DialAFlight helps fly in Drag Racing Legends
The British Drag Racing Hall of Fame (BDRHoF) is pleased to confirm that DialAFlight has renewed its support of 
the Annual Gala Awards Dinner – this year being held at the historic Oatlands Park Hotel, Weybridge Surrey on November 18th. Part of the multi-million pound Lotus Group and protected by both ATOL and ABTA, DialAFlight is in its 36th year of trading. They organise travel for over 450,000 people every year and the business has become the BDRHoF Official Travel Partner during 2016/17, helping to fly in the many drag racing legends who now attend the event.
DialAFlight has 300 travel managers. Working closely with their major travel partners in all airlines, car hires and hotels, they can tailor-make itineraries suiting individual needs to virtually any destination in the world; from a first-class round-the-world ticket, a European city break or maybe arrangements to get you to the USA for a major drag race meeting. And, as the name suggests, DalAFlight does not believe in operating an online transactional service but instead offers customers the opportunity to book over the phone which is a more efficient, friendly and customer focussed experience. Full details about the company can be found by visiting www.dialaflight.com or why not telephone Travel Manager Bobby Tuggey on 01732 592997. His e-mail is bobby.tuggey@dialaflight.co.uk
He says, “We are proud to be supporting the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame Gala Awards Dinner again. The evening was a fabulous affair last year and I am already looking forward to the 2017 event. It has been a great privilege to organise travel for some of the greatest names in drag racing who attended in 2016 and again this year. In fact we now arrange travel for many businesses involved in the sport and have made lots of new friends and it has been a thrill to be involved with team transport supporting the Havoc Fuel Altered Tour of the USA”.
So who from the USA is joining the party to celebrate our own drag racing pioneers this year; the ones we can announce today anyway? For a start we have BDRHoF Honorary International Ambassador and the most successful driver of the twin Chevy engined ‘Freight Train’ Gas Dragster Bob Muravez (AKA Floyd Lippencote Jnr) who is returning for a third year. Then we have GIGI Carleton who is President of the Margie and Robert E Petersen Foundation that supports the world famous Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles as well as several cancer research and children’s charities. She is joined by SEMA Hall of Fame Member ‘Gentleman’ Joe Schubeck – the drag racer who started Lakewood Products.
Long-time former NHRA Competitions Vice President and Nostalgia Supremo Steve Gibbs is returning, as is one of America’s most popular Funny Car and Top Fuel Dragster drivers and Tuners Ed ‘Ace’ McCulloch. One of the BDRHoF sponsors Ron Hope is joining us again after a very successful world tour with his Fuel Altered Rat Trap, and we also welcome back Blue Max Funny Car tuner ‘Waterbed’ Fred Miller. Both are Honorary BDRHoF International Ambassadors
World renowned and award winning automotive journalist, author and photographer Bob McClurg will be with us hosting the Bench Racing Session again and we will also be joined by two Gala first timers. The first is Top Fuel legend Marvin Graham (sometimes known as Marvin Who). Marvin was Technical adviser on the film about Shirley Muldowney; ‘Heart Like a Wheel’. The second is chassis builder, Top Fuel Dragster driver and Funny Car Crew Chief/Tuner Roland ‘Hawaiian’ Leong. Finally we will be able to welcome Dale Emery who first visited the UK in 1976 driving the Chadderton and Okazaki Vega Funny Car. Along with many other achievements he went on to become Crew Chief for Raymond Beadle’s Blue Max Funny Car. This will be his first visit to the Gala.
The Andy Willsheer photos were taken at last year’s BDRHoF Gala. They show Joe Shubeck (top hat optional) with GIGI Carleton, and Ed McCulloch in conversation with Santa Pod Raceway and Trakbak CEO Keith Bartlett.
Bobby says, “There are more legends to be announced but their names must remain a secret for a few weeks yet. Once again it is going to be quite a drag racing ‘CelebFest’; a unique occasion to talk with drag racing pioneers from both sides of the Atlantic and a fitting tribute to those who helped grow drag racing this side of the Atlantic”.
The 2017 tranche of BDRHoF Inductees will be announced during the Dragstalgia Meeting held at Santa Pod Raceway over July 14th to 16th. These will be presented with their awards at the Gala in November. The BDRHoF is now taking reservations for the 2017 Gala Awards Dinner by email at stuart@britishdragracinghof.co.uk or by telephone at 01933 279102. This year the tickets are priced competitively at £65.00 each and this includes a pre-dinner reception and table wine. The event always sells out well in advance, so if you would like to join us for the occasion we suggest you make your reservation sooner rather than later. On receiving your reservation you will be given the procedure to book rooms at the negotiated room rate that includes breakfast and VAT as well as parking.
On-going news about the Gala, sponsors and other events in which the BDRHoF is involved will be published on the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame website, www.britishdragracinghof.co.uk, www.eurodragster.com and on Facebook and Twitter.
