David Steele (on the right), the CEO of the American Hot Rod Foundation, brought a film crew to Santa Barbara last Thursday to do a video interview of Lee Hammock (centre) 
for the Foundation’s “living legends of hot rodding” archives. Lee was there in the post war, early 1940’s when hot rodding took off on the Central Coast of California. He was an original member of the Santa Barbara Acceleration Association, the club responsible for the first organised drag races in the US. They decided that the quarter mile was to be the distance used. He helped his neighbor Willis Baldwin build the Baldwin Mercury Special in 1948/49 and as its driver put it on Pole position at the Palm Springs Road Races in April of 1950; the first road races held west of Watkins Glen.
for the Foundation’s “living legends of hot rodding” archives. Lee was there in the post war, early 1940’s when hot rodding took off on the Central Coast of California. He was an original member of the Santa Barbara Acceleration Association, the club responsible for the first organised drag races in the US. They decided that the quarter mile was to be the distance used. He helped his neighbor Willis Baldwin build the Baldwin Mercury Special in 1948/49 and as its driver put it on Pole position at the Palm Springs Road Races in April of 1950; the first road races held west of Watkins Glen. The interview lasted 4 1/2 hours.
With thanks to Rob Manson (left in the photo) for the heads-up