Morrow Award to Three 500cc Racing Pioneers
To be Honored at Riverside Legends II Event March 26-28, 2010


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Doug STOKES
stokescommunications
(626) 391- 3772


Riverside, Calif. - - Three 500cc racing pioneers, Tom Meehan, Ralph Ormsbee, and George Keck, will all have their names inscribed on the Harry Morrow Trophy at the second annual edition of the Legends of Riverside II event set to take place over the March 26-28, 2010 weekend at the Inland Empire’s Riverside International Automotive Museum.

Tom Cecil, the 500cc Club of America’s Director, had the following to say about the honored trio: “Those three guys were the early pioneers of the 500s. They were wonderfully eclectic, racing for the pure fun of it, while tweaking the noses of the so-called elite motorsportsmen”.

Cecil went on, “The only one I know very well is Tom Meehan. I don't know if he'd like the comparison, but if Pete Lovely is our Stirling Moss, then Tom is our Alf Francis. Pete recruited Tom from the Foss Tugboat fleet, promising ‘I can't pay you as well as the tugboats do, but I can promise you a lot more fun.’ And so it was. As for Ralph and George, besides their adventures in 500cc racing, George built the original VW Special as it was called; sort of a poor man's Porsche 550 - which ran very well. Ralph had a number of different cars, including the HWM Chevy, which he advertised in the Seattle Times for $5400.”

Named for 500cc stalwart Harry Morrow, and first presented at the 33rd Monterey Historics in 2006, the Morrow Award celebrates the fact that many across the country consider of the late bookstore owner/racer as the true spirit 500cc open wheel racing in the United States.

The “Morrow” is presented annually at prestige vintage racing events throughout the country. The actual Cooper F3 alloy wheels goes, not necessarily to the winner, but to the person who best represents the sportsmanship and camaraderie of 500cc vintage competition. Aircraft engineer Morrow founded the legendary Burbank, California Autobooks shop in 1951.

All three of these west coast drivers went on from their early days barnstorming up and down the Pacific Coast in 500cc cars, working their way up the grid to bigger and faster machinery with Ormsbee taking part in the seminal 1958 Times Grand Prix at Riverside. This trio was the type of racers who made racing so much fun back in the day. Hell-bent-for-excitement, with no ambition to go “pro” (pro didn’t pay anything back then and, besides it was frowned on.) they raced for the same reasons that mountain climbers climb.

These three now join John Streets, Bob Wenz, Bob Schilling, Bruce Kessler, Peter Becker, Ken Nichols, and Tom “Rigger” Cecil as Morrow awardees.

The annual Legends of Riverside event is a limited-attendance event (only 250 are available for the full three-day presentation). The small number of tickets sold assures attendees of personal contact with any of the close to 100 authentic motorsports legends and special guests on hand for the event. Adding to the experience are locally-catered lunches and dinners, along with the screening of a number of racing films, in some cases with the one or more of the film’s actual participants sitting right there watching along with the ticket-holders!

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FOR MORE EVENT INFORMATION (And full bios on each of these three racers … And many other Riverside Legends) : www.legendsofriverside.com <http://www.legendsofriverside.com

Vince H.

Who will be at this year's event from TNF? Peter Lipskis, from Vancouver, and I will be coming.

Vince Howlett, Victoria, B.C., Canada

Well, shewt. We have family coming in from way out of town this weekend. If I get there at all, it will be Friday. Shewt.

Any road, I hope the photo crew will be on the job as they were last time. Marvelous thread, even on fourth or fifth reading.

Cheers!

Legends of Riverside 2010 schedule

Frank, the MacDonald's are excited about Dave being honored. They have extra excitement because of details brought forth by the TNF members over the last couple of years. If you make it (and others) please take an extra minute to visit with them.

Henry

Great weekend.

There is an online article in the local paper. Do a google search for Riverside Museum under "News" and it should come up. I am in the blue shirt talking to Eric Haga.

More when I get home.

Vince H.

Phil Henny says Bob is currently with wife #8. She is, however, an extraordinary force. She has a plan and it is a good one.