Author: dick pierson

Records are made to be broken
When Hershel McGriff started his racing career in 1948 little did he know that it would continue through seven decades of time, involve thousands of miles of driving race cars, generate records that perhaps can never be broken, create the need to retire not once or twice but three times from the sport that he loves so much and generate a following of thousands of race fans all over the world.
Hershel McGriff is a humble man, an unsuspecting man that just lives his life the best of his ability, a man that loves competition, negotiation and the feeling he gets from winning or getting the best deal. He is a good man, a man that has generated five beautiful children, which have in turn generated several Grandchildren, Great Grandchildren for the legend of Stock Car Racing. He lives each day as though it could be his last, challenging life to throw him a curve he can't hit, so far he is batting a cool 1000% in my book. Never before have I even witnessed one person generate so much for himself while giving so much more to others in his life. A beautiful loving family, a fantastic beautiful caring wife, a pack of fans like no other and a legacy that will be upheld and written about for many years from the time he leaves us for the race track in the sky. God forbid that be any time soon.
On July 19, 2009 history was made in Portland Oregon, Hershel McGriff broke yet another record – he is now the oldest driver ever to have competed in aNASCAR race. At the ripe age of 81 (and 1/2) years old, Hershel has done the impossible, he has out driven 13 other much younger drivers to finish a cool 13th place in a 26 car field of NASCAR Stock Cars on the road course at Portland International Raceway in Portland Oregon. But there's more, what makes this even more interesting is the current record holder was there to see it happen. At the age of 74 he became the oldest man to drive a NASCAR race in 2002 – but wait a second here – it was Hershel McGriff that surpassed himself to set that bar even higher for the next driver to better. In the opinion of this writer that is not going to happen, unless I can do that is. However I have 21 years to go before I can even make the attempt at it. My gosh, I hope I am still walking at that age, let alone getting in and out if a race car.
But it wasn't easy for Hershel, he worked long and hard before ever attempting this feat. He rides his bicycle 2 to 3 miles a day up hill to build up his body, he practices Pilates, he works out. He started building up his body for this day years ago, getting into shape to make it happen. He is a very healthy young looking 81 (1/2) let me tell you. In the words of one person that met Hershel for the first time this weekend "Oh My Gosh, No way he is 81 years old, he doesn't even look 65". It's true, he doesn't and it all comes from a healthy life style, a caring wife, a great heritage and the will to win in life, and wow has he done that.
The race weekend was not without it's hick ups however. While practicing the car the first time out on Saturday Hershel decided to take a little side trip into a tire wall, not much of a hit but enough to wrinkle up the left front fender into the tire and make it a bit tough to steer. Enter the pit crew – oh did I mention the pit crew – made up of a few special people, several friends of Hershel Jr. (Hershel's youngest son at 50) who was the crew chief, his two son in laws, the legendary Tex Powell who worked with the King Richard Petty's crew from the the 70's and 80's and Chuck Bown, the 2000 NASCAR Busch Champion and owner of a pit crew training school located in Charlotte North Carolina. (Not bad huh !) They managed to get the car back looking pretty good in time for the next practice session. But more trouble during the qualifying session, the fuel lines and carburetor were getting plugged with an unknown rubber susubstance and the car would not run well at high rpm. Enter the crew once again, a carburetor change made it impossible for the car to start at their qualifying position. According to NASCAR rules the car has to go to the rear of the pack and start in the 26th position and one lap behind the leader.
With the drop of the green flag Hershel, being the smart experienced driver he is knows you can't win the race on the first lap, stayed out of harms way and sure enough there was trouble right away and a yellow flag flew giving Hershel the ability to move all the way around the pack and to the end of the longest line (in NASCAR they call that The Lucky Dog). Fast forward through a few other yellow flags, a pit stop for gas and after 60 laps of racing the end comes with Hershel in the 13th position overall and on the same lap as the leader. Did you say he was 81 years old ? Yes that is exaclty what I said 81 and going on 60. I will never know or be able to imagine what is like for someone with that much talent to do what he has done. Ask him about the expereince, I suspect he would answer something like, "No body told me I couldn't do it so I did". To me it is sort of like the story of the chicken going to the other side of the road – why did he risk his life to get there, because he could. Why on earth would an 81 year old man decide to drive NASCAR stock car among 25 other drivers that are more near the age of his grandchildren – because he could !
And, did I mention his children ? Here they are with Dad just after he is out of the car and attempting to cool down. Left to Right they are, Debbie (Bown) Hershel McGriff Jr. and Marilyn (Powell). All very proud of Dad and taking care of him the way Dad's should be taken care of after a hard day at the office.
One more little story. As Hershel got out of the car, which takes a couple of minutes to get everything unhooked and crawl out of the window cavity, a crowd of 50 to 100 loyal fans began to form around the pit area creating a human half circle around the car and Hershel. Helping him to a waiting chair with a cool bath for his hot feet were his children, so Dad could be comfortable and have a drink of water before going any further with the day. Suddenly a small young boy squirted from between the legs of one of the fans running to Hershel's side carring a small checkered flag. "Mr. McGriff" said the young man, "would you sign my flag?" Without hesitation, Hershel said yes. He set his cold water bottle to the side, was handed a pen, which he had trouble grasping because his hands were not yet fully recovered and a clip board for a hard surface and managed a signature for the young fan. This was one of the most heart warming touching moments of the entire weekend. A young fan running to his hero with no thought that he should let him rest for a minute before approaching him and the hero acknowledging the young man with his wish – this ladies and gentlemen readers this is the definition of a True Champion in my opinion. This man has always been a winner and he will always be a winner. He is truly a very special spirit of a man, my life has been so blessed with the ability to know and love him. A giant among men is Hershel McGriff.
July 21, 2009
The Ageless Hershel McGriff

The title of this writing says it all. "The Ageless Hershel " ! At the age of 81 Hershel is back at NASCAR racing at Portland International Raceway this weekend. It has been filled with excitement, disappointment and more excitement for this author.
This weekend in Portland Oregon the race fans are being treated to a very special occasion, the return of the rumbling NASCAR Stock Cars to the Portland International Raceway. But that is not the only treat for the fans, they are actually seeing history made right before their eyes. Hershel McGriff is becoming the oldest man ever, in the history of stock car racing, to drive a NASCAR Stock Car competitively.At the age of 81 years (young not the customary old- when talking about Hershel) Hershel is driving his 2008 Chevrolet Monte Carlo into history. The weekend has yielded two practices sessions so far and Hershel in 17th fast out of 24 cars,
Considering that this famous man has bucked the odds to make a come back and is showing that he is capable of even being able to qualify is nothing short of amazing. Hershel is the picture of health, eats right, exercises every day, practices Pilate, drinks plenty of water, etc. To meet Hershel the first time is like going back in time and seeing a much youngerman, a man in maybe his 60's but cerrtainly not a man that will turn 82 years old this December. It is truly amazing what our bodies can look like if we take care of them !
On the track he looks like the same old Hershel McGriff, smooth as silk in every corner, easy consistyant acceleration, tough braking, just a;ll around a very good solid smooth race car driver that appears as though he hasn't lost one bit of his snap in the car. Off the track and in the pit area, the same Hershel McGriff the fans always knew, friendly, willing to sign just about anything with his autograph, standing with the family for a photo, you name it Hershel does it. This writer witnessed Hershel having a little misfortune concerning one of the tire walls earlier, as he got out of the car and before he could even grab a drink, he was ask by a concerned fan, "What happened Hershel" ? "Oh, he said, "I just passed that guy and got a little out of shape." Then went on to carry on a conversation in which he answered the same question two more times with the same fan, This writer has had occasion to have a few "mishaps" in the race track, as a driver is crawling out of his hurt race car it is not normally the time to discuss why he did what he did. With some drivers you could get punched, but not with Hershel, always willing to talk with the fans – what a class act he is. Now you know why he was voted "Most Popiular Driver" so many times.

For those of you that don't know this man, I am sorry, he is truly one of a kind. If you ever have the chance to meet him, do it, it will be a memorable experience. For those of us that do know and love him, he is a true friend and a dynamic role model. And, as special an occasion as this is, his entire family is here to support his effort. Hershel Jr. is the Crew Cheif, Chuck Bown, NASCAR's 2000 Busch Champion, Tex Powell, Richard Petty's chassis man in the 70's & 80's, his daughter's Marilyn and Debbie, His son's Hershel Jr. and Doug and a few other cousins and assorted family members. And some of the old race car crew from the 60's, 70"s and 80's.
More tomorrow on qualifing and the final race tomorrow afternoon.
July 19, 2009
First hand account of race track safety !
Have you ever wondered about those funny looking suits the race drivers wear, you know the ones with all of the advertising on them. Maybe that's the ticket, maybe they are just a good place for a sponsor to put their logo. Well let me tell you, they are very useful for much more than a billboard for your sponsor………….
The 4th of July here in the US is a National Holiday, one that usually spent celebrating the birth of our Independence. What goes along with that is always a bit of "fireworks", fire crackers, cheery bombs, sparklers……. you know what I am talking about. But on this 4th of July yours truly decided to celebrate if a very unusual way…..with "fire" not "fireworks".
It all began at the Portland International Raceway during the 4th of July SCCA National race. I entered the GT1 class and was racing with some of the best cars that had come to the track for the weekend. The cars were fast, the racing was fun and very competitive. But as in most funfilled days there always seems to be one little "glitch" that can make your day less than enjoyable for a short term or in some cases long term. In my case it is long term.
While racing with the GT1 class I had an encounter with turn 10 at the Portland track. My car began to slide as I entered the corner to low in the turn, trying to make room for another faster car. As my car entered the turn it slid sideways and was collected up (hit) by a car I had been racing. In his defense, it was not his fault, he had no place to go but where he did and he just didn't have enough room to get by me. I was in his way and his car hit mine, it is that simple. It is what happened thereafter that is the meat of this story.
After the two cars collided, his car spun off into the grass, my car spun back onto the track. But the impact from the collision moved the rear of my car's frame over about 4 inches. As a result it pushed the fuel cell out of it's mounting, broke the fuel pump from it's mount and ripped off the fuel return line (the line that returns excess fuel back to the cell of the car doesn't need it). As a result the fuel that was in the line spilled down onto the hot exhaust and you can imagine what happened then. Poof, Up in flames we go. I actually didn't even realize that I was on fire until I saw he black smoke coming from around the passenger side of the car. The car was engulfed quickly and the flames begin to reach up both sides of the car, making my exit imperitave and in need of being quick.
While experiencing all of this excitement I had a few good friends on my side – my fire suit, (the same fire suit I had spent so much money on and complained that it was too expensive), the long sleeved fireproof shirt, the long underwear pants I wear when driving the car, the fireproof socks, shoes, head sock and of course my helmet and Haans Device, all expensive and totally un-necessary until you need them. But was I ever happy on the 4th of July that I had them. With the fire seeping into the cockpit through every opening the car was quickly filling up with smoke, the fire had progressed to both sides of the car and wasa coming in around the seat melting the fabric to my suit. I was about to exit right through the fire. I managed to get my belts loose, get the window net down and the door open. All I saw was a wall of flame, but I took off running straight though it, luckliy for me it was very thin and I was throuogh it in no time. But I do remember the heat, it was hot !
So………all of you racers out there that may think safety equipment is for sissys, I want you all to know, if I am considered a sissy because I wear everyting known to man, then so be it. Actually I don't consider me or anyone else a sissy that wear bulk safety equipment, I consider us smart. I was a strong supporter of safety equipment and an avid safety equipment user and will always be as long as I am ever in the seat of a race car.
If you want to drive a racecar, before you do so check out what is going to be required by youur sanctioning body as far as safety equipment and then double it ! Get everything you can that will ensure your personal safety, do not try to save money on this, it can be your life at stake here if you try to go with a second rate piece vs. a proven and competitant piece of gear. Take a look at ht photos attached to this article adn then reaslize that I had 15 to 20 seconds of time to be protected by all the gear, more then that and I could have been in more truoble. Be careful, wear everything you can to be safe adn above all – have fun ! Life is short, don't wait to experience what you have always dreamed of doing for yourself, your number counld be called any day at any time.
July 9, 2009
Life is Good at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2009 !

What does a good cigar, a glass of good cold beer, a huge crowd of people, lots of noise and excitement have in common – simple – The 24 Hours of Le Mans.
WOW what a show the cars and drivers put on this year. Beauty on the race track is about the only way to describe the outstanding job all the drivers and crew members did at Le Mans this year. Fifty five cars started the famous race, over 30 finished after 24 gruling hours of punishment. It was such a privledge to be there and witness what some people only dream about. An amazing spectical in deed realized by me because of my wonderful French friend Christophe.
When I strap myself in to the racecar my job is to drive it to the maximum, to get the most out of myself, the car and the crew. In other words – I am trying to push myself to the point that I am within an inch of being out of control, to push the car to it's breaking point by giving it so much punishment that it can't stand it and it gives up. If I can keep it on the track and it doesn't give up then we have a good day of racing, if either myself or the car breaks then we did what we expected to do from all the punishment. To realize that over 30 cars drove hundreds of laps around the punishing facility without a hitch is truly an amazing fact.
The competition was fearce and enjoyed by the hundreds of thousands of fans that lined the course. The drivers were exhausted, the cars were used completely used up and the fans were treated to a flawlessly presented display of racing excellence from the ACO. In this writers opinion, there are many other sanctioning organizations can learn from the ACO. The lack of tolerence for anything other than total professionalism is very refreshing. I applaude their professional manner and their continued ability to present on a truly amazing event to the world.
Next we talk about one of my favorite people, Heshel McGriff. Hershel is 81 years old and is getting back into his brand new DEI NASCAR Chevrolet to run the road course at Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon and again in Salt Lake City on the road course of Miller Sports Park . We will follow Hershel and how he does in his quest to come back from several years of retirement and give it another shot. Watch Petrol-Head for more on Hershel.
July 2, 2009
Portland Intl. Raceway with the Corvette
First let me apologize for taking so long to get this article done, I am a bit technology challenged and had to figure out how to publish the first practice video of the car. I have finally figured it out. Therefore, without further hesitation, I bring you my first practice laps in the Chevrolet Corvette at Portland Intl.Raceway in Portland Oregon.
We had a tough weekend, the car ran well but small problems kept us from being too competitive. Once we got the chance to practice a bit, we found several items on the car that were in need to tightening, etc. The biggest issue all weekend was the power steering lines leaking, big problem when they leak on to 1200 degree headers, lots of smoke fills the cockpit ! One of the two pressure lines was split and in need of a creative fix to make it through the weekend, two "O" rings work wonders with small cracked lines in pressure situations.
Last year while driving my friend Ken Osage's Porsche 928 my fastest lap in Portland was a 1:36, not good in a field of cars averaging mid 1:30's. But this year we have a whole new situation to deal with, a 1:25 was my fastest lap and that was the first time out with the car, impressive even if I do say so myself. The car is very fast. Now that I have sufficiently patted myself on the back, let me also say that the car is capable of going much faster, but the driver has to be better to make that happen. Needless to say, I was pleased with the car last weekend, even with all the small problems. The problem that finally took us out, was a broken half shaft and u-joint on the right rear of the car. Unfortunatley it broke going into the chicane, the fastest place on the track, I was sure the transmission had blown up, but it was the u-joint popping that I heard. Pretty scary the first time out, don't want to break the race car !
As I write this piece we are suppose to be racing in Bremerton, Washington, but rain has kept us away from the track this weekend. Next up is Pacific Raceways in Aurburn, Washington, where we will run with the big boys at the first SCCA National event of the year. This should be allot of fun for us as we will be competiting with cars on a National level and very experienced drivers. But, we have a good car, both Jeff Powell (my partner and other driver of the car) and I know the Pacific Raceways track very well, we should be pretty competitive. There will be more video to come now that I have mastered the video situation, we'll get some good video at Pacific Raceways, a beautiful but tough track. Enjoy watching !
Next up : Our latest project for shipping to Europe, a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, inspired by the famous Barracuda driven by Dan Gurney and Swede Savage. We're making good progress building it right now, we'll have a full report coming up.
May 2, 2009
Racing Priorities………….What are they ?
There are many things that have to be taken into consideration when building a competitive race car, some more important than others…………………

The priority for any race car is driver comfort and safety. While it is important to have lots of horse power and good brakes in a road racing car such as our Corvette, it is even more important to be sure the driver is comfortable and safe when driving the car. In the photos hereafter I will point out some of the specific items built into our car for the purpose of driver safety and comfort.

In this photo you can see many items specific to the purpose of driver safety and comfort……………..they include,
a removable sterring wheel for quick exit in case of an accident, side impact bars protecting the driver from a side hit from another car, a heat proof shield floor mat keeping the drivers compartment as cool as possible, the two way radio for communication to the pits, note the mounting is within arms length to the driver once strapped into the seat to allow volume control, etc., the red "push to talk" button is mounted on the steering wheel itself eleminating any need to remove a hand from the wheel to communicate to the pit, the dash board is built in a manner that is easy to read for the driver to see at a glance while on the track, the electrial kill switch is within reach of the driver in case of emergency all electrial current can be shut down quickly. These are but a few of the items just in this photo, check out the next photo……………

Perhaps the most important piece of safety equipment on any race car is the fire equipment. Our Corvette is no exception, we have a fire system plumbed to the engine compartment and the driver compartment. Note in the photo the "pin" located just below the panic button, this allows the bottle to remain in the car at all times, the pin is removed when the car hits the track, then replaced when returning to the pits.
Another item seen here is the extra heat and sound pad over the tunnel area. In our Corvette the exhaust pipes run under the floor pan and beside the transmission just below the tunnel, as a result the cockpit can fill with extreme heat, this pad eleminates a vast majority of the excess heat and in turn keeps the driver more comfortable and alert while on the track.
Another item seen here and in our next photo, sometimes taken for granted, is the drivers seat.
Note that the seat if formed to fit the driver and to keep the driver in a comfortable and stable position when in a heavy "G" force corner. When racing such a car as our Corvette there is a tremoundous need to keep the driver in a position centered on the steering wheel to maintain complete control of the car.
It is very important when driving a race car the driver become one with the car, it is impossible to drive the car to a win if the driver is simply "in" the car. He must "be one with the car", know every inch of fender, know when and where he can make a move to pass and when he cannot, he must be able to "feel" the car, impossible if he is sliding in the seat when driving. A good well fitting seat is but one piece of safety equipment but a very important one, great care should be taken when considering the purchase of a race seat.
There are many good vendors all over the US and Europe for safety equipment, make your selection very carefully when considering safety equipment for your race car. Here are but few of our suppliers for the safety gear seen in these photos ………….
Summit Racing, Racing Electronics, Sparco
using these links you can get a good idea of what equipment is availble for driver safety and comfort.
We are scheduled (and excited) to run the upcoming SCCA race in Portland, Oregon on April 18th and 19th with our Corvette. We will give you a full report complete with a few track photos on our return.
Here's to good safe racing, see you around the next corner !
April 9, 2009
2009 Sponsor Party
Following the tradition started by our good friend Christophe Schwartz for the Le Mans Classic events, our 2009 Sponsor Party was a success.

On Friday evening we hosted our 2009 Sponsor party in the airplane hanger owned by team driver Jeff Powell. All those in attendance had a good time, got to meet the drivers one on one and had a great chance to see (and hear) the car personally.
Dick explains tire width requirements to one of our guests.
Dorothy and Donna, enjoy a good time at the party.

Special Guest Maddie Pust gets a chance to sit in the 1996 Corvette Race Car, a special treat for "the future race driver". We're always looking for "new talent" !
For those in attendance later on in the afternoon we had a special little treat, a quick run of the car for a couple of laps in front of the hanger. All were impressed with the speed, acceleration capability and braking capacity of the car in such a short distance. We received lots of nice comments on how good the car looked, ran (and how loud it was) and impressive it looks at a distance.
A good time was had by all in attendance. Final plans were made for the 2009 season, the tracks we will be racing were announced and travel plans were discussed. Looks like we will have a great year this season, a few sponsors announced they will be attending the events to help with the car and suppport our efforts, which is always welcome. It never hurts to have more help there is always something to do in the pits during race weekend so I doubt anyone will find themselves without a job (or two) during race days.
Next up: Our 2009 race schedule – watch this blog for the upcoming schedule.
March 30, 2009
Our New Racing Corvette
Our new Corvette race car is really something !
This is its younger cousin in Le Mans:
Now that the racing season in almost upon us here in the Northwest portion of the US, we are getting our new Corvette ready to go. Today we have the sponsor party, I'll update you more next week on that one, and fire up the beast for all of our potential sponsor friends. Ours is a small friendly racing group but the atmosphere is not unlike that of a American Le Mans Series Team once we get to the track, it is all business. The car is fantastic, we were so lucky to find it and buy it this year, this promises to be an exciting year for the Prime Development Group/Dick Pierson Racing Team. More to come !
March 27, 2009