingly popular movement – the return of historically relevant cars to nostalgia/vintage drag racing events. Contributors to the results of this effort are neither rules makers nor event sanctioners. Each person participated agenda-free. Should event-holders and/or service professionals choose to adopt these contents, such is their free will choice.

FOUNDATION:

The increasing population of returning-to-the-sport vintage drag race vehicles is a really good thing.

However, the methods and means by which such vehicles are discovered and
returned to the sport has – as usual – experienced growing variance between claimed origination, results and reality. The duplication capability of modern digital equipment and machines adds to the potential confusion.

As the value of such vehicles increases, and the creativity of their owners grows, so too will the results of those choices. In an effort to avoid future conflict at check-in; bracket, class or event placement and valuation results – a group of concerned individuals recently created guidelines for individuals bringing vintage drag race vehicles back into the sport. It is to those who have created the current population, and those who now seek to, reflect and preserve our sport’s history through glorious physical examples, that these guidelines are dedicated.

THE CONTRIBUTORS:

Steve Gibbs — Former NHRA VP-Competition, Board member at the Wally Parks NHRA
Motor Sports Museum, co-founder of the National and California Hot Rod Reunions and the “Cacklefest” concept.

Jon Lundberg — Former drag race announcer, drag racing historian, performance
aftermarket (SEMA) industry veteran, owner of Southwest Valuations, LLC and
credentialed as an Accredited Senior Appraiser by the American Society of Appraisers.

Carl Olson — Former champion drag racer, former NHRA VP, industry veteran and
Motorsports Manager at SFI foundation, both oval track and drag race car restorer.

Bill Pitts — Attended his first drag race in 1964, restorer of the Fuller “Magicar” – the vehicle which launched a national wave of restoration and return of many former drag race competition vehicles to the sport.

Greg Sharp — Curator of the Wally Parks NHRA Motor Sports Museum, drag racing
historian, co-founder of the National and California Hot Rod Reunions and the
“Cacklefest” concept.

SUGGESTIONS TO INTENDERS:
It is with profound interest in enabling more veteran drag race vehicles’ return to drag racing that the following suggestions/ recommendations are presented to those considering such a project.

1. Learn all you can about the vehicle and its history. Then pick a focused
timeframe and avail yourself of all the pertinent magazine stories and photographs you can find of the vehicle AT THAT MOMENT and create what you will from that information. Race cars change and evolve almost from that minute the paint dries.

Restoring an individual’s or team’s vehicle lacking a specific build target – time-wise – and proper authentication/support may result in your expensive investment being classified or valued in an identity class that presents a cruel surprise. Be able to put forth such documentation upon request by officials.

2. Make every attempt to obtain an endorsement(s) from the original builder,
participant(s), team or extended family of such and involve them in the project. Such folks can help you identify components, special vendors and can endorse – and thereby enhance – the vehicle’s authenticity. They are part of the resulting project’s history – and of the sport. Their involvement is a value-adder both to drag racing history and the vehicle’s “Provenance” (aka the origin and performance accomplishments resume back to the builder).

3. Contact all individuals and companies involved in the construction and sale of all vehicle components to determine and memorialize their correctness for the particular timeframe and vehicle. Further, attempt to chronicle all changes and modifications made subsequent to the original sale. Keep the records you create handy for inspection- document, document, document.

4. Conduct and record interviews with anyone either involved with the vehicle or those who observed it in competition at motor sports events. Retain those recordings and/or transcripts for future reference. Keep documentation for your vehicle, and your claims for it, available for inspection upon request by event officials or contract professionals.

5. Take all necessary steps to prevent unnecessary deterioration of any
component, with particular attention to such items as tires, fuel lines, polished metal, etc.

6. Beware of “over-restoration”. Modern finishes and techniques create glorious results. However, they do not necessarily enhance your project’s correctness.

7. Do not employ the use of vinyl graphics or “wraps”, other than period-correct equipment maker or sponsor decals. Graphics should be hand-applied as they were during original build and the original artist should be retained for such work where possible.

8. Retain all invoice copies, bills of sale and any other fringe part or component “tailoring” that takes place during your project. Should something unthinkable happen, you’re going to need them – organized.

9. Should you decide to make the car operational, spare no expense when it
comes to safety. Read the current rules and follow them to the letter.

10. Should you wish to exhibit or “compete” in an event or demonstration your
vehicle must pass all safety regulations in effect for that occasion (e.g. to enter a Cacklefest, your car MUST be fitted so as to allow positive clutch and/or driveline-to engine disconnect).

11. Should your goal be to attend demonstration or public events, seriously
consider extra “spectator” insurance coverage for those occasions.

12. Fire-up your vehicle on a regular basis so that it remains easily operational while both the fire-up techniques and attendant safety precautions become “muscle memory”.

VEHICLE CLASSIFICATION: Effective June 1, 2011.

(HV) HERITAGE VEHICLE (aka Barn Find, Survivor^TM, Unrestored Original) Such
vehicles represent the classic “barn find”. Such a car is in exactly the same condition as when it was last operated. Preparation should involve merely a thorough clean-up, detailing and replacement only of damaged or unsafe components. Should the
vehicle’s finish be deteriorated to the point where fresh paint and protective finishes are mandated, such is allowed but restricted to those colors and livery congruent with the vehicle’s chosen timeframe.
1. (HV 1) Functional condition
2. (HV 2) Non-functional

(RO) RESTORED ORIGINAL: Such cars are based upon varying degrees of available
components from the original vehicle. Builders will provide photographs of the car – so as to illustrate the car’s original and/or timeframe appearance – which was used as target for the restoration.

• Degree of Original Components Used:
1. (RO 1) Complete vehicle with documentation or authenticity evidence.
2. (RO 2) Significant Components – A majority of original car’s structural parts on the subject with documentation or authenticity evidence.

3. (RO 3) Limited – Identified primary components from original car exist on the subject with documentation or authenticity evidence.

(RR) RECREATED / REPLICATED: Cars built to replicate an earlier vehicle that was no longer in existence or unavailable for restoration. Classified in terms of race history (provenance), authenticity execution of workmanship and the degree of involvement form the original team and/or family.

1. (RR 1) Built with validation/endorsement plus active participation of original team member(s) and/or original builder(s).

2. (RR 2) Built with Validation/endorsement of family and/or original team
member(s).

3. (RR 3) Does not have Validation/Endorsement.

(TC) TRIBUTE CAR: A vehicle constructed of what might be period-correct parts butfrom other vehicles wherein the fit, finish and livery characterize a tribute to a specific earlier years individual or team.
1. (TC 1) With validation/endorsement of original of original team members.
2. (TC 2) No validation/endorsement.

(PC) PERIOD CORRECT: A vehicle built from period-correct, but dissimilar,
components from several donor vehicles finished to resemble a vehicle of its genre (dragster, funny car, gasser, etc.),

1. (PC 1) Because of the finished subject’s general nature, no validation or
authenticity requirement exists. However, event participation will be
determined by the individual sponsoring/sanctioning organization.

(UN) UNIQUE: A finished subject that resembles earlier era race cars but with
completely unique construction standards, details and livery. As such these vehicles are unable to be classified in any of the above categories.

1. (UN 1) At the time of this writing (May 2011) but one example is complete.

FINAL NOTE:

The foregoing will take effect beginning June 1, 2011, and will be strictly adhered to commencing with the 2011 California Hot Rod Reunion at Bakersfield in October. These guidelines will be subject to continuing review and will be updated on an annual basis published February 1st of each following year.