He was a true hot rodder, an innovator responsible for the design of motor-mount kits for engine conversions in hot rods, as well as the popular Hurst shifters. George was also a key player in drag racing in the 1950s. And a fact not known by many: George invented the Jaws of Life cutting device used by fire departments and rescue crews throughout the world to remove victims of crashes from damaged vehicles.
When he was a young man racing his own cars, Ed Iskenderian—or as he was later nicknamed, “Camfather”—had trouble buying racing-grind camshafts. He didn’t like to wait for them. So, he said to himself, “I can make those….” And that was the start of Iskenderian Racing Cams, popularly known as “Isky Cams,” one of the largest specialty cam grinders in America. The company developed the first high-density, chilled-iron lifters for Top Fuel dragsters, and was also responsible for the first anti-cam-walk kit for Chevy V8s and the first offset cam keys and bushings for adjusting cam timing. Ed was part of the small group that created SEMA, and was its first president. Additionally, he is a member of Chevrolet’s Legends of Performance.
Mallory Ignition products were the result of a young racer’s imagination. Boots set out to improve the performance of Ford flathead V8s by modifying the ignition, and thus was born the likes of dual-point breaker assemblies, high-output coils and a host of ignition products that carried the Mallory name. Boots was also a driving force in early sponsorship of auto racing—the first Mallory ignition won at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in 1926—including drag racing and NASCAR. Many NHRA-winning Funny Cars and Top Fuel dragsters have sported Mallory Super-Mag ignition systems.
Lou got his start by building and modifying engines for midgets and other forms of oval-track racing, and he started a mail-order business in 1945. He has always been regarded as the “racer’s racer,” known for his inventive spirit and overall love of cars. He was the founder of Ansen Automotive and, later, the Senter Wheel Company. In 1963, Lou, along with other manufacturers, formed SEMA. He was named to the Hot Rod magazine Hall of Fame, received a Western Racing Association Award in 1997 for his significant and dedicated contributions to racing, and was named to the Dry Lakes Hall of Fame in 1999
Harry took pride in helping a fledgling industry get its start on the dry lake beds of California, where time trials preceded the sport known as drag racing. He experimented with cams to improve the performance of Ford flathead V8s and inline sixes, producing the reground race versions of cams to the eager hot rodders of the era. Weber Speed Equipment grew from cams to include parts such as clutches and flywheels. He is noted as one of the original supporters of the idea of forming an organization called SEMA.
Founder of the Edelbrock Corporation, Otis Victor Edelbrock Sr. was an early days hot rodder who modified his own cars, tested products on them, then sold the parts piecemeal to an eager base of customers in Southern California. Eventually, mass production of Edelbrock manifolds and heads was inevitable and the company flourished. The Edelbrock line now includes cylinder heads, intake manifolds and pistons for many applications. And he achieved an industry first in 1958 by getting 1 horsepower per cubic inch from a 283 Chevy small-block with the new cross-ram manifold. Vic Sr. was inducted in the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame as well as the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.
As the founder of Trans-Dapt Performance (now Trans-Dapt Performance Products), Willie began selling transmission adapters out of his garage, before the company went from a two-man operation to being a key player in the performance industry, offering many quality products. Willie was also active during the formative years of SEMA. He had an appreciation for the importance of a trade group to protect the industry in cases of governmental overregulation, and was instrumental in the Association’s influence in legislative affairs.
Phil’s company got its start by producing heads and intake manifolds for flathead V8s during the early days of hot rodding. His company grew to become one of the foremost suppliers of speed equipment in the 1950s, making a full assortment of products for early and late-model engines. The “high Weiand” (a manifold with tall carburetor stacks) was extremely popular with racers. A racer at heart, Phil didn’t allow paralysis from polio to interfere with his lust for cars; he converted a 1929 Ford Model A coupe and a 1934 Ford coupe to utilize hand controls.
Remembered as the force behind the founding of SEMA in 1963, then known as the Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association, Ed devoted much of his time to the association and its organizational start-up. He was a partner in Elliott-McMullen Advertising, an agency serving the fledgling performance market, representing high-performance clients. It has long been said that the concept of SEMA was first discussed in the Elliott-McMullen offices.
Roy owned and operated one of the first speed shops in Southern California. Roy’s innovative character inspired him to expand into manufacturing. He formed Cragar Wheels, one of the most popular aluminum alloy wheels to be sold in America from the 1960s on. Bell Helmets produced state-of-the-art head protection; Bell made its first helmet in 1954, known as the 500, and it was quickly accepted by the racing community. The original Bell 500 helmet and Cragar S/S Competition wheel are two products for which he’s best known. Cragar was one of SEMA’s 36 charter member companies, and Roy filled a number of positions within the association, including president from 1969-1971.
