Cruising Ukraine
There's a big hot rod scene in Cleveland, headquarters of EMS Automotive, but the EMS gang recently decided to see what cruising was like in other cities. We're not talking about Akron or Youngstown. EMS headed halfway around the world to hang out on the streets of Kiev, Ukraine. Guess what. They've got rodders there too. EMS head honcho Alexander Erdey was joined by Ukrainian rodders for a tour of the local hangouts and landmarks and an evening of bench racing Eastern European style.
Cyber Roddin'
Our Internet tour bus will be making stops on the dry lakes of Australia, on the circle tracks of the central USA, and on the drawing board of a talented automotive artist.
Lakes Racing in Australia
www.dlra.org.au
You mean they race on dry lake beds in Australia too?! Dry Lakes Racers Australia (DLRA) sanctions the fun down under in five classes for cars and trucks, and several for bikes. The official site of the DLRA contains comprehensive news about up-to-date class rules and tech inspections, plus photos and info on drivers, cars, and events from the last 13 years. There is also a forum, articles on racing at the lakes, and a history of the organization. Only weird thing: the steering wheels are on the right.
Old Time Racing Photos
www.angelfire.com/wv/racerjim/
A lot of our readers think the streets of heaven are paved with dirt. If that's you, then heaven is just a click away, at Jimmie's Old Time Racing Photos. It calls itself "Your best Internet source for old racing photos, news, vintage racing, stories, and more!" You could easily spend hours exploring dozens of pages of historical articles and photos, plus plenty of information on modern-day vintage racing events. It's concentrated on the Ohio Valley region of the eastern USA, but the appeal is universal.
Design of the Times
www.kaucherdesignwerks.com
Maybe you remember seeing Keith Kaucher's artwork in ROD & CUSTOM's Sketchpad series a few years ago, or in Hot Rod Magazine, Street Rodder, or Car Craft. The best place to see a lot of Kaucher's cars is on his extensive Web site. In addition to more than 60 concept car drawings and art illustrations, the outstanding site is loaded with Keith's contributions to numerous magazines, his favorite links, some of his design work for the automotive aftermarket, and photos of his '54 Ford project custom.
NSRA Appreciation Day
A wood-eating woodie. There's something you don't see too often-unless you're a fan of the Discovery Channel's Monster Garage, the TV series that features oddball machines created from ordinary vehicles. Monster Garage was recently honored at the annual National Street Rod Association Appreciation Day, hosted by California Car Cover in Chatsworth, California, where this wood chipper created from a PT Cruiser was on display with a couple other vehicles from the show. Hundreds of other more ordinary rods and customs showed up for the annual celebration, where participants enjoyed food, music, and tours of the California Car Company facility.