May 5th, 2017: Smokey Hornet

[xoxoxoBruce]

Original “Fabulous Hudson Hornet” NASCAR racer to be added to National Historic Vehicle Register, on display with
the others chosen on the National Mall.

Winner of the 1953 NASCAR Championship Herb Thomas on the left, with the secret ingredient and race car builder god Smokey
Yunick. Hudson dominated NASCAR from the beginning in 1949 until 1955, beating all the overhead valve V-8s with a flathead 6.
After 1955 the other companies were tired of being embarrassed and started factory support for racing, all racing.
Millions were spent to win on Sunday, so they could sell on Monday.



The fans knew what ever the car brand or type of racing, be it Drag Racing, salt flats, or roundy round, the team smokey was
on was the major threat to everyone else. He had a way with cars, and a keen knack for finding loopholes in the rules.
His creed was if they don’t say you can’t, you can. Seems NASCAR had to update the rules after almost every season.
The sign on his garage said, “Best dang garage in town”.



Flash forward...

Along comes PIXAR with a great movie. Even with a so so story line, clever dialog and great animation made them fun.
Boys like cars and trucks. So do girls, but their mothers buy them Barbie dolls. Well when Mom’s in the other room arranging
ballet lessons on the phone, Barbie gets stuffed in a slipper or box, and goes varoom varoom across the rug.
Bingo, a movie about cars has to make money. Cars 1 & 2 made a billion box office and 10 billion in merchandise, appealing
to men, women and us children of all ages. It also suppressed some worry about Disney fucking up Pixar. Surprise surprise,
Cars 3 comes out, and one of the loveable characters is a truck, like the first two films.



But this truck is a 1947 Hudson pickup named Smokey. Hmm. The Hudsons were unique looking, and they aren’t around to sue
or ask for royalties. And Smokey is a natural for an old truck, all perfectly logical. But for some the connection clicks, you
wouldn’t poke the guy next to you and try to explain, but it’s clicked.



What would a truck in the cartoon do for a living? They had done a tow truck and you don’t boost merchandise revenue by
repeating characters. So Smokey owns a garage.
See, there’s a picture of the sign that says Smokey’s so he owns it and the motto is…
The… Best… Dang… Garage… in Town. Thank you Disney, I can now poke the guy next to me.

[Gravdigr]

That might be the only pic of Smokey Yunick I've ever seen with out a funky cowboy hat on and a cigar stub chomped in his mouth.

Nice IOTD.