Yahoo Autos Pat Ganahl, Rodder and Writer, Killed in Drag Racing Accident
Pat Ganahl was the former editor (and frequent contributor to) Street Rodder, Hot Rod, and (most notably) Rod & Custom magazines, a central figure in Rodder's Journal, and the author of numerous books on hot rodding, customs, and drag cars.
"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," wrote his friend and colleague Anna Marco.
Pat can be credited with popularizing the nostalgia drag racing movement in the '80s. He recently posted that, at age 75, he still had "a whole lot of stories left to tell."
Well-respected hot rod and rod and custom author Pat Ganahl was killed last weekend driving his vintage dragster down the 1/8th-mile Riverdale Drag Strip at a club event outside Portland, Oregon. He was 75.
I myself had just spoken to Ganahl only a few weeks ago at The Petersen Automotive Museum’s cruise-in tribute to the 90thanniversary of the '32 Ford. I asked him about the Deuce. He said it wasn’t really his specialty, that he was more of a rod and custom guy, then proceeded to pour out more details about '32 Fords than my digital audio recorder could handle.
At the time he looked happy, healthy and very, very tall. Reports are that he was 6-foot-10. They called him, "Too Tall Ganahl." He sure looked like he had many years of rods and customs ahead of him then.
"Pat Ganahl passed away yesterday 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. He said he wasn't feeling well 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."
As word got out, the tributes started pouring in on the internet.
"Pat was the former editor (and frequent contributor to) Street Rodder, Hot Rod, and (most notably) Rod & Custom magazines, a central figure in Rodder's Journal, and the author of more books on hot rodding, customs and drag cars than I can count," said Ron Thums of Great Lakes Dragway in Union Grove, Wisconsin. "Pat was driving the historic Ike Iacono dragster—a car he restored many years ago—at an 1/8th mile track when he apparently suffered a medical emergency and crashed. Initial reports indicate there was no attempt to stop or brake the vehicle.
"It is impossible to exaggerate the place Pat Ganahl holds in the hot rodding/car culture firmament. If you grew up (and grew old) like so many of us, reading—consuming—the monthly car mags, his name is familiar to you. Pat was both a hot rod historian and a hands-on, how-to car guy who brought a unique humanity to everything he wrote. Even though you did not know him, you felt like you did.
"R.I.P. Pat Ganahl. You made our world a better place."
