NO 'TALK'

For those of you who have impatiently awaited the October edition of Tocher Talks, you're going to have to wait just a bit longer. Ian has been a tad busy the last couple of weeks. Little Robert Gordon Tocher, who wasn't scheduled to make an appearance for another six weeks or so, arrived on October 13.

Ian's wife, Sue, is recovering, Robert is thriving, and Ian probably won't sleep for more than two hours straight until after the new year. We're going to cut him some slack on his writing assignments.

And, despite the red-light this time, we're sure Robert will have his reaction time worked out when he gets in his first Jr. dragster. [10-20-2003]

PRO NATS ON ESPN2

Check out all the action from the PRO Hot Rod & Muscle Car Nationals, which took place at Maple Grove Raceway on "Inside Drag Racing." The show will air on ESPN2 on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 5:30 pm EST and will repeat the next morning at 1:00 am.
[10-20-2003]

ZIMMERMAN JOINS HOTROD & RESTORATION

John Zimmerman has joined the staff of HotRod & Restoration magazine as managing editor, replacing Virginia DeMoss. Zimmerman has more than two decades of experience with a variety of racing magazines, the last 15 years with Racer Magazine. [10-20-2003]

BARRIS RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

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George Barris has been selected as the third recipient of the Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Petersen will present the award to Barris at the 6th Annual Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show to be held Feb. 27-29, 2004 at the Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Barris, known as the "King of the Hollywood Kustomizers," and his brother Sam (now deceased) were responsible for some of the most outrageous and cutting-edge automobiles ever created, including the drag cars for the 1960s television show "The Munsters" and the original Batmobile.

Previous award winners were NHRA founder Wally Parks and automotive legend Carroll Shelby. [10-20-2003]

MR. GASKET BUYS JACOBS

The Mr. Gasket Performance Group has acquired Jacobs Electronics, a long time manufacturer of aftermarket ignition products. Jacobs Electronics will be a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mr. Gasket Performance Group, Inc and will be structured as an autonomous business unit.

"We envision numerous synergies between Jacobs Electronics and our ACCEL and Mallory Ignition lines, and plan to develop a variety of progressive products in the near future," commented Bob Romanelli, President of the Mr. Gasket Performance Group. "We look forward to working with Jacobs Electronics as it continues to grow and expand with our company." [10-20-2003]